Patents by Inventor Tsutomu Nanataki

Tsutomu Nanataki 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).

  • Publication number: 20130071748
    Abstract: A cathode active material precursor particle, a method for producing thereof and a method for producing cathode active material for a lithium secondary battery. The cathode active material precursor particle is capable of forming a cathode active material for a lithium secondary battery including a lithium composite oxide having a layered rock salt structure through lithium incorporation. The particles are characterized by the cathode active material precursor particle being formed into a substantially spherical shape and includes therein a large number of voids in a substantially uniform manner; and the cathode active material precursor particle has: an average particle diameter D50 of 0.5 to 5 ?m; a specific surface area of 3 to 25 m2/g; and a relative tap density, which is a value obtained by dividing a tap density by a theoretical density of a material constituting the cathode active material precursor particle, of 0.25 to 0.4.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2012
    Publication date: March 21, 2013
    Applicant: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shigeki Okada, Ryuta Sugiura, Akira Urakawa, Kazuki Maeda, Tsutomu Nanataki
  • Patent number: 8367205
    Abstract: A plate-like polycrystalline particle is produced by forming inorganic particles into a freestanding shaped body, firing the shaped body, and crushing and classifying the fired shaped body. The inorganic particles contain as the main component an oxide that has a general formula of ABO3 and that satisfies a×Pb(M?1/3,Nb2/3)O3+b×PbTiO3+c×PbZrO3+z×M?O (wherein a+b+c=1, and M? denotes at least one element selected from Mg, Ni and Zn, and M? denotes at least one element selected from Mg, Ni and Zn), wherein z is in the range of 0.002?z?0.42. The oxide contains a predetermined excessive amount of M?O such that the plate-like polycrystalline particle contains an excessive amount of M?O. The plate-like polycrystalline particle contains a plurality of crystal grains that have a wavy structure composed of wavy grain boundaries. The plate-like polycrystalline particle is easily crushed at the grain boundaries and has a high degree of orientation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yukinobu Yura, Nobuyuki Kobayashi, Tsutomu Nanataki
  • Publication number: 20130026636
    Abstract: A circuit board that can decrease thermal stress acting between a semiconductor element and a board in association with temperature alteration and has high mechanical strength (rigidity) as a whole board (including a multilayer wiring layer) is provided. Ceramic base material having a coefficient of thermal expansion close to that of a semiconductor element and inner layer wiring are integrally sintered, and the circuit board is configured so that fine-lined conductor structure corresponding to a multilayer wiring layer in the inner layer wiring has predetermined width, intralayer interval and interlayer interval. Thereby, thermal stress acting between a semiconductor element and the board when the board is exposed to temperature alteration in a condition where it is joined with the semiconductor element is suppressed, rigidity of the board is maintained, and its reliability against temperature cycle is increased.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2011
    Publication date: January 31, 2013
    Applicant: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Makoto TANI, Takami HIRAI, Shinsuke YANO, Tsutomu NANATAKI
  • Publication number: 20120264021
    Abstract: Provided is a cathode active material for a lithium secondary battery, which can achieve both of excellent rate characteristic and practically sufficient durability (cycle characteristic) in the lithium secondary battery. The cathode active material for a lithium secondary battery includes therein pores. A particle or film of the cathode active material for a lithium secondary battery has formed therein a large number of pores. The inner wall of each of such pores is coated with a conductive film.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2012
    Publication date: October 18, 2012
    Applicant: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Ryuta Sugiura, Nobuyuki Kobayashi, Tsutomu Nanataki
  • Publication number: 20120258369
