Abstract: A prismatic secondary battery includes a prismatic hollow outer body having a mouth and a bottom and storing an electrode assembly, a positive electrode collector, a negative electrode collector, and an electrolyte, a sealing plate sealing up the mouth of the prismatic hollow outer body, and a positive electrode terminal and a negative electrode terminal attached to the sealing plate; the sealing plate includes a gas release valve at the center between the positive electrode terminal and the negative electrode terminal and includes an electrolyte pour hole on one side of the gas release valve and, on the other side on the front face, a concaved flat face with a height lower than that of the peripheral portion; and the concaved flat face is formed with an identification code.

Abstract: In a prismatic secondary battery, an internal negative electrode terminal is electrically connected to a collector through through-holes formed in a sealing plate, a gasket, and an insulating member in a manner electrically insulated from the sealing plate. The sealing plate has one face on which a protrusion is formed, an insulating plate has a face that is on the sealing plate and on which a concave portion fitted to the protrusion is formed, each of the protrusion and the concave portion of the insulating plate is provided at one position on respective sides of the through-hole, and at least one of the protrusions has a top face on which a concave portion is formed. The battery having such a structure is unlikely to cause rotary displacement between the insulating plate and the sealing plate even when a rotary torque is applied to the internal terminal.

Abstract: A sealing plate for a prismatic secondary battery includes a pair of mouths for attaching a negative and positive electrode terminals, one mouth being formed near one end in a longitudinal direction of the sealing plate, and the other mouth being formed near the other end, coining areas used for positioning of an insulating member and formed around the pair of mouths on a front face of the sealing plate, a gas release valve and an electrolyte pour hole formed between the pair of mouths, and grooves formed between the respective coining areas and the long side edge of the sealing plate. The groove has a smaller depth near the gas release valve than the depth near the coining area. Even when the sealing plate is produced through forging, the front face has good flatness and the coining areas are unlikely to have a sink mark or a shear drop.

Abstract: A current interruption mechanism for prismatic secondary battery includes a tubular conductive member electrically connected to a positive electrode external terminal, an inversion plate, and a positive electrode collector connected to the inversion plate. The positive electrode collector has a first region that is parallel to a sealing body and a second region that is connected to a positive electrode plate. The boundaries between the first and second regions are disposed further outward than the inner surface of the tubular conductive member, and at least one of the edge portions, other than the boundaries between the first region and second region, is located further outward than the inner surface of the tubular portion of the conductive member. The current interruption mechanism is unlikely to be damaged even if the battery is subjected to shock due to vibration, falling, etc.

Abstract: A high-reliability prismatic secondary battery with a current interruption mechanism that is unlikely to be damaged even if the battery is subjected to shock is provided. The prismatic secondary battery includes a second insulating member having a first through-hole, the second insulating member being arranged between a first region of a positive electrode collector and an inversion plate. The first region of the positive electrode collector and the inversion plate are electrically connected to each other through the first through-hole. The second insulating member has a plurality of fixing pawl portions. The fixing pawl portions are hooked and fixed to a fixing portion formed on the outer surface side of the conductive member.

Abstract: The positive electrode substrate exposed portions or the negative electrode substrate exposed portions, or both, of an electrode assembly is split into two groups, and therebetween is disposed an intermediate member made of a resin material and holding one or more connecting conductive members. Collector members for the substrate exposed portions split into two groups is electrically joined by a resistance welding method to the substrate exposed portions split into two groups, together with the connecting conductive member(s) of the intermediate member. The resin material portion of the intermediate member protrudes, in the extension direction of the substrate exposed portions split into two groups, beyond the ends of the substrate exposed portions split into two groups and the ends of the collector member to a prismatic outer can. This structure enables enhanced resistance between the substrate exposed portions and the collector member and curbs variation in the welding strength.

Abstract: A crimped portion of a positive electrode external terminal is crimped on its upper end side to be electrically connected to a positive electrode terminal plate. This crimped portion is welded to the positive electrode terminal plate by applying high energy beams. The negative electrode side has a configuration similar to that of the positive electrode side. The contact area between the positive electrode terminal plate and the crimped portion of the positive electrode external terminal is set smaller than the corresponding contact area on the negative electrode side, and the volume of the crimped portion of the positive electrode external terminal is set larger than that of the corresponding crimped portion on the negative electrode side. Thus, a prismatic secondary battery is provided that shows strong joining strength between the external terminal and the terminal plate, suppressed internal resistance variations, and improved reliability.

