Accident Information Special News 22

Product

(Product)

Trade Name:

Notebook type personal computer

Model:

Notebook PC, "FMV-BIBLO NA Series"

Manufacturer:

Fujitsu Ltd.

Period of Shipment:

From November 1996 to September 1997

Number of Objects:

Approximately 110,000 (Including disposed ones at shops: approximately 15,000)

Manufacturing Number:

• * The trade name is stated in the right bottom of a display part (LCD display) of the device body.
  The manufacturing number is stated on the bottom face of the device body or in the written guarantee attached to the packing box of the device.

Number of Accidents:

82 cases (till August 1998)

Origins of Accidents:

The liquid leaked from the lithium ion battery in the battery pack and stuck to a protection circuit print board in the battery pack, half short was generated in parts of the circuit, and heat was generated therefrom so as to thermally deform the PC body cover. The thermal deformation was 1.5cm in the diameter.
The flame retardant plastic was used for the PC body cover material so that, it was verified by an experiment, there is no possibility to cause a serious accident such as a fire.

Methods of Information Disclosure:

• Directly mailing to the users registered in the selling shops (approximately 11,000 out of those approximately 15,000 sold at shops)
• Announcement Document to the selling agents and shops.
• Releasing the announcement on Website (FM WORLD) of Fujitsu Ltd. on Internet.

Contact Number:

Free dial 0120 - 42 - 2280

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Contents of Reports

Outlines of Accidents

The 58 product covers were thermally deformed from March to December 1997.
The accident was in the declined tendency from the end of 1997 so that Fujitsu Ltd. corresponded to the users individually, however, 8 accidents reoccurred again in April 1998.
Till the end of August 1998, 82 accidents in total occurred. (The damage was expanded, but no person was injured.)

Contents of Replacement and Repair

• To prevent the accident from reoccurring, the followings are replaced for the improved battery pack as the repair method.
• The batteries in the battery pack are replaced for the liquid leakage prevention ones.
• The attachment position of the circuit print in the battery pack is changed so that if liquid leaks, the effects will be minimum. When it is broken, the battery cover is replaced.

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Measures Taken by Ministry of International Trade and Industry

By collecting the information reported by free dial, etc. and making contact with the sales division in charge, the repair center and the maintenance personnel of Fujitsu Ltd. planned to replace and repair the appropriate products so that the Ministry of International Trade and Industry requests Fujitsu Ltd. to periodically report the achievement states of the replacement / repair and accident occurrence states so as to watch the progress of the replacement and repair states. From the viewpoint of completely prevent the accident, the competent Ministry requested the Fujitsu Ltd. to release the announcement on the general newspapers, technical journals, and the like so that the consumers can know the information.