Sony Corporation

Fuji Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha

Subaru Corporation

Kunio Nakazato

Hiroshi Kawamura

Norikatsu Inoue

Nobuo Ando

Hideo Yanagita

Keiichiro Shimada

Mitsuru Nagai

Satoru Kudo

Akihito Nakayama

Shinichi Orimo

Toshifumi Takaoka

Kazutaka Noborimoto

Takashi Utsunomiya

Kenji Hirano

Ryosuke Tsuru

Toshiyuki Kase

Kazuya Ozawa

Sawako Noda

In an electric storage device, lithium electrodes are disposed on respective outermost portions of an electrode laminated unit in which a positive electrode and a negative electrode are laminated alternately via positive/negative electrode separators. The lithium electrode includes lithium metal serving as a lithium ion supply source, and a lithium electrode separator (a non-woven fabric separator) constituted by a non-woven fabric that satisfies the following conditions: (a) an average fiber diameter of 0.1 &#x3bc;m to 10 &#x3bc;m; and (b) a thickness of 5 &#x3bc;m to 500 &#x3bc;m is provided. By forming the lithium electrode separator that contacts the lithium electrode including the lithium ion supply source from a non-woven fabric in this manner, a dramatic improvement can be achieved in the cycle characteristic of the electric storage device.

Electric storage device

An electric storage devicehas an electrode laminate unitincluding positive electrodes, negative electrodesand a lithium electrodeprovided at the outermost part of the electrode laminate unit. The lithium electrodehas a lithium-electrode current collectorwelded to a negative-electrode current collectorand a lithium unitsandwiched between the lithium-electrode current collectorand the negative electrode. The lithium unitis composed of a lithium holding platethat is in contact with the lithium-electrode current collector, and a lithium ion sourcethat is provided to the lithium holding plate. The lithium ion sourceis not mounted on the lithium-electrode current collector, but only the lithium-electrode current collectoris laminated and welded, whereby the damage of the lithium ion sourceis prevented, and the manufacturing operation is simplified.

A positive electrode sheet including a positive electrode mixture layer formed on one surface is provided at one of the outermost layers of an electrode sheet group, while a positive electrode sheet including a positive electrode mixture layer formed at one surface is provided at the other outermost layer of the electrode sheet group. A negative electrode sheet including negative electrode mixture layers formed on both surfaces is provided between the positive electrode sheets. A lithium electrode sheet including metal lithium foils formed on both surfaces is overlapped onto the electrode sheet group formed by stacking the three sheets. When a wound-type electric storage device is produced, the electrode sheet group is wound together with the lithium electrode sheet.

Wound-type electric storage device including electrode sheets

An electric storage devicehas a positive electrode, a negative electrodeand a separatorprovided between the positive electrodeand the negative electrode. The negative electrode surfaceis formed to be larger than the positive electrode surfacein such a manner that a positive electrode outer edgeand a negative electrode outer edgeare apart from each other by 2 mm or more. By this configuration, an ion restricting sectionis formed at the outer peripheral portion of the separator. Accordingly, the movement of the lithium ions toward the negative electrode end surfacecan be restricted, when the device is charged with a large current, whereby the deposition of metal lithium on the negative electrode end surfacecan be prevented.

A zoom lens apparatus which is superior in sound insulating and dust-proof properties and is easy to handle in transportation, storage and so forth. A lens system including a zoom lens set, a focusing lens set and an iris disposed on a single optic axis, a zoom lens driving section composed of a motor, a ball screw, a lens holding member, a nut member and so forth for driving the zoom lens, a focusing lens driving section composed of a guide rod, a lens holding member, a movable coil, an outer yoke, magnets and so forth for driving the focusing lens, and an iris motor for opening and closing the iris are accommodated in the housing having a substantially rectangular outer profile.

Zoom lens apparatus

A lens mirror cylinder having first and second movable lens structures, constructed by assembling in a mirror cylinder a plurality of magnetic circuit means arranged on the outer periphery side of the second movable lens structure, guided so that it can move in the light axis direction of the lens, so as to face each other across the light axis, a first lens driving means for driving the first movable lens structure arranged at a position on the outer periphery side of the second movable lens structure in which the magnetic circuits are not arranged, and a lens diaphragm unit. By this construction, the space of the lens mirror cylinder can be effectively utilized, and a reduction of size of the lens mirror cylinder and the camera using the lens mirror cylinder is realized.

Lens mirror cylinder having two movable lenses and a diaphragm unit

A camera lens barrel having a first grouped lens, a movable second grouped lens for variable magnification, a third grouped lens, and a fourth grouped lens, which are respectively arranged along an optical axis, and accommodating a drive system for the first to fourth lenses. The camera lens barrel is provided with a stepping motor, a control device capable of respectively carrying out in a low speed drive mode at least micro step drive control and pulse drive control of the stepping motor, and a moving mechanism for converting rotation of the stepping motor into movement of the second grouped lens along the optical axis. The control device carries out position control of the second grouped lens according to a control quantity of the stepping motor. As the stepping motor is driven under the micro step drive control, the generation of noise and vibration can be greatly suppressed as compared with a conventional lens barrel employing a DC motor as a drive source.

Camera lens barrel having both pulse drive control and microstep drive

A position detecting apparatus comprising a magnet secured to a movable body (lens holder) which is movable along a shaft body when the shaft body is inserted, the magnet having polarity which is alternately magnetized at a predetermined interval, and a magneto-resistance effect element which is positioned and fixed so as to be confronted to the magnet at a predetermined gap interval by an MR holder with the shaft body being used as a securing position reference, and the magneto-resistance effect element serving to obtain a position detection signal for the movable body through variation of a resistance value thereof which is caused by magnetic field of the magnet through movement of the movable body.

Position detecting apparatus using magneto-resistance effect element

A lens barrel of a camera includes a driving power source, a plurality of lenses mounted in the barrel, and a plurality of reference shafts extending parallel to an optical axis. At least one of the reference shafts is provided with a threaded portion and used as a rotating shaft of the driving power source. A recess and a protrusion are also provided for preventing deflection of a body of the driving power source, so that the lens moves to and fro along the threaded portion upon activation of the driving power source.

Lens barrel

A zoom lens operating mechanism comprises a stationary cylinder, an operating ring rotatably mounted on the stationary cylinder, a cam cylinder rotatably mounted within the stationary cylinder and coupled to the operating ring for rotation therewith, at least one lens group coupled to the cam cylinder so as to be movable within a zoom range as the operating ring is rotated within a first angular range and within a close-up range as the operating ring is rotated within a second angular range, a guide arrangement formed in the stationary cylinder, and an operating member mounted on the operating ring and cooperating with the guide arrangement to define the first and second angular ranges. The guide arrangement comprises contiguous first and second guide grooves with a stop at the junction therebetween, and the operating member is rotatable relative to the operating ring and includes a locking device extendable into the first and second guide grooves such that upon rotation of the operating ring by the operating member through the first range, the locking device moves along the first guide groove and is locked at the stop, and upon rotation of the operating member the locking device is released from the stop and the locking device can then move along the second guide groove so that the operating ring is rotatable within the second range.

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Tokyo, Japan

Kunio Nakazato