Patents Examined by Michael L Dignan
  • Patent number: 11695172
    Abstract: A heat-radiating structure of a cylindrical battery cell includes a first plate configured to contact an upper partial area of a battery cell and to which a current of the battery cell is discharged, the first plate having an area not contacting the battery cell, a second plate disposed between the first plate and the battery cell, the second plate not contacting the battery cell, and a heat transfer part disposed between the second plate and the battery cell and configured to transfer heat generated in the battery cell to the second plate while contacting the battery cell is provided. The second plate contacts the area of the first plate not contacting the battery cell and a portion of the current discharged from the battery cell to the first plate is discharged from the second plate. A heat-radiating system of a cylindrical battery is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: LG ENERGY SOLUTION, LTD.
    Inventors: Jae Sang Kim, Kun Joo Yang, Seog Jin Yoon
  • Patent number: 11679487
    Abstract: The invention relates to a battery pack, including: a battery pack cover; a battery pack base; a cell group including several cells; a battery terminal connector; a mounting cavity, the mounting cavity being formed with a socket for inserting housing terminals to be electrically connected to battery pack terminals; a locking apparatus, capable of driving the battery pack and an electric tool be locked connection or released, a seal member blocking a passage from the socket to the cell group is disposed inside the mounting cavity; the battery pack includes a battery pack housing seal member blocking communication between the outside and the mounting cavity, and the battery pack housing seal member is disposed at a joint between the battery pack cover and the battery pack base; and the locking apparatus is mounted on a battery pack housing and isolated outside the mounting cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: Positec Power Tools (Suzhou) Co., Ltd
    Inventor: Yong Qiao
  • Patent number: 11677116
    Abstract: A battery pack includes: a housing (18); one or more battery cells (12) housed inside the housing; one or more seat surfaces (52a, 54a, 56a, 58a) disposed inside the housing; a circuit board (16), which is housed inside the housing and is mounted on the seat surface(s); and one or more terminals (20b, 22b) electrically connected to the circuit board. One or more elastic sheets (60, 62) surround(s) the perimeter(s) of the terminal(s) and is (are) interposed between the circuit board and the seat surface(s).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignees: MAKITA CORPORATION, MURATA MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tatsuya Nagahama, Hideyuki Taga, Toshiaki Ueno, Naoki Nishi
  • Patent number: 11670819
    Abstract: A battery pack that includes a housing. The housing includes a support portion that is configured to removably connect to a device, such as a cordless, hand-held power tool. The battery pack is configured to electrically and/or communicatively connect to the device through at least one terminal. The at least one terminal can include a battery positive power terminal, a battery negative power terminal, and a communications terminal. In some embodiments, at least one of the terminals of the battery pack is positioned at a first depth level within the support portion and at least one of the terminals of the battery pack is positioned at a second depth level within the support portion. The battery pack includes a first distance between the first depth level and the second depth level (e.g., approximately 0.5 inches).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: Techtronic Cordless GP
    Inventor: Tyler J. Rowe
  • Patent number: 11667026
    Abstract: A battery tether system for tethering a power tool battery is provided. The battery may include a tether receiver as an integral component of the battery or the battery may be retrofit with a sleeve or bumper including a tether receiver. The sleeve may include a clasp to overlay the retrofit battery and ensure that the tether receptacle remains coupled to the battery. The tether receiver may connect to the tool receiver and provide an electrical connection to the tool and a tether receiver for the battery. The battery system may include tether keys configured to be inserted into a slot and slide into a locking pocket of the sleeve or bumper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation
    Inventors: Benjamin T. Jones, Grant T. Squiers, Emelie E. Troedson, Christopher S. Hoppe, Steven W. Hyma, Kyle Reeder, Anthony S. Graykowski
  • Patent number: 11670820
    Abstract: A battery mounting structure of a vehicle includes a battery case, a cable and a shielding member. The battery case includes a lower case and an upper case. In each of plural battery cell groups, plural battery cells are arrayed in a first direction. The battery cell groups are accommodated in the battery case in a state in which the battery cell groups are arrayed along a second direction, which is orthogonal to the first direction in plan view. The cable is routed at an upper face side of the battery cell groups so as to connect the battery cells in series. The shielding member is configured by a conductor so as to form an electrical loop, and is provided at the upper case so as to be overlapped with at least a portion of the cable in plan view.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masayuki Yoshikawa, Kenichi Ichinose, Hiroyuki Nishimura, Hidetoshi Katoh, Kazuhisa Ori
  • Patent number: 11658367
    Abstract: A battery pack includes a battery cell and a bus bar electrically connected to the battery cell, wherein the bus bar includes a rupture portion configured to melt due to electric resistance heat generated by overcurrent and thus to rupture, the rupture portion having a plurality of through-holes therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Inventors: Jae Uk Ryu, Dal Mo Kang, Jeong Oh Moon, Jae Min Yoo, Min Ho Kwon
