Patents Examined by Kenneth Douyette
  • Patent number: 9905851
    Abstract: Provided are a cathode active material including polycrystalline lithium manganese oxide and a boron-containing coating layer on a surface of the polycrystalline lithium manganese oxide, and a method preparing the same. Since the cathode active material according to an embodiment of the present invention may prevent direct contact between the polycrystalline lithium manganese oxide and an electrolyte solution by including the boron-containing coating layer on the surface of the polycrystalline lithium manganese oxide, the cathode active material may prevent side reactions between the cathode active material and the electrolyte solution. In addition, since limitations, such as the Jahn-Teller distortion and the dissolution of Mn2+, may be addressed by structurally stabilizing the polycrystalline lithium manganese oxide, tap density, life characteristics, and charge and discharge capacity characteristics of a secondary battery may be improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: LG Chem, Ltd.
    Inventors: Ick Soon Kwak, Seung Beom Cho, Hwa Seok Chae
  • Patent number: 9865896
    Abstract: A solid oxide fuel or solid oxide electrolysis cell Stack assembly (203) has an improved, simple, cost reducing and robust compression System, housing and Single sided System interface with a flexible-interface-fixture (204) which is rigid enough to fix the at least one cell Stack in the housing when not in Operation, but flexible enough to allow for transfer of the compression force from the flexible compression mat (211) in the top closed end of the housing (201), through the at least one cell Stack and further towards the interface counterpart of the System when in Operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: Haldor Topsoe A/S
    Inventors: Martin Refslund Nielsen, Jacob Breiner, Niels Erikstrup
  • Patent number: 9859552
    Abstract: An electrode material for nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery of an embodiment includes a silicon nanoparticle, and a coating layer coating the silicon nanoparticle. The coating layer includes an amorphous silicon oxide and a silicon carbide phase. At least a part of the silicon carbide phase exists on a surface of the silicon nanoparticle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Takayuki Fukasawa, Kenji Essaki, Tomokazu Morita, Takashi Kuboki, Mitsuhiro Oki, Yasuhiro Goto
  • Patent number: 9853337
    Abstract: A battery thermal management system according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, a bimetallic member moveable between a first position and a second position in response to a temperature change to selectively restrict flow of a coolant through a duct.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventor: Alvaro Masias
  • Patent number: 9837670
    Abstract: Systems and methods for sintering and conditioning fuel cell stacks utilizing channel guides, baffles, and internal compression systems are provided. Sintering and conditioning may be performed utilizing a fuel cell column cartridge assembly and fuel cell stacks may be sintered and conditioned at the system level during the same annealing cycle on the same support.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: BLOOM ENERGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Matthias Gottmann, Nathan Ben Erlin, Kurt Risic, Stephen Couse, David Edmonston
  • Patent number: 9831493
    Abstract: Disclosed is a cathode active material comprising a lithium manganese composite oxide with a spinel structure represented by the following Formula 1, wherein the lithium manganese composite oxide is surface-coated with a conductive polymer in an area of 30 to 100%, based on the surface area of the lithium manganese composite oxide: LixMyMn2-yO4-zAz??(1) wherein 0.9?x?1.2, 0<y<2, and 0?z<0.2; M is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Al, Mg, Ni, Co, Fe, Cr, V, Ti, Cu, B, Ca, Zn, Zr, Nb, Mo, Sr, Sb, W, Ti and Bi; and A is at least one monovalent or bivalent anion. Disclosed is also a secondary battery comprising the cathode active material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: LG CHEM, LTD.
    Inventors: SooHyun Lim, Jihyun Kim, MinHee Lee
  • Patent number: 9825303
    Abstract: A storage battery grid includes: a frame bone that includes a substantially rectangular shape; a lug portion that is connected to a first side portion of the frame bone and projects outwardly from the frame bone; a main bone that extends from the first side portion to a second side portion which is opposed to the first side portion; and a plurality of first sub-bones that extend obliquely toward the second side portion, at least part of the plurality of first sub-bones branching from the main bone toward both sides, wherein at least part of the plurality of first sub-bones is bent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: GS Yuasa International Ltd.
