Abstract: A secondary battery has a battery body and a restraint. The battery body has a plurality of stacked power generation elements. The restraint restrains the battery body. The restraint has a first contact section (for applying a restraining force to an outermost layer surface (e.g., a negative electrode collector) of the battery body. The restraint is configured so that a stress occurring at a boundary of a non-contact region and a contact region of the first contact section is less than a breaking strength of the negative electrode collector, and the stress is based on the restraining force and on expansion and contraction of a negative electrode due to a change in volume of a negative electrode active material layer caused by charging and discharging.

Abstract: A secondary battery has a battery body and a restraint. The battery body has a plurality of stacked power generation elements. The restraint restrains the battery body. The restraint has a first contact section (for applying a restraining force to an outermost layer surface (e.g., a negative electrode collector) of the battery body. The restraint is configured so that a stress occurring at a boundary of a non-contact region and a contact region of the first contact section is less than a breaking strength of the negative electrode collector, and the stress is based on the restraining force and on expansion and contraction of a negative electrode due to a change in volume of a negative electrode active material layer caused by charging and discharging.

Abstract: A secondary battery has a battery body and a restraint. The battery body has a plurality of stacked power generation elements. The restraint restrains the battery body. The restraint has a first contact section (for applying a restraining force to an outermost layer surface (e.g., a negative electrode collector) of the battery body. The restraint is configured so that a stress occurring at a boundary of a non-contact region and a contact region of the first contact section is less than a breaking strength of the negative electrode collector, and the stress is based on the restraining force and on expansion and contraction of a negative electrode due to a change in volume of a negative electrode active material layer caused by charging and discharging.

Abstract: A secondary battery includes a power generation element that includes a positive electrode having a collector on which a positive electrode active material layer is disposed, an electrolyte layer for retaining an electrolyte, and a negative electrode having a collector on which a negative electrode active material layer is disposed. The negative electrode active material layer has an area greater than that of the positive electrode active material layer. The negative electrode active material layer has a facing portion that faces a positive electrode active material layer with an electrolyte layer interposed by therebetween, and a non-facing portion that is positioned on an outer periphery of the facing portion and does not face the positive electrode active material layer. The non-facing portion has a stretching rate that is less than a stretching rate of the facing portion.

Abstract: A secondary battery includes a power generation element that includes a positive electrode, an electrolyte layer for retaining an electrolyte and a negative electrode. The positive electrode has a positive electrode collector on which a positive electrode active material layer is disposed. The negative electrode has a negative electrode collector on which is disposed a negative electrode active material layer having a silicon-containing negative electrode active material. The negative electrode collector has an active material region in which the negative electrode active material layer is disposed, a non-active-material region in which the negative electrode active material layer is not disposed, and a slit extending from the non-active-material region to the active material region.

Abstract: A secondary battery suppresses generation of wrinkle at the outer peripheral edge portion of a negative electrode plate due to expansion of a negative electrode active material layer with use. The secondary battery includes a positive electrode plate with a positive electrode active material layer disposed on a first current collector, and a negative electrode plate with a negative electrode active material layer having an area larger than an area of the positive electrode active material layer disposed on a second current collector. The negative electrode plate includes a facing portion facing the positive electrode active material layer and a non-facing portion. The negative electrode plate and a separator are bonded through a bonding layer. The bonding strength of a second bonding portion that bonds the non-facing portion to the separator is larger than the bonding strength of a first bonding portion that bonds the facing portion to the separator.

Abstract: A secondary battery includes a power generation element that includes a positive electrode having a collector on which a positive electrode active material layer is disposed, an electrolyte layer for retaining an electrolyte, and a negative electrode having a collector on which a negative electrode active material layer is disposed. The negative electrode active material layer has an area greater than that of the positive electrode active material layer. The negative electrode active material layer has a facing portion that faces a positive electrode active material layer with an electrolyte layer interposed by therebetween, and a non-facing portion that is positioned on an outer periphery of the facing portion and does not face the positive electrode active material layer. The non-facing portion has a stretching rate that is less than a stretching rate of the facing portion.

Abstract: A secondary battery has a battery body and a restraint. The battery body has a plurality of stacked power generation elements. The restraint restrains the battery body. The restraint has a first contact section (for applying a restraining force to an outermost layer surface (e.g., a negative electrode collector) of the battery body. The restraint is configured so that a stress occurring at a boundary of a non-contact region and a contact region of the first contact section is less than a breaking strength of the negative electrode collector, and the stress is based on the restraining force and on expansion and contraction of a negative electrode due to a change in volume of a negative electrode active material layer caused by charging and discharging.

Abstract: A method for guiding a user of an electric vehicle to a charging facility includes: searching for charging facilities existing within a predetermined distance from the current position of the electric vehicle; when a high-output charging facility and a low-output charging facility in a predetermined positional relationship with the high-output charging facility are searched, calculating the estimated value of a remaining charged capacity of a battery of the electric vehicle; calculating the estimated value of a charging time if charging the battery of the electric vehicle from the estimated value of the remaining charged capacity of the battery to a predetermined charged capacity at each of the searched charging facilities; and when the difference between the estimated value of the charging times at the high-output charging facility and the low-output charging facility is a predetermined value or less, presenting the low-output charging facility to the user of the electric vehicle.

