Patents Examined by Alexander Usyatinsky
  • Patent number: 11777155
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide a battery pack including a pack body and a plurality of terminals. The pack body has first and second main surfaces that are opposed to each other in a first axis direction, first and second end surfaces that are opposed to each other in a second axis direction orthogonal to the first axis direction, and first and second side surfaces that are opposed to each other in a third axis direction orthogonal to the first axis direction and the second axis direction. The plurality of terminals includes a positive terminal, a negative terminal, a temperature detection terminal, and a control terminal that are arranged on the first end surface along the third axis direction. The negative terminal is arranged between the temperature detection terminal and the control terminal and closer to the control terminal than the temperature detection terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Atsuhiro Kumagai, Kiyoshi Yonishi, Shigeji Ikeda
  • Patent number: 11764404
    Abstract: The electrolyte for a lithium secondary battery includes: a lithium salt; a solvent; and a functional additive, wherein the functional additive includes: at least one high-voltage additive selected from a group consisting of lithium bis(phthalato)borate, represented by the following formula 1; hexafluoroglutaric anhydride, represented by the following formula 2; and phosphoric acid tris(2,2,2-trifluoroethyl)ester, represented by the following formula 3:
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignees: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, KIA CORPORATION, The Industry & Academic Cooperation in Chungnam National University (IAC)
    Inventors: Ko Eun Kim, Seung Min Oh, Yoon Sung Lee, Jun Ki Rhee, Sung Ho Ban, Seung Wan Song, Gyeong Jun Chung
  • Patent number: 11749829
    Abstract: The present application relates to a series-parallel switching device and a battery pack including the series-parallel switching device. The series-parallel switching device used for the battery pack is disclosed. The battery pack includes a first battery and a second battery. The switching device includes: a switching circuit, which is configured to be electrically coupled with the first battery and the second battery, where the switching circuit is configured to receive a control signal, and the switching circuit is controlled by the control signal to switch the first battery and the second battery between a parallel state and a series state, or switch the first battery or the second battery to a disconnection state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: DONGGUAN NVT TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Guoping Zhan, Shengxuan Wang, Guanghui Chen
  • Patent number: 11738662
    Abstract: A battery information providing device includes an acquisition part configured to acquire a battery charging rate of a battery, which is mounted on a vehicle and which stores electric power for traveling the vehicle, and device battery information related to a device battery which is included in a device, which is an object to which the electric power is supplied, connected to the vehicle, and an estimation part configured to estimate a state of the battery after the electric power stored in the battery has been supplied to the device battery on the basis of the battery charging rate and the device battery information, and configured to output battery-related information related to the estimated state of the battery to an information output part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Shuichi Kazuno
  • Patent number: 11742510
    Abstract: A cell stack device may include a cell stack comprising a plurality of cells, a manifold configured to supply a reaction gas to the plurality of cells, and a reaction gas supply pipe connected to the manifold. The manifold may include an insertion portion configured to connect the reaction gas supply pipe to the manifold and a first joining portion configured to join the insertion portion and the reaction gas supply pipe. A module may include the cell stack device contained in a housing container. A module housing device may include the module, an auxiliary device configured to operate the module, and an external casing configured to contain the module and the auxiliary device therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: KYOCERA Corporation
    Inventors: Kazunari Sugihara, Makoto Koi
  • Patent number: 11742496
    Abstract: A bipolar plate for a fuel cell includes an anode plate and a cathode plate. The anode plate has hydrogen flow channels on a first side of the anode plate and coolant channels on a second side of the anode plate. The cathode plate has a first side disposed against the second side of the anode plate to cover the coolant channels and has a second side defining a recessed pocket configured to receive a stream of air. A flow guide is disposed in the pocket such that an inlet manifold is formed along a first edge of the flow guide and an outlet manifold is formed along a second edge of the flow guide. The flow guide defines channels extending from the inlet manifold to the outlet manifold. A plurality of openings is defined by through the flow guide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Chunchuan Xu, Zijie Lu, Jun Yang, Daniel E. Wilkosz, Shinichi Hirano
  • Patent number: 11731531
