Introduction

Sanyo announced the develop- ment and the start of mass production of "pin type Lithium ion batteries" Sanyo UR655, a thinly shaped rechargeable battery. Following the recent advancement of mobile devices, the demands for batteries which enable design flexibility and further compactness of mobile devices, while maintaining the excellent features of Lithium ion batteries such as 'high energy density', 'high safety' and 'high voltage', have increased year after year. To meet these market needs, Sanyo has developed the industry's smallest "pin type Lithium ion batteries" Sanyo UR655 and will start mass production. Sanyo will sell the model Sanyo UR655, in the summer of 2005.
Main features
Sanyo has succeeded in making the diameter of "pin type Lithium batteries" Sanyo UR655 smaller by uniting a battery terminal and a shaft which is used for the rolling up process of battery polar plates and separators. This structure enables minimization of capacity loss and dramatically reduced the battery size (about one-quarter) compared to conventional lithium ion battery technology. The shaft has functions of both the negative terminal and the battery cap which helps to simplify battery components.
High performance
Moreover, "pin type Lithium ion batteries" Sanyo UR655 inherit Lithium ion batteries? excellent features such as 'high energy density' and 'high rate discharge', by adopting the same polar plate structure and composition of cylindrical Lithium ion batteries. Such excellent features are difficult to realize with coin type batteries. Sanyo expects expansion of "pin type Lithium ion batteries" Sanyo UR655 to many kinds of applications such as MP3 players which require high energy density, bridge batteries for laptop computers and wireless communication equipment like wireless headsets which require a high rate discharge.
Reduce weight and volume
Batteries for small mobile devices are required to be compact, lightweight and highly reliable. Sanyo adopts not an aluminium laminated film but an aluminium alloy case which has been used for prismatic Lithium ion batteries, which keeps safety equivalent to that of conventional Lithium ion batteries. Using "pin type Lithium ion batteries" Sanyo UR655, it is possible to simplify the protection circuit while maintaining reliability as well as reducing the weight of the battery. As a result, "pin type Lithium ion batteries" Sanyo UR655 enable mobile devices to be smaller, lightweight and highly reliable. In terms of volume, "pin type Lithium ion batteries" are about half the volume of AAA dry cell batteries and about one-quarter of AA dry cell batteries. Thanks to its original shape, it is possible to set "pin type Lithium ion batteries" Sanyo UR655 on the surface of the circuit board, on the edge of the circuit board and even in open spaces where prismatic Lithium ion batteries and Lithium polymer batteries are incapable of being set. Sanyo believes that "pin type Lithium ion batteries" Sanyo UR655 dramatically enhances design flexibility of small mobile devices.