  • Patent number: 11652256
    Abstract: A battery pack including a plurality of battery cells; a plurality of bus bars, each bus bar electrically connecting two different battery cells among the plurality of battery cells, and including coupling pieces at opposite ends thereof that are coupled to the two different battery cells, and a protruding connecting piece at a center of the bus bar that connects the coupling pieces at the opposite ends; and a circuit board on the plurality of bus bars and electrically connected to at least a portion of the plurality of battery cells, the circuit board having escape holes that expose the protruding connection piece of each bus bar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: SAMSUNG SDI CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Nohyun Kwag
  • Patent number: 11641027
    Abstract: A secondary battery system includes a secondary battery having a positive electrode including a positive electrode active substance and a negative electrode including first and second negative electrode active substances, and a control device that estimates an internal state of the secondary battery based on an active substance model of the secondary battery. The control device calculates a charge carrier amount in the first negative electrode active substance based on a first active substance model, under a condition that the first and second negative electrode active substances are at the same potential, calculates an amount of change in open circuit potential of the first negative electrode active substance based on surface stress of the first negative electrode active substance, and calculates an open circuit potential of the negative electrode from the open circuit potential and the amount of change in open circuit potential of the first negative electrode active substance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Kenji Takahashi
  • Patent number: 11641120
    Abstract: A battery mount device may include a housing to which a battery pack is detachably attached, and a cover attached to the housing so as to cover the battery pack and configured to open and close by rotating around a rotation axis. Force in a direction closing the cover may act on the cover in a state where the battery mount device is placed on a horizontal plane. The battery-mounted device may further comprise a cover holding mechanism capable of holding the cover in an open state. The cover holding mechanism may include a cover holder configured to move, in response to an operation by a user, between a holding position where the cover holder interferes with a rotating motion of the cover and a released position where the cover holder does not interfere with the rotating motion of the cover.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2023
    Assignee: MAKITA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tomokazu Okuoka, Masayoshi Okumi, Takaaki Kato
  • Patent number: 11626635
    Abstract: A partition member has a thickness direction and a surface direction perpendicular to the thickness direction, and which separates single cells that make up an assembled battery in the thickness direction, or a single cell that makes up the assembled battery in the thickness direction and a member other than the single cells. The partition member includes, in the interior thereof, a fluid having a boiling point at normal pressure of 80° C. to 250° C., and a flow channel of the fluid extending along the surface direction. The fluid is held in a fluid holding part, and the fluid holding part is hermetically sealed by a packaging material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation
    Inventors: Tomohiro Kawai, Yoko Watanabe, Iwao Soga
  • Patent number: 11626630
    Abstract: A battery module includes: a cell stack including a plurality of unit cells arranged in a first direction; and an insulating member around the plurality of unit cells; a plurality of module housings, each of the module housings including a plurality of receiving parts and receiving the cell stack; and a coupling part, and each of the receiving parts includes a fixing wall around the cell stack and having at least a portion which is in contact with the cell stack, and the fixing wall includes end walls at respective sides of each of the receiving parts in the first direction to engage end surfaces of respective sides of the cell stack in the first direction, and the coupling part is configured to be coupled to the coupling part of an adjacent battery module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Junhyung Lee, Sungyong Kim, Jaeho Kim, Soodeok Moon, Daeyeop Park, Jangwoong Bae, Dooyong Lim, Jisoon Lim, Eungi Heo
  • Patent number: 11621454
    Abstract: A battery assembly includes a battery holding unit and a battery unit removably held by the battery holding unit. The battery unit includes a battery, a first engaging portion and a second engaging portion disposed on an end portion of the battery. The battery holding unit includes a holding member selectively engaging with the first engaging portion or the second engaging portion to hold the battery unit at a first position or a second position. When the holding member and the first engaging portion relatively move away from each other, the battery unit moves from the first position to the second position at which the holding member engages with the second engaging portion, and the second engaging portion is allowed to rotate along a surface of the end portion to disengage from the holding member and to remove the battery unit from the battery holding unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: DARFON ELECTRONICS CORP.
