Patents by Inventor Masatomo Nagatani

Masatomo Nagatani 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: 7736796
    Abstract: A battery pack is made up of a plurality of flat prismatic batteries arranged face to face, each battery having one electrode terminal protruding from one end face in the height direction of the battery case and this end face or a side face of the battery serving as the other electrode terminal. The connector for electrically connecting adjacent prismatic batteries includes a flat part that is welded to one electrode terminal of one prismatic battery of the adjacent prismatic batteries, and a cylindrical part that is fitted onto and welded to the other electrode terminal of the other prismatic battery. The cylindrical part is formed in an attachment part that extends from the flat part through an upright part in the direction in which the batteries are aligned. The connector enables reliable electrical connection of the prismatic batteries despite possible variation in height of the electrode terminals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2010
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Masatomo Nagatani, Yasushi Hirakawa
  • Patent number: 7700230
    Abstract: A generally oval battery including a battery case (2) having a generally oval cross section, a generally oval sealing plate (3) and an electrode plate assembly, the sealing plate (3) having a U-shaped cross section and the battery having a thickness of 4 mm or more and an aspect ratio of 3 or more, whereby the control of a vent for discharging gas that is generated in the battery is made easy and a battery is provided which has a discharge mechanism capable of discharging gas easily and safely, without requiring expensive equipment or many processing steps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2010
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Masatomo Nagatani, Tatsuya Hashimoto
  • Patent number: 7700231
    Abstract: A battery, suitable for forming a battery pack, includes an electrode assembly having a positive electrode plate and a negative electrode plate, and a separator wound or laminated together, core materials of the negative and positive electrode plates being bared respectively at either end. A bottomed cylindrical outer case having a bottom is connected to either end face of the electrode assembly to serve as a battery terminal. Electrolyte is impregnated in the electrode assembly and a lid connected to the other end face of the electrode assembly and fixedly attached to the outer case with a sealer and an insulator interposed therebetween. A connecting part is a part of the lid so that the connecting part engages with and connects to a bottom part of the outer case of another battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2010
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Kenji Kimura, Tatsuya Hashimoto, Takabumi Fujii, Seiichi Uemoto, Hironori Yukisada, Masatomo Nagatani
  • Patent number: 7601460
    Abstract: A prismatic battery with highly reliable sealing properties and its manufacturing method, wherein a negative collector is welded to one end of an electrode plate group accommodated in a prismatic case, the collector being connected to an electrode pole that functions as the negative electrode terminal, and the electrode pole is fitted into a support cylinder that is provided on an upper lid for closing one open end of the case. An insulating gasket is interposed between an inner periphery of the support cylinder and an outer periphery of the electrode pole, the support cylinder being formed with at least one annular crimped portion that has an arc-shaped longitudinal cross section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2009
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Tatsuya Hashimoto, Masatomo Nagatani, Hiroaki Ichinose
  • Publication number: 20090064487
    Abstract: A prismatic battery with highly reliable sealing properties and its manufacturing method, wherein a negative collector is welded to one end of an electrode plate group accommodated in a prismatic case, the collector being connected to an electrode pole that functions as the negative electrode terminal, and the electrode pole is fitted into a support cylinder that is provided on an upper lid for closing one open end of the case. An insulating gasket is interposed between an inner periphery of the support cylinder and an outer periphery of the electrode pole, the support cylinder being formed with at least one annular crimped portion that has an arc-shaped longitudinal cross section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2008
    Publication date: March 12, 2009
    Applicant: Panasonic Corporation (formerly known as Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.)
