Abstract: A lithium secondary battery including: a positive electrode including a strip-shaped positive electrode current collector and a positive electrode active material layer carried on each surface of the positive electrode current collector; a negative electrode including a strip-shaped negative electrode current collector and a negative electrode active material layer carried on each surface of the negative electrode current collector; a separator interposed between the positive electrode and the negative electrode; and a non-aqueous electrolyte, wherein an exposed portion carrying no active material layer is formed on a substantially center portion in a longitudinal direction of at least one of the positive electrode current collector and the negative electrode current collector, a current collecting lead is connected to the exposed portion, and a first heat resistant layer is formed such that the first heat resistant faces at least part of the current collecting lead.

Abstract: A hydraulic control apparatus for a transmission includes a line pressure regulating device that enables control in which an oil pressure from an oil pump is regulated so as to attain a line pressure, and that enables control in which the line pressure is switched stepwise between a low pressure state in a lower pressure range and a high pressure state in a higher pressure range; a plurality of hydraulic servos that engage and disengage friction engaging elements using engagement pressures that are based on the line pressure; and a high pressure state detecting device that detects that the line pressure regulating device is outputting the line pressure in the high pressure state.

Abstract: A vehicular transmission includes a gear-change mechanism section that shifts power from a driving source and outputs the power to an output shaft; and a hydraulic system that supplies hydraulic pressure from an oil pump to the gear-change mechanism section via a check valve. The check valve includes a cylindrical valve case in which a passage is formed, a valve stored within the valve case so as to be freely movable in an axial direction of the valve case, a valve seat that is formed at one end portion of the passage in the valve case and that closes the passage when the valve sits thereon, a spring for urging the valve so as to sit on the valve seat, and a spring seat fixed on an axially opposite side of the valve seat in the valve case to support the spring.

Abstract: A non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery of the present invention includes a positive electrode, a negative electrode, a separator, and a non-aqueous electrolyte. The negative electrode includes an active material and carbon nanofibers, and an end of the carbon nanofiber is attached to the active material. The non-aqueous electrolyte includes a non-aqueous solvent and a solute dissolved therein. The non-aqueous solvent includes a first solvent and a second solvent: the first solvent is a fluorine-containing compound and the second solvent is a solvent other than the fluorine-containing compound.

Abstract: A negative electrode for non-aqueous electrolyte secondary batteries has a mixture layer including a composite negative electrode active material which is composed of active material cores capable of charging and discharging at least lithium ions; carbon nanofibers; and catalyst elements. The carbon nanofibers are attached to the surfaces of the active material cores. The catalyst elements are at least one selected from the group consisting of copper, iron, cobalt, nickel, molybdenum, and manganese, and promote the growth of the carbon nanofibers. The active material cores have the carbon nanofibers therebetween.

Abstract: Provided is a film measuring device capable of accurately and easily measuring the thickness of a film formed on a film-like or sheet-like base member of an object under test. A color CCD sensor 8 shoots the object under test. A video board 11 converts a color tone of a color image signal concerning the film obtained by the image pickup into gradation data of respective color components of RGB. Then, an image processing board 12 extracts line images of the respective color components. A calculator 14 obtains the thickness of the film of the object under test by referring to pre-measured film thickness reference values corresponding to the gradation data of the green or blue color component, which are stored in a table storage 13 as reference thickness table data, using the gradation data of the line image of the green or blue color component as lookup data.

Abstract: There is provided a film measuring device capable of accurately and easily measuring the thickness of a microporous film formed on a battery electrode plate over the entire area of the film. A color CCD sensor 8 shoots the microporous film. A video board 11 converts a color tone of a color image signal obtained by the image pickup into gradation data of respective color components of RGB. After the data conversion, an image processing board 12 extracts line images of the respective color components. A calculator 14 obtains the thickness of the microporous film by referring to pre-measured film thickness reference values corresponding to the gradation data of the green or blue color component, which are stored in a table storage 13 as reference thickness table data, using the gradation data of the line image of the green color component or the blue color component as lookup data.

Abstract: A lithium secondary battery including: an electrode group, a non-aqueous electrolyte and a battery case housing the electrode group and the non-aqueous electrolyte, the electrode group including a positive electrode, a negative electrode and a separator layer interposed between the positive electrode and the negative electrode, wherein an end-of-charge voltage and an end-of-discharge voltage are set in such a manner that the electrode group has an energy density of not less than 700 Wh/L, the separator layer includes a porous heat-resistant layer, and a short circuit area A produced when an internal short circuit has occurred between the positive electrode and the negative electrode, and a reduced area B of the porous heat-resistant layer that is produced by heat generation satisfy 1?(A+B)/A?10.

Abstract: A lithium secondary battery including: an electrode group, a non-aqueous electrolyte and a battery case housing the electrode group and the non-aqueous electrolyte, the electrode group including a positive electrode, a negative electrode and a separator layer interposed between the positive electrode and the negative electrode, wherein an end-of-charge voltage and an end-of-discharge voltage are set in such a manner that the electrode group has an energy density of not less than 700 Wh/L, the separator layer includes a porous heat-resistant layer, and a short circuit area A produced when an internal short circuit has occurred between the positive electrode and the negative electrode, and a reduced area B of the porous heat-resistant layer that is produced by heat generation satisfy 1?(A+B)/A?10.

Abstract: Drain holes are arranged in positions offset from valve holes of a valve body. The drain holes have a long chimney-shaped space such that even if insulation material, that has peeled off of an electric motor, is suspended in oil, it is less likely to enter drain chambers through the drain holes.

