Abstract: A non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery is disclosed, which hardly causes deterioration of its properties at high temperatures. The battery has a chargeable and dischargeable cathode, a chargeable and dischargeable anode, and a non-aqueous electrolyte and includes a substance which produces water with an increase in temperature in any one of the cathode, the anode, the non-aqueous electrolyte, other elements, and voids in the battery. Examples of the substance which produces water include hydroxides and compounds having water of crystallization.

Abstract: The present invention provides a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery having an anode active material with a high capacity and excellent cycle characteristics. The active material comprises a salt of a metal or a semi-metal and a compound selected from the group consisting of oxo-acids, thiocyanic acid, cyanogen, and cyanic acid, wherein each said oxo-acid comprises an element selected from the group consisting of nitrogen, sulfur, carbon, boron, phosphorus, selenium, tellurium, tungsten, molybdenum, titanium, chromium, zirconium, niobium, tantalum, manganese, and vanadium, salts of said oxo-acids of phosphorus and boron being restricted to hydrogenphosphates and hydrogenborates.

Abstract: The invention provides a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery which employs, as a negative electrode active material, a carbide containing an alkali metal in a charged stage. The carbide used is an ionic bond type carbide, a covalent bond type carbide, or an intermetallic compound type carbide. The ionic bond type carbide is exemplified as Na.sub.2 C.sub.2, K.sub.2 C.sub.2, Cu.sub.2 C.sub.2, VC.sub.2, and the like. The covalent bond type carbide is exemplified as Cr.sub.4 C, and the like. The intermetallic compound type carbide is exemplified as Mn.sub.3 C, Mn.sub.23 C.sub.6, Mn.sub.7 C.sub.3, Fe.sub.2 C, FeC, Ni.sub.3 C, and the like. A highly reliable nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery with a high energy density and excellent cycle life characteristics can be obtained.

Abstract: A cathode active material for a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery is provided. The cathode active material is a composite oxide with a spinel-type structure represented by the general formula Li.sub.2-x ?Mn.sub.2-y Li.sub.y !O.sub.4, wherein -0.1.ltoreq.x<1.0 and 0.3.ltoreq.y.ltoreq.0.35 and wherein the ?Mn.sub.2-y Li.sub.y ! in the general formula is positioned at an octahedral site coordinated by cubic close-packed oxygen ions.

Abstract: A non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery having a low manufacturing cost and a high energy density and being excellent in the high rate charge/discharge characteristic and in the characteristics in operation at high temperature provided by an improvement on its positive electrode active material is disclosed. The positive electrode active material comprises a specific compound wherein a part of nickel or lithium in LiNiO.sub.2 is substituted with another element in a specified range. The element for the substitution comprises Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, Al Cr, B and Co which may be employed solely or in combination.

Abstract: A non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery is disclosed which has an anode comprising a carbon material. The carbon material contains at least one of 7-35 wt % sulfur, 6.5-25 wt % oxygen and 10.5-18.3 wt % nitrogen, provided that if the carbon material contains at least two of these elements, the total amount of the elements does not exceed 35 wt %.

Abstract: A positive electrode for a non-aqueous electrolyte lithium secondary battery comprises an active material represented by the formula Li.sub.x A.sub.1-y M.sub.y O.sub.2 (wherein A represents at least one transition element selected from the group consisting of Mn, Co, and Ni, M represents at least one element selected from the group consisting of B, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Al, In, Nb, Mo, W, Y, and Rh, and wherein 0.05.ltoreq.x.ltoreq.1.1, and 0.ltoreq.y.ltoreq.0.5), a binder, a conductive agent and a current collector. The binder is selected from the group consisting of a copolymer comprising a tetrafluoroethylene unit and a hexafluoropropylene unit, a copolymer comprising a vinylidene fluoride unit, a copolymer comprising a propylene unit and a tetrafluoroethylene unit, and a polymer comprising a trifluoropropylmethylsiloxane unit.

Abstract: A tape loading device for loading a tape onto a recording drum, comprises, a pair of rotational reel spindles, the reel spindles supporting respective reels on which the tape is wound and between which the tape extends, a spindle drive for applying torque to the reel spindles so that the tape between the reels runs on the recording drum and a tension is applied to the tape between the reels, and tape withdrawing device for withdrawing the tape from the reels so that the tape between the reels moves toward the recording drum and contacts with the recording drum. The spindle drive applies a first tension to the tape between the reels in a first step where the tape withdrawing device move the tape between the reels toward the recording drum, the spindle drive increases the tension of the tape from the first tension to a tension greater than the first tension in a second step where the tape does not contact with the recording drum.