Abstract: A secondary battery suppresses generation of wrinkle at the outer peripheral edge portion of a negative electrode plate due to expansion of a negative electrode active material layer with use. The secondary battery includes a positive electrode plate with a positive electrode active material layer disposed on a first current collector, and a negative electrode plate with a negative electrode active material layer having an area larger than an area of the positive electrode active material layer disposed on a second current collector. The negative electrode plate includes a facing portion facing the positive electrode active material layer and a non-facing portion. The negative electrode plate and a separator are bonded through a bonding layer. The bonding strength of a second bonding portion that bonds the non-facing portion to the separator is larger than the bonding strength of a first bonding portion that bonds the facing portion to the separator.

Abstract: A method for guiding a user of an electric vehicle to a charging facility includes: searching for charging facilities existing within a predetermined distance from the current position of the electric vehicle; when a high-output charging facility and a low-output charging facility in a predetermined positional relationship with the high-output charging facility are searched, calculating the estimated value of a remaining charged capacity of a battery of the electric vehicle; calculating the estimated value of a charging time if charging the battery of the electric vehicle from the estimated value of the remaining charged capacity of the battery to a predetermined charged capacity at each of the searched charging facilities; and when the difference between the estimated value of the charging times at the high-output charging facility and the low-output charging facility is a predetermined value or less, presenting the low-output charging facility to the user of the electric vehicle.

Abstract: A battery electrode, includes: a collector; and an active material layer formed on a surface of the collector and including: an active material, and a conductive additive having a bulk density which is gradually decreased in a direction from a collector side of the active material layer to a surface side of the active material layer.

Abstract: A battery electrode, includes: a collector; and an active material layer formed on a surface of the collector and including: an active material, and a conductive additive having a bulk density which is gradually decreased in a direction from a collector side of the active material layer to a surface side of the active material layer.

Abstract: An electric power generating element of a battery is covered with an electric conductor including a positive conductor member electrically connected to a positive plate, a negative conductor member electrically connected to a negative plate, and a separating member. An electric resistance per unit length of at least one of the positive and negative conductor members is made smaller than that of positive and negative current collectors of the positive and negative plates electrically connected to the positive and negative conductor members, respectively. For example, by making a thickness of the positive conductor member larger than that of the positive current collector, the electric resistance per unit length of the positive conductor member is made smaller than that of the positive current collector. Accordingly, large current occurring during internal short-circuiting can be rapidly distributed between the positive and negative conductor members, and excessive heat generation of a battery is prevented.

Abstract: A positive active material for a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery includes a lithium-nickel composite oxide represented by the compositional formula LiaNi1?b?cCObMncO2 (a?1.09, 0.05?b?0.35, 0.15?c?0.35, and 0.25?b+c?0.55). By X-ray diffractometry with a CuK? ray, the lithium-nickel composite oxide exhibits an intensity ratio R ((I012+I006)/I101) of not greater than 0.50, wherein R is the ratio of the sum of the diffraction peak intensity I012 on the 012 plane and the diffraction peak intensity I006 on the 006 plane to the diffraction peak intensity I101 on the 101 plane. The crystallinity of the positive active material of the compositional formula LiaNi1?b?cCobMncO2 can be kept high and it is possible to secure good capacity density and cycle life performance.

Abstract: A powder which has a hexagonal crystal structure and is used as a positive active material for a non-aqueous electrolyte rechargeable battery, and wherein the nominal composition of the positive active material is represented by LiaNibCocMndAleO2, the values of a, b, c, d, and e in the nominal equation fall within the ranges of 0.05?a?1.20, 0.25?b?0.93, 0.05?c?0.35, 0.01?d?0.35, 0.01?e?0.15, and 0.9?b+c+d+e?1.1, respectively, and the tap density of the powder lies 1.6 to 3.0 g/ml.

Abstract: A positive active material for nonaqueous electrolyte secondary batteries which has a higher capacity and improved thermal stability in a charged state and is less expensive compared to the current active material of LiCoO2 is provided by a lithium compound oxide having the formula: LiaNibCocMndMeO2  (1) where M stands for one or two of W and Mo, 0.90≦a≦1.15, 0<b<0.99, 0<c≦0.5, 0<d≦0.5, 0<c+d≦0.9, 0.01≦e≦0.1, and b+c+d+e=1, the lithium compound oxide giving an X-ray diffraction pattern including a diffraction peak or peaks assigned to a compound oxide of Li and W and/or a compound oxide of Li and Mo, in addition to main diffraction peaks assigned to a hexagonal crystal structure.

Abstract: A positive active material for nonaqueous electrolyte secondary batteries which has a higher capacity and improved thermal stability in a charged state and is less expensive compared to the current active material of LiCoO2 is provided by a lithium compound oxide having the formula:

Abstract: To provide a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery including a positive electrode containing a positive active material capable of intercalating and deintercalating lithium ion and a negative electrode containing a first carbon material capable of intercalating and deintercalating lithium ion and a second carbon material having a specific surface area of about 10 to about 1500 m2/g. According to the present invention, increase in a charge transfer resistance of the negative electrode is suppressed by the second carbon material having a specific surface area of about 10 to about 1500 m2/g, and therefore, a discharge capacity, cycle life performance, discharge rate characteristics and power characteristics of the battery can be improved.

Abstract: An electric power generating element of a battery is covered with an electric conductor including a conductor member of a positive electrode electrically connected to a positive plate, a conductor member of negative electrode electrically connected to a negative plate, and a separating member, and an electric resistance per unit length of at least one of the conductor member of the positive electrode and the conductor member of the negative electrode is made to be smaller than that of the current collector electrically connected to the conductor member. For example, by making a thickness of the conductor member of the positive electrode to be larger than that of the current collector of the positive electrode, the electric resistance per unit length of the conductor member of the positive electrode can be made smaller than that of the current collector of the positive electrode.