A subject for the invention is to improve the cycle characteristics of a high-capacity secondary battery containing an active material packed at a high density, by using a particulate active material having a low aspect ratio. The invention relates to a nonaqueous-electrolyte secondary battery comprising a negative electrode and a positive electrode each capable of occluding/releasing lithium, a separator, and a nonaqueous electrolyte solution comprising a nonaqueous solvent and a lithium salt, characterized in that the separator comprises a porous film made of a thermoplastic resin containing an inorganic filler, and at least either of the following is satisfied: the active material contained in the negative electrode is a particulate active material having an aspect ratio of from 1.02 to 3; and the active material contained in the positive electrode is a particulate active material having an aspect ratio of from 1.02 to 2.2.

Nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery

A pad including thermal insulation and heat sink areas. The pad includes a plurality of layers of metal foil forming a stack with the layers arranged one above the other, the stack including at least one heat sink area and at least one insulating area adjacent to the heat sink area, the layers providing better heat conduction in the vertical direction at the heat sink area than at the insulating area. At least one of the layers includes a plurality of embossments therein separating the one layer from an adjacent one of the layers in the insulating area. The pad can include a single insulating area surrounded by a heat sink area and a black coating can be provided on selected portions of the layers to improve heat radiating characteristics of the pad. For instance, the heat sink area can be coated with the black coating to radiate heat away from the pad at a desired location. The pad is particularly useful in shielding a heat sensitive component on one side of the pad from a heat source on the other side of the pad.

Pad including heat sink and thermal insulation areas

A composite material bonded by an amorphous metal. In one embodiment, a bonded piece is bonded to a substrate by a layer of amorphous metal interposed between the piece and the substrate. In another embodiment, a bonded composite material is formed with pieces of a second phase distributed throughout the volume of an amorphous matrix. In both embodiments, the second component of the composite is preferably a very hard material of low ductility, so that the composite material is useful in tooling applications. The solid composite material is formed by solid state processing, wherein the pieces are placed in contact and then consolidated at a temperature which does not exceed the crystallization temperature of the amorphous metal.

Composite material bonded by an amorphous metal, and preparation thereof

A patient support (10) is provided. Patent support (10) includes a frame (12), a mattress(16) supported by frame (12), and a set of siderails (18, 20) configured to block egress of patient from patient support (10). Siderails (18, 20) are configured to reduce gaps defined between siderails (18, 20) and the other components of patient support (10).

Apparatus and method for closing hospital bed gaps

There is provided a remotely constructible, three dimensional space frame for a motor vehicle which comprises a plurality of elongated, metal structural members with outer surfaces and having axially uniform cross sections and a plurality of thin walled, interconnecting metal castings of at least first and second types. These metal castings each have (a) a saddle portion with a contour matching a portion of the cross section for one of the structural members and are laterally engageable with that one structure for axial movement of the casting along the structure and (b) a receptacle with an elongated tubular portion having a cross section matching the cross section of another structural member and intersecting with the saddle portion of the casting at a given angle so that the thin walled metal casting can be moved axially along one of the structural members and will receive a second structural member by movement of that second member into the casting. The two structural members are held with respect to each other at a given angle. The saddle portion and tubular portion of the many castings each have outer peripheral edges lying along the outer surface of the two structural members. A welded bead is deposited along these peripheral edges of the two casting portions and between the edges and the two structural members. In this fashion, the thin walled metal casing provides a variable junction for use with the structural members at a given joint necessary to construct the three dimensional space frame of a motor vehicle. The metal castings used in this space frame have a uniform wall thickness and are formed by a unique metal casting process wherein molten metal is drawn into a cavity of a rigid, self supporting, gas permeable low temperature bonded, sand grain mold by a vacuum applied through the sand mold while the mold is partially submerged in a bath of the molten metal.

Method for construction of vehicle space frame

A method for forming cores for an electrical transformer is disclosed. Also disclosed are the cores made from such a method. In one embodiment an amorphous metal core has relatively thick superimposed laminations comprised of relatively thin amorphous metal sheets. The amorphous metal sheets are heated and bonded together by a metallic bonding agent to form relatively thick amorphous metal packets for the superimposed laminations of the core. The heating and bonding of the amorphous metal sheets reduce the mechanical stresses normally induced into the amorphous metal during the fabrication process. In another embodiment a hybrid core has superimposed laminations certain of which comprise sheets of non-crystalline amorphous metal and one or more sheets of crystalline silicon steel metal.

Processing amorphous metal into packets by bonding with low melting point material

A sound, low resistance joint is provided between two electrically conductive members, at least one having a bonded insulation coating thereon. In one form of the method of the present invention, a continuous metallic penetrator having sharp edges or burrs, such as a brass screen, is interwoven about at least two bonded insulation coated conductive members. The coated conductive members and interwoven penetrator are placed in a conductive connector member having chamfered holes therein. Welding electrodes subject the connector member to heat and pressure with welding current flowing between the welding electrodes. At least some of the welding current flows through the continuous metallic penetrator before the penetrator makes electrical contact to the insulation coated conductive members. The penetrator becomes heated by thermal heat from the welding electroides and resistance heat as the welding current passes therethrough. Heat from the interwoven penetrator melts the bonded insulation from the surface of the coated conductive members, causing the insulation to vaporize. A metallurgical bond is formed between the conductive members, the connector member, and the interwoven penetrator. Excess metal from the conductive members and the metallic penetrator flows through the chamfered holes, forming rivets. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Low resistance electric joint between conductive members, at least one member having an insulation coating thereon, and the method of making such joint

A method of welding aluminum to aluminum by thermal resistance welding, providing good electrical and mechanical characteristics. The method uses special electrodes for thermal heat that are hard and have a high electrical resistance, such as molybdenum or tungsten alloy and also relies on the aluminum oxide coating on the aluminum to provide the desired resistance heating of the aluminum to cause welding of the aluminum material. The machine disclosed provides a means for securing aluminum leads to the start and finish end of an aluminum winding automatically and simultaneously.

Method of joining aluminum to aluminum

A welded joint comprising overlapped strips of metal with tabs formed by piercing or lancing through the overlapped portion. The formed tabs are flattened against the metal and resistance spot welded to such metal. The resistance welding forms a metallurgical bond between the metal members.

Moreland P. Bennett

Papers

Processing amorphous metal into packets by bonding with low melting point material

Low resistance electric joint between conductive members, at least one member having an insulation coating thereon, and the method of making such joint

Method of joining aluminum to aluminum

Tab welded joint and method of making

Welded structure and welding process for making the same