Patents Examined by Carmen Lyles-Irving
  • Patent number: 9755197
    Abstract: Provided is a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery including a bottomed cylindrical positive electrode casing and a negative electrode casing which is fixed to an opening of the positive electrode casing through a gasket. The opening of the positive electrode casing is caulked to the negative electrode casing side to seal the accommodation space. A diameter d is in a range of 6.6 mm to 7.0 mm, and a height h1 is in a range of 1.9 mm to 2.3 mm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: SEIKO INSTRUMENTS INC.
    Inventor: Takumi Sawayama
  • Patent number: 9755217
    Abstract: A prismatic secondary battery includes a prismatic hollow outer body having a mouth and a bottom; a flat electrode assembly, a positive electrode collector, a negative electrode collector, and an electrolyte, all of which are stored in the prismatic outer body; a sealing plate sealing up the mouth of the prismatic outer body; and a positive electrode terminal attached to the sealing plate in an electrically insulated manner. The sealing plate includes a gas release valve and an electrolyte pour hole and further includes, on the front face, a concaved flat face having an identification code. With the prismatic secondary battery of the invention, a jig for assembly or the like is unlikely to come into contact with the identification code during an assembly process of the prismatic secondary battery, hence the identification code is unlikely to be abraded, and the traceability is unlikely to be lost.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: SANYO Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takayuki Hattori, Yoshinori Yokoyama, Eiji Okutani, Yasuhiro Yamauchi
  • Patent number: 9755282
    Abstract: An energy storage system includes a plurality of trays holding battery packs, each tray having a tray controller, and a switch to set an identification code to the tray, and a rack accommodating the plurality of trays, the rack having a rack controller, and fingers corresponding to each switch of the trays, the fingers selectively activating each switch when a corresponding tray is mounted on the rack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: SAMSUNG SDI CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Sang-Kyu Ahn
  • Patent number: 9741980
    Abstract: A storage structure including a housing, a locker, a cover and a connector is provided. The housing has a receiving slot. The locker is disposed in the receiving slot, and includes a locking portion. The cover includes a protrusion. The protrusion and the locking portion are engaged with each other. The connector is pivotally connected between the cover and the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: ABILITY ENTERPRISE CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Wan-Chin Wu, Shu-Hung Liu, Chun-Ho Hsiao
  • Patent number: 9731972
    Abstract: Cohesive carbon assemblies are prepared by obtaining a functionalized carbon starting material in the form of powder, particles, flakes, loose agglomerates, aqueous wet cake, or aqueous slurry, dispersing the carbon in water by mechanical agitation and/or refluxing, and substantially removing the water, typically by evaporation, whereby the cohesive assembly of carbon is formed. The method is suitable for preparing free-standing, monolithic assemblies of carbon nanotubes in the form of films, wafers, discs, fiber, or wire, having high carbon packing density and low electrical resistivity. The method is also suitable for preparing substrates coated with an adherent cohesive carbon assembly. The assemblies have various potential applications, such as electrodes or current collectors in electrochemical capacitors, fuel cells, and batteries, or as transparent conductors, conductive inks, pastes, and coatings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: YAZAKI CORPORATION
    Inventors: Leonid Grigorian, Sean Imtiaz Brahim
  • Patent number: 9728798
    Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell stack having a membrane electrode assembly and an internal reactant gas passage, a unit that detects or estimates an actual retained water quantity (R.W.Q.), and a power generation control unit having a normal-time mode, a normal-time drying mode and a stop-time drying mode. In the normal-time drying mode, the fuel cell stack is caused to generate electric power while being dried more than in the normal-time mode until the actual R.W.Q. is decreased to a target R.W.Q. In the stop-time drying mode, when the actual R.W.Q. is equal to or more than a flooding threshold at a time of detection of a system stop instruction, the fuel cell stack is caused to generate electric power while being dried more than in the normal-time drying mode until the actual R.W.Q. is decreased to a target R.W.Q.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Chihiro Wake, Tomohisa Kamiyama, Masakazu Hamachi, Takashi Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 9728804
    Abstract: A flexible secondary battery includes: an electrode stack structure including a first electrode layer, a second electrode layer, and a separator disposed between the first and second electrode layers; and a binding structure surrounding the electrode stack structure, where the binder structure is in fixed contact with a first side of the electrode stack structure and is in slidable contact with a second side of the electrode stack structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD
    Inventors: Yeonil Lee, Moonseok Kwon, Euncheol Do, Jaeman Choi
  • Patent number: 9722267
