Abstract: A nonaqueous electrolyte secondary cell includes a rolled-up electrode unit composed of a positive electrode, a negative electrode and a separator interposed therebetween, and a negative electrode current collector plate and a positive electrode current collector plate joined to the respective ends of the electrode unit. The negative electrode collector plate is joined to an edge of the negative electrode projecting at one of the opposite ends of the electrode unit. The collector plate has a two-layer structure of a copper layer made of copper or an alloy consisting predominantly of copper, and a metal layer made of a metal not forming an intermetallic compound with lithium and having a lower laser beam reflectivity than copper or an alloy consisting predominantly of the metal. The collector plate has its copper layer contacted with the edge of the negative electrode and welded thereto with a laser beam.

Abstract: A battery including an electrode unit housed in a battery can and which generates electricity which can be taken out of the battery via a pair of negative and positive electrode terminals, wherein a terminal assembly is installed in the battery, a current collector plate is connected to an edge of an electrode of the electrode unit for connecting the electrode unit to the terminal assembly, and one or more than one connecting piece which is protrusively formed on a surface of the current collector plate is welded and secured to a base portion of the terminal assembly.

Abstract: A battery including an electrode unit which is an electricity generating element housed in a battery can, in which the electricity can be taken out of the can via a pair of negative and positive electrode terminals which are exposed outside the can, and one of the negative and positive electrode terminals has a coating layer formed on a surface thereof that is the same material as the material of which the other of the negative and positive electrode terminals is made.

Abstract: In a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary cell comprising a rolled-up electrode unit 4 encased in a cell can 1, a striplike current collector forming an electrode has an edge 48 projecting from at least one of opposite ends of the electrode unit. A current collecting plate 5 is joined to the current collector edge 48. A plurality of circular-arc protrusions 52 projecting in a circular-arc cross section and a plurality of slit pieces 53 are formed radially on the current collecting plate 5 and opposed to the current collector edge 48. The collecting plate 5 is welded to the current collector edge 48, with the protrusions 52 and the slit pieces 53 biting into the current collector edge 48, whereby high current collecting performance is available.

Abstract: A battery module has a plurality of electrically connected unit cells fixed in a container. A buffer member is provided at the void between the inner wall of the container and the unit cell. By virtue of the buffer member in the battery module formed of a heat conductive elastic body, the requirement of vibration resistance can be met by the buffer member while the heat generated by the unit cell can be easily discharged via the buffer member. Thus, a battery module suppressed in degradation of the performance of the unit cell caused by heat can be provided.

Abstract: A nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery having a positive electrode including a positive electrode active material, a negative electrode and a nonaqueous electrolyte comprising a solute dissolved in a solvent, the positive electrode active material is a mixture of a lithium-manganese composite oxide and a lithium-nickel composite oxide represented by LiNiaM11- aO2 (M1 being at least one element selected from the group consisting of B, Mg, Al, Ti, Mn, V, Fe, Co, Cu, Zn, Ga, Y, Zr, Nb, Mo and In, and a being 0<a≦1) and/or a lithium-cobalt composite oxide represented by LiCobM21- bO2 (M2 being at least one element selected from the group consisting of B, Mg, Al, Ti, Mn, V, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ga, Y, Zr, Nb, Mo and In, and being 0<b≦1), and the nonaqueous electrolyte contains a phosphoric ester and an ether or an ester having a halogen substituted phenyl.

Abstract: In a secondary cell comprising an electrode unit enclosed in a cell can and adapted to deliver electric power generated by the electrode unit via electrode terminal assemblies, each electrode terminal assembly comprises an electrode terminal member extending through a center hole in a lid of the can, an insulating seal member provided in the center hole of the lid around a screw shank of the electrode terminal member, and a nut screwed on the screw shank of the electrode terminal member projecting outward from can. The insulating seal member is in engagement with the can and the flange of the electrode terminal member and nonrotatable relative to the cell can and the flange, whereby the electrode terminal member is prevented from rotating with the nut when the electrode terminal assembly is fixed to the lid.

