Abstract: A non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery includes an electrode assembly formed by winding positive and negative electrodes, and an insulating layer together. Each of the electrodes has a core sheet and mixture layers formed on both sides of the sheet. The insulating layer electrically insulates the electrodes. At least one of the electrodes includes a core-exposed portion continuous parallel to the winding direction. Each of the mixture layers has an inclined weight region where the amount of mixture per unit area decreases toward the core-exposed portion, and a constant weight region in which the amount of mixture per unit area is constant. The inclined weight region has a width of not more than 0.2 of the width of the mixture layers and has an average mixture density of not less than 40% and not more than 99% of the mixture density of the constant weight region.

Abstract: A non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery has a positive electrode, a negative electrode, a separator, and a non-aqueous electrolyte solution. The positive electrode has a theoretical capacity per unit area from 3.0 to 4.5 mAh/cm2. The non-aqueous electrolyte solution contains ethylene carbonate (EC), ethylmethyl carbonate (EMC), and dimethyl carbonate (DMC) as solvents, and LiPF6 as an electrolyte, with volume ratios from 10 to 20% for EC, 10 to 20% for EMC, and 60 to 80% for DMC relative to all the solvents in the electrolyte solution. The concentration of the LiPF6 is from 1.30 to 1.50 mol/L.

Abstract: To provide a high power non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery with high performance and less degradation in capacity even when high power discharge is repeated while maintaining the initial output characteristic by optimizing the insulating structure between the positive and negative electrodes, in a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery including a positive electrode, a negative electrode, a microporous resin separator and an electrolyte, an area per theoretical capacity of the positive electrode is set to 190 to 800 cm2/Ah and a porous heat-resistant layer having a thickness of 10 to 60 ?m is provided between the separator and at least one of the positive electrode and the negative electrode.

Abstract: A non-aqueous electrolyte rechargeable battery pack is provided, which includes a measuring unit for measuring a battery voltage and a battery temperature and a control unit for controlling charge and discharge based on a measuring result of the measuring unit. A plurality of cylindrical non-aqueous electrolyte rechargeable batteries each having positive and negative terminals at a cover and a bottom are accommodated in a battery housing in such a manner that side faces of adjacent non-aqueous electrolyte rechargeable batteries face each other. All the cylindrical non-aqueous electrolyte rechargeable batteries are electrically connected to one another. B/A is set to be in a range between 0.02 and 0.2 where A is a diameter of each cylindrical non-aqueous electrolyte rechargeable battery and B is a distance between the side faces of the adjacent batteries.

Abstract: An alkaline storage battery including a strip-shaped porous metal substrate and a material mixture filled into the substrate. The substrate has an unfilled portion where the material mixture is not filled along at least one of two longitudinal sides of the substrate. The substrate has a weight per unit area of 150 to 350 g/m2. The material mixture contains an active material and an elastic polymer.

Abstract: An alkaline storage battery comprising: a positive electrode plate; a negative electrode plate; separators interposed between the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate; and an alkaline electrolyte, wherein a first edge of the positive electrode plate and a first edge of the negative electrode plate serve as current collecting portions, at least a second edge of at least the positive electrode plate is covered with polyethylene resin on an end face and peripheral sides thereof, the second edge being positioned opposite to the first edge, and the polyethylene resin film formed at the second edge of the positive electrode plate adheres to the separators positioned on both sides of the positive electrode plate.

Abstract: A base for an electrode plate that has an excellent ability to retain an active material and can be manufactured at a low cost, a method for manufacturing the same, and an alkaline storage battery using the same are provided. The method includes (i) forming a slurry containing water, a powder containing nickel, and a hollow particle formed of an organic compound, (ii) applying the slurry to a support made of metal, thereby forming a sheet, and (iii) burning the sheet, thereby forming a porous layer joined to the support by a metallic bond.

Abstract: A rechargeable battery uses metal foil for a substrate of at least one of positive and negative electrodes. The electrode includes a strip-like conductive portion formed of a bared edge portion of the substrate at one end along the winding direction, to which a current collector is welded. A porous metal layer is formed at least on one side of the strip-like conductive portion so as to prevent buckling or breakage of the substrate, or separation of weld joints.

Abstract: A nickel-metal hydride storage battery having a spirally wound electrode group including: (a) a positive electrode including an active material layer containing nickel hydroxide and a positive electrode core material; (b) a negative electrode including an active material layer containing a hydrogen storage alloy and a negative electrode core material; and (c) a separator interposed between the positive and negative electrodes, wherein the separator includes a hydrophilicity-imparted non-woven fabric including polyolefin or polyamide and has a thickness of 0.04 to 0.09 mm, and the percentage occupied by the cross section “SS” of the separator in the transverse cross section “S” of the electrode group is not greater than 25%.

Abstract: An electrode core material has a substrate and at least one porous material layer diffusion-bonded to the substrate. The substrate is made of a metal foil processed into a three-dimensional structure which is substantially deformed from a major plane of the metal foil, preferably having bulge portions which protrude from at least one side of the metal foil, the bulge portions preferably having a curved, strip-shaped form between laterally spaced slits in the metal foil. The porous material layer is made of metal fine particles diffusion-bonded to each other, and the porous material layer has a three-dimensional structure which is substantially uniform in thickness and porosity. Methods are provided for producing the electrode core material by diffusion bonding the porous material layer to the substrate either before or after deforming the metal foil. The electrode core material may be used for the positive and/or negative electrode of an alkaline storage battery.

Abstract: The present invention provides a sintered nickel positive electrode plates for alkaline storage batteries with a high capacity density in which the working voltage during discharge is kept from dropping and the utilization of the positive electrode active material remains high even at high temperatures. The electrode comprises a porous sintered nickel substrate and metal hydroxides mainly composed of nickel hydroxide impregnated in the substrate, the metal hydroxides including: a first layer comprising a hydroxide of at least one element selected from the group consisting of yttrium, ytterbium and lutetium, and being in contact with the substrate; a second layer comprising a mixture of nickel hydroxide and cobalt hydroxide, and covering the first layer; and a third layer comprising cobalt hydroxide and covering the second layer.

Abstract: A base for an electrode plate that has an excellent ability to retain an active material and can be manufactured at a low cost, a method for manufacturing the same, and an alkaline storage battery using the same are provided. The method includes (i) forming a slurry containing water, a powder containing nickel, and a hollow particle formed of an organic compound, (ii) applying the slurry to a support made of metal, thereby forming a sheet, and (iii) burning the sheet, thereby forming a porous layer joined to the support by a metallic bond.