Patents Examined by Adam A Arciero
  • Patent number: 10811730
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a pouch exterior which can effectively block moisture penetration, and a pouch-type secondary battery comprising the same. In particular, according to the present invention, it is possible to effectively block moisture penetration between bonding interfaces at a sealing part of an upper pouch and a lower pouch. Therefore, according to the present invention it is possible to prevent the deterioration and degradation of performance of a secondary battery due to moisture penetration, and to increase stability of a secondary battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2020
    Assignee: LG Chem, Ltd.
    Inventor: Jae-Beom Han
  • Patent number: 10804553
    Abstract: A fuel cell system according to one embodiment performs refresh control of an electrode catalyst of a fuel cell, by reducing a stack voltage as a voltage of the fuel cell to a refresh voltage at which the electrode catalyst is activated. The system includes the fuel cell that generates electric power by an electrochemical reaction using fuel gas and oxidation gas, a stack voltage sensor that sensors the stack voltage, and a controller that controls power of the fuel cell. When a high load demand that makes the stack voltage lower than a given voltage is made on the fuel cell, the controller causes the fuel cell to deliver power commensurate with the high load demand, and performs refresh control when the stack voltage becomes lower than the given voltage through the above control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshiaki Tsuruta, Satoshi Watanabe, Hideyuki Kumei, Shuya Kawahara, Kohei Oda
  • Patent number: 10797304
    Abstract: An all-solid-state secondary battery includes a positive electrode having a positive electrode active material layer, a negative electrode having a negative electrode active material layer, and a solid electrolyte layer between the positive and negative electrode active material layers. The solid electrolyte layer has a thickness of 2 to 20 ?m. The solid electrolyte layer includes a binder containing a particulate polymer having an average particle diameter of 0.1 to 1 ?m.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2020
    Assignee: ZEON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kouichirou Maeda
  • Patent number: 10797319
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery that has a large charge/discharge capacity, has a small irreversible capacity, which is the difference between the doping capacity and the de-doping capacity, and is capable of effectively using an active material. The problem described above can be solved by a method for producing a carbonaceous material for a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery anode, the method including: (1) an alkali metal compound impregnating step of adding an elemental alkali metal or a compound containing an elemental alkali metal to a carbonaceous precursor to obtain an alkali-impregnated carbonaceous precursor; (2) a heat treatment step of: (a) obtaining a heat-treated product by performing main heat treatment on the alkali-impregnated carbonaceous precursor at 800° C. to 1500° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2020
    Assignee: KUREHA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Naohiro Sonobe, Kazuhiko Shimizu
  • Patent number: 10790491
    Abstract: A membrane is a microporous sheet made of a blend of a first ultra high molecular weight polyolefin and a second ultra high molecular weight polyolefin. Each polyolefin has a molecular weight, both of those molecular weights are greater than 1 million, and one molecular weight is greater than the other. Additionally, the intrinsic viscosity (IV) of the membrane may be greater than or equal to 6.3.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2020
    Assignee: Celgard, LLC
    Inventors: Donald K. Simmons, Joseph G. Yaritz
  • Patent number: 10784545
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a plurality of battery cells and a case. The case may be configured to hold the plurality of battery cells. The case generally has at least a first port and a second port configured to allow a cooling liquid to flow through the case with the battery cells submerged in the cooling liquid. The case is generally configured to interlock with one or more other cases to electrically and physically connect the one or more cases into a battery block or battery pack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2020
    Assignee: XING POWER INC.
