Patents by Inventor Yuji Yokoyama

Yuji Yokoyama has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 10763498
    Abstract: A negative electrode for a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery of the present disclosure includes a negative electrode current collector, a negative electrode composite material layer formed on the surface of the negative electrode current collector. The negative electrode composite material layer includes a negative electrode active material containing silicon oxide and heat expandable microcapsules. The ratio of silicon oxide to the total amount of the negative electrode active material is 30 mass % or less. The blending ratio of the heat expandable microcapsules to the total amount of the negative electrode active material is 0.5 mass % or more. The ratio of the heat expandable microcapsules in contact with silicon oxide to the amount of the heat expandable microcapsules contained in the negative electrode composite material layer is 70 mass % or more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazuhisa Takeda, Yuji Yokoyama
  • Publication number: 20200251738
    Abstract: According to the present disclosure, there is provided a technique capable of suitably reducing the battery resistance of a lithium ion secondary battery. In an aspect of a negative electrode disclosed herein, a negative electrode active material layer contains a negative electrode active material, a binder which includes a water-soluble polymer lithium salt, and a sub-material particle including a metal compound which has a hydroxyl group. With this, hopping conduction in which a Li ion moves in such a manner as to slide on hydroxyl groups on the surface of the sub-material particle can occur, and hence it is possible to accelerate supply of the Li ion to the negative electrode active material and achieve a significant reduction in the battery resistance of the lithium secondary battery.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 22, 2020
    Publication date: August 6, 2020
    Inventors: Yutaka OYAMA, Yuji YOKOYAMA, Naoto ONODERA
  • Publication number: 20200194795
    Abstract: A non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery includes an electrode current collector, an intermediate layer, and an electrode active material layer. The intermediate layer is interposed between the electrode current collector and the electrode active material layer. The intermediate layer contains a metal-covered microcapsule. The metal-covered microcapsule includes a microcapsule and a metal film. The microcapsule includes a core and a shell. The shell surrounds the core. The core includes a volatile material. The shell includes a thermoplastic resin material. The metal film covers at least part of an outer surface of the microcapsule.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2019
    Publication date: June 18, 2020
    Inventors: Koji Torita, Yuji Yokoyama
  • Publication number: 20200002590
    Abstract: A heat storage particle that includes a ceramic particle containing a vanadium oxide as a main component thereof, and a metal film covering the ceramic particle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 7, 2019
    Publication date: January 2, 2020
    Inventors: Kou Tanaka, Yuji Yokoyama, Mitsugu Takada, Ryo Teraura, Mitsunari Imasaka, Noboru Tanida, Toshihiko Yamada, Yoshihiro Iwasaki
  • Publication number: 20190333661
    Abstract: A sintered magnet contains Sm—Fe—N-based crystal grains and has high coercivity; and a magnetic powder is capable of forming a sintered magnet without lowering the coercivity even if heat is generated in association with the sintering. A sintered magnet comprises a crystal phase composed of a plurality of Sm—Fe—N-based crystal grains and a nonmagnetic metal phase present between the Sm—Fe—N crystal grains adjacent to each other, wherein a ratio of Fe peak intensity IFe to SmFeN peak intensity ISmFeN measured by an X-ray diffraction method is 0.2 or less. A magnetic powder comprises Sm—Fe—N-based crystal particles and a nonmagnetic metal layer covering surfaces of the Sm—Fe—N crystal particles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 8, 2019
    Publication date: October 31, 2019
    Applicants: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ADVANCED INDUSTRIAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenta TAKAGI, Wataru YAMAGUCHI, Takaaki YOKOYAMA, Kenji SAKAGUCHI, Kazuhiro YOSHII, Yuji YOKOYAMA
  • Patent number: 10461310
    Abstract: A manufacturing method for a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery includes: forming a powder; forming a sheet-like green compact; and forming a heat-resistant layer. The powder contains composite particles and a solvent. The composite particles contain inorganic filler particles and a binder. The green compact is formed by pressing the powder in a state in which the solvent remains. The heat-resistant layer is formed by disposing the green compact on a surface of at least any of a positive electrode mixture layer and a negative electrode mixture layer after the green compact is formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroya Umeyama, Yusuke Fukumoto, Naoyuki Wada, Yuji Yokoyama, Tatsuya Hashimoto, Naoto Onodera
  • Patent number: 10454098
    Abstract: A nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery includes a positive electrode, a negative electrode, a separator provided between the positive electrode and the negative electrode, and a nonaqueous electrolytic solution at least held by the separator. The positive electrode has a positive electrode collector and a positive electrode mixture layer provided on the positive electrode collector. The positive electrode mixture layer has a first powder and a second powder. The first powder includes a first positive electrode active material, a first conductive material, and an organic-based binder. The second powder includes a second positive electrode active material, a second conductive material, and a water-based binder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroya Umeyama, Tatsuya Hashimoto, Keisuke Ohara, Yusuke Fukumoto, Yuji Yokoyama
  • Publication number: 20190305314
