Abstract: A method for manufacturing a negative electrode plate of a rechargeable battery is provided. The method includes kneading a negative electrode active material and a negative electrode additive to form a negative electrode mixture paste; applying the negative electrode mixture paste to a negative electrode current collector; and drying the negative electrode mixture paste. The blackness of a material prepared by kneading the negative electrode active material and the negative electrode additive is set in a range of 4 to 16. The viscosity of a negative electrode thickener contained in the negative electrode additive is set in a range of 13000 mPa·s to 21000 mPa·s when a shear rate is 0.01 s?1.

Abstract: An electrode body of a non-aqueous electrolyte rechargeable battery includes a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a separator. The negative electrode includes a current collector and an active material layer. The active material layer includes active material particles. The active material particles have a volume distribution including a first peak corresponding to a first particle size and a second peak corresponding to a second particle size smaller than the first particle size. The first particle size is in a range of 7.0 ?m to 9.0 ?m. The second particle size is in a range of 0.8 ?m to 1.0 ?m. The separator has a surface roughness of 1.54 ?m or greater. A peak ratio of a volume of the active material particles of the second peak to a volume of the active material particles of the first peak is in a range of 0.42 to 0.71.

Abstract: A method for producing a negative electrode active material realizing both of improvement in tolerance against the deposition of lithium and improvement in life performance is provided. A method for producing a negative electrode active material includes the steps of preparing graphite particles having a BET specific surface area of 10.3 m2/g or larger and 12.2 m2/g or smaller; and coating at least a part of a surface of the graphite particles with amorphous carbon. In the step of coating, at least the part of the surface of the graphite particles is coated with the amorphous carbon such that a value obtained by subtracting a BET specific surface area of the negative electrode active material from a BET specific surface area of the graphite particles is 6.9 m2/g or larger and 8.3 m2/g or smaller.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing an electrode plate including a current collector and an active material layer includes preparing, forming, and pressing. In the preparing, a mixture is prepared by kneading an active material. In the forming, the active material layer is formed on the current collector by applying the mixture to the current collector. In the pressing, the active material layer is pressed so that active material layer has a predetermined thickness. The mixture applied to the current collector has a weight per unit area based on a specific surface area of the active material used in the mixture and a tapped density of the active material used in the mixture.

Abstract: An electrode body includes a substrate serving as a collector, a composite layer formed by applying a composite paste including an electrode active material to the substrate, and an insulation layer formed by applying an insulation paste including an insulative material to the substrate adjacent to the composite layer. The composite layer extends above and overlaps the insulation layer that covers a surface of the substrate in an interface region of the composite layer and the insulation layer. A mixed layer is formed between the insulation layer and the composite layer when the composite paste and the insulation paste mix in an overlapping range of the insulation layer and the composite layer. The mixed layer is formed in a range where the insulation layer covers the surface of the substrate.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a positive plate of a rechargeable battery includes producing an insulation protective paste forming an insulation protective layer of the positive plate, the insulation protective paste including insulation particles, a binder, and a solvent and having a pH adjusted corresponding to a zeta potential at which the insulation particles do not aggregate, producing a positive composite material paste forming a positive composite material layer of the positive plate, the positive composite material paste including a positive active material, a conduction support, a binder, and a solvent, and a pH adjuster being added to the positive composite material paste to adjust a pH corresponding to a zeta potential at which the insulation particles aggregate, and simultaneously coating a positive current collector of the positive plate with the positive composite material paste and the insulation protective paste disposed adjacent to an end of the positive composite material paste.

Abstract: A nonaqueous electrolyte rechargeable battery includes a positive plate, a negative plate, a separator that insulates the positive plate from the negative plate, and a nonaqueous electrolytic solution. The positive plate includes a positive current collector, a positive composite layer disposed on a portion of a surface of the positive current collector and containing a positive active material particle, and an insulation protective layer disposed on another portion of the surface of the positive current collector adjacent to the positive composite layer and containing an insulation particle. The insulation protective layer has a smaller thickness than the positive composite layer. The insulation protective layer has a greater porosity than the positive composite layer.

Abstract: A non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery including positive and negative electrodes, and a non-aqueous electrolyte. The positive electrode includes a positive electrode current collector, a positive electrode active material layer formed on the positive electrode current collector except for the positive electrode current collector's exposed part, and an insulating layer formed at a boundary part between the positive electrode current collector's exposed part and the positive electrode active material layer. The positive electrode active material layer includes a main body part and an end having a smaller thickness than the main body part. The insulating layer is between the positive electrode current collector and the end and covers the end. A width La of the positive electrode active material layer and a width Lb of a part of the insulating layer between the positive electrode current collector and the end satisfy the formula: 0.02×10?2?(Lb/La)?2.1×10?2.

Abstract: This invention relates to a control circuit which controls combustion in a burner acting as a heat source of a hot-water boiler or a hot-air heater. More particularly, the present invention relates to a control circuit having a sequence which includes post-discharge such that electric discharge for ignition is still continued for a predetermined period of time, even after attainment of ignition. In a combustion control apparatus, when ignition is not attained within a predetermined safty period, the igniting operation is stopped by a safty timer for timing this safety period, thereby ensuring the safety. It is necessary to reliably discontinue the igniting operatin even when this safety timer is disabled. The present invention attains this object and ensures the safety with a reduced number of timers.