Patents Examined by James M Erwin
  • Patent number: 11965933
    Abstract: A battery monitoring device includes: a pair of terminals for measuring voltage or current of a battery, and to which a filter unit including a capacitive element is connected; an AD converter that measures a waveform of voltage between the terminals during charging or discharging of the capacitive element; and a time constant calculation unit that calculates a time constant of the filter unit based on the waveform measured. The AD converter is, for example, a first AD converter or a second AD converter. The filter unit is, for example, a first filter unit or a second filter unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: NUVOTON TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION JAPAN
    Inventors: Kazuo Matsukawa, Yu Okada, Yosuke Goto, Hitoshi Kobayashi, Keiichi Fujii
  • Patent number: 11967735
    Abstract: A battery module includes: a battery cell stack in which a plurality of battery cells are stacked, each battery cell of the plurality of battery cells including a portion of a battery case body extended outward as a cell terrace, a busbar frame connected to the battery cell stack, electrode leads protruding from the cell terraces, respectively, of the plurality of battery cells, and a partition wall disposed between immediately adjacent electrode leads and formed on the busbar frame, the partition wall located between the cell terrace protruding from an outermost battery cell of the plurality of battery cells in the battery cell stack and the cell terrace protruding from the battery cell immediately adjacent to the outermost battery cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: LG Energy Solution, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hyejin Kim, Doohan Yoon, Jaehun Yang, Junyeob Seong, Jong Woon Choi, Junkyu Park, Youngho Choi
  • Patent number: 11961978
    Abstract: Devices, systems, methods, computer-implemented methods, and/or computer program products to facilitate an intelligent battery cell with integrated monitoring and switches are provided. According to an embodiment, a device can comprise active battery cell material. The device can further comprise an internal circuit coupled to the active battery cell material and comprising: one or more switches coupled to battery cell poles of the device; and a processor that operates the one or more switches to provide a defined value of electric potential at the battery cell poles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: VOLVO CAR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jonas Forssell, Robert Eriksson
  • Patent number: 11955645
    Abstract: Catalysts comprising a Ta layer having an outer layer with a layer comprising Pt directly thereon, wherein the Ta layer has an average thickness in a range from 0.04 to 30 nanometers, wherein the layer comprising Pt has an average thickness in a range from 0.04 to 50 nanometers, and wherein the Pt and Ta are present in an atomic ratio in a range from 0.01:1 to 10:1. Catalyst described herein are useful, for example, in fuel cell membrane electrode assemblies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Andrew J. L. Steinbach, Andrew T. Haug, Krzysztof A. Lewinski, Amy E. Hester, Grant M. Thoma, Cedric Bedoya, Zhenhua Zeng, Jeffrey P. Greeley
  • Patent number: 11955670
    Abstract: For continuously producing a band-shaped plate material from plastic filled with electrically conductive particles, which can be sub-divided into bipolar separator plates or blanks for bipolar separator plates, the particles and the plastic are compounded into a compound, the compound is ground into a powder, the powder is spread out into a preform, and the preform is, preferably isobarically, hot-pressed between a lower belt and an upper belt of a double belt press into a plate material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: EISENHUTH GMBH & CO. KG
    Inventors: Thorsten Derieth, Thorsten Hickmann
  • Patent number: 11955599
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a negative electrode material that can improve the charge-discharge efficiency of a battery. A negative electrode material includes a reduced form of a first solid electrolyte material and a conductive auxiliary. The first solid electrolyte material is denoted by Formula (1): Li60M?X?. Herein, in Formula (1), each of ?, ?, and ? is a value greater than 0, M represents at least one element selected from the group consisting of metal elements except Li and semimetals, and X represents at least one element selected from the group consisting of F, Cl, Br, and I.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tatsuya Oshima, Izuru Sasaki, Seiji Nishiyama, Akira Kawase
  • Patent number: 11949107
    Abstract: A binder composition for a secondary battery electrode contains a polymer that includes a nitrile group-containing monomer unit, an aromatic vinyl monomer unit, and a linear alkylene structural unit but does not include a hydrophilic group-containing monomer unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: ZEON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akito Nakai, Naoki Takahashi, Tomoya Murase
  • Patent number: 11942655
    Abstract: A separator for a lead acid battery is a porous membrane having a positive electrode face and a negative electrode face. A plurality of longitudinally extending ribs, a plurality of protrusions or a nonwoven material may be disposed upon the positive electrode face. A plurality of transversely extending ribs are disposed upon the negative electrode face. The transverse ribs disposed upon the negative electrode face are preferably juxtaposed to a negative electrode of the lead acid battery, when the separator is placed within that battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: Daramic, LLC
    Inventors: Eric H. Miller, J. Kevin Whear
  • Patent number: 11942666
    Abstract: This precursor sheet for a fuel cell separator comprises a conductive substrate sheet, a dense layer including first graphite particles, and a conduction layer including second graphite particles, wherein the dense layer and the conduction layer include a resin, the first graphite particles have a volume resistivity of 20 m?·cm or greater and a bulk density of 1.7 g/cm3 or greater when compressed at 30 MPa, and the second graphite particles have a volume resistivity of less than 20 m?·cm and a bulk density of 1.5 g/cm3 or greater when compressed at 30 MPa. This precursor sheet for a fuel cell separator provides a fuel cell separator that has excellent shapability and good mechanical strength, conductivity, and gas impermeability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: NISSHINBO CHEMICAL INC.