    Abstract: An ECU performs processing including obtaining a full charge capacity when a cooling apparatus remains stopped, showing textual information that inquires about whether or not cooling can be carried out when a battery temperature is equal to or lower than a threshold value TB(1), when the full charge capacity is equal to or lower than a threshold value C(1), and when the battery temperature is equal to or higher than a threshold value TB(2), carrying out battery cooling control when a request for carrying out cooling has been issued, and maintaining a standstill state of the cooling apparatus when no request for carrying out cooling has been issued.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroshi Yoshida, Nobuyuki Tanaka, Kazuki Kubo
  • Patent number: 11732324
    Abstract: Method of producing a low interfacial contact resistance material for use in batteries or connectors and a low interfacial contact resistance material for use in batteries or connectors produced thereby.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: HILLE & MÜLLER GMBH
    Inventors: Ernst Wilhelm Vom Bey, Marcel Onink, Ken-Dominic Flechtner, Maurice Jean Robert Jansen
  • Patent number: 11724619
    Abstract: An electrically driven vehicle includes a battery pack including a battery ECU, a gate ECU provided separately from the battery pack, and an HVECU provided separately from the battery pack and the gate ECU and configured to control any one of battery power and battery current of the battery as a control target. The gate ECU is installed at a position outside the battery pack and relays communication between the battery ECU and the HVECU.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yoshiaki Kikuchi, Junichi Matsumoto, Akio Uotani
  • Patent number: 11728493
    Abstract: An improved or advanced electrically conductive selectively gas permeable anode flow field (SGPFF) design, allowing for efficient removal of CO2 perpendicular to the active area near the location where it is formed in the catalyst layer. The anode plate design includes two mating flow fields (an anode gaseous flow field, and an anode liquid flow field) separated by a semi-permeable separator. The separator comprises a hydrophobic semi-permeable separator for CO2 diffusive gas transport from the liquid side (with acid, water, and CO2) to the gaseous side (allowing for CO2 removal to the atmosphere).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: Tennessee Technological University
    Inventors: Cynthia Rice, Shadi A. Saeed, Michael Renfro, Antonio Pistono
  • Patent number: 11721875
    Abstract: A battery pack assembly includes a battery pack, a first elongated terminal connector, a second elongated terminal connector, and a biasing member. The battery pack includes a plurality of battery cells each having a terminal. The first elongated terminal having a plurality of first recesses. The second elongated terminal having plurality of second recesses. The first elongated terminal connector and the second elongated terminal connector movable between an engaged position and a disengaged position. The biasing member extends between the first elongated terminal and the second elongated terminal, and the biasing member biases the first elongated terminal and the second elongated terminal towards the engaged position. In the engaged position, the plurality of first recesses are engaged with the terminals of the plurality of battery cells and the plurality of second recesses are engaged with the terminals of the plurality of battery cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventor: Geoffrey D. Gaither
  • Patent number: 11721850
    Abstract: An improved method of recycling lithium-ion battery anode scraps is provided. The method involves isolating an anode scrap including a graphite anode film adhered to a current collector foil with a polyvinylidene fluoride binder. The anode scrap is combined with deionized water to form a first mixture. The graphite anode film is delaminated from the current collector foil to form a second mixture comprising a free collector foil and a free graphite anode film. The free graphite anode film is filtered and dried from the second mixture to recover the free graphite anode film. The free graphite anode film is combined with a solvent comprising N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) to form an anode formation slurry. The slurry is coated onto a copper current collector to produce a new anode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: UT-BATTELLE, LLC
    Inventors: Yaocai Bai, Ilias Belharouak, Rachid Essehli
  • Patent number: 11721849
    Abstract: A method for diagnosis of a temperature control means (30) of a battery pack (10) that comprises a plurality of battery cells (20) and a plurality of temperature sensors for measuring temperatures of the individual battery cells (20), the battery cells (20) being arranged side by side in the battery pack (10), in a longitudinal direction (12) of the battery pack (10), and mechanically connected to each another, and the battery cells (20) being arranged on the temperature control means (30) and mechanically and thermally connected to it. A battery management system, and/or a battery pack (10) may be configured to execute the method. A vehicle may be fitted with a battery pack that carries out the method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Christel Sarfert, Jens Becker, Shweta Vijay Pawar, Triantafyllos Zafiridis
  • Patent number: 11710858