    Abstract: A non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery includes an electrode array and an electrolyte solution. The electrode array includes a positive electrode that includes a positive electrode current collector and a positive electrode composite material layer; a negative electrode that includes a negative electrode current collector and a negative electrode composite material layer; and a separator. The electrode array includes cellulose nanofibers. At least one of the peel strength between the positive electrode current collector and the positive electrode composite material layer and the peel strength between the negative electrode current collector and the negative electrode composite material layer is smaller than both the peel strength between the separator and the positive electrode composite material layer and the peel strength between the separator and the negative electrode composite material layer. The greater of the two peel strengths is at least 1.5 times greater than the smaller of the two.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2019
    Publication date: October 3, 2019
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yutaka Oyama, Yuji Yokoyama
  • Patent number: 10426150
    Abstract: Provided are a tubular structure having an aesthetically fine decorative layer with which borders of the layers in a circumferential direction are obscured, and a method of forming such a decorative layer on the tubular structure. The decorative layer includes axial-direction decorative rows arranged in a circumferential direction of a tubular body of the tubular structure. Each axial-direction decorative row includes covering regions that make a surface of the tubular body structure invisible and exposing regions that make the surface of the tubular body visible, and the covering and exposing regions are alternately arranged along an axial direction of the tubular body. An axial-direction decorative row has the exposing regions arranged such that a portion of the covering region in the next axial-direction decorative rows in the circumferential direction is partially situated between the two axially adjacent covering regions in the axial-direction decorative row with a clearance therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: Globeride, Inc.
    Inventor: Yuji Yokoyama
  • Publication number: 20190267195
    Abstract: A solid electrolytic capacitor element that includes a porous body, a dielectric layer on a surface of the porous body, and a solid electrolyte layer on a surface of the dielectric layer. The porous body is made from a sintered body of a Ti-alloy-containing grain having a Ti—Zr—X multicomponent alloy on a surface thereof, where X is at least one valve metal element selected from Si, Hf, Y, Al, Mo, W, Ta, Nb, and V, and a composition of the Ti—Zr—X multicomponent alloy is Ti: 50 atm % to 80 atm %, Zr: 8 atm % to 32 atm %, and X: 1 atm % to 20 atm %.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2019
    Publication date: August 29, 2019
    Inventors: Daisuke Obara, Takeo Arakawa, Takeshi Furukawa, Yuji Yokoyama, Yoshihiro Fujita, Masahiro Matsuo, Hideo Ito
  • Patent number: 10374224
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a non-aqueous electrolyte solution secondary battery includes: (A) preparing a first composite material by mixing a first positive electrode active material, a first conductive material and a first binder; (B) preparing a second composite material by mixing a second positive electrode active material, a second conductive material and a second binder; and (C) manufacturing a positive electrode by forming a positive electrode composite layer including the first composite material and the second composite material. The first positive electrode active material has an average discharge potential lower than that of the second positive electrode active material. The first conductive material has a first OAN. The second conductive material has a second OAN. A ratio of the second OAN to the first OAN is 1.3 or more and 2.1 or less. A sum of the first OAN and the second OAN is 31.64 ml/100 g or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Koji Torita, Tatsuya Hashimoto, Keiichi Takahashi, Akihiro Taniguchi, Shuji Tsutsumi, Yusuke Fukumoto, Yuji Yokoyama
  • Publication number: 20190123320
    Abstract: The separator is used in a battery. The separator includes a porous film and a columnar filler. The porous film is made of resin. The columnar filler is made of insulating ceramic. The columnar filler is filled in the porous film. The axial direction of the columnar filler is in line with the thickness direction of the porous film.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 5, 2018
    Publication date: April 25, 2019
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazuhisa TAKEDA, Yuji YOKOYAMA
  • Publication number: 20190115592
    Abstract: A negative electrode for a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery of the present disclosure includes a negative electrode current collector, a negative electrode composite material layer formed on the surface of the negative electrode current collector. The negative electrode composite material layer includes a negative electrode active material containing silicon oxide and heat expandable microcapsules. The ratio of silicon oxide to the total amount of the negative electrode active material is 30 mass % or less. The blending ratio of the heat expandable microcapsules to the total amount of the negative electrode active material is 0.5 mass % or more. The ratio of the heat expandable microcapsules in contact with silicon oxide to the amount of the heat expandable microcapsules contained in the negative electrode composite material layer is 70 mass % or more.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 13, 2018
    Publication date: April 18, 2019
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazuhisa TAKEDA, Yuji YOKOYAMA
  • Patent number: 10056617
    Abstract: A secondary battery includes a wound electrode assembly in which a positive electrode sheet, a negative electrode sheet and a separator are stacked and wound. The positive electrode sheet is provided with a long positive electrode current collector and a positive electrode active material layer. The positive electrode active material layer is disposed on the positive electrode current collector. The negative electrode sheet is provided with a long negative electrode current collector and a negative electrode active material layer. The negative electrode active material layer is disposed on the negative electrode current collector. The separator is interposed between the positive electrode sheet and the negative electrode sheet. The negative electrode current collector has a first active material layer-free region at one edge of the negative electrode current collector in a winding direction of an axis of the wound electrode assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tatsuya Hashimoto, Keisuke Ohara, Yuji Yokoyama, Yusuke Fukumoto