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Nouzuka, Kazuma Saito, Hiroyuki Ishiguro, Kohei Fujita, Shota Iwasaki, Junichi Nishizawa
  • Patent number: 9825339
    Abstract: A battery pack for housing plural secondary batteries inside a case includes a battery management unit for managing states of the plural secondary batteries, an information transfer circuit which is connected to the battery management unit and transfers information about the secondary batteries to the battery management unit, and a diagnostic circuit which is branched and formed from the information transfer circuit and is extended to an outer surface of the case.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI JIDOSHA KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Koichi Suzuki
  • Patent number: 9806334
    Abstract: Irreversible capacity which causes a decrease in the charge and discharge capacity of a power storage device is reduced, and electrochemical decomposition of an electrolyte solution and the like on a surface of an electrode is inhibited. Further, the cycle characteristics of the power storage device is improved by reducing or inhibiting a decomposition reaction of the electrolyte solution and the like occurring as a side reaction in repeated charging and discharging of the power storage device. A power storage device electrode includes a current collector and an active material layer that is over the current collector and includes a binder and an active material. A coating film is provided on at least part of a surface of the active material. The coating film is spongy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: SEMICONDUCTOR ENERGY LABORATORY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kazutaka Kuriki, Kai Kimura, Nobuhiro Inoue, Ryota Tajima, Tamae Moriwaka, Kiyofumi Ogino
  • Patent number: 9803058
    Abstract: An ion exchange membrane (52) for a fuel cell comprises a polymer having an acid functional group normally including protons, and having alkali metal ions partially ion-exchanged with the protons of the acid functional group of the membrane. The partial ion exchange of alkali metal ions into the membrane relates either to patterning of the exchanged ion make-up of the membrane, with some being ion exchanged and some not, or to the extent or concentration of the ion exchange in any particular location, or to both.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: Audi AG
    Inventors: Vishal Onkarmal Mittal, Lesia V. Protsailo, Sathya Motupally
  • Patent number: 9799873
    Abstract: A battery assembly includes at least one first cell unit of a first cell type and a first connection which is connected to a pole of the at least one first cell unit. The battery assembly also includes at least one second cell unit of a second cell type. The at least one second cell unit is different from the at least one first cell unit. The battery assembly also includes a second connection which is connected to a pole of the at least one second cell unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignees: Robert Bosch GmbH, Samsung SDI Co., Ltd
    Inventor: Markus Kohlberger
  • Patent number: 9786909
    Abstract: A nonaqueous electrolyte battery includes a positive electrode, a negative electrode and a nonaqueous electrolyte. The negative electrode contains a lithium compound and a negative electrode current collector supporting the lithium compound. A log differential intrusion curve obtained when a pore size diameter of the negative electrode is measured by mercury porosimetry has a peak in a pore size diameter range of 0.03 to 0.2 ?m and attenuates with a decrease in pore size diameter from an apex of the peak. A specific surface area (excluding a weight of the negative electrode current collector) of pores of the negative electrode found by mercury porosimetry is 6 to 100 m2/g. A ratio of a volume of pores having a pore size diameter of 0.05 ?m or less to a total pore volume is 20% or more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Hidesato Saruwatari, Hideaki Morishima, Hiroki Inagaki, Norio Takami
  • Patent number: 9780412
    Abstract: The present disclosure discloses a rechargeable Zn battery based on layered/tunnelled structure vanadium/molybdenum oxides, with/without the presence of neutral/cationic/anionic species and/or water molecules inserted into the interlayers/tunnels, of nano/microparticle morphology as robust materials for high rate and long term reversible Zn2+ ion intercalation storage at the positive electrode, that are coupled with a metallic Zn negative electrode, and an aqueous electrolyte. The positive electrode may include electronically conducting additives and one or more binders along with the Zn2+ intercalation material: the negative electrode is Zn metal in any form; the aqueous electrolyte is of pH 1 to 9 and contains a soluble zinc salt in a concentration range from 0.01 to 10 molar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Inventor: Brian D. Adams
  • Patent number: 9780395
    Abstract: A fuel cell apparatus (10) and method (50) of operating a fuel cell are provided. The fuel cell apparatus (10) includes a fuel cell assembly (12) having a first outlet (26) and a first vessel (34) coupled to the first outlet (26) and forming a first dead end. The first vessel (34) is arranged to receive and hold a portion of a first reactant and water when a supply of the first reactant is being fed to the fuel cell assembly (12) and to return the first reactant in the first vessel (34) to the fuel cell assembly (12) via the first outlet (26) when the supply of the first reactant to the fuel cell assembly (12) is cut off.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: TEMASEK POLYTECHNIC