    Inventor: Kareem Azizi Tucker
  • Patent number: 10784527
    Abstract: A controller-executed method for conditioning a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) in a fuel cell for use in a fuel cell stack includes humidifying a fuel inlet to the stack to a threshold relative humidity level, and maintaining a current density and cell voltage of the fuel cell at a calibrated current density level and hold voltage level, respectively, via the controller in at least one voltage recovery stage. The recovery stage has a predetermined voltage recovery duration. The method includes measuring the cell voltage after completing the predetermined voltage recovery duration, and executing a control action with respect to the fuel cell or fuel cell stack responsive to the measured cell voltage exceeding a target voltage, including recording a diagnostic code via the controller indicative of successful conditioning of the MEA. A fuel cell system includes the fuel cell stack and controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2020
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Swaminatha P. Kumaraguru, Jingxin Zhang, Nagappan Ramaswamy, Pinkhas A. Rapaport
  • Patent number: 10777782
    Abstract: The invention relates to devices incorporating thin, lightweight electrochemical cells and their method of manufacture, whereby a thin flexible pouch-type cell (1) comprises at least one pair of overlying electrode layers separated from one another by an intermediate electrolyte layer (13), the cell exterior being defined by first and second laminated sheets (3, 9) sealed together, wherein each laminated sheet (3, 9) has an outermost layer (3a, 9a) forming a respective external face of the cell (1) and a coextensive, innermost, conductive layer (3b, 9b) that acts as a current collector layer (3b, 9b) and which supports an electrode layer (5, 11), although the conductive layer may also itself act as the active electrode layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2020
    Assignee: QinetiQ Limited
    Inventors: Paul Barrie Adams, Fazlil Ahmode Coowar, Gary Owen Mepsted, Christopher Douglas James Spooner, Girts Vitins
  • Patent number: 10768234
    Abstract: A method for estimating power consumption of a motor includes steps of: determining an error voltage for a terminal voltage of each of multiple phases of the motor, the terminal voltage being supplied from an inverter to the motor; generating a compensation terminal voltage for each of the multiple phases of the motor by applying the error voltage to a prediction value of the terminal voltage that is derived in a preset manner during operation of the motor; and calculating power consumption of the motor by using the compensation terminal voltage and a current value obtained by detecting a current that flows in each of the multiple phases of the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2020
    Assignees: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, KIA MOTORS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Dong Hun Lee, Chang Seok You, Min Su Kang, Sung Do Kim
  • Patent number: 10770694
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a prismatic battery cell including an electrode assembly including a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a separator disposed between the positive electrode and the negative electrode, the electrode assembly having a positive electrode terminal and a negative electrode terminal protruding from at least one side of the positive electrode and the negative electrode, two or more case members coupled to each other so as to have a shape corresponding to the external shape of the electrode assembly such that the case members surround the electrode assembly, the case members having a predetermined opening, through which one surface of the electrode assembly, at least, corresponding to protruding portions of the positive electrode terminal and the negative electrode terminal is exposed, and a cap plate coupled to the opening of the case members in a sealed state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2020
    Assignee: LG Chem, Ltd.
    Inventors: Ki Tae Kim, Hyung Ku Yun, Dong-Myung Kim, Hyojin Kim
  • Patent number: 10749162
    Abstract: With a battery using a flexible outer package, electric current is reliably interrupted when the temperature is increased due to the occurrence of abnormality, thereby preventing excessive heat generation. A battery 1 includes a battery element 10, a pair of first terminals 11 that are electrically connected to the battery element 10, a flexible outer package 13, and a second terminal 12. The outer package 13 is partitioned into a first chamber 13a in which the battery element 10 is sealed and a second chamber 13b which is adjacent to the first chamber 13a. The second terminal 12 is led out from the second chamber 13b to the outside of the outer package 13 so that one first terminal 11 is made electrically connectable to an external wiring through the second chamber 13b. A gas generation material 14 which generates a gas at a predetermined temperature or higher is sealed in the second chamber 13b.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Inoue, Kenichi Shimura
  • Patent number: 10749160
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an electrode assembly. The electrode assembly comprises: a first separator sheet; and a first electrode sheet and a second electrode sheet, which respectively adhere to both surfaces of the first separator sheet, wherein patterned masks having different adhesion force are respectivley disposed on both the surfaces of the first separator sheet, and the first electrode sheet adheres to the mask of a first surface of both the surfaces, which has relatively high adhesion force, and the second electrode sheet adheres to the mask of a second surface having relatively low adhesion force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: LG CHEM, LTD.