Abstract: A secondary cell comprises a gastight can 1 having a cylinder 11 and a lid 12 fixed to an opening portion of the cylinder, and a secondary cell element accommodated in the can 1. The lid 12 is fixedly provided with a gas vent closure 4 in the form of a disk and having a diaphragm 42 openable upon the internal pressure of the can 1 exceeding a predetermined value. The gas vent closure 4 has an outer peripheral portion welded to an opening edge defining a through bore 14 formed in the lid 12. The lid 12 is formed in a front surface thereof with a circumferential groove 5 surrounding the welded portion of the gas vent closure 4, and a diminished portion 51 is provided between the groove 5 and the welded portion for reducing the sectional area of a heat flow path for the heat of welding to pass therethrough. The lid 12 thus constructed makes it possible to weld the vent closure 4 to the lid 12 free of defects such as pinholes or cracks.

Abstract: In the nonaqueous secondary battery of this invention, a positive electrode includes, as an active material, a composite oxide represented by a composition formula, LixMn2−y−zNiyMzOq, wherein M is at least one element selected from the group consisting of B, Mg, Al, Ti, V, Fe, Co, Cu, Zn, Ga, Y, Zr, Nb, Mo and In; 1.20≦x≦1.80; y≧0.10; z≧0; y+z≦1.90; and 3.70≦q≦4.30, in a discharge state during fabrication of the nonaqueous secondary battery. As a result, the nonaqueous secondary battery can exhibit good charge-discharge cycle performance and can be fabricated at low cost.

Abstract: For use in lithium secondary cells, a positive electrode terminal 51 and a negative electrode terminal 81 are given an enhanced mechanical strength to improve the reliability of electrical connection between the cell and an external circuit, while the formation of oxide film on these terminals is inhibited to suppress the discharge voltage drop of the cell. To give these advantages to the lithium secondary cell embodying the invention, the positive electrode terminal 51 is formed from an aluminum alloy containing magnesium and silicon in a combined amount of at least 1.0 wt. % as additive elements, and the negative electrode terminal 81 is formed by plating a substrate of oxygen-free copper with nickel.

Abstract: A battery module has a plurality of electrically connected unit cells fixed in a container. A buffer member is provided at the void between the inner wall of the container and the unit cell. By virtue of the buffer member in the battery module formed of a heat conductive elastic body, the requirement of vibration resistance can be met by the buffer member while the heat generated by the unit cell can be easily discharged via the buffer member. Thus, a battery module suppressed in degradation of the performance of the unit cell caused by heat can be provided.

Abstract: A wiring substrate has signal transmission paths in a strip line structure implemented through sandwiching of signal wiring layers between first and second conductor layers via first and second dielectric layers. Through holes are formed in the first conductor layer. The through holes are not formed in wiring correspondence regions, which correspond to the signal wiring layers as projected onto the first conductor layer in the thickness direction of the first conductor layer. All of the through holes are formed in a wiring noncorrespondence region, which is the remaining portion of the first conductor layer not including the wiring correspondence regions.

Abstract: A nonaqueous electrolyte secondary cell comprises a rolled-up electrode unit composed of a positive electrode, a negative electrode and a separator interposed therebetween, and a negative electrode current collector plate and a positive electrode current collector plate joined to the respective ends of the electrode unit. The negative electrode collector plate is joined to an edge of the negative electrode projecting at one of the opposite ends of the electrode unit. The collector plate has a two-layer structure comprising a copper layer made of copper or an alloy consisting predominantly of copper, and a metal layer made of a metal not forming an intermetallic compound with lithium and having a lower laser beam reflectivity than copper or an alloy consisting predominantly of the metal. The collector plate has its copper layer contacted with the edge of the negative electrode and welded thereto with a laser beam.