    Inventors: Ming Han, Ee Ho Gareth Tang, Yunzhong Chen
  • Patent number: 9780423
    Abstract: An air battery has a cathode layer, an anode layer and an electrolyte layer interposed between the cathode and anode layers. At least one of the cathode and anode layers has a passage forming member such that, when the air battery is adjacently stacked to another air battery, the passage forming member is situated between the air battery and the adjacent air battery so as to form an air passage to cathode layer. The passage forming member has conductivity and the ability to be elastically deformed according to expansion of the electrolyte layer. It is possible by this structure to, when there occurs increase in internal resistance due to expansion of the electrolyte layer, compensate such increase in internal resistance by decrease in contact resistance, maintain the cross-sectional area of the air passage at a predetermined size and prevent decrease in the output of the air battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshiko Tsukada, Atsushi Miyazawa, Mori Nagayama
  • Patent number: 9780404
    Abstract: The present invention relates to the application of a force to enhance the performance of an electrochemical cell. The force may comprise, in some instances, an anisotropic force with a component normal to an active surface of the anode of the electrochemical cell. In the embodiments described herein, electrochemical cells (e.g., rechargeable batteries) may undergo a charge/discharge cycle involving deposition of metal (e.g., lithium metal) on a surface of the anode upon charging and reaction of the metal on the anode surface, wherein the metal diffuses from the anode surface, upon discharging. The uniformity with which the metal is deposited on the anode may affect cell performance. For example, when lithium metal is redeposited on an anode, it may, in some cases, deposit unevenly forming a rough surface. The roughened surface may increase the amount of lithium metal available for undesired chemical reactions which may result in decreased cycling lifetime and/or poor cell performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: Sion Power Corporation
    Inventors: Chariclea Scordilis-Kelley, John D. Affinito, Lowell D. Jones, Yuriy V. Mikhaylik, Igor P. Kovalev, William F. Wilkening, Christopher T. S. Campbell, John A. Martens
  • Patent number: 9780409
    Abstract: The present invention is to provide: a nonaqueous-electrolyte battery excellent in terms of safety during overcharge and high-temperature storability; and a nonaqueous electrolytic solution which gives the battery. The present invention relates to a nonaqueous electrolytic solution comprising an electrolyte and a nonaqueous solvent, wherein the nonaqueous electrolytic solution comprises at least one of specific compounds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI CHEMICAL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kanako Takiguchi, Masamichi Onuki, Minoru Kotato, Ryo Yamaguchi, Takeshi Nakamura, Takayuki Aoshima
  • Patent number: 9774063
    Abstract: A battery pack includes a plurality of cell assemblies each of which include one or more prismatic batteries. A frame has legs sized and configured to be positioned around the prismatic batteries. At least one leg includes a rear face, curved outer edge and a side face. A thermal transfer sheet is made from a sheet of a compressed mass of exfoliated graphite particles. Each thermal transfer sheet is positioned to contact the major surface of the at least one prismatic battery and is bent over the curved outer edge. At least a portion of each thermal transfer sheet is secured between a heat sink and the side face.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2017
    Assignee: Advanced Energy Technologies LLC
    Inventors: Ryan J. Wayne, Jonathan Andrew Taylor, Martin David Smalc
  • Patent number: 9768449
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an electrode assembly, to a method for manufacturing same, and to a battery charging and discharging method. The electrode assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention includes: an electrode collector, wherein a first electrical active material layer is stacked on the electrode collector; and a first porous conductive network layer of which at least one portion is recessed into the first electrical active material layer, wherein the first porous conductive network layer is stacked on the circumferential surface opposite to that of the first electrical active material layer contacting the electrode collector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: JENAX INC.
    Inventors: Chang Hyeon Kim, Lee Hyun Shin
  • Patent number: 9755238
    Abstract: A non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery according to the present invention includes a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a non-aqueous electrolyte solution. The negative electrode includes a coating derived from lithium bis(oxalate)borate. The coating derived from lithium bis(oxalate)borate includes a coating containing boron element and a coating containing oxalate ion. A ratio of the boron element contained in the coating derived from lithium bis(oxalate)borate to the oxalate ion is equal to or more than 5. Accordingly, it is possible to provide a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery capable of reliably obtaining the effect due to the formation of a coating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroshi Onizuka, Tomohiro Nakano, Kyoko Kikuchi