Patents Examined by Matthew T Martin
  • Patent number: 11984599
    Abstract: An electrode component for an electrochemical cell is provided herein. The electrode component includes a current collector having a first surface, a metal oxide layer disposed on the first surface of the current collector, and a lithium-containing layer bonded to the first surface of the current collector. The metal oxide layer includes a plurality of features. A method for manufacturing such an electrode component is also provided herein. The method includes directing a laser beam toward the first surface of the current collector in the presence of oxygen to form the metal oxide layer on the first surface and applying the lithium-containing layer to the metal oxide layer thereby bonding the lithium-containing layer with the current collector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2024
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Fang Dai, Hongliang Wang, Shuru Chen, Qinglin Zhang, Mei Cai
  • Patent number: 11978923
    Abstract: A battery module includes a cell stack formed by stacking a plurality of battery cells; a bus bar frame assembly; and an outer terminal. The bus bar frame assembly includes a bus bar frame and a plurality of bus bars fixed on the bus bar frame and electrically connected to the battery cells, the bus bar frame being configured to cover first and second opposing longitudinal ends of the cell stack, and the outer terminal is connected to the plurality of bus bars. A pair of electrode leads of each of the battery cells are formed at locations offset downwardly from a center of the cell stack in a height direction, and the outer terminal is disposed in the space formed above the electrode leads due to the offsetting of the electrode leads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: LG Energy Solution, Ltd.
    Inventors: Dai-Ki Min, Jung-Min Kwak, Jong-Ha Jeong
  • Patent number: 11978861
    Abstract: An apparatus for manufacturing the secondary battery includes a first measurement part photographing unit cells, which are continuously transferred, to measure a position of a first electrode having a relatively large size of the first electrode and a second electrode, which are provided in the unit cells and have polarities opposite to each other, from an image of each of the photographed unit cells; and a first arrangement part disposing the unit cell passing through the first measurement part at a preset position of the separation sheet to adjust an interval between the unit cells disposed on the separation sheet on the basis of the position of the first electrode, which is measured by the first measurement part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: LG ENERGY SOLUTION, LTD.
    Inventors: Won Nyeon Kim, Jung Kwan Pyo, Cha Hun Ku, Byeong Kyu Lee, Tai Jin Jung
  • Patent number: 11978919
    Abstract: A battery safety vent assembly for a battery casing with an upper surrounding clamp-like shape is disclosed. The assembly has a positive cap, a safety vent disk extending under a disk element of the positive cap, a gasket insulator snugly fitting into the clamp-like shape of the battery casing and providing support to the positive cap, the safety vent disk and a circuit interrupt device embedded in an underside recess area of the gasket insulator. The circuit interrupt device is coupled to a button downwardly projecting from the safety vent disk. Gas release passages, openings and interfaces between parts of the assembly are arranged so that when gas pressure inside the battery casing exceeds a predetermined threshold limit of pressure, weak lines in the safety vent disk allow gas to safely exit the battery casing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: HYDRO-QUÉBEC
    Inventors: Pu Wang, Mustapha El Mazouzi, Karim Zaghib
  • Patent number: 11978888
    Abstract: A ceria-carbon-sulfur (CeO2—C—S) composite including a ceria-carbon (CeO2—C) composite in which cylindrical carbon materials having ceria (CeO2) particles bonded to surfaces thereof are entangled and interconnected to each other in three dimensions; and sulfur introduced into at least a portion of an outer surface and an inside of the ceria-carbon composite, a method for preparing the same, and positive electrode for a lithium-sulfur battery and a lithium-sulfur battery including the same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignees: LG ENERGY SOLUTION, LTD., SOGANG UNIVERSITY RESEARCH FOUNDATION
    Inventors: Seungbo Yang, Kwonnam Sohn, Jun Hyuk Moon, Doo Kyung Yang, Donghee Gueon, Jeong Tae Hwang
  • Patent number: 11978909
    Abstract: An electrode structure includes a positive electrode layer and a positive electrode collector member. The positive electrode collector member includes a positive electrode collector foil, a carbon film, and a hot melt adhesive agent. A positive electrode total specific surface area is more than or equal to 2.2 m2/g and less than or equal to 3.0 m2/g, the positive electrode total specific surface area being represented by a total of a product of weight ratio and specific surface area of a positive electrode active material, a product of weight ratio and specific surface area of a solid electrolyte, and a product of weight ratio and specific surface area of a conductive material. A softening point of the hot melt adhesive agent is more than or equal to 100° C. and less than or equal to 130° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hideki Hagiwara, Ryuto Sakamoto
  • Patent number: 11978889
    Abstract: A method of producing an electrode mixture paste includes a kneading process in which an electrode active material, a conductive material, a binding material, a dispersant and a non-aqueous solvent are kneaded to obtain an electrode mixture paste and an ultrasonic wave application process in which ultrasonic waves are applied to the electrode mixture paste without evaporating the non-aqueous solvent from the electrode mixture paste.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Naoya Kishimoto
  • Patent number: 11978852
    Abstract: A lithium electrode and a lithium secondary battery including the same, which includes a first protective layer and a second protective layer sequentially formed on at least one surface of lithium metal layer. The second protective layer contains a cross-linked ion conductive electrolyte in the interior and on the surface of the electrically conductive matrix, and thus the first protective layer has higher ion conductivity than the second protective layer, thereby preventing electrons from being concentrated into lithium dendrites formed from the lithium metal to inhibit the growth of lithium dendrites, and at the same time, physically inhibiting the growth of lithium dendrites by the second protective layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: LG ENERGY SOLUTION, LTD.