    Abstract: The lithium secondary battery cathode active material having a layered rock salt structure is characterized in that the material is formed of a plurality of primary particles having a mean particle size of 0.01 to 5 ?m, and contains secondary particles having a mean particle size of 1 to 100 ?m and an aspect ratio, which is a ratio of long axis diameter to short axis diameter, of 1.0 or more and less than 2; and that the primary particles forming the secondary particles have a (003) plane orientation degree of 50% or higher.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2012
    Publication date: October 11, 2012
    Applicant: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shohei YOKOYAMA, Nobuyuki KOBAYASHI, Tsutomu NANATAKI, Koichi KONDO, Yukinobu YURA, Kei SATO
  • Publication number: 20120256337
    Abstract: The cathode active material precursor particle, which forms, through incorporation of lithium thereinto, a cathode active material particle for use in a lithium secondary battery, the cathode active material particle containing a lithium complex oxide having a layered rock salt structure, is characterized in that the precursor particle has an aspect ratio, which is a ratio of long axis diameter to short axis diameter, of 1.0 or more and less than 2 and is formed so that the (003) planes of the lithium-incorporated cathode active material particle are substantially uniaxially oriented.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2012
    Publication date: October 11, 2012
    Applicant: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shohei YOKOYAMA, Nobuyuki KOBAYASHI, Tsutomu NANATAKI, Koichi KONDO, Kei SATO, Yukinobu YURA
  • Publication number: 20120258365
    Abstract: The invention provides lithium secondary battery cathode active material particle, which is formed as a secondary particle that is a mass of a plurality of single-crystal primary particles of a lithium-nickel-based complex oxide having a layered rock salt structure, wherein the primary particles have a mean particle size of 0.01 to 5 ?m, and the secondary particle has an aspect ratio, which is a ratio of long axis diameter to short axis diameter, of 1.0 or more and less than 2 and a mean particle size of 1 to 100 ?m, wherein the (003) planes of the second particle are substantially uniaxially oriented.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2012
    Publication date: October 11, 2012
    Applicant: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shohei YOKOYAMA, Nobuyuki KOBAYASHI, Koichi KONDO, Ryuta SUGIURA, Tsutomu NANATAKI
  • Publication number: 20120236459
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a composite electronic component having a dielectric body portion inside of which a conductive body is provided, and a magnetic body portion inside of which a conductive body is provided. In the present invention, a layer made of a metal material is arranged between the dielectric body portion and the magnetic body portion as an intermediate layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2012
    Publication date: September 20, 2012
    Applicant: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Naoto OHIRA, Natsumi Shimogawa, Hirofumi Yamaguchi, Tsutomu Nanataki
  • Patent number: 8212455
    Abstract: An actuator includes a fired ceramic substrate having a space opened downward, a first electrode formed on the upper surface of the fired ceramic substrate above the space, a piezoelectric/electrostrictive body formed on the first electrode so that the volume changes with input and output of electric power, and a second electrode formed on the piezoelectric/electrostrictive body. The piezoelectric/electrostrictive body is composed of Pb(Zr1-xTix)O3 or (Li, Na, K) (Nb, Ta)O3 as a main component and contains crystals oriented along the direction of an electric field. In the actuator, the degree of orientation of the piezoelectric/electrostrictive body can be increased regardless of the orientation of the substrate on which the piezoelectric/electrostrictive body is formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yukinobu Yura, Shohei Yokoyama, Nobuyuki Kobayashi, Tsutomu Nanataki
  • Patent number: 8211328
