Patents by Inventor Masaru Doutai

Masaru Doutai has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 8555695
    Abstract: A battery unit is housed in a metallic battery case. In the battery unit, current collectors having bent portions on both sides are fixed to face surfaces of an electrode plate group of a prismatic battery. The portions of the battery case, which correspond to the bent portions, are pressed in a thickness direction. Under the pressure, a short circuit inspection for a short circuit between the battery case and the current collectors of the battery unit is executed. When a projected object exists on the bent portion, a short circuit is generated between the battery case and the current collector by pressing so that a short circuit failure caused by a shape of the current collector can be detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2013
    Assignee: Panasonic EV Energy Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masato Onishi, Shinichi Sakai, Masaru Doutai, Masaru Kobayashi, Hiroaki Arai
  • Publication number: 20120240654
    Abstract: A battery unit is housed in a metallic battery case. In the battery unit, current collectors having bent portions on both sides are fixed to face surfaces of an electrode plate group of a prismatic battery. The portions of the battery case, which correspond to the bent portions, are pressed in a thickness direction. Under the pressure, a short circuit inspection for a short circuit between the battery case and the current collectors of the battery unit is executed. When a projected object exists on the bent portion, a short circuit is generated between the battery case and the current collector by pressing so that a short circuit failure caused by a shape of the current collector can be detected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2012
    Publication date: September 27, 2012
    Applicant: PANASONIC EV ENVERGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masato ONISHI, Shinichi SAKAI, Masaru DOUTAI, Masaru KOBAYASHI, Hiroaki ARAI
  • Patent number: 8217658
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to easily detect a short circuit failure in a current collector of a prismatic battery and prevent a short circuit caused by an existence of a burr generated while cutting or a spatter generated while welding the current collector to an electrode plate. A battery unit is housed in a metallic battery case. In the battery unit, current collectors having bent portions on both sides are fixed to face surfaces of an electrode plate group of a prismatic battery. The portions of the battery case, which correspond to the bent portions, are pressed in a thickness direction. Under the pressure, a short circuit inspection for a short circuit between the battery case and the current collectors of the battery unit is executed. When a projected object exists on the bent portion, a short circuit is generated between the battery case and the current collector by pressing so that a short circuit failure caused by a shape of the current collector can be detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic EV Energy Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masato Onishi, Shinichi Sakai, Masaru Doutai, Masaru Kobayashi, Hiroaki Arai
  • Publication number: 20080157779
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to easily detect a short circuit failure in a current collector of a prismatic battery and prevent a short circuit caused by an existence of a burr generated while cutting or a spatter generated while welding the current collector to an electrode plate. A battery unit is housed in a metallic battery case. In the battery unit, current collectors having bent portions on both sides are fixed to face surfaces of an electrode plate group of a prismatic battery. The portions of the battery case, which correspond to the bent portions, are pressed in a thickness direction. Under the pressure, a short circuit inspection for a short circuit between the battery case and the current collectors of the battery unit is executed. When a projected object exists on the bent portion, a short circuit is generated between the battery case and the current collector by pressing so that a short circuit failure caused by a shape of the current collector can be detected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2007
    Publication date: July 3, 2008
    Applicant: PANASONIC EV ENERGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masato ONISHI, Shinichi Sakai, Masaru Doutai, Masaru Kobayashi, Hiroaki Arai