Abstract: A contour and surface texture measuring instrument for measuring a contour and surface texture of a surface of a work W, whose configuration is simple and which can be implemented at a low cost, and which generates a displacement signal having a high resolution and high linearity in a wide measurement range is disclosed, the contour and surface texture measuring instrument having a measurement part 13 having a probe 13 configured to come into contact with the surface of the work W and to change its position vertically, a feed mechanism 14 configured to relatively move the work with respect to the probe, an arm 12 having the measurement part at one end and configured to transfer a displacement of the probe and to rotate with a pivot 16 as a center, and a differential transformer-type detection mechanism 51 and a scale-type detection mechanism 52 attached to the arm or a position interlocked with the arm and configured to detect a displacement of the probe.

Abstract: In a prismatic sealed secondary battery provided with an outer can made of a metal, the ability of inserting the electrode assembly into the outer can is improved to restrain the displacement and damages of the insulation member when inserting the electrode assembly into the outer can. The prismatic sealed secondary battery of the present invention includes an insulation member having a bottomed box shape which is a shape obtained by eliminating the upper surface from the surfaces of a hexahedron having a cuboid form, wherein each width of at least a pair of side surfaces facing each other in the insulation member is smaller than the width of the electrode assembly facing the pair of side surfaces.

Abstract: A multi-junction photovoltaic device and an integrated multi-junction photovoltaic device, having a two-terminal structure, in which subsequent layers can be stacked under conditions with minimal restrictions imposed by previously stacked layers. A plurality of photovoltaic cells having different spectral sensitivity levels are stacked such that at least the photovoltaic cells at the light-incident end and the opposite end have a conductive thin-film layer as the outermost layer that undergoes connection, the remaining photovoltaic cell has conductive thin-film layers as the outermost layers that undergo connection, and the outermost layers are bonded via anisotropic conductive adhesive layers containing conductive microparticles within a transparent insulating material.

Abstract: A nonaqueous secondary battery includes a current cutoff mechanism that cuts off a current in a short period of time in response to a rise in pressure inside a battery outer body in at least one of a conductive path through which a current is taken out from a positive electrode plate to outside of the battery and a conductive path through which a current is taken out from a negative electrode plate to outside of the battery. At least one type selected from an oligomer containing a cyclohexyl group and a phenyl group, a modified product of the oligomer containing a cyclohexyl group and a phenyl group, a polymer containing a cyclohexyl group and a phenyl group, and a modified product of the polymer containing a cyclohexyl group and a phenyl group is present on the surface of the positive electrode plate.

Abstract: Provided is a semiconductor element including a p-type semiconductor layer that is used in combination with an n-type ZnO-based semiconductor layer, and that can be formed, even at relatively low temperature, to have a small thickness, high crystallinity, and surface smoothness. The semiconductor element is expected to achieve high performance when used for a large-screen display. Specifically, the semiconductor element includes: a glass substrate; a lower electrode; a ZnO active layer (n-type semiconductor layer) having a thickness of 2 um to 4 um; a p-type ZnNiO layer (first p-type semiconductor layer) made of a p-type semiconductor material of Zn0.5Ni0.5O and having a thickness of 200 nm to 400 nm; a p-type NiO layer (second p-type semiconductor layer); and an upper electrode made of a transparent electrode material such as ITO, which are sequentially formed in the stated order.

Abstract: A prismatic nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery includes a convex portion on a stepped portion of a stepped through hole of a positive electrode external conduction member. An upper end side of a caulked portion of a positive electrode terminal member is caulked by being inserted from a side of a small-diameter portion into the stepped through hole of a positive electrode external conduction member, and a convex portion of the positive electrode external conduction member is covered with a tip side of the caulked portion. Therefore, a terminal member and an external conduction member have a great bond strength, and rarely rotate with respect to each other. Thus, there is less concern that a conductivity decreases even when the battery is used under an environment including a lot of vibrations.