    Abstract: A crystallographically-oriented ceramic containing Pb and in which piezoelectric/electrostrictive properties can be enhanced. Using a raw material having Pb(Zr1-xTiX)O3 as a main component, a ceramic sheet was formed with a thickness of 15 ?m or less. In this material, grains were allowed to grow into an anisotropic shape, and crystal grains with specific crystal planes being aligned were produced. A non-oriented raw material having Pb(Zr1-xTiX)O3 as a main component and the crystal grains were mixed, and shaping was performed so that crystal grains were oriented in a predetermined direction. The shaped body was fired. In the resulting ceramic, the degree of orientation was high at 50% or more. It is possible to enhance the degree of orientation using, as crystal nuclei, a ceramic sheet which can have the same composition as that of the crystallographically-oriented ceramic. Therefore, production can be performed without adding an unnecessary element, for example, for orienting crystals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yukinobu Yura, Nobuyuki Kobayashi, Tsutomu Nanataki
  • Publication number: 20120121978
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a lithium secondary battery cathode which can more improve characteristics of the battery. The cathode of the present invention includes a first layer composed of a plate-like cathode active material and a second layer containing particles of the cathode active material and a binder, the second layer being joined to the first layer in a stacked state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 1, 2011
    Publication date: May 17, 2012
    Applicant: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shigeki OKada, Tsutomu Nanataki, Nobuyuki Kobayashi, Jun Yoshikawa, Akira Urakawa
  • Publication number: 20120121979
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a lithium secondary battery cathode which can more improve characteristics of the battery. The cathode of the present invention includes an electroconductive cathode current collector, a plurality of plate-like particle formed of a cathode active material, and a binder containing microparticles formed of the cathode active material and being smaller than the plate-like particles. The plate-like particles are formed so as to have an aspect ratio of 4 to 50. The plate-like particles are arranged such that the particles cover the surface of the cathode current collector surface at a percent area of 85 to 98%. The binder is disposed so as to intervene between two adjacent plate-like particles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 1, 2011
    Publication date: May 17, 2012
    Applicant: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shigeki Okada, Tsutomu Nanataki, Nobuyuki Kobayashi, Jun Yoshikawa, Akira Urakawa
  • Patent number: 8158255
    Abstract: A plate-like polycrystalline particle is produced by forming inorganic particles into a self-supported, sheet-like shaped body with a predetermined thickness, firing the shaped body, and crushing and classifying the fired shaped body by passing through a mesh having openings with a predetermined size. The inorganic particles are composed of an oxide having a perovskite structure and grow into crystal grains with an isotropic and polyhedral shape. Since grain growth in the thickness direction is limited and grain growth in the surface direction of the sheet is promoted, it is possible to obtain crystal grains having a high aspect ratio and a high degree of orientation. Therefore, in the plate-like polycrystalline particle, in most parts, the number of crystal grains present in the thickness direction of the particle at any one point is one, and a high aspect ratio and a high degree of orientation are achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shohei Yokoyama, Nobuyuki Kobayashi, Tsutomu Nanataki
  • Publication number: 20120085967
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to realize more effective intercalation and deintercalation of lithium ions in a cathode active material. The preset invention provides a cathode active material plate-like particle for a lithium secondary battery, the particle having a layered rock salt structure, wherein lithium-intercalation/deintercalation-plane-oriented grains (primary crystal grains whose (003) plane is oriented so as to intersect a plate surface of the plate-like particle) are present in a dispersed state among numerous (003)-plane-oriented grains (primary crystal grains whose (003) plane is oriented in parallel with the plate surface of the plate-like particle).