    Inventors: Tomoyuki Araki, Miho Iwai, Takehiro Okei, Kosuke Yasuda
  • Patent number: 11936074
    Abstract: A metal air battery electrolyte replenishment system comprised of a base station with docking receptor apparatus and matching docking probe on a flying drone. The probe onboard the drone has a sensor that guides the drone to connect with the electrolyte docking receptor on the base station. The drone uses the probe to obtain fresh electrolyte and simultaneously expel spent electrolyte into the base station while still in flight or during a brief landing. Rapid exchange of the electrolyte allows for extended range and flight time without penalty of onboard electrolyte reconditioning system and its associated weight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: ALUMAPOWER CORPORATION
    Inventor: Geoffrey T. Sheerin
  • Patent number: 11916199
    Abstract: An apparatus and a method for inspecting a leak of a battery cell are provided. An apparatus for inspecting a battery cell leak to inspect whether a battery cell leaks includes: a vacuum chamber including an upper chamber and a lower chamber and configured to set a receiving space to a controlled pressure different from an external first pressure, the upper chamber and the lower chamber being arranged to face each other with the receiving space for a battery cell therebetween and providing sealing for the receiving space; a vacuum pipe valve fluidly connected to the receiving space for the battery cell to set the receiving space to a second pressure less than the first pressure; and a thickness measuring sensor configured to measure a before-vacuum thickness of the battery cell under the first pressure and measure an after-vacuum thickness of the battery cell under the second pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Seungjae Lee, Sukkeun Kang, Kyeongseon Yoo, Youngmin Kim
  • Patent number: 11909017
    Abstract: A power storage device includes a plurality of laminated power storage modules, a flow path member disposed in contact with the power storage modules and having flow paths for allowing a cooling medium to flow along a first direction intersecting a laminating direction of the power storage modules, a pair of restraining plates disposed to sandwich the power storage modules and the flow path member in the laminating direction, fastening members applying a restraining load to the power storage modules and the flow path member via the pair of restraining plates by fastening the restraining plates to each other, and a lead-in duct disposed at one end portion of the flow path member in the first direction and leading the cooling medium into each of the flow paths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOYOTA JIDOSHOKKI, TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hirokazu Kotake, Takafumi Yamasaki, Tsuyoshi Mariya, Daiki Terashima, Satoshi Morioka, Yusuke Hase, Motoyoshi Okumura
  • Patent number: 11909078
    Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to systems and methods of using water output from a fuel cell system to aid in heat dissipation and evaporative cooling of radiators.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: CUMMINS INC.
