Abstract: A nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery having a cylindrically shaped battery element includes positive and negative electrodes and a separator sandwiched between the positive and negative electrodes. Each of the positive and negative electrodes has an active material free region, on which no active material is applied. The active material free region has a projecting edge region which projects or extends beyond a first side edge of the separator, wherein a first end of the cylindrically shaped battery element includes the projecting edge region of the active material free region of one of the positive and negative electrodes, and the first end of the cylindrically shaped battery element has a depressed portion. An electrode tab has a first portion engaged within and welded to the depressed portion and a second portion electrically in contact with an electrode terminal.

Abstract: The present invention provides a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery comprising: a battery case; a battery element accommodated in the battery case, the battery element comprising laminations of a first polarity type electrode, a second polarity type electrode and a separator sandwiched between the first polarity type electrode and the second polarity type electrode, the first polarity type electrode comprising a first polarity type collector which is provided with at least a first polarity type electrode active material layer except for a first side region extending along one side of the first polarity type collector, and the second polarity type electrode comprising a second polarity type collector which is provided with at least a second polarity type electrode active material layer except for a second side region extending along one side of the second polarity type collector, the first side region of the first polarity type collector projecting from first side edge of the separator and the second sid

Abstract: A piezoelectric transformer includes strip form electrodes on opposing upper and lower surfaces of a piezoelectric ceramic plate formed by screen printing using a conductive paste. By using strip form electrodes, discharge of a driving portion during polarization, degradation of reliability of mechanical strength due to excessive stress in a power generating portion during polarization, and instability of transformer output due to breakage of the electrode is prevented.

Abstract: There is provided a piezoelectric transformer including (a) a cylindrical body made of piezoelectric material and longitudinally defining a driven section and a voltage generating section, the voltage generating section being polarized in one of directions in a direction of a longitudinal axis of the cylindrical body, (b) a pair of first electrodes formed at a curved surface of the cylindrical body in the driven section and defining a plurality of regions in the driven section in a direction of a longitudinal axis of the cylindrical body, the first electrodes being electrically isolated with each other, the regions being polarized so that every other regions are polarized in opposite directions in a direction of a longitudinal axis of the cylindrical body, the pair of first electrodes comprising a plurality of strip-shaped electrodes wound around the cylindrical body and disposed in parallel with one another in a direction of a longitudinal axis of the cylindrical body, every other strip-shaped electrodes bei