Patents Examined by Basia Ridley
  • Patent number: 10529982
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the preparation of a positive electrode for a lithium-sulphur battery and which comprises the following steps: a step for impregnation, of a non-woven material made of carbon fibres with a porosity of at least 90% and a mass per unit surface area of at least 10 g/m2, with a first composition comprising at least one electrically-conductive inorganic carbon-containing additive, at least one polymer binder and at least one solvent; a step for drying the non-woven material thus impregnated; a step for bringing the non-woven material into contact with a second composition comprising a sulphur-containing active material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: COMMISSARIAT Á L'ÉNERGIE ATOMIQUE ET AUX ÉNERGIES ALTERNATIVES
    Inventors: Marco Bolloli, Céline Barchasz, Fabien Claudel
  • Patent number: 10522868
    Abstract: The present invention provides a sequential and efficient method of assembling a battery with a desired number of layers while reliably separating positive and negative electrode sides from each other with one or more separator structures. According to the invention, the method of assembling a battery includes stacking one or multiple combinations each comprising a frame and a positive electrode plate to be disposed in a region defined by the frame and one or multiple combinations each comprising a frame and a negative electrode plate to be disposed in a region defined by the frame, once or alternately, such that the positive and adjacent negative electrode plates are separated from each other by a separator structure and the periphery of the separator structure is held between the adjacent frames. The separator structure includes a separator exhibiting hydroxide ion conductivity and water impermeability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
    Inventors: Kenshin Kitoh, Naohito Yamada, Kenji Kawamura, Yuichi Gonda
  • Patent number: 10522829
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a positive electrode for a lithium ion secondary battery includes preparing lithium manganese complex oxide particles, preparing coated particles by forming a coating including a Li+-conductive oxide on a surface of each lithium manganese complex oxide particle, introducing fluorine into at least a part of the coated particles, preparing a fluid composition by mixing the coated particles at least a part of which fluorine is introduced into, a conductive material, an aqueous binder, and an aqueous solvent, forming a positive electrode mixture layer by disposing the fluid composition on a surface of a collector, and drying the positive electrode mixture layer. The thickness of the coating is 5 nm or more and 10 nm or less. Fluorine is introduced such that the ratio of fluorine to manganese in terms of the number of atoms in the coated particles reaches 1.95 or more and 3.1 or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yukiko Hori
  • Patent number: 10516160
    Abstract: An electrode for a lithium secondary battery includes a current collector, primer layer formed on a side of the current collector and includes a first conductive agent, a first binder and a first dispersant. Further, an active material layer is formed on a side of the primer layer disposed opposite to the current collector and includes an active material. Additionally, the lithium secondary battery includes a positive electrode, a negative electrode or both, a separator disposed between the positive electrode and the negative electrode and an electrolyte. The structural stability and adhesion of the electrode is improved, a ratio of a binder in the active material layer is reduced and the internal resistance is reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2019
    Assignee: LG Chem, Ltd.
    Inventors: Seul Ki Kim, Jong Heon Seol, Hee Soo Na, Chan Sub Lee, Hyung Suk Cho, Jung Keun Yoo, Je Young Kim
  • Patent number: 10516174
    Abstract: A metal sheet for separators of polymer electrolyte fuel cells comprises: a substrate made of metal; and a surface-coating layer with which a surface of the substrate is coated, with a strike layer in between, wherein a coating ratio of the strike layer on the substrate is 2% to 70%, the strike layer is distributed in a form of islands, and a maximum diameter of the islands of the strike layer as coating portions is 1.00 ?m or less and is not greater than a thickness of the surface-coating layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2019
    Assignee: JFE STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takayoshi Yano, Shin Ishikawa, Chikara Kami
  • Patent number: 10511042
    Abstract: A fuel cell unit includes a fuel cell and a converter. A fuel cell has single cells laminated in a given direction. A converter has a plurality of combinations of a reactor electrically connected with the fuel cell and a power module electrically connected with the reactor. At least either a direction in which first reactors among the reactors are arrayed or a direction in which first power modules among the power modules are arrayed is parallel with a laminating direction of the single cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2019