    Inventors: Archit Koti, Rohit Saha, Sumit Tripathi, Christopher Nelson, Agneya Turlapati, Jairo A. Martinez Garcia, Sachin Vinayak Damle, Suhas Deutkar, Pradheepram Ottikkutti, Sunil Suryakant Bahulikar, Sandesh Sadawarte
  • Patent number: 11909079
    Abstract: A fuel cell oxygen delivery system, method, and apparatus for full-scale clean fuel electric-powered vehicle having a fuel cell module including a plurality of fuel cells working together that augments gaseous oxygen from ambient air and gaseous hydrogen extracted from liquid hydrogen by pressure change or heat exchangers, with fuel cells containing electrical circuits configured to collect electrons from the plurality of hydrogen fuel cells to supply voltage and current to motor controllers commanded by control units configured to control an amount and distribution of electrical voltage and torque or current for each of one or more motor and propeller or rotor assembly, wherein electrons returning from the electrical circuits combine with both oxygen derived from air and onboard oxygen from the delivery system to form oxygen ions, then protons combine with oxygen ions to form H2O molecules and heat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: Alakai Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Brian D. Morrison, William Spellane
  • Patent number: 11901575
    Abstract: Provided are a battery pack and a power consuming device. The battery pack includes a battery pack case and a plurality of battery cells accommodated in the battery pack case. An inner space of the battery pack case may be divided into a first region located at the center and a second region enclosing the first region. The plurality of battery cells include: at least one first battery cell disposed in the first region; and at least one second battery cell disposed in the second region. An internal resistance of the first battery cell and an internal resistance of the second battery cell increase with the decrease of a temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: CONTEMPORARY AMPEREX TECHNOLOGY CO., LIMITED
    Inventors: Tingzhen Xie, Shaocong Ouyang, Chenghua Fu, Baoyun Xu, Yunmei Lin
  • Patent number: 11888202
    Abstract: A fuel cell stack includes power generation cells, which are stacked in a vertical direction. Each power generation cell is configured to generated power by using gas. Each power generation cell includes a first hole and a second hole. The first holes of the power generation cells form a gas manifold. The gas manifold extends in the vertical direction, and the gas flows through the gas manifold. The second holes of the power generation cells form a passage. The passage is adjacent to the gas manifold and extends in the vertical direction. The gas manifold and the passage are connected to each other at upper ends of the gas manifold and the passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA BOSHOKU KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Haruyuki Aono, Takenori Koyanagi
  • Patent number: 11888193
    Abstract: The fuel cell system is a fuel cell system wherein, when the amount of power generated by a fuel cell is determined to be equal to or less than a predetermined threshold, a controller issues an intermittent supply command to intermittently supply fuel gas to the fuel cell; wherein the intermittent supply command includes a first intermittent supply command and a second intermittent supply command; wherein the first intermittent supply command increases the flow rate of the fuel gas by setting the opening degree during pressure rise of a linear solenoid valve to relatively more than the second intermittent supply command; and wherein, after the first intermittent supply command, the second intermittent supply command decreases the flow rate of the fuel gas for a predetermined time by setting the opening degree during pressure rise of the linear solenoid valve to relatively less than the first intermittent supply command.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Masaaki Matsusue
  • Patent number: 11888156
    Abstract: A negative electrode active material including a core including silicon, and a coating layer disposed on at least a portion of a surface of the core and including a coating material, wherein the coating material includes at least one selected from the group consisting of LiaVbO2 and MgH2, wherein 0.5<a<1.5 and 0.5<b<1.5 is provided. Also, a negative electrode including the negative electrode active material and a lithium secondary battery including the negative electrode, are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: LG ENERGY SOLUTION, LTD.
    Inventors: Jun Hyuk Song, Oh Byong Chae, Je Young Kim, Yong Ju Lee
  • Patent number: 11876265
    Abstract: In order to improve usability of hybrid or fully electric aircraft, a fuel cell having improved efficiency and increased volume/weight specific energy density is provided. The fuel cell has a self-supporting membrane structure that is formed as a triply periodic level surface, which separates a first cavity supplied with gaseous fuel from a second cavity supplied with gaseous oxidizer in a gas-sealed manner while connecting the cavities in an ion-conductive manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: Airbus Defence and Space GmbH
    Inventors: Kristian Zimmermann, Stephan Friedl, Christian Metzner
  • Patent number: 11876259
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a composite hollow fiber membrane, a manufacturing method therefor, a hollow fiber membrane cartridge including same, and a fuel cell membrane humidifier, the composite hollow fiber membrane comprising a hollow fiber membrane and a contaminant collection layer coated on the inner surface of the hollow fiber membrane. The composite hollow fiber membrane can prevent performance deterioration of a fuel cell by removing, without a separate gas filtering device, contaminants such as nitrogen oxide (NOx), sulfur oxide (SOx), and ammonia (NH3) during a humidifying process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: KOLON INDUSTRIES, INC.
    Inventors: Young Seok Oh, Kyoung Ju Kim, Na Hyeon An