Abstract: A lithium secondary battery according to the present invention comprises: a positive electrode having a positive electrode active material composed of a reversible lithium intercalation material; a negative electrode having a negative electrode active material composed of a reversible lithium intercalation material; and a separator interposed between said positive electrode and said negative electrode, and in the positive electrode active material, at least one material which shows a positive sign of a total sum of entropy heat from a discharged state to a charged state is mixed with at least one material which shows a negative sign of a total sum of an entropy heat from a discharged state to a charged state. In a battery having such a construction, the amount of entropy heat during charge is reduced compared with a battery employing only a material which shows a positive sign of the total sum of entropy heat.

Abstract: Used as the positive electrode active substance of a lithium ion secondary cell is a mixture of a lithium-nickel-cobalt-manganese composite oxide represented by the formula LiNi(1-x-y)COxMnyO2 wherein 0.5<x+y<1.0 and 0.1<y<0.6 and a lithium-manganese composite oxide represented by the formula Li(1+Z)Mn2O4 wherein O≦z≦0.2. The substance used gives outstanding power characteristics to the cell.

Abstract: A lithium secondary cell is disclosed in which a positive electrode plate and a negative electrode plate are spirally wound with a sheet of separator interposed therebetween. A plurality of positive electrode current collector tabs are attached to the positive electrode plate so that an interval is formed between the positive electrode current collector tabs in a longitudinal direction of the positive electrode plate, and a plurality of negative electrode current collector tabs are attached to the negative electrode plate so that an interval is formed between the plurality of the negative electrode current collector tabs in a longitudinal direction of the negative electrode plate. In a state of the positive electrode plate and negative electrode plate being wound together, the positive electrode current collector tabs and the negative electrode current collector tabs are so disposed as to face each other with the separator interposed therebetween.

Abstract: In a secondary cell comprising an electrode unit enclosed in a cell can and adapted to deliver electric power generated by the electrode unit via electrode terminal assemblies, each electrode terminal assembly comprises an electrode terminal member extending through a center hole in a lid of the can, an insulating seal member provided in the center hole of the lid around a screw shank of the electrode terminal member, and a nut screwed on the screw shank of the electrode terminal member projecting outward from can. The insulating seal member is in engagement with the can and the flange of the electrode terminal member and nonrotatable relative to the cell can and the flange, whereby the electrode terminal member is prevented from rotating with the nut when the electrode terminal assembly is fixed to the lid.

Abstract: A lithium rechargeable battery having a superior battery performance in which manganese, being cheap and occurring in abundance, is used as an element of the positive electrode active material. The lithium rechargeable battery includes a negative electrode and a positive electrode, the negative electrode being made of a material capable or absorbing and releasing lithium, and the positive electrode being made of a lithium-containing metal oxide capable of absorbing and releasing lithium. The lithium-containing metal oxide is represented by a compositional formula LixMN1−y−zNiyFezO2, where 1≦x≦1.3, 0.05≦y<0.9, 0.05≦z<0.9, 0.1≦y+z≦0.9.

Abstract: An image processing method for processing a grayscale image, by which grayscale images of color or monochrome photographs characters and so on are processed by being converted into digital signals, and by which the data amount of image signals are compressed and grayscale images are restored from the compressed signal data.

Abstract: In a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary cell comprising a rolled-up electrode unit 4 encased in a cell can 1, a striplike current collector forming an electrode has an edge 48 projecting from at least one of opposite ends of the electrode unit. A current collecting plate 5 is joined to the current collector edge 48. A plurality of circular-arc protrusions 52 projecting in a circular-arc cross section and a plurality of slit pieces 53 are formed radially on the current collecting plate 5 and opposed to the current collector edge 48. The collecting plate 5 is welded to the current collector edge 48, with the protrusions 52 and the slit pieces 53 biting into the current collector edge 48, whereby high current collecting performance is available.