Patents by Inventor Masutaka Ouchi

Masutaka Ouchi 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: 6420068
    Abstract: A hydrogen storage alloy electrode containing, as a principal active material, a powder of hydrogen storage alloy having a CaCu5 crystal structure and represented by the formula MmNixCoyMnzMw where M is at least one element selected from aluminum (Al) and copper (Cu), x is between 3.0 and 5.2, y is between 0 and 1.2, z is between 0.1 and 0.9, w is between 0.1 and 0.9, and the sum of x, y, z and w is between 4.4 and 5.4. The hydrogen storage alloy powder particles have a surface region and a bulk region enclosed within the surface region and have a higher nickel content in the surface region than in the bulk region. The hydrogen storage alloy electrode further contains an oxide and/or hydroxide of at least one rare-earth element selected from ytterbium (Yb), samarium (Sm), erbium (Er) and gadolinium (Gd).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2002
    Assignee: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masutaka Ouchi, Yoshihiro Masuda, Teruhiko Imoto, Kikuko Kato, Nobuyuki Higashiyama, Mamoru Kimoto, Yasuhiko Itoh
  • Patent number: 6284409
    Abstract: In a pasted hydrogen-absorbing alloy electrode of this invention, an active material layer made from a mixture of a hydrogen-absorbing alloy powder, a composite particle powder including carbon particles and a rare earth compound for partially coating surfaces of the carbon particles, and a binder is formed on a current collector. When this pasted hydrogen-absorbing alloy electrode is used in an alkaline storage battery, the alkaline storage battery can attain small increase of the internal pressure during charge, large discharge capacity in high rate discharge and good charge-discharge cycle performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2001
    Assignee: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Higashiyama, Kikuko Kato, Teruhiko Imoto, Masutaka Ouchi, Mamoru Kimoto, Yasuhiko Itoh, Koji Nishio
  • Patent number: 6258482
    Abstract: A hydrogen storage alloy electrode for a battery is made of a hydrogen storage alloy powder which includes agglomerates of hydrogen storage alloy particles joined together through a metallic layer. A method of making the electrode includes forming agglomerates of hydrogen storage alloy particles joined together by a metallic layer which covers surface portions of the particles, and then forming the electrode using a resulting powder including the agglomerates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2001
    Assignee: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masutaka Ouchi, Teruhiko Imoto, Kikuko Kato, Nobuyuki Higashiyama, Mamoru Kimoto, Shin Fujitani, Koji Nishio
  • Patent number: 6242133
    Abstract: A hydrogen-absorbing alloy electrode for an alkaline secondary battery. The electrode is prepared by adding a transition metal salt to a paste comprising a hydrogen-absorbing alloy powder and binder. The electrode improves charge-discharge cycle performance and high rate discharge capacity at low temperature of an alkaline secondary battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2001
    Assignee: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kikuko Kato, Masutaka Ouchi, Yohei Hirota, Teruhiko Imoto, Nobuyuki Higashiyama, Mamoru Kimoto, Shin Fujitani, Koji Nishio
  • Patent number: 6221528
    Abstract: A hydrogen-absorbing alloy electrode for an alkaline secondary battery. The electrode is made from a hydrogen-absorbing alloy containing nickel which has been treated with an acidic solution containing a chelating agent for nickel. The hydrogen-absorbing alloy electrode has good activity and a nickel-hydrogen battery having the hydrogen-absorbing alloy electrode as a negative electrode has a large high rate discharge capacity soon after being assembled, and inhibits an increase of internal pressure during discharge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2001
    Assignee: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masutaka Ouchi, Teruhiko Imoto, Kikuko Kato, Nobuyuki Higashiyama, Mamoru Kimoto, Shin Fujitani, Koji Nishio