Abstract: The test method for a lithium-ion secondary battery comprises a measuring potential difference ? between an outer can and a negative electrode external terminal after a charging process, and if the potential difference ? is a predetermined prescribed value or greater, the battery is determined as a non-defective product. This method can more accurately detect a battery in which a short circuit occurs temporarily, for example, when the negative electrode external terminal and the outer can come into contact simultaneously with a manufacturing apparatus than the case when a potential difference between the positive electrode external terminal and the outer can is measured. Thus the method can reduce the possibility of corrosion of the outer can due to lithium metal deposited on the inner surface of the outer can.

Abstract: A sealed battery includes an ultrasonic fusion process whereby layers of a positive electrode substrate exposed portion are ultrasonically fused to form a positive electrode fused portion at the positive electrode substrate exposed portion, and layers of a negative electrode substrate exposed portion are ultrasonically fused to form a negative electrode fused portion at the negative electrode substrate exposed portion; and an electrode body formation process whereby a high-energy beam is directed at the positive electrode fused portion to weld a positive electrode collector to the positive electrode fused portion, and a high-energy beam is directed at the negative electrode fused portion to weld a negative electrode collector to the negative electrode fused portion, thus forming an electrode body in which a positive electrode collector is welded to one end of the electrode group and a negative electrode collector is welded to the other end.

Abstract: An aspect of the invention provides a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery including a flattened electrode assembly in which a positive electrode plate containing lithium transition metal composite oxide as positive electrode active material, and a negative electrode plate containing carbon material able to insert and extract lithium ions as negative electrode active material, are stacked and wound with a separator interposed therebetween, and a protective layer constituted of inorganic oxide and an insulative binding agent provided on a surface of the negative electrode plate. The arithmetic mean surface roughness Ra of a face of the separator that contacts with the protective layer is 0.40 to 3.50 ?m. With the invention, a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery is obtained that has enhanced formability of the flattened electrode assembly and superior output characteristics and other battery characteristics.

Abstract: The present invention aims to provide a method for insulatively covering the side surfaces and bottom of a prismatic outer can in a simple manner. This can be realized by adopting the following configuration: a prismatic cell including a prismatic outer can having an opening at the top thereof; a sealing body for sealing the opening; and positive and negative electrode external terminals that are protruded from and insulated from the sealing body, wherein the prismatic outer can is covered on the side surfaces and entire bottom with a piece of folded insulation sheet. Preferably, the bottom of the prismatic outer can is covered with only one piece of the insulating sheet, and all edges of the insulating sheet is positioned above the bottom of the outer can.

Abstract: By combining crimping fixing and laser welding, a collector attached to a substrate of an electrode assembly is fixed to a terminal. A negative electrode terminal 19A has a terminal portion formed on one side of a flange portion, and a cylindrical crimping member 19b on the other side. The cylindrical crimping member 19b is inserted through openings formed in a first insulating member, a sealing plate, a second insulating member, and a negative electrode collector 18a. The cylindrical crimping member 19b is crimped in a diameter-increasing direction, and is mechanically fixed in a countersunk hole 18c of the negative electrode collector 18a. A peripheral portion of a thin-walled portion 19d having a thickness smaller than those of other portions formed at the tip end portion of the cylindrical crimping member 19b is thoroughly adhered and welded by a high energy beam to the edge of the countersunk hole 18c.

Abstract: A prismatic battery according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a flat electrode group 10 stacked or rolled by mutually positive and negative electrodes with a separator therebetween, a pressing plate 13A, a current collecting body 18A or 18B and a plurality of exposed sections 16, at least one end of the positive and negative electrodes substrates in a width direction being uncoated with a positive or negative electrode mixture. The pressing plate 13A is welded to the exposed sections 16. The pressing plate 13A includes opposing surfaces with a space therebetween provided by folding back a metal plate, and includes a slit 15 along a folded back section at least to one of the opposing surface's side. The exposed sections 16 are inserted into a gap of the pressing plate 13A, and the exposed sections 16 and the pressing plate 13A are welded by a high energy beam from a transverse direction through the slit 15.