Abstract: A prismatic lithium secondary battery includes: a prismatic battery can having a bottom, a side wall, and an open top; an electrode assembly; a non-aqueous electrolyte; and a sealing plate covering the open top of the battery can that accommodates the electrode assembly and the non-aqueous electrolyte. The electrode assembly includes: a positive electrode; a negative electrode; and a porous heat-resistant layer and a separator that are interposed between the positive and negative electrodes. The side wall of the battery can has two rectangular main flat portions that are opposed to each other, and the thickness A of the porous heat-resistant layer and the thickness B of each of the main flat portions of the side wall satisfy the relation: 0.003?A/B?0.05.

Abstract: A cylindrical lithium secondary battery that is resistant to breakage of the porous heat-resistant layer and therefore excellent in both safety and battery characteristics. The cylindrical lithium secondary battery includes: a battery can having a bottom, a side wall, and an open top; an electrode assembly; a non-aqueous electrolyte; and a sealing plate covering the open top of the battery can that accommodates the electrode assembly and the electrolyte. The electrode assembly includes a strip-like positive electrode and a strip-like negative electrode that are wound together with a porous heat-resistant layer and a separator interposed between the positive and negative electrodes. The thickness A of the porous heat-resistant layer and the thickness B of the side wall of the battery can satisfy the relation: 0.005?A/B?0.1.

Abstract: A cylindrical lithium secondary battery that is excellent in resistance to short-circuits, is capable of preventing a capacity loss due to dropping, and has a good balance in battery characteristics. The cylindrical lithium secondary battery includes: a cylindrical battery can; an electrode assembly; and a non-aqueous electrolyte. The electrode assembly has a porous heat-resistant layer that is interposed between the positive electrode and the negative electrode. The electrode assembly has a central cavity into which a hollow mandrel is inserted. The hollow mandrel has a slit that extends along the entire length thereof. The outer diameter A of the hollow mandrel and the width B of the slit satisfy the relation: 0.1?B/A?0.6.

Abstract: A lithium secondary battery that is excellent in resistance to short-circuits and heat, is unlikely to suffer a capacity loss due to impact such as dropping, and has a high capacity. The lithium secondary battery includes: an electrode assembly including a strip-like positive electrode and a strip-like negative electrode that are wound together with a porous heat-resistant layer interposed therebetween; a non-aqueous electrolyte; and a battery can. The battery has a restricting part for restricting vertical movement of the electrode assembly. The distance A from the restricting part to the inner bottom face of the battery can and the width B of the negative electrode satisfy the relation: 0.965?B/A?0.995.

Abstract: Disclosed is a lithium ion secondary battery wherein an active material layer of at least one of positive and negative electrodes, or a separator carries a porous insulating layer, and the surface of the active material layer or separator carrying the porous insulating layer has a first region in which the porous insulating layer is formed and a second region including plural discontinuous deficient hole portions where the porous insulating layer is not formed. When a given reference deficient hole portion is selected from the plural deficient hole portions and a given circle having an area ten times that of the reference deficient hole portion is set on the surface of the active material layer or separator, the area of a part of the second region surrounded by the circle is controlled to not less than 10 ?m2 and not more than 100 mm2.

Abstract: A secondary-battery internal short detection apparatus is provided which is capable of precisely detecting an internal short being generated in a secondary-battery.

Abstract: In a lithium secondary battery of the present invention, the positive electrode includes a positive electrode current collector and a positive electrode active material layer carried on the positive electrode current collector, the negative electrode includes a negative electrode current collector and a negative electrode active material layer carried on the negative electrode current collector, a heat-resistant layer is formed on the negative electrode, and an insulating tape is attached onto at least a part of the exposed portion of the positive electrode current collector that is opposite to the end of the negative electrode active material layer. Thus, by forming the heat-resistant layer on the negative electrode and attaching the insulating tape onto a part of the exposed portion of the positive electrode current collector, it is possible to efficiently provide a lithium secondary battery exhibiting high safety.

Abstract: A method for charging a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery, the battery comprising a positive electrode that comprises a lithium-containing composite oxide, a negative electrode, and a non-aqueous electrolyte. The method comprises the step of detecting an open-circuit-voltage of the battery to determine which of voltage regions A, B and C the detected value is included in. The region A is not smaller than a prescribed value X. The region B is smaller than the prescribed value X and larger than a prescribed value Y (Y<X). The region C is not larger than the value Y. According to the determination, charging is stopped when the detected value is included in the region A, charging is conducted when the detected value is included in the region B, or discharging is conducted until a closed-circuit-voltage of the battery becomes not larger than a prescribed value Z and then charging is conducted, when the detected value is included in the region C.

Abstract: In a parallel hybrid vehicle, a controlling section controls an engine and a motor/generator, a torque from the engine and the motor/generator being transmitted to driven wheels via a transmission and a drive shaft. The controlling section comprises: an engine torque calculating section that calculates an engine torque and a torsional vibration suppression torque calculating section that calculates a torsional vibration suppression torque to suppress a torsional vibration developed on the drive shaft according to the engine torque calculated by the engine torque calculating section, the torsional vibration suppression torque calculated by the torsional vibration suppression torque calculating section being outputted from the motor/generator.

Abstract: A method for charging a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery, the battery comprising a positive electrode that comprises a lithium-containing composite oxide, a negative electrode, and a non-aqueous electrolyte. The method comprises the step of detecting an open-circuit-voltage of the battery to determine which of voltage regions A, B and C the detected value is included in. The region A is not smaller than a prescribed value X. The region B is smaller than the prescribed value X and larger than a prescribed value Y (Y<X). The region C is not larger than the value Y. According to the determination, charging is stopped when the detected value is included in the region A, charging is conducted when the detected value is included in the region B, or discharging is conducted until a closed-circuit-voltage of the battery becomes not larger than a prescribed value Z and then charging is conducted, when the detected value is included in the region C.