    Abstract: This disclosure relates to module level redundancy for fuel cell systems. A monitoring component monitors a set of operational parameters for a fuel cell group. The fuel cell group includes a set of fuel cell units, each having a set of fuel cell stacks. The fuel cell stacks include a set of gas powered fuel cells that convert air and fuel into electricity using a chemical reaction. The monitoring component determines that the set of operational parameters do not satisfy a set of operational criteria, and, in response, a load balancing component adjusts the electrical output capacity of the set of fuel cell units included in the fuel cell group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventor: Allen Wayne Schade
  • Patent number: 9716279
    Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure relate to electrocatalysts. The electrocatalyst may include at least one gas-diffusion layer having a first side and a second side, and particle cores adhered to at least one of the first and second sides of the at least one gas-diffusion layer. The particle cores includes surfaces adhered to the at least one of the first and second sides of the at least one gas-diffusion layer and surfaces not in contact with the at least one gas-diffusion layer. Furthermore, a thin layer of catalytically atoms may be adhered to the surfaces of the particle cores not in contact with the at least one gas-diffusion layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2017
    Assignee: Brookhaven Science Associates, LLC
    Inventors: Radoslav Adzic, Stoyan Bliznakov, Miomir Vukmirovic
  • Patent number: 9716296
    Abstract: A lithium ion battery pack includes a plurality of prismatic lithium polymer cells and one or more graphite heat spreaders. Each spreader has at least two major surfaces and is made of one of a sheet of a compressed mass of exfoliated graphite particles, a graphitized polyimide sheet, or combinations thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2017
    Assignee: Advanced Energy Technologies LLC
    Inventors: Ryan J. Wayne, Jonathan Andrew Taylor, Julian Norley, Bradley E. Reis, Mark Pollock, Ian Andrew McCallum, Thomas W. Weber, Robert A. Reynolds, III, Martin David Smalc, Elliot G. Fishman
  • Patent number: 9711811
    Abstract: An end plate arranged on one end of a fuel cell unit includes a plate body, which is formed from a metal material, and a gas-liquid separator, which includes a housing into which emission from the fuel cell unit is drawn in. The gas-liquid separator separates water from the emission and drains the separated water out of the housing. The housing is formed from a resin material and is in contact with the plate body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA BOSHOKU KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Kunihiro Yamaura
  • Patent number: 9711814
    Abstract: A fuel cell system includes an accumulated current value measuring unit. The accumulated current value measuring unit measures an accumulated current value by time integration of current output from the fuel cell in a period during which oxygen is produced by water-splitting reaction in an anode of a negative voltage cell. A control unit uses a first correlation between the accumulated current value in the oxygen generation period and an oxygen consumption rate in the anode and a second correlation between a current density of the fuel cell in the oxygen generation period and an oxygen production rate in the anode to obtain a current density at or below which the amount of oxygen in the anode may be reduced, and causes the fuel cell to output electric power at a current density lower than the obtained current density.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shuya Kawahara, Manabu Kato
  • Patent number: 9692063
    Abstract: A fuel cell separator comprises a first plate and a second plate. The first plate has a plurality of first projections protruded toward the second plate to define reactive gas flow paths, the second plate has a plurality of second projections protruded toward the first plate to define reactive gas flow paths. A top of each of the plurality of first projections is in contact with an intermediate part between adjacent two of the plurality of second projections formed on the second plate, and a top of each of the plurality of second projections is in contact with an intermediate part between adjacent two of the plurality of first projections formed on the first plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Takehiro Naoki
  • Patent number: 9687253
    Abstract: A battery housing for a driver of a powered surgical tool. The battery housing includes a casing with an opening for inserting at least one battery into the casing, a door for closing the opening when the door is in its closed position, and a driver interface for removably attaching the battery housing to a driver of a powered surgical tool. The door includes at least one part that is configured for being blocked by the driver when the door is moved out of its closed position and the battery housing is attached to the driver, such that the door cannot be opened when the battery housing is attached to the driver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: Zimmer Surgical SA
    Inventors: Marc Detry, Kévin Sornay
  • Patent number: 9689624
    Abstract: A battery module with one or more battery cells and a heat exchange member placed in thermal communication with the battery cell, and a method of making a heat pipe system from the heat exchange member. The heat exchange member includes a container with a heat transfer fluid disposed therein. In one form, the heat transfer fluid is capable of going through a phase change as a way to absorb at least a portion of heat present in or generated by battery cell. A pressure control device cooperates with the container and heat transfer fluid such that upon attainment of a predetermined thermal event within the battery cell, the pressure control device permits liberation of at least a portion of the heat transfer fluid to an ambient environment, thereby relieving pressure on the container and removing some of the excess heat caused by the thermal event.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Adam T. Timmons, Benjamin R. Christian