    Inventors: Tatsuya HASHIMOTO, Masatomo NAGATANI, Hiroaki ICHINOSE
  • Patent number: 7351493
    Abstract: In a battery pack (1) that accommodates a plurality of batteries (11) arranged in parallel in a case (2) that forms a cooling-air passage (3), the cooling-air passage (3) and a gas-discharge passage (4) for discharging gas leaking from the battery (11) when the battery (11) falls into abnormal state are formed and separated from each other in the case (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2008
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Seiichi Uemoto, Kenji Kimura, Tatsuya Hashimoto, Takabumi Fujii, Hironori Yukisada, Masatomo Nagatani
  • Publication number: 20070243462
    Abstract: A generally oval battery including a battery case (2) having a generally oval cross section, a generally oval sealing plate (3) and an electrode plate assembly, the sealing plate (3) having a U-shaped cross section and the battery having a thickness of 4 mm or more and an aspect ratio of 3 or more, whereby the control of a vent for discharging gas that is generated in the battery is made easy and a battery is provided which has a discharge mechanism capable of discharging gas easily and safely, without requiring expensive equipment or many processing steps.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 16, 2005
    Publication date: October 18, 2007
    Applicant: C/O MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masatomo Nagatani, Tatsuya Hashimoto
  • Publication number: 20070141458
    Abstract: A battery pack is made up of a plurality of flat prismatic batteries arranged face to face, each battery having one electrode terminal protruding from one end face in the height direction of the battery case and this end face or a side face of the battery serving as the other electrode terminal. The connector for electrically connecting adjacent prismatic batteries includes a flat part that is welded to one electrode terminal of one prismatic battery of the adjacent prismatic batteries, and a cylindrical part that is fitted onto and welded to the other electrode terminal of the other prismatic battery. The cylindrical part is formed in an attachment part that extends from the flat part through an upright part in the direction in which the batteries are aligned. The connector enables reliable electrical connection of the prismatic batteries despite possible variation in height of the electrode terminals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2006
    Publication date: June 21, 2007
    Inventors: Masatomo Nagatani, Yasushi Hirakawa
  • Patent number: 7192671
    Abstract: In a battery having a structure that an electrode plate group, formed by winding a positive electrode plate and a negative electrode plate with a separator interposed therebetween, is housed in a battery case together with an electrolyte solution, the electrode plate group is rolled around a roll core, and both ends of the roll core are supported by the battery case.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2007
    Assignee: Matsushita Electrical Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tatsuya Hashimoto, Kenji Kimura, Seiichi Uemoto, Hironori Yukisada, Masatomo Nagatani, Takabumi Fujii
  • Publication number: 20050170239
    Abstract: In a battery pack (1) that accommodates a plurality of batteries (11) arranged in parallel in a case (2) that forms a cooling-air passage (3), the cooling-air passage (3) and a gas-discharge passage (4) for discharging gas leaking from the battery (11) when the battery (11) falls into abnormal state are formed and separated from each other in the case (2).
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2003
    Publication date: August 4, 2005
    Applicant: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co
    Inventors: Seiichi Uemoto, Kenji Kimura, Tetsuya Hashimoto, Takabumi Fujii, Hironori Yukisada, Masatomo Nagatani
  • Publication number: 20050153194
    Abstract: A battery, suitable for forming a battery pack, includes an electrode assembly having a positive electrode plate and a negative electrode plate, and a separator wound or laminated together, core materials of the negative and positive electrode plates being bared respectively at either end. A bottomed cylindrical outer case having a bottom is connected to either end face of the electrode assembly to serve as a battery terminal. Electrolyte is impregnated in the electrode assembly and a lid is connected to the other end face of the electrode assembly and fixedly attached to the outer case with a sealer and an insulator interposed therebetween. A connecting part is a part of the lid so that the connecting part engages with and connects to a bottom part of the outer case of another battery.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 26, 2002
    Publication date: July 14, 2005
    Inventors: Kenji Kimura, Tatsuya Hashimoto, Takabumi Fujii, Seiichi Uemoto, Hironori Yukisada, Masatomo Nagatani
  • Publication number: 20050118501
    Abstract: A prismatic battery with highly reliable sealing properties and its manufacturing method, wherein a negative collector is welded to one end of an electrode plate group accommodated in a prismatic case, the collector being connected to an electrode pole that functions as the negative electrode terminal, and the electrode pole is fitted into a support cylinder that is provided on an upper lid for closing one open end of the case. An insulating gasket is interposed between an inner periphery of the support cylinder and an outer periphery of the electrode pole, the support cylinder being formed with at least one annular crimped portion that has an arc-shaped longitudinal cross section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2004
    Publication date: June 2, 2005
    Applicant: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tatsuya Hashimoto, Masatomo Nagatani, Hiroaki Ichinose
  • Publication number: 20030186113
    Abstract: In a battery having a structure that an electrode plate group, formed by winding a positive electrode plate and a negative electrode plate with a separator interposed therebetween, is housed in a battery case together with an electrolyte solution, the electrode plate group is rolled around a roll core, and both ends of the roll core are supported by the battery case.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2003
    Publication date: October 2, 2003
    Applicant: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tatsuya Hashimoto, Kenji Kimura, Seiichi Uemoto, Hironori Yukisada, Masatomo Nagatani, Takabumi Fujii