    Abstract: A vehicle power supply apparatus includes first and second device batteries, first and second power supply lines, a current path, first and second switches, and a second diode. The current path is coupled between the first and second power supply lines through a first diode. The first diode is provided on the current path and directed to make a current flow toward the second power supply line. The first switch is interposed between the first device battery and the first power supply line. The second diode and the second switch are interposed between the second device battery and the second power supply line. The second diode is directed to make a current flow toward the second power supply line, and the second switch is coupled in parallel to the second diode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Fumiyuki Moriya, Daisuke Kato, Hirofumi Yabe
  • Patent number: 11682793
    Abstract: A single-ion polymer electrolyte has formula (I): R—[SO2N(M)SO2—X—]m—SO3Li (I). In formula (I), X may be an electron withdrawing group such as an aromatic group, substituted aromatic group, —(CF2)n—, —(CCl2)n—, —C6H4—, or —C6H3(NO2)—. R may be a fluorinated alkyl, LiSO3(CF2)3—, or an aromatic group, and M may be a metal cation. For the single-ion polymer electrolyte with formula (I), m may be an integer from 2 to 2000, and n may be an integer from 1 to 4.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES. LLC
    Inventors: Zijie Lu, Andrew Robert Drews, Xiaojiang Wang
  • Patent number: 11670788
    Abstract: A drive circuit comprising a DC bus configured to supply power to a load, a first fuel cell coupled to the DC bus and configured to provide a first power output to the DC bus, and a second fuel cell coupled to the DC bus and configured to provide a second power output to the DC bus supplemental to the first fuel cell. The drive circuit further includes an energy storage device coupled to the DC bus and configured to receive energy from the DC bus when a combined output of the first and second fuel cells is greater than a power demand from a load, and provide energy to the DC bus when the combined output of the first and second fuel cells is less than the power demand from the load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Robert Dean King, Timothy Gerard Richter
  • Patent number: 11670801
    Abstract: The electrolyte solution for a lithium secondary battery includes: a lithium salt; a solvent; and an anode additive including 1-benzyl-5-(4-nitrophenyl)-1H-1,2,3-triazole-4-carbonitrile represented by Chemical Formula 1 below:
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignees: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, KIA CORPORATION, UNIST (ULSAN NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY)
    Inventors: Yoon Sung Lee, Ko Eun Kim, Sung Ho Ban, Seung Min Oh, Ik Kyu Kim, Sang Kyu Kwak, Nam Soon Choi, Sung You Hong, Dae Yeon Hwang, Seo Young Jeong, Hyeon Gyu Moon
  • Patent number: 11664518
    Abstract: A redox flow battery includes a redox flow cell and a supply and storage system external of the redox flow cell. The supply and storage system includes first and second electrolytes for circulation through the redox flow cell. The first electrolyte is a liquid electrolyte having electrochemically active manganese species with multiple, reversible oxidation states in the redox flow cell. The electrochemically active manganese species may undergo reactions that cause precipitation of manganese oxide solids. The first electrolyte includes an inhibitor that limits the self-discharge reactions. The inhibitor includes an oxoanion compound.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Timothy Davenport, James D. Saraidaridis, Robert Mason Darling
  • Patent number: 11658369
    Abstract: A prismatic lithium ion battery cell includes a packaging having a cover. The cover includes: a first spiral disk feature disposed below a first terminal pad; a second spiral disk feature disposed below a second terminal pad; a first reversal disk disposed below the first spiral disk feature; and a second reversal disk disposed below the second spiral disk feature. The first and second reversal disks are configured to deflect upwards to displace the first and second spiral disk features to contact the first and second terminal pads, respectively, in response to a pressure within the packaging being greater than a predefined pressure threshold and form an external short-circuit between the first and second terminal pads via the first and second spiral disk features. Subsequently, a portion of the power assembly fails in response to the external short-circuit and interrupts current flow between the first and second terminal pads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: CPS TECHNOLOGY HOLDINGS LLC
    Inventor: Xugang Zhang
  • Patent number: 11655325
    Abstract: Provided are fluorinated block copolymers comprising alternating hard blocks and soft blocks, wherein both said hard and soft blocks comprise vinylidenfluoride (VDF). Also provided is the use of said block copolymers in applications for lithium batteries including an electrochemical cell and a separator for an electrochemical cell which is coated with a composition comprising the fluorinated block copolymers. Further provided is a process for the manufacture of the separator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: SOLVAY SPECIALTY POLYMERS ITALY S.P.A.
    Inventors: Serena Carella, Andrea Vittorio Oriani, Alessandro Ghielmi, Mirko Mazzola, Elena Molena