Sony Corporation

Nobuhiro Fujiwara

Atsushi Mamiya

Yukio Noda

Yasuo Yukita

Kazuya Kojima

Mamoru Suzuki

Hirotsugu Suzuki

Yasuyuki Ishihama

Minoru Iijima

This invention relates to a bicycle having a driving force transmitting mechanism with oscillating fulcrum point. A sliding part is provided with a dust cover or a brush to prevent dust and the like from being entered therein and to remove the dust, if entered, therefrom. When a rider steps on the pedals alternatively, force of the pedal levers generated by the oscillation of the pedal levers is transmitted to the sprocket through the crank lever. When the pedal levers oscillate, an oscillating fulcrum point of the pedal lever is moved in a lateral direction within the sliding part. The rotating force of the sprocket is transmitted to the rear wheel through a chain. Even if the locus Q of motion of the pedal is different in the first half period (a stepping-on period) and the second half period (a stepping-up period), a smooth movement of the pedal is assured. Such a smooth movement can be kept enough by the dust cover.

Bicycle with propelling mechanism

This invention relates to a bicycle having a driving force transmitting mechanism with oscillating fulcrum point. A crank lever is connected between a sprocket and the one of pedal levers. When a rider steps on the pedals alternatively, force of the pedal levers generated by the oscillation of the pedal levers is transmitted to the sprocket through the crank lever. When the pedal levers oscillate, an oscillating fulcrum point of the pedal lever is moved, not fixed, in a lateral direction within the sliding part. The rotating force of the sprocket is transmitted to the rear wheel through a chain. With such an arrangement, a configuration of the rotating force transmitting mechanism for the rear wheel is simplified. Even if the locus Q of motion of the pedal is different in the first half period (a stepping-on period) and the second half period (a stepping-up period), a smooth rotation of the pedal is assured.

Bicycle

A pedaling force detection means can be simplified in arrangement, the number of assemblies thereof can be decreased, the pedaling force detection means can be made inexpensive and can detect a pedaling force reliably. A bicycle comprises a drive assist attached to a driving wheel ( ), a driving power transmission means ( ) attached between a sprocket ( ) and a rear wheel, a pair of pedal levers ( ), a crank lever ( R) for transmitting a rotation force of the pedal lever to the sprocket and a sliding portion ( R) serving as a swing fulcrum of the pedal lever. A slide pin ( R) at one end of the pedal lever slides within the slide portion in accordance with the rotation of the pedal lever to transmit a rotation force generated by the rotation of the pedal lever to the rear wheel through the sprocket. A pedaling force sensor ( ) is attached to a part of the pedal lever which makes nearly reciprocating motion, and the output from the sensor is supplied through a signal wire ( ) or the like to a controller which controls the drive-assist. An assist timing of the drive-assist is controlled based on the output from the sensor. Since the output from the pedaling force sensor maybe transmitted via the signal wire, the pedaling force sensor becomes high in accuracy, high in response and becomes low in loss. The mechanism of the pedaling force sensor is simple.

Bicycle equipped with drive assist

Internal shorting of large capacity multi-layer type nonaqueous electrolyte secondary cells is minimized by inclusion of heat resistant porous film layers adjacent thermally fusible resin microporous films disposed between negative electrodes and positive electrodes in an electrode assembly and between adjacent electrode assemblies stacked together to provide an electrode stack. The heat resistant porous film layers may be organic or inorganic temperature resistant sheet materials exhibiting heat resistance to temperatures of at least about 600.degree. C.

Multi-layer type nonaqueous electrolyte secondary cell

A battery device having a high discharge current value and a high current collecting efficiency at electrodes. A first active material is applied on a first current collecting unit avoiding one end and/or the other end of the width direction to form an anode, and a second active material is applied on a second current collecting unit avoiding one end and/or the other end of the width direction to form a cathode. The current generated at the electrodes formed by winding the anode and cathode via separators is output through the parts uncoated with the first active material of anode and the parts uncoated with the second active material of cathode, so as to realize the battery device having a high discharge current value and a high current collecting efficiency at the electrodes.

Battery device

A lithium ion secondary battery according to the present invention includes a positive electrode, a negative electrode, a separator, and a heat-resistant and heat-insulating film having pores. The heat-resistant and heat-insulating film is formed on at least one of surfaces opposed to each other of the positive and negative electrodes. The positive electrode and the negative electrodes are laminated through the separator. The heat-resistant and heat-insulating film contains metal oxide, metal carbonate or metal nitride. The heat-resistant and heat-insulating film is formed by spraying powders of metal oxide, metal carbonate or metal nitride. The spraying is plasma spraying. A surface where the positive electrode and the negative electrode are not opposed to each other is provided. On at least one of surfaces forming the interface, the heat-resistant and heat-insulating film is formed by spraying powders of metal oxide, metal nitride or the like.

Lithium ion secondary battery

A battery charging apparatus for charging the electricity from a current source to a cell includes a variable resistor in parallel with the cell, a cell voltage detection unit for detecting the current voltage value of the cell and a comparator for comparing the current voltage value to a pre-set voltage value. The resistance value of the variable resistor is controlled responsive to the results of comparison so that the current from the current source is caused to flow through both the cell and the variable resistor with progress in the charging of the cell. The current is prevented from flowing through the cell when the cell is fully charged, so that overcharging is eliminated. If plural cells are charged in series, the control operation of not causing the current to flow through the fully charged cell can be carried out for each of the cells, so that integrated charging may be continued until all of the cells are fully charged thus shortening the cell charging time.

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Kanagawa, Japan

Nobuhiro Fujiwara