    Inventors: Eunkyung Park, Minchul Jang, Bora Jung, Suk Il Youn, Byoungkuk Son
  • Patent number: 11973175
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method of manufacturing a pouch-shaped battery cell, the method including (a) forming an electrode assembly receiving portion in a laminate sheet to manufacture a preliminary battery case, (b) receiving an electrode assembly in the electrode assembly receiving portion and sealing other outer peripheries of the preliminary battery case excluding a first side outer periphery of the preliminary battery case, through which gas is discharged, (c) disposing a fixing jig at each of opposite end corner portions of a first side outer periphery of the electrode assembly receiving portion, (d) performing an activation process and a degassing process, (e) resealing the first side outer periphery of the electrode assembly receiving portion, and removing an end of the preliminary battery case, wherein step (d) to step (f) are performed in the state in which the corner portion is in tight contact with the inner surface of the fixing jig, which is technology capable of preventing the preliminary battery case f
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: LG Energy Solution, Ltd.
    Inventor: Jin Seop Kwak
  • Patent number: 11973229
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an anode for a lithium-metal battery, a manufacturing method of the same, and a lithium-metal battery including the anode. The anode for a lithium-metal battery includes a complex hierarchical structure current collector which includes an inverted pyramid-shaped micro hole pattern and nanostructures provided within the inverted pyramid-shaped micro hole pattern; and a lithium metal which is electrodeposited on the nanostructure of the current collector. As a result, it is possible to increase the life stability of the battery and increase the coulombic efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: KOREA ADVANCED INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Jae Young Seok, Sanha Kim, Inyeong Yang, Ji-Hun Jeong, Seung Seob Lee
  • Patent number: 11973242
    Abstract: A degassing apparatus for a secondary battery, and a degassing method using same, is provided. The degassing apparatus includes a drive motor and a jig arm configured to pressurize a first surface of a gas pocket of a battery cell and a second surface opposite the first surface by controlling a separation distance by the operation of a driving motor. The degassing apparatus is capable of performing an effective degassing and sealing process for the battery cell without positional movement of the battery cell during cell activation or after cell activation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: LG ENERGY SOLUTION, LTD.
    Inventors: Sang Jih Kim, Joon Sung Bae, Beom Koon Lee, Dong Hun Bae, Eui Kyung Lee, Suk Hyun Hong
  • Patent number: 11967720
    Abstract: An electrode according to an embodiment contains an electrode mixture layer containing an active material and a conductive assistant. In a logarithmic differential pore volume distribution by a mercury intrusion method, the electrode mixture layer satisfies: a ratio P1/P2 within a range of 2 or more and less than 8, and a ratio S1/S2 within a range of 3 or more and less than 10. P1 is a value of a maximum logarithmic differential pore volume in a pore diameter range of 0.1 ?m or more and 1 ?m or less. P2 is a value of a logarithmic differential pore volume of a pore diameter of 0.03 ?m. S1 is an integrated value in a pore diameter range of 0.1 ?m or more and 1 ?m or less. S2 is an integrated value in a pore diameter range of more than 0 ?m and less than 0.1 ?m.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Yuki Watanabe, Dai Yamamoto, Toshitada Nakazawa, Tetsuro Kano, Masanori Tanaka
  • Patent number: 11967734
    Abstract: An electrode assembly includes a radical unit in which electrodes and separators are alternately stacked, the radical unit having a structure in which one electrode is stacked at the uppermost end. An auxiliary unit is provided with a separation sheet disposed at the uppermost end side of the radical unit. The separation sheet includes a separation part disposed at the uppermost end side of the radical unit and a side surface protection part connected to each of side surfaces of the separation part and folded to contact a side portion of the radical unit to cover the side portion of the radical unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: LG ENERGY SOLUTION, LTD.