Abstract: A nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery of the present invention includes a positive electrode plate 21 having an uncoated part along at least one long side of a continuous positive electrode substrate 211 coated with a positive electrode mixture layer 212 containing a positive electrode active material. In the nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery, the positive electrode mixture layer 212 includes a lithium transition-metal compound capable of insertion and separation of lithium ion and 5 to 15% by mass of a conductive material with respect to the positive electrode mixture, the conductive material contains 70% by mass or more of flaked graphite particles with an average particle diameter (D50) of 5 to 30 ?m and an average thickness of 0.1 to 1.0 ?m with respect to the whole amount of the conductive materials, and a packing density of the positive electrode mixture layer is 2.00 to 2.80 g/cc.

Abstract: The nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery according to one aspect of the present invention includes a lithium-transition metal compound as a positive electrode active material that is capable of intercalating and deintercalating a lithium ion and is represented by Li1+aNixCOyMzO2 (wherein M is at least one element selected from Mn, Al, Ti, Zr, Nb, B, Mg and Mo; and 0?a?0.3, 0.1?x?1, 0?y?0.5, 0?z?0.9, a+x+y+z=1), and carbon as a negative electrode active material that is capable of intercalating and deintercalating a lithium ion and is added with a powder of a compound having an imide bond. In the nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery of the present invention, by incorporating a compound having an imide bond, the initial efficiency of the negative electrode is lowered, so that at a low state of charge of 20% or less, an increasing rate of the IV resistance value becomes small.

Abstract: The present invention's manufacturing method for a sealed battery includes: a process whereby a sealed battery application electrode assembly 11 is formed that has multiple positive electrode substrate exposed portions 14 at one end and multiple negative electrode substrate exposed portions 15 at the other end; a process whereby the negative electrode collector 181 and negative electrode collector receiving part 183 are brought against both surfaces of the part to be welded on at least the negative electrode substrate exposed portions 15, with tape 23a constituted of thermodeposited resin and having an opening 231 in the center being interposed; and a process whereby resistance welding is effected by passing current between the negative electrode collector 181 and negative electrode collector receiving part 183 positioned at the two sides.

Abstract: The sealed battery includes a sealing plate 13 sealing a mouth of an outer can, an external terminal 16 attached to the sealing plate 13 and having a connecting terminal 23, and a current interruption mechanism 18 interrupting current in response to pressure increase in the outer can that is installed in a conductive pathway electrically connecting the connecting terminal 23 and an electrode assembly. In the connecting terminal 23, a through-hole 23b continuing to the space on the current interruption mechanism 18 at the side corresponding to the outside of the battery is formed. The through-hole 23b is sealed with a terminal stopper 30 made of an elastic member so as to form a closed space between the terminal stopper 30 and current interruption mechanism 18. An electrolyte or washing solution hardly enters the current interruption mechanism during the manufacture can be provided.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a sealed battery 10 includes a step of bringing into contact a collector 18 and collector receiving part 25 having hemispherical protrusions 18a and 25a, respectively, with both sides of at least one of the plurality of positive electrode substrate exposed portions 14 and the plurality of negative electrode substrate exposed portions 15 so that the collector 18 and collector receiving part 25 oppose each other, where the displacement between central axes of the hemispherical protrusions 18a and 25a is not more than ½ of the diameter of the hemispherical protrusions 18a and 25a, and a step of resistance-welding between the collector 18 and collector receiving part 25 by applying current under a pressure. According to the method, the collector and collector receiving part can be reliably resistance-welded to the substrates.

Abstract: A non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery has a current interrupting mechanism with excellent impact and vibration resistance. The mechanism includes a fragile portion which breaks when the diaphragm deforms and rises upward, thereby interrupting current flow thereto; and an insulating current collecting tab holder into which a part of a current collecting tab is inserted. The tab holder has a tab receiving portion into which the insert member of the tab is inserted. The tab receiving portion is provided on the inner and outer surfaces thereof with a holder hole, which overlaps with a throughhole when the insert member is inserted. The diaphragm is disposed outside the tab receiving portion so as to cover the holder hole and electrically connected at its center bottom to the fragile portion via the holder hole. The gas pressure in the battery acts on the fragile portion and the inner side of the diaphragm.