    Inventor: Chih-Hsien Liu
  • Patent number: 11588197
    Abstract: A cell contacting system for an electrochemical device is provided, which includes a plurality of cell groups having one or more electrochemical cells, each having a first and a second cell terminal. The first cell terminals follow each other along the longitudinal direction in a first cell terminal region of the electrochemical device and the second cell terminals follow each other along the longitudinal direction in a second cell terminal region of the electrochemical device. The cell contacting system includes at least one cell connector extending obliquely to the longitudinal direction and configured for electrically conductively connecting cell terminals of a first cell group in the first cell terminal region to cell terminals of a second cell group in the second cell terminal region, which cell contacting system reliably enables a relative movement between the cell terminals to be electrically connected to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: ElringKlinger AG
    Inventors: Wolfgang Fritz, Stefan Kazmaier
  • Patent number: 11575176
    Abstract: A battery pack including a housing having a first end, a second end, and a longitudinal axis that extends between the first end and the second end, electrical terminals positioned within the housing and configured to engage and electrically couple with electrical terminals of a power tool, and a latch mechanism including an actuator and a latch member that is spaced apart from the actuator. The actuator has a distal end that is positioned adjacent the first end of the housing, a proximal end that is spaced apart from the distal end, and an actuating surface that extends between the distal end and the proximal end. The actuating surface has a gradually decreasing slope between the distal end and the proximal end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignee: Techtronic Cordlesss GP
    Inventor: Ryan Altenburger
  • Patent number: 11565593
    Abstract: A holding apparatus (15) for current and signal conductors of a traction battery of a motor vehicle has a plate-like base body with longitudinal sides (16), transverse ends (17) and a top (18) and bottom (19) extending between the longitudinal sides (16) and transverse ends (17). Elements (20) are arranged on the top (18) and the bottom (19) for guiding and fixing current conductors (12) of the traction battery, and elements (21) are arranged on the other of the top (18) and the bottom (19) for guiding and fixing at least one signal conductor (14) of the traction battery. The base body provides EMC shielding of the signal conductor (14) from the current conductors (12). The plate-like base body has on the opposite longitudinal sides (16) and/or on the opposite transverse sides (17) sections (22) for securing and grounding the holding apparatus on a frame of the motor vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: Dr. Ing. h. c. F Porsche AG
    Inventors: Armin Steck, Felix Brendecke
  • Patent number: 11569535
    Abstract: Systems and methods for identifying thermal run-away events in a battery pack can include using sensing circuits made up of series- or parallel-linked thermistors to measure subsets of the individual battery cells in a battery pack. Using multiple sensing circuits, a monitoring system can positively identify when a threshold temperature of any single battery cell has been reached even though individual temperatures are not monitored, and can generate a signal indicative of a thermal run-away event based on the detected temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: William Mische
  • Patent number: 11563250
    Abstract: A traction battery pack assembly includes, among other things, a foam section of a battery pack enclosure. The foam section provides a recessed area that at least partially receives a traction battery array. A substructure assembly is partially disposed within the foam section. An attachment point is provided by the substructure assembly. The attachment point is outside the foam section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Mohammadreza Eftekhari, Patrick Daniel Maguire, Kanchana Perumalla
  • Patent number: 11563251
    Abstract: A battery module including a plurality of battery cells that prevents the movement of the battery cells due to impact and has excellent cooling performance of the battery cells includes a battery cell group including a laminate of a plurality of flattened rectangular battery cells stacked in a thickness direction of the battery cells, and a housing storing the battery cell group. The battery cell group includes a plurality of cell holders configured to hold the individual battery cells from both sides in the thickness direction, and a plurality of side plates disposed at both ends of the plurality of battery cells in a width direction via the plurality of cell holders. Each of the cell holders has a restriction portion configured to restrict movement of the corresponding battery cell in a direction intersecting the thickness direction, and fixing portions that engage with the side plates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Assignee: VEHICLE ENERGY JAPAN INC.
    Inventors: Masayuki Nakamoto, Takayuki Nakajima
  • Patent number: 11557809
    Abstract: A battery pack including a plurality of battery cells arranged along a first direction; a holder, the holder including terminal holes exposing terminals of the battery cells, and pairs of first plates separated from each other between adjacent terminal holes and pairs of elastic pieces that are bent from the pairs of first plates in opposite directions along the first direction; and bus bars, each of the bus bars including coupling portions at opposite sides thereof and coupled to adjacent terminal holes, and a central bent portion connecting the coupling portions and extending around corresponding pairs of elastic pieces to surround the corresponding pairs of elastic pieces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2023
    Assignee: SAMSUNG SDI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Duseong Jeon, Soomin Ahn, Jeehoon Jeon, Dongsik Kwak, Wunseok Jeong