    Inventors: Sang Kyun Lee, Cha Hun Ku, Jung Kwan Pyo, Ju Hyeon Cho
  • Patent number: 10741866
    Abstract: A fuel cell assembly with at least one PEM fuel cell for generating electrical energy from reactant gases includes at least one membrane/electrode having a membrane coated with platinum electrodes and, respectively positioned on each side, a porous gas diffusion layer, or having a membrane and, respectively positioned on each side, a porous gas diffusion layer coated with a platinum electrode, and also includes bipolar plates that lie against the gas diffusion layers and through which, during operation, a coolant flows, wherein at least one of the platinum electrodes has a smaller area than the gas diffusion layer, where the gas diffusion layer protrudes beyond the platinum electrode for a part of an edge region of the membrane/electrode unit, so that the formation of an electrochemical potential in this part of the edge region of the membrane/electrode unit is prevented in order to prevent damage to the membrane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Torsten Brandt, Armin Datz, Albert Hammerschmidt, Silke Latzel, Josef Lersch, Arno Mattejat
  • Patent number: 10734679
    Abstract: A nonaqueous electrolyte for a lithium secondary battery, the nonaqueous electrolyte including a fluorine-containing lithium salt, an organic solvent, and an organosilicon compound represented by Formula 1: wherein, in Formula 1, R1 to R3 are independently a C1-C10 alkyl group, and n is an integer selected from 1 to 10. Also a lithium secondary battery including the nonaqueous electrolyte.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignees: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD., SAMSUNG SDI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jinah Seo, Dongyoung Kim, Hosang Park, Yoonsok Kang, Insun Park
  • Patent number: 10727517
    Abstract: A solid oxide fuel cell includes an Si support substrate having a through hole, an electrolyte film formed on the surface of an Si support substrate and containing a solid oxide having oxygen ion conductivity, a first electrode formed on a surface of the electrolyte film (surface on the side opposite to the Si support substrate), and a second electrode formed at least on a surface exposed from the through hole in a rear face of the electrolyte film. The electrolyte film includes a porous layer including the solid oxide and containing pores inside, a first dense layer formed on a surface of the porous layer (surface on the side opposite to the Si support substrate), and a second dense layer formed at the interface between a rear face of the porous layer and the Si support substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2020
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOYOTA CHUO KENKYUSHO
    Inventors: Hidehito Matsuo, Teruhisa Akashi, Hirofumi Funabashi, Hiroko Iguchi, Shigeo Hori, Toshihiko Tani
  • Patent number: 10727539
    Abstract: Disclosed are cathodes having electron-conductive high-surface-area materials, aqueous non-halide-containing electrolytes, secondary zinc-iodine energy storage devices using the same, and methods for assembling the same. The disclosed high-surface-area materials and the aqueous non-halide-containing electrolyte solutions can contribute together to the confinement of the active iodine species in the cathode and to the minimization of shuttle effects and self-discharging. The non-halide-containing electrolyte salts can facilitate preferential adsorption of the iodine species to the cathode material rather than dissolution in the aqueous electrolyte solution, thereby contributing to the confinement of the active iodine species.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2020
    Inventors: Bin Li, Huilin Pan, Zimin Nie, Jun Liu, Vincent L. Sprenkle
  • Patent number: 10714776
    Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a battery, a fuel cell configured to generate power in accordance with a load, an inverter configured to convert power output from the fuel cell into alternating-current power and supply the alternating-current power to a motor, and a converter configured to control voltage between the inverter and the fuel cell using power output from the battery. The fuel cell system includes a voltage control unit configured to control the converter such that the voltage between the inverter and the fuel cell does not fall below a voltage lower limit of the inverter, and a lower limit voltage control unit configured to, when power required by the motor increases, cause the voltage between the inverter and the fuel cell to fall below the voltage lower limit of the inverter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Mitsunori Kumada, Hidetaka Nishimura, Hiroshi Takeda
  • Patent number: 10707526
    Abstract: An all-inorganic electrolyte formulation for use in a lithium ion battery system comprising at least one of each a phosphoranimine, a phosphazene, a monomeric organophosphate and a supporting lithium salt. The electrolyte preferably has a melting point below 0° C., and a vapor pressure of combustible components at 60.6° C. sufficiently low to not produce a combustible mixture in air, e.g., less than 40 mmHg at 30° C. The phosphoranimine, phosphazene, and monomeric phosphorus compound preferably do not have any direct halogen-phosphorus bonds. A solid electrolyte interface layer formed by the electrolyte with an electrode is preferably thermally stable ?80° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2020
    Assignee: New Dominion Enterprises Inc.
    Inventor: Mason K. Harrup
  • Patent number: 10700329
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a separator for batteries, a separator manufactured by the method, and a secondary battery including the separator. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a separator having enhanced tensile strength by performing a shutdown process stopping a stretch during a process of stretching a base film of the separator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2020
    Assignee: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kee Wook Kim, Sang Ho Lee, Jung Seong Lee, Jun Ho Chung, Jae Hyun Cho
  • Patent number: 10693143
    Abstract: A fuel cell includes a cell structure including a first electrode, a second electrode, and an electrolyte layer, a gas diffusion layer disposed adjacent to the first electrode, and a gas channel plate disposed adjacent to the gas diffusion layer, in which the gas diffusion layer is formed of a porous metal body having a three-dimensional mesh-like skeleton, the gas channel plate includes a first region including a first channel, a second region including a second channel, and a third region including a third channel, the first channel includes a slit extending from the center of the gas channel plate toward its outer edge at the boundary surface between the first region and the second region, letting the total area of the first channel at the boundary surface be a first opening area S1, letting the total area of the second channel at the boundary surface between the second region and the third region be a second opening area S2, and letting the total area of the third channel at the boundary surface between t
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Chihiro Hiraiwa, Takahiro Higashino, Hiromasa Tawarayama, Masatoshi Majima, Toshihiro Yoshida, Kazunari Miyamoto