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Koji Katano, Hiroyuki Sekine
  • Patent number: 10511055
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides an electrochemical storage cell including a battery. The battery includes an alkali metal anode having an anode Fermi energy, an electronically insulating, amorphous, dried solid electrolyte able to conduct alkali metal, having the general formula A3-xHxOX, in which 0?x?1, A is the alkali metal, and X is at least one halide, and a cathode including a cathode current collector having a cathode Fermi energy lower than the anode Fermi energy. During operation of the electrochemical storage cell, the alkali metal plates dendrite-free from the solid electrolyte onto the alkali metal anode. Also during operation of the electrochemical storage cell, the alkali metal further plates on the cathode current collector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2019
    Assignee: Board of Regents, The University of Texas System
    Inventors: John B. Goodenough, Andrew Murchison, Maria Helena Sousa Soares De Oliveira Braga
  • Patent number: 10511019
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to liquid solutions which include particulates that can function as an electrode, thereby forming an electrode solution, useful in the fabrication of liquid flow electrochemical cells and liquid flow batteries. The electrode solutions of the present disclosure may include an electrolyte comprising a liquid medium and at least one redox active specie, wherein the electrolyte has a density, De; and a core-shell particulate (202, 204) having a core, a shell and a density Dp, wherein at least a portion of the shell of the core-shell particulate includes an electrically conductive first metal and wherein 0.8De?Dp?1.2De; and wherein a first redox active specie of the at least one redox active specie and the electrically conductive first metal are different elements. The present disclosure also provides electrochemical cells and liquid flow batteries comprising an electrode solution according to the present disclosure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2019
    Assignee: 3M INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES COMPANY
    Inventor: Brandon A. Bartling
  • Patent number: 10505190
    Abstract: Disclosed is a lithium-cobalt based complex oxide represented by Formula 1 below including lithium, cobalt and manganese wherein the lithium-cobalt based complex oxide maintains a crystal structure of a single O3 phase at a state of charge (SOC) of 50% or more based on a theoretical amount: LixCo1-y-zMnyAzO2??(1) wherein 0.95?x?1.15, 0?y?0.3 and 0?z?0.2; and A is at least one element selected the group consisting of Al, Mg, Ti, Zr, Sr, W, Nb, Mo, Ga, and Ni.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: LG Chem, Ltd.
    Inventors: Sun Sik Shin, Hye Lim Jeon, Myung Ki Lee, Geun Gi Min, Wang Mo Jung
  • Patent number: 10505217
    Abstract: A rechargeable battery includes an electrode assembly including a first electrode and a second electrode, a case accommodating the electrode assembly, a cap assembly sealing the case, and a fixing member in the case, the fixing member having a central portion overlapping the electrode assembly, and a wing extending outside of the electrode assembly based on the central portion, one surface of the wing being attached to an inner surface of the case.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Byung-Ho Lim, Seok Gyun Park, Junsung Ahn
  • Patent number: 10497945
    Abstract: A process (30) for producing a distributor plate (1) for an electrochemical system, wherein the distributor plate (1) has at least one metal foil (2) having a first surface (3) and a second surface (4) and the process (30) has the following process steps: a) pretreatment (31) of the metal foil (2); b) mask formation (32) at least on the first surface (3) of the pretreated metal foil (2); c) structure formation (33) at least on the first surface (3) of the metal foil (2) provided with the mask (10), as a result of which a first fluid distributor structure (5) is formed; d) mask removal (36).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2019
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Kai Weeber, Silvan Hippchen
  • Patent number: 10490785
    Abstract: Rechargeable lithium batteries can store a high amount of energy per unit of volume. The batteries, common in electric vehicles, can become heated and exhibit thermal runaway, affecting adjacent batteries and causing fires. Containment of lithium batteries to prevent the spread of fire is effected by a battery box or container coated with a heat-activated intumescent material. This can be in the form of a coating on one or more walls of the battery containment apparatus on a vehicle or in a shipping container; for storage and shipment of batteries the containment can be via an inner box enveloped by an outer box, with the heat-activated intumescent material filling the space between the boxes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: Firefree Coatings, Inc.