    Inventors: Kwan Bo Lee, Chang Bum Ahn, Seung Ho Na, Su Ho Lee, Hak Soo Lee
  • Patent number: 11967722
    Abstract: A battery includes positive and negative current collectors and a plurality of bipolar electrodes arranged in a stack between the positive and negative current collectors. The positive and negative current collectors and the stack of the plurality of bipolar electrodes are folded in an S-shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Qili Su, Zhe Li, Meiyuan Wu, Mengyan Hou, Haijing Liu
  • Patent number: 11967690
    Abstract: A battery pack includes a plurality of bus bars serving to form a plurality of parallel battery structures that each have parallel connection of two or more of a plurality of prismatic batteries. The plurality of bus bars electrically connect the plurality of prismatic batteries to connect the plurality of parallel battery structures in series. The plurality of parallel battery structures connected in series form a battery connection structure that includes a turn causing a reversal of direction of series connection of the plurality of parallel battery structures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shinya Motokawa, Keisuke Shimizu, Chifumi Murayama
  • Patent number: 11961957
    Abstract: A flexible battery includes an electrode group including a first electrode and a second electrode, a pair of electrode leads connected to the first electrode and the second electrode, respectively and a housing that accommodates the electrode group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: LIBEST INC.
    Inventors: Joo Seong Kim, Jin Hong Ha, Gil Ju Lee
  • Patent number: 11962031
    Abstract: The present disclosure refers to a ventilation device for a battery, particularly to a multifunctional breathing and venting device for a casing of one of a battery submodule, battery module or battery system, such as for an electric vehicle and an energy storage system (ESS). The ventilation device comprising a housing configured for being attached to a vent opening of a battery casing in a sealing manner and comprising at least one lateral wall, a breathable filter separating an interior of the battery casing from a breathing chamber within the housing, a venting membrane separating the breathing chamber from an exterior environment in a gas tight manner, and a breathing sprout fluidly connecting the breathing chamber and the environment and bypassing the venting membrane. The disclosure further relates to a battery comprising such a ventilation device attached to its casing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: XSamsung SDI Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Bernhard Waha, Alexander Roeck, Kim Dillenkofer, Georg Eichberger
  • Patent number: 11962009
    Abstract: A high-performance electrochemically active sodium molten salt catholyte enables a dramatic reduction in molten sodium battery operating temperature from near 300° C. to less than 120° C. As an example, stable electrochemical cycling was demonstrated in a high voltage (3.65 V) sodium battery comprising a sodium iodide-gallium chloride (NaI—GaCl3) molten salt catholyte for over 8 months at 110° C. The combination of high voltage, stable cycling behavior, and practical current densities supported by a molten catholyte enables a new generation of transformative high performance, low temperature molten sodium batteries.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: National Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC
    Inventors: Erik D. Spoerke, Stephen J. Percival, Martha M. Gross, Rose Y. Lee, Leo J. Small
  • Patent number: 11962043
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a battery, a manufacturing method thereof and an electronic product. The battery cell includes electrodes and tabs, where each of the electrodes includes a current collector and an active material layer, and the current collector includes a coating zone coated with the active material layer and an empty foil zone, and an end of a tab overlaps the empty foil zone and the tab and the empty foil zone are connected by laser welding; the side of the empty foil zone facing away from the tab has a plurality of dot-shaped welding marks arranged at intervals, and the dot-shaped welding marks include a concave part and an annular convex part surrounding the concave part. The contact area between the annular convex part and the separator between the positive electrode and the negative electrode is large, and the separator is less likely to be pierced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: ZHUHAI COSMX BATTERY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Ning Peng
  • Patent number: 11955644
    Abstract: A power storage cell comprises an electrode assembly, a collector plate that has the first electrode sheet connected thereto, and a laminate film, wherein the collector plate has a peripheral edge portion including an inner side located closer to the electrode assembly and an outer side located on a side opposite to the electrode assembly with respect to the inner side, the collector plate is provided with a welding portion and an adhesive portion, and when a direction from the inner side toward the outer side is defined as a first direction and a direction intersecting the first direction is defined as a second direction, the welding portion and the adhesive portion are aligned in the second direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masashi Kato, Mizuho Matsumoto