  • Patent number: 10020511
    Abstract: This invention provides a lithium secondary battery that comprises a positive electrode comprising a positive electrode active material layer and a negative electrode comprising a negative electrode active material layer. The positive electrode active material layer and the negative electrode active material layer are placed to face each other. The negative electrode active material layer has an area A comprising a non-positive-electrode-facing portion that does not face the positive electrode active material layer. The area A comprises a negative electrode active material, a hot-melt binder and a temperature-sensitive thickener. The hot-melt binder has a melting point and the temperature-sensitive thickener has a gelation temperature both in a range of 45° C. to 100° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tatsuya Hashimoto, Keisuke Ohara, Yuji Yokoyama, Yusuke Fukumoto
  • Patent number: 9960411
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a negative electrode for a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery includes: preparing a copper foil having a first main surface and a second main surface that are opposite sides of the copper foil; obtaining a granulated body by mixing a negative electrode active material, a thickener, a binder, and a solvent with each other to obtain a mixture and by granulating the mixture; obtaining a first negative electrode mixture layer by pressing the granulated body; arranging the first negative electrode mixture layer on the first main surface; and softening the copper foil by bringing the second main surface into contact with a heated roller in a state where the first negative electrode mixture layer is arranged on the first main surface. A temperature of the heated roller is a recrystallization temperature of the copper foil or higher.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroya Umeyama, Naoto Onodera, Naoyuki Wada, Yusuke Fukumoto, Tatsuya Hashimoto, Yuji Yokoyama
  • Publication number: 20180108903
    Abstract: Provided is a method for producing a negative electrode by using a negative electrode active material and ceramic particles, the method ensuring satisfactory coatability of the paste and high peel strength and hardness of the obtained negative electrode active material layer. The method for producing a negative electrode disclosed herein includes a step of coating a negative electrode paste including a negative electrode active material and ceramic particles on a negative electrode current collector; a step of drying the coated negative electrode paste to form a negative electrode active material layer; and a step of pressing the negative electrode active material layer. The ceramic particles have an aspect ratio of 1.5 or more and 20 or less. The ceramic particles have a short side length of 1/5 or less of an average particle diameter of the negative electrode active material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2017
    Publication date: April 19, 2018
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazuhisa TAKEDA, Yuji YOKOYAMA, Keisuke OHARA
  • Patent number: 9929406
    Abstract: A nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery includes: a negative electrode current collector foil; and a negative electrode mixture layer that is arranged on the negative electrode current collector foil. The negative electrode mixture layer contains a plurality of granulated particles. Each of the granulated particles contains a negative electrode active material and a coating film. The coating film is formed on a surface of the negative electrode active material. The coating film includes a first film and a second film. The first film is formed on the surface of the negative electrode active material. The second film is formed on the first film. The first film contains a carboxymethyl cellulose polymer. The second film contains a polyacrylic acid polymer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroya Umeyama, Tatsuya Hashimoto, Naoyuki Wada, Yusuke Fukumoto, Naoto Onodera, Yuji Yokoyama
  • Publication number: 20180076450
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a non-aqueous electrolyte solution secondary battery includes: (A) preparing a first composite material by mixing a first positive electrode active material, a first conductive material and a first binder; (B) preparing a second composite material by mixing a second positive electrode active material, a second conductive material and a second binder; and (C) manufacturing a positive electrode by forming a positive electrode composite layer including the first composite material and the second composite material. The first positive electrode active material has an average discharge potential lower than that of the second positive electrode active material. The first conductive material has a first OAN. The second conductive material has a second OAN. A ratio of the second OAN to the first OAN is 1.3 or more and 2.1 or less. A sum of the first OAN and the second OAN is 31.64 ml/100 g or less.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 14, 2017
    Publication date: March 15, 2018
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Koji TORITA, Tatsuya HASHIMOTO, Keiichi TAKAHASHI, Akihiro TANIGUCHI, Shuji TSUTSUMI, Yusuke FUKUMOTO, Yuji YOKOYAMA
  • Patent number: 9905846
    Abstract: A lithium ion secondary battery includes: an electrode mixture layer that contains an electrode active material and an organic ferroelectric having a dielectric constant of 25 or higher; and an electrolytic solution that contains lithium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide and a nonaqueous solvent. A content of the organic ferroelectric is 0.5 parts by mass to 10 parts by mass with respect to 100 parts by mass of the electrode active material. A proportion of a high-polarity solvent having a dielectric constant of 10 or higher in the nonaqueous solvent is 10 vol % or lower.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroya Umeyama, Naoto Onodera, Naoyuki Wada, Yusuke Fukumoto, Tatsuya Hashimoto, Yuji Yokoyama, Hideki Sano