    Inventors: John Simontacchi, Bruno Tapolsky
  • Patent number: 10483591
    Abstract: The present invention is directed towards phosphorous containing flame retarding materials including a triazine moiety and an electrolyte for electrochemical cells containing the same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: NOHMS Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Surya Moganty, Yue Wu, Luigi Abbate, Kevin Brown, John Sinicropi, Gabriel Torres
  • Patent number: 10471843
    Abstract: A vehicle battery device comprises a box for receiving therein at least a vehicle battery, wherein a fastening platform is disposed on an inner sidewall surface of the box, and support boards is disposed at a bottom of the fastening platform; an upper lid disposed above the box and separated from the box by a waterproof plastic sheet; and at least a quick-release unit comprising a screw, washer, spring, fixing board, and wedge-shaped fixing block, with the at least a quick-release unit fastened between the fastening platform and the vehicle battery, wherein a wedge-shaped recess is disposed on an upper surface of the vehicle battery, and a wedge-shaped fastening hole is disposed in the fixing board, allowing the wedge-shaped fixing block to penetrate the wedge-shaped fastening hole and engage with the wedge-shaped recess, thereby allowing the vehicle battery to be fixed in place inside the box.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: NATIONAL CHUNG SHAN INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Jing-Hong Chen, Wei-Yuan Liao, Yu-Hung Chen, Ching-Hsiang Wang, Chia-Chen Wu
  • Patent number: 10468703
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a redox fuel cell comprising an anode and a cathode separated by an ion selective polymer electrolyte membrane; means for supplying a fuel to the anode region of the cell; means for supplying an oxidant to the cathode region of the cell; means for providing an electrical circuit between the anode and the cathode; a non-volatile catholyte solution flowing in fluid communication with the cathode, the catholyte solution comprising a polyoxometallate redox couple being at least partially reduced at the cathode in operation of the cell, and at least partially re-generated by reaction with the oxidant in a regeneration zone after such reduction at the cathode, the catholyte solution further comprising one or more vanadium species that result from the speciation of the polyoxometallate at an elevated temperature and/or pressure, wherein the polyoxometallate is represented by the formula: Xa[ZbMcOd] wherein X is selected from hydrogen, alkali metals, alkaline earth metals, ammonium,
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2019
    Assignee: University of Chester
    Inventors: David Lee Rochester, Matthew Alexander Herbert, Andrew Martin Creeth
  • Patent number: 10468651
    Abstract: A non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery has improved battery cycle durability and suppresses internal short-circuits. The non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery includes a power generating element having a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a separator including a resin film having a three-layer structure, a ratio of a rated capacity to a pore volume of a positive electrode active material layer being 2.08 Ah/cc or more, a ratio of a battery area to a rated capacity being 7 cm2/Ah or more, and a rated capacity being 50 Ah or more, in which a value R represented by Formula 1 is 62 to 110: R = Tortuosity ? ? factor × Thickness ? [ µm ] Porosity ( Formula ? ? 1 ) provided that, the average pore diameter is 0.10 to 0.18 ?m, the porosity is 0.43 to 0.65, the air permeability is 140 to 305 sec/100 ml, and the thickness is 11 to 25 ?m.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2019
    Assignee: Envision AESC Japan Ltd.
    Inventors: Masato Ono, Ikuma Matsuzaki, Keisuke Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 10468705
    Abstract: A fuel cell case that is configured to place a fuel cell therein, the fuel cell case includes: a first member including a bottom surface of the fuel cell case; and a second member fixed to an outer circumferential portion of the first member using a fastener, wherein a gasket seals between the first member and the second member, and the first member includes a rib, wherein the rib is positioned on an inner circumferential side of a portion where the first member comes into contact, with the gasket and is protruded upward from a surface where the first member comes into contact with the gasket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2019
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiroaki Nishiumi
  • Patent number: 10461298
    Abstract: Implementations of the present disclosure generally relate to separators, high performance electrochemical devices, such as, batteries and capacitors, including the aforementioned separators, and methods for fabricating the same. In one implementation, a separator for a battery is provided. The separator comprises a substrate capable of conducting ions and at least one dielectric layer capable of conducting ions. The at least one dielectric layer at least partially covers the substrate and has a thickness of 1 nanometer to 2,000 nanometers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventor: Subramanya P. Herle
  • Patent number: 10461374
    Abstract: A method is provided. The method is executable by a processor of a battery management system. The method includes sending a first command signal to a multiplexer to cause the multiplexer to select a cell of a battery. The method also includes sending a second command signal to a current source to apply a current to the cell of the battery. The method also includes receiving measurement information based on the application of the current to the cell from a measurement circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: The Johns Hopkins University
    Inventors: Rengaswamy Srinivasan, Bliss G. Carkhuff
  • Patent number: 10454140
    Abstract: In an electrode body for use in non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery, a first end of a separator is located more interiorly than one positive electrode end of a positive electrode plate in a width direction, located more exteriorly than one end of a coated positive electrode portion of the positive electrode plate, and located more exteriorly than one end of a coated negative electrode portion of a negative electrode plate. The first end of the separator is thicker than an intermediate portion. A second end of the separator is located more interiorly than an other negative electrode end of the negative electrode plate in the width direction, located more exteriorly than the other end of the coated positive electrode portion of the positive electrode plate, and located more exteriorly than an other end of the coated negative electrode portion of the negative electrode plate. The second end of the separator is thicker than the intermediate portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2019
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tomohiro Nakano, Hideaki Fujita