Abstract: A nonaqueous secondary battery 10 of the invention has an active material compound layer 14 deposed over at least one face of a collector 12 made of metal foil and is equipped with a positive electrode 11 having a portion 13 in a part of which metal is exposed. The positive electrode 11 together with the exposed-metal portion 13 faces a negative electrode 17 through an interposed separator 23, and on that part of the exposed-metal portion 13 that faces the negative electrode 17 through the interposed separator 23 there is formed a protective layer 16 made of a material whose electronic conductivity is lower than that of the metal and which moreover is non-insulative. With such nonaqueous secondary battery 10, should part of an electrode pierce the separator and contact with the other electrode, the battery will be gently discharged, thereby averting abnormal heat generation by the battery and additionally enabling the battery's abnormality to be sensed by the equipment via the fall in battery voltage.

Abstract: The sealed battery of the present invention includes: an electrode assembly 11 having multiple positive electrode substrates exposed at one end and negative electrode substrates exposed at the other end; and collectors 18 and collector receiving parts 19 that are resistance-welded on both sides of the multiple positive or the multiple negative electrode substrates or both, a through-hole 30 being formed in at least one of the collectors 18 and the collector receiving parts 19, and the resistance welding being performed at the rim of the through-hole 30. With such sealed battery, the spattered particles 26 generated during the resistance welding are captured in the through-hole 30, and will rarely enter the interior of the electrode assembly 11 or splash out to the exterior.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a high-output prismatic secondary cell that excels in current collecting efficiency and provides for reliable and highly productive welding with a lower welding current at the time of resistive welding of a current collecting plate onto a core exposed portion of a flat electrode assembly having at both ends a positive electrode core and a negative electrode core.

Abstract: According to an embodiment of the invention, a prismatic battery includes an electrode group 10 contained in a prismatic metal outer can. The electrode group 10 has a positive electrode substrate exposed part 11 at one end and a negative electrode substrate exposed part 12 at the other end. The positive and negative electrode substrate exposed parts 11 and 12 are bundled and welded to positive and negative electrode current collectors 13 and 14, respectively. The positive electrode substrate exposed part 11 and positive electrode current collector 13 and the negative electrode substrate exposed part 12 and negative electrode current collector 14 are covered with an insulating frame 16 having an angled U-shaped cross section and an angled U-shaped outline.

Abstract: The invention provides a secondary battery having positive electrode plates 14 and negative electrode plates, with insulating tapes 22A, 22B affixed to the cut end portions 14d, including an active material layer 14b portion thereof, of either the positive electrode plates 14 or the negative electrode plates, or both. These electrode plates are stacked or rolled alternately, with separators 23 interposed, into an electrode group that is sealed, together with electrolyte, inside a battery case. The insulating tapes 22A, 22B have an adhesive application area L2 and a nonadhesive application area L1, and are affixed in such a manner that the nonadhesive application area L1 is positioned centrally on the active material layer 14b of the electrode plate 14, and moreover so that part of the adhesive application area L2 is positioned on the active material layer 14b at the cut end portion 14d.

Abstract: A positive electrode for a secondary battery and a secondary battery. A mixture of at least a lithium metal oxide with a hexagonal crystal structure (belonging to the R3m space group) containing nickel (Ni) and a lithium manganese oxide with a rhombic crystal structure (belonging to the Pmmn space group) is used for the positive electrode active material. Furthermore, it is preferable for the lithium metal oxide described above to include manganese (Mn) and more preferable for cobalt (Co) to be included to improve the stability of the crystal structure. In addition, it is preferable for the proportion of the lithium manganese oxide in the mixture described above to be from 20% by weight to 80% by weight.

Abstract: A nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a positive electrode 11 having a positive electrode active material that can intercalate and deintercalate lithium, a negative electrode 12 having a negative electrode active material that can intercalate and deintercalate lithium, and a nonaqueous electrolyte having lithium ion conductivity. The positive electrode active material is a layered lithium transition metal composite oxide (for example, one represented by Li1+x(NiyCozMn1?y?z)1?xO2 (where 0?x?0.15, 0.1?y?0.6, and 0?z?0.5)) to which an IVa group element (Zr) and a Va group element (Nb) are added. According to these features, it is possible to provide a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery with a selected element to be added to the lithium transition metal composite oxide to reduce the I-V resistance (improve the I-V characteristic), and thereby improving the output/input characteristics.