  • Patent number: 9680162
    Abstract: A stainless steel member for a separator of a solid polymer fuel cell has excellent cell properties with little deterioration in performance over long periods of operation without worsening of the corrosion resistance of a stainless steel separator. The stainless steel member has a stainless steel base metal, and a passive film and electrically conductive precipitates both provided on a surface of the stainless steel base metal. The electrically conductive precipitate penetrates the passive film and includes a substance originating from the stainless steel base metal. An electrically conductive layer comprising a nonmetallic electrically conductive substance is preferably provided on the surface of the passive film, and the electrically conductive layer is preferably electrically connected to the stainless steel base member through the electrically conductive precipitates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: NIPPON STEEL & SUMITOMO METAL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hideya Kaminaka, Junko Imamura, Akira Seki, Kouichi Takeuchi
  • Patent number: 9673458
    Abstract: A fuel cell includes a membrane electrode assembly, a separator, a fluid channel, a fluid manifold, a plurality of protruding elastic members, and a plurality of sealing members. A fluid is to flow in a stacking direction through the fluid manifold. A connection channel is provided between the plurality of protruding elastic members to connect the fluid channel and the fluid manifold. The plurality of sealing members are provided adjacent to the plurality of protruding elastic members in the stacking direction and extend in a direction to cross a flow direction in which the fluid flows along the connection channel. Each of the plurality of protruding elastic members has overlapping regions that overlap the plurality of sealing members as seen from the stacking direction. The overlapping regions are separated from each other in the flow direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takeshi Ushio, Syuji Sato, Masaru Oda, Yuji Asano, Koji Moriyama
  • Patent number: 9673457
    Abstract: Various embodiments include interconnects and/or end plates having features for reducing stress in a fuel cell stack. In embodiments, an interconnect/end plate may have a window seal area that is recessed relative to the flow field to indirectly reduce stress induced by an interface seal. Other features may include a thicker protective coating and/or larger uncoated area of an end plate, providing a recessed portion on an end plate for an interface seal, and/or recessing the fuel hole region of an interconnect relative to the flow field to reduce stress on the fuel cell. Further embodiments include providing intermittent seal support to minimize asymmetric seal loading and/or a non-circular seal configuration to reduce stress around the fuel hole of a fuel cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: BLOOM ENERGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Vijay Srivatsan, Michael Groesch, Daniel Darga, Matthias Gottmann, Ram Ramanan, Paturi Balaji Narasimha Prasad, Ramesha Guntanur, Ananda Sundararajan, Sachin Parhar
  • Patent number: 9666845
    Abstract: A power storage module that has a plurality of power storage cells stacked in a stacking direction, a pair of insulating end power storage cell holders superimposed at opposite ends in the stacking direction, and a pair of end plates superimposed at opposite ends in the stacking direction of the end power storage cell holders. In a mounted state, a lower end in a vertical direction of the end power storage cell holder projects downward from lower ends in a vertical direction of the power storage cell and the end plate. The end power storage cell holder includes a first face opposing the end plate and a second face opposing the power storage cell. A first drainage channel is formed on the first face and extends vertically downwardly and bends outward in the stacking direction. A second drainage passage extends vertically and is formed on the second face.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Atsushi Hayashida, Tsubasa Ikeya
  • Patent number: 9660227
    Abstract: A prismatic secondary battery includes a prismatic hollow outer body having a mouth and a bottom; a flat electrode assembly, a positive electrode collector, a negative electrode collector, and an electrolyte, all of which are stored in the prismatic outer body; a sealing plate sealing up the mouth of the prismatic outer body; and a positive electrode terminal attached to the sealing plate in an electrically insulated manner. The sealing plate includes a gas release valve and an electrolyte pour hole and further includes, on the front face, a concaved flat face having an identification code. With the prismatic secondary battery of the invention, a jig for assembly or the like is unlikely to come into contact with the identification code during an assembly process of the prismatic secondary battery, hence the identification code is unlikely to be abraded, and the traceability is unlikely to be lost.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: SANYO Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takayuki Hattori, Yoshinori Yokoyama, Eiji Okutani, Yasuhiro Yamauchi