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2011
    Publication date: April 12, 2012
    Applicant: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shohei YOKOYAMA, Nobuyuki Kobayashi, Tsutomu Nanataki, Kouichi Kondou
  • Publication number: 20120049109
    Abstract: The present invention provides a cathode active material for a lithium secondary battery containing therein an open pore having a protrusion which is formed so as to extend from the inner surface of the open pore toward the center of the open pore. Specifically, the protrusion is formed so as to extend toward the center of a virtual circle formed by approximating the shape of a cross section of the open pore to a circular shape. The protrusion is formed of the same material as the remaining portion of the cathode active material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 4, 2011
    Publication date: March 1, 2012
    Applicant: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Ryuta SUGIURA, Akira Urakawa, Nobuyuki Kobayashi, Tsutomu Nanataki
  • Publication number: 20120009470
    Abstract: To provide a lithium secondary battery which has high capacity while maintaining excellent cycle characteristic. The lithium secondary battery cathode of the present invention includes a cathode collector formed of a conductive substance, and a cathode active material layer formed of a sintered lithium composite oxide sheet. The cathode active material layer is bonded to the cathode collector by the mediation of a conductive bonding layer. A characteristic feature of the present invention resides in that the cathode active material layer has a thickness of 30 ?m or more, a mean pore size of 0.1 to 5 ?m, and a voidage of 3% or more and less than 15%.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2011
    Publication date: January 12, 2012
    Applicants: Panasonic Corporation, NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Ryuta Sugiura, Nobuyuki Kobayashi, Tsutomu Nanataki, Masaya Ugaji, Kaoru Nagata
  • Publication number: 20120009471
    Abstract: To provide a lithium secondary battery which has high capacity while maintaining excellent cycle characteristic. The lithium secondary battery cathode of the present invention includes a cathode collector formed of a conductive substance, and a cathode active material layer formed of a sintered lithium composite oxide sheet. The cathode active material layer is bonded to the cathode collector by the mediation of a conductive bonding layer. A characteristic feature of the present invention resides in that the cathode active material layer has a thickness of 30 ?m or more, a voidage of 3 to 30%, and an open pore ratio of 70% or higher.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2011
    Publication date: January 12, 2012
    Applicants: Panasonic Corporation, NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Ryuta SUGIURA, Nobuyuki Kobayashi, Tsutomu Nanataki, Masaya Ugaji, Kaoru Nagata
  • Publication number: 20110318640
    Abstract: To provide a lithium secondary battery which has high capacity while maintaining excellent charge-discharge characteristic, and to provide a cathode of the lithium secondary battery and a plate-like particle for cathode active material to be contained in the cathode. The plate-like particle of cathode active material for a lithium secondary battery of the present invention has a layered rock salt structure, a thickness of 5 ?m or more and less than 30 ?m, 2 or less of [003]/[104] which is a ratio of intensity of X-ray diffraction by the (003) plane to intensity of X-ray diffraction by the (104) plane, a mean pore size of 0.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2011
    Publication date: December 29, 2011
    Applicant: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Ryuta SUGIURA, Nobuyuki Kobayashi, Tsutomu Nanataki
  • Publication number: 20110318641
    Abstract: To provide a lithium secondary battery which has high capacity while maintaining excellent charge-discharge characteristic, and to provide a cathode of the lithium secondary battery and a plate-like particle for cathode active material to be contained in the cathode. The plate-like particle of cathode active material for a lithium secondary battery of the present invention has a layered rock salt structure, a thickness of 5 ?m or more and less than 30 ?m, 2 or less of [003]/[104] which is a ratio of intensity of X-ray diffraction by the (003) plane to intensity of X-ray diffraction by the (104) plane, a voidage of 3% or more and less than 30%, and an open pore ratio of 70% or higher.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2011
    Publication date: December 29, 2011
    Applicant: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Ryuta Sugiura, Nobuyuki Kobayashi, Tsutomu Nanataki
  • Patent number: 8084924
    Abstract: An actuator includes a first electrode disposed on the top surface of a ceramic substrate (for example, zirconium oxide), a piezoelectric/electrostrictive substance disposed on the first electrode, and a second electrode disposed on the piezoelectric/electrostrictive substance, wherein the input of an electric power alters the volume of the piezoelectric/electrostrictive substance. The piezoelectric/electrostrictive substance contains a plurality of crystal grains that have a wavy structure composed of wavy grain boundaries including concave portions and convex portions. The crystal grains contain ABO3 as the main component. The A site is Pb, and the B site contains such an amount of M that M becomes excessive after the piezoelectric/electrostrictive substance is formed (wherein M is at least one element selected from Mg, Ni, and Zn). The crystal grains of the piezoelectric/electrostrictive substance are oriented in the electric field direction, independently of the orientation of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2011
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yukinobu Yura, Nobuyuki Kobayashi, Tsutomu Nanataki