Patents Examined by Carmen Lyles-Irving
  • Patent number: 9660307
    Abstract: A structure for effectively heating a battery. A battery is housed in a battery container. A condenser is formed such that a heating medium is in direct contact with a surface of the battery container, and condenses the heating medium to heat the battery via the battery container. The heating medium condensed by the condenser is supplied to an evaporator that heats and vaporizes the heating medium. The heating medium vaporized by the evaporator which is in vapor is circulated to the condenser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOYOTA CHUO KENKYUSHO, TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yasuki Hirota, Shuji Tomura, Takaji Umeno, Takashi Shimazu, Takashi Murata
  • Patent number: 9647262
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a core-shell type anode active material for a lithium secondary battery, a method of preparing the same, and a lithium secondary battery comprising the same. The anode active material for a lithium secondary battery according to the present invention comprises a carbon based material core portion; and a shell portion formed outside of the carbon based material core portion by coating the carbon based material core portion with a spinel-type lithium titanium oxide. The anode active material for a lithium secondary battery according to the present invention has the metal oxide shell portion, and thus has the improved conductivity, a high output density, and consequently excellent electrical characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: Kokam Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ji-Jun Hong, Sung-Tae Ko, Yoon-Jeong Heo
  • Patent number: 9647273
    Abstract: A flow battery includes an electrode operable to be wet by a solution having a reversible redox couple reactant. In one embodiment, the electrode can have plurality of micro and macro pores, wherein the macro pores have a size at least one order of magnitude greater than a size of the micro pores. In another embodiment, the electrode includes a plurality of layers, wherein one of the plurality of layers has a plurality of macro pores, and wherein another one of the plurality of layers has a plurality of micro pores. In another embodiment, the electrode has a thickness less than approximately 2 mm. In still another embodiment, the electrode has a porous carbon layer, wherein the layer is formed of a plurality of particles bound together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Rachid Zaffou, Michael L. Perry, Arun Pandy, Sergei F. Burlatsky, Vadim Atrazhev
  • Patent number: 9634313
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides an anti-rotation mechanism for an electrode terminal post of a lithium-ion battery, the anti-rotation mechanism for the electrode terminal post of the lithium-ion battery is an insulative piece, the insulative piece is provided on an electrode terminal post base which is fixedly connected to the electrode terminal post, and the insulative piece is also fixedly connected to an inner wall of a battery case of the lithium-ion battery. The rotation of the electrode terminal post of the lithium-ion battery can be effectively prevented through the insulative piece which is provided on the electrode terminal post base and is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the battery case of the lithium-ion battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: NINGDE AMPEREX TECHNOLOGY LIMITED
    Inventors: Quankun Li, Peng Wang, Pinghua Deng, Kai Wu
  • Patent number: 9634302
    Abstract: A secondary battery module includes a cell block in which a plurality of square batteries are layered, and includes: a pair of end plates arranged to respectively face one side and another side of the cell block in a layering direction; and a pair of side frames and arranged to respectively face one side and another side in a cell width direction perpendicular to the layering direction of the cell block, and in the one side and another side in the cell width direction, one end portion being engaged with one end plate at the one side in the layering direction, and other end portion being engaged with other end plate at another side in the layering direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventor: Sadayuki Aoki
  • Patent number: 9634362
    Abstract: A safety device for a vehicle having a battery system with a plurality of battery cells, a method for controlling the safety device, and a system that includes the safety device and the battery system. The safety device includes an electronic unit; a first device configured to detect an insulation resistance between components of the battery system and a reference potential, which components are connected in an electrically conductive manner to at least one battery cell; a second device configured to supply and/or discharge heat to and/or from the battery cells via a heat transfer medium which circulates in at least one circular flow pattern; and at least a first cut-off valve configured to interrupt the circular flow path of the heat transfer medium and which is actuated by the electronic unit from an open position into a closed position when the detected insulation resistance is below a predetermined limit value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Peter Dämon, Thomas Trathnigg
  • Patent number: 9627711
    Abstract: A non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery includes a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a separator disposed between the positive electrode and the negative electrode. The positive electrode of this secondary battery contains a positive electrode active substance having a hollow structure, which has a shell portion and a hollow portion formed inside the shell portion. In addition, a heat-resistant barrier layer is disposed between the positive electrode and the separator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroki Nagai, Takumi Tamaki
  • Patent number: 9620750
    Abstract: The present invention refers to a high-voltage battery for power supply, particularly of an automotive vehicle, comprising: an energy storage module with a plurality of electrochemical storage cells and a wall accommodating the plurality of storage cells, each storage cell comprising at least two electric connection terminals, and an upper part for contacting and covering the connection terminals, said upper part overlapping the wall in a contactless manner, so that a gap remains relative to the storage cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: Bayerishe Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Hubertus Goesmann, Christoph Born, Harald Heck, Frank Warmuth
  • Patent number: 9620753
    Abstract: Provided is a battery, and more particularly, a battery in which a cutting unit is formed in a seating groove so that the cutting unit and a sub battery module do not contact each other in a normal operation state, such that the battery may be stably driven, and a pouch of the sub battery module may be cut by the cutting unit only in an abnormal operation state such as over-charging, over-discharging, exposure to a high temperature, an electric short circuit, or the like, to prevent ignition or explosion in advance, such that safety may be improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: SK INNOVATION CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Jae Yun Min
  • Patent number: 9608248
    Abstract: An assembled battery includes a plurality of secondary battery cell series modules each having a plurality of secondary battery cells connected in series, wherein in each secondary battery cell series module, the secondary battery cells are connected in series by a first connection member, the secondary battery cell constituting the secondary battery cell series module and the secondary battery cell constituting the secondary battery cell series module adjacent to the above secondary battery cell series module are connected in parallel by a second connection member, the electrical resistance value of the second connection member is higher than the electrical resistance value of the first connection member, and the melting point of a material constituting the second connection member is lower than the melting point of a material constituting the first connection member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Shin Hotta, Shinichi Uesaka
  • Patent number: 9608253
    Abstract: A lead-acid battery terminal member includes: a terminal portion which is arranged in a resin-made cover for closing a container; and a cylindrical bushing which is connected to the terminal portion through a conducting portion. The bushing is embedded in the cover, and has a plurality of annular projecting portions formed on an outer periphery thereