Patents Examined by Brittany Raymond
  • Patent number: 9685678
    Abstract: A material suitable for use in an electrode, preferably an anode, and processes of its formation are provided. The material includes an electrode base material and an organic artificial solid electrolyte interface material including a water soluble organic polymer coating the electrode base material. The polymer is polymerized with a crosslinker to form the organic artificial solid electrolyte interface material. The resulting artificial SEI coated electrode material demonstrates superior discharge rate capacity and cycle stability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2017
    Assignee: A123 Systems, LLC
    Inventors: Viet Vu, Jinjun Shi, Pu Zhang
  • Patent number: 9685642
    Abstract: A sealed storage battery that is easy to produce, has a low short circuit risk, and has an improved total energy density is provided. A battery includes a first metal sheet having a recessed portion, the recessed portion having a flange portion at its periphery, a multilayer electrode assembly housed in the recessed portion, and a second metal sheet covering the flange portion and the recessed portion. The first metal sheet and the second metal sheet also serve as electrodes. The flange portion is joined to the second metal sheet with a hot-melt resin. A joint between the flange portion and the second metal sheet is folded back toward the recessed portion. An outer edge of the flange portion folded back toward the recessed portion protrudes relative to an outer edge of the second metal sheet folded back toward the recessed portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2017
    Assignee: SANYO ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yasunobu Kodama
  • Patent number: 9680150
    Abstract: To provide a means by which an electrical device such as a lithium ion secondary battery that has a positive electrode using a solid solution positive electrode active material can be provided with satisfactory performance in terms of rate characteristics while sufficiently making use of the high capacity characteristics that characterize solid solution positive electrode active materials.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Shinji Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 9673477
    Abstract: A fuel cell is provided, which includes a fuel cell stack having a stacked structure in which a plurality of unit cells generating electric power are stacked, terminal plate that is joined to end of the fuel cell stack and collects the generated electric power, and insulating plate disposed outside the terminal plate. The terminal plate is provided with a first gas discharge manifold communicating with an in-stack gas discharge manifold on a gas discharge side. The in-stack gas discharge manifold penetrates the fuel cell stack and extends in a stacking direction of the fuel cell stack. The insulating plate is provided with a second gas discharge manifold communicating with the first gas discharge manifold. The insulating plate is formed in a shape so that, in a fuel cell arranging state in which the in-stack gas discharge manifold is substantially horizontal, a manifold lower wall of the second gas discharge manifold is located vertically below a manifold lower wall of the first gas discharge manifold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takuya Kurihara
  • Patent number: 9673438
    Abstract: A battery module according to aspects of the present invention includes a plurality of battery cells each having a terminal, a reflective portion on the terminal, and a bus-bar coupled to the terminal to electrically connect the plurality of battery cells. The bus-bar may have an opening exposing at least a portion of the reflective portion. The reflective portion may be configured to reflect laser incident thereon through the opening. A method of manufacturing the battery module may include placing a bus-bar electrically connecting terminals of a plurality of battery cells, each of the terminals having a reflective portion on a top surface thereof, and the bus-bar having an opening exposing at least a portion of the reflective portion, and welding the bus-bar and the terminal to each other. The task of welding the bus bar may include irradiating a laser through the opening in the bus-bar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ik-Jae Jeong, Mincheol Bae, Jiho Lee, Hongkeun Choi, Kyounghwan Noh
  • Patent number: 9666857
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a process to synthesize nanostructures of a uniform size distribution and/or morphology, nanostructures resulting therefrom, and the use of the nanostructures in energy storage devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of California
    Inventors: David Kisailus, Jianxin Zhu
  • Patent number: 9666897
    Abstract: Disclosed are an electrolyte for lithium secondary batteries including a lithium salt and a non-aqueous solvent, in which the non-aqueous solvent includes an ether based solvent and a glyme based solvent and a ratio of the ether based solvent to the glyme based solvent is 20:80 to 60:40 based on the total volume of the non-aqueous solvent, and a secondary battery including the same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: LG Chem, Ltd.
    Inventors: Young Geun Choi, Jong Mo Jung, Jonghyun Chae, Chul Haeng Lee, Geun Chang Chung, Yourim Yoon, Young Cheol Choi, Seung Jae Yoon
  • Patent number: 9660272
    Abstract: An oxygen reduction catalyst which includes composite particles including a portion including an inorganic metal compound and a portion containing carbon. The composite particles include a metal element M1, carbon, and oxygen as constituent elements; the amount of carbon atoms is 1 to 10 mol, and the amount of oxygen atoms is 1 to 3 mol, assuming that the total amount of atoms in the metal element M1 is 1 mol; a G-band and a D-band are present in a Raman spectrum, and a V/G ratio defined in an expression described below is 0.10 to 0.35: V/G ratio=(minimum value of spectral intensity in region V which is a region between G-band and D-band)/(peak intensity in G-band).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: SHOWA DENKO K.K.
    Inventors: Yuji Ito, Junya Sakaguchi, Takuya Imai, Ryuji Monden, Masayuki Yoshimura
  • Patent number: 9647305
    Abstract: An electrode includes a plant-derived porous carbon material having an ability to catalyze oxygen reduction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Hironori Iida, Kenichi Murata, Takaaki Nakagawa, Shinichiro Yamada
  • Patent number: 9640806
    Abstract: A bipolar plate for a fuel cell is provided, which includes: a metal substrate having a flow field structure; a conducting adhesion layer formed on the metal substrate and having a polymeric adhesive and a plurality of conductive particles; and a pure graphite layer formed on the conducting adhesion layer and structurally corresponding to the flow field structure of the metal substrate. The graphite layer including expanded graphite powder is adhered to the metal substrate via the conducting adhesion layer, and a portion of the expanded graphite powder is embedded into the conducting adhesion layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
    Inventors: Ho-Yen Hsieh, Wen-Lin Wang, Ching-Ying Huang
  • Patent number: 9634309
    Abstract: A separator for a battery, a battery, and a method of preparing a graft copolymer for a binder, the separator including a porous substrate; a coating layer on at least one surface of the porous substrate, the coating layer including an inorganic oxide; and a binder between the porous substrate and the inorganic oxide or between adjacent particles of the inorganic oxide, the binder including a graft copolymer, wherein the graft copolymer has a backbone of a polyvinylidene fluoride-based polymer or a polyvinylidene fluoride-based copolymer, and a pendant chain grafted to the backbone, the pendant chain including a hydrophilic repeating unit, and fluorine atoms in the backbone of the graft copolymer are partially substituted with at least one of chlorine, bromine, or iodine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: SAMSUNG SDI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: June Park, Takahiro Endo, Jung-Hyun Nam, Jong-Hwan Park, Iwao Fukuchi
  • Patent number: 9634315
    Abstract: An anode or negative electrode having a material matrix of carbon, graphene and an active element such as silicon or tin is described. The electrode is fabricated from an electrode slurry that does not utilize an organic binder. The electrode slurry comprises a combination of silicon and graphene oxide suspensions that is applied to a surface of a substrate such as a current collector. The layer of electrode slurry is heat treated to ensure adhesion of the layer of active electrode material to the surface of the current collector. The electrode may be incorporated within a lithium ion electrochemical cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: SINODE SYSTEMS, INC.
    Inventors: Cary Michael Hayner, Saad Hasan, Joshua Jonathan Lau, Christine A. Frysz, Peter Jefferies Santos
  • Patent number: 9634357
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a battery cell having an electrode assembly, including a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a separator interposed between the positive electrode and the negative electrode, mounted in a receiving part of a battery case, wherein a positive electrode terminal and a negative electrode terminal protrude from at least one side of the electrode assembly, and an insulative material is provided between the electrode assembly and the battery case.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: LG Chem, Ltd.
    Inventors: Seunghyun Chung, Geun Chang Chung
  • Patent number: 9627690
    Abstract: A positive electrode composition for a rechargeable lithium battery includes a positive active material, a spherically shaped conductive material, and a sheet-shaped conductive material. The spherically shaped conductive material is included in an amount of about 1.1 to about 10 parts by weight based on 1 part by weight of the sheet-shaped conductive material. A positive electrode includes the positive electrode composition and a rechargeable lithium battery includes the positive electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: In Kim, Eun-Jung Kim, Sang-Woon Yang, Young-Eun Kim, Jae-Kyung Kim
  • Patent number: 9614195
    Abstract: An energy storage device including: a cylindrical case having at least one end closed; and an electrode assembly housed in the case. A reduced-diameter portion, at which an outer diameter of the case is reduced, is formed at the closed end of the case.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: GS Yuasa International Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideto Watanabe, Manabu Kanemoto, Daisuke Okuda, Mitsuhiro Kodama
  • Patent number: 9614221
    Abstract: A lithium-ion secondary battery of the present invention contains: a laminated electrode group formed of a rectangular positive electrode; a rectangular negative electrode; and a separator. In such a laminated electrode group, the positive electrode includes a positive electrode current collector foil, and a positive electrode mixture layer containing a positive electrode active material, the negative electrode includes a negative electrode current collector foil, and a negative electrode mixture layer containing a negative electrode active material. The negative electrode active material includes a silicon-based material, and a carbonaceous material. A mass ratio of the silicon-based material and the carbonaceous material is 20:80 to 80:20. The silicon-based material is a Si alloy or SiOx (0.5?x?1.5). The positive electrode and the negative electrode have a collection terminal protruding from a same side of the laminated electrode group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventors: Naoki Kimura, Eiji Seki
  • Patent number: 9614205
    Abstract: An illustrative battery retaining assembly comprises a retaining plate, and a casing including mounting devices. One of the mounting devices may include a hinge device, and another of the mounting devices may include a latch device. The retaining plate includes engagement portions engageable with the mounting devices, such that the retaining plate may be mounted to the casing. One of the engagement portions may include a channel engageable with the hinge device, and another of the engagement portions may include a catch engageable with the latch device. The mounting devices and engagement portions may be configured to enable the retaining plate to slide at an oblique angle with respect to the casing, to provide a variable separation distance between the casing and the retaining plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: Schlage Lock Company LLC
    Inventors: Abdul Khadar Jailani Mannanayak, James D. Ohl
  • Patent number: 9608261
    Abstract: [Object] Provided is a means for improving cycle characteristics by suppressing electrode deterioration resulting from non-uniformity of voltage across an electrode plane in a high-capacity and large-area non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery that includes lithium nickel-based composite oxide as a positive electrode active substance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kenji Ohara, Yoshiaki Nitta, Satoru Ichikawa, Gentaro Kano, Manabu Nishijima, Osamu Shimamura, Fumihiro Kawamura, Kousuke Hagiyama, Shigeo Ibuka, Manabu Kaseda, Masanori Suenaga, Tamaki Hirai, Masahiro Takaya, Kuniharu Nomoto
  • Patent number: 9601807
    Abstract: An electrolyte solution for a lithium-ion battery and a lithium-ion battery using the electrolyte solution are provided. The electrolyte solution includes organic solvents, an electrolyte lithium salt, and additives. The additives include succinonitrile, fluorobenzene, and lithium tetrafluoroborate. The percentage by mass of the fluorobenzene in the electrolyte solution is 0.1%-15%. The percentage by mass of the succinonitrile in the electrolyte solution is 0.1%-10%. The percentage by mass of the lithium tetrafluoroborate in the electrolyte solution is 0.01%-1%. The electrolyte solution may increase the charging voltage upper limit and improve the high-temperature intermittent cyclability of the lithium-ion battery. At the same time, the electrolyte may lower the battery swelling rate, reduce the internal resistance, and improve the stability and safety of the lithium-ion battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignees: DONGGUAN AMPEREX TECHNOLOGY LIMITED, NINGDE AMPEREX TECHNOLOGY LIMITIED
    Inventor: Bing Long
  • Patent number: 9601815
    Abstract: A battery system includes a plurality of battery cells connected to one another and includes an apparatus configured to control the temperature of the plurality of battery cells. The apparatus includes at least one hollow body through which a coolant flows and includes at least one heat conducting element having at least one first contact region and at least one second contact region. The at least one first contact region has a planar configuration and is in thermal contact with a side face of at least one battery cell of the plurality of battery cells. The at least one second contact region is arranged on the at least one hollow body such that the at least one second contact region is in thermal contact with the at least one hollow body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignees: Robert Bosch GmbH, Samsung SDI Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Achim Schmidt