Abstract: There is provided a prismatic secondary battery having high reliability and including a connecting part, wherein a terminal member and an external conduction member are connected by a swaged part and a welded part. The terminal member includes a flange, a first connecting part formed on a first surface side of the flange, and a second connecting part formed on a second surface side of the flange. The flange and the second connecting part are disposed on a battery exterior side than a sealing body. The first connecting part penetrates a through-hole formed in the sealing body. The second connecting part penetrates a through-hole formed in an external conduction member. The second connecting part includes a tip part swaged on the external conduction member. An abutting part of a tip of the swaged part of the second connecting part and a protruding part of the external conduction member is weld-connected.

Abstract: Provided is a prismatic battery resistant to the development of short circuits. The prismatic battery has a structure in which a flat electrode including a positive electrode collector with a positive electrode substrate exposed portion and a negative electrode collector with a negative electrode substrate exposed portion is accommodated in an outer can. At least one of the positive electrode collector and the negative electrode collector has a rib. The rib is provided with an easily bendable part (a thin wall, groove, opening, or notch). The rib is bent at the easily bendable part when force is applied to the tip of the rib to prevent the tip from reaching the outer can by means of an insulation sheet to avoid the development of short circuits between the negative electrode collector and the outer can.

Abstract: A nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery includes a flat winding electrode assembly including a positive electrode substrate exposed portion on one end and a negative electrode substrate exposed portion on the other end. The winding numbers of the positive and the negative electrode substrate exposed portions are each 30 or more. The positive and negative electrode substrate exposed portions each have an outermost surface welded and connected with a positive and a negative electrode collectors, respectively. A nonaqueous electrolyte used to fabricate the battery contains a lithium salt having an oxalate complex as an anion. At the welded connection portions, all of the layers of the positive electrode substrate exposed portion are melted to be welded and connected to the positive electrode collector, and all of the layers of the negative electrode substrate exposed portion are melted to be welded and connected to the negative electrode collector.

Abstract: A nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an electrode assembly, a nonaqueous electrolyte, and a metallic container. The electrode assembly includes a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a separator. The negative electrode is opposed to the positive electrode. The separator is disposed between the positive electrode and the negative electrode. The nonaqueous electrolyte contains lithium bis(oxalato)borate (LiBOB). The container houses the electrode assembly and the nonaqueous electrolyte. At least part of the container has positive electrode potential.

Abstract: A nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery includes an electrode assembly, a nonaqueous electrolyte, a container, and a collector material. The electrode assembly includes a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a separator. The negative electrode is opposed to the positive electrode. The separator is disposed between the positive electrode and the negative electrode. The nonaqueous electrolyte contains lithium bis(oxalato)borate (LiBOB). The container houses the electrode assembly and the nonaqueous electrolyte, and is provided with terminals. The collector material connects the terminals to the electrode assembly. The cross-sectional area of the collector material is not less than 1.5 mm2.

Abstract: A prismatic nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery includes: a flat electrode assembly including a positive electrode and a negative electrode; an outer can storing the flat electrode assembly and a nonaqueous electrolyte; and a sealing plate sealing an opening portion of the outer can. The flat electrode assembly has a portion thereof other than the side facing the sealing plate, covered with an insulating sheet. The nonaqueous electrolyte contains at least one of a lithium salt having an oxalate complex as an anion and lithium difluorophosphate (LiPF2O2) at the time of making the nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery. The wettability of the insulating sheet to the nonaqueous electrolyte is lower than that of the outer can to the nonaqueous electrolyte. This configuration allows a nonaqueous electrolyte having a high viscosity to easily penetrate the inside of the electrode assembly.

Abstract: Each oil pump (32) is drivingly controlled in such a way that, in a low vehicle speed region lower than a set vehicle speed VSP1 at which a stirring resistance by oil within an in-wheel unit case (3) is not in excess of an allowance level, a suction and supply quantity denoted by a solid line characteristic is provided. In other words, the oil pump(s) is stopped until the vehicle speed reaches to a predetermined vehicle speed VSP0 at which a remaining oil within an oil passage is scattered in all directions and becomes disappeared after the start of vehicle in an oil pump stopped state including a vehicle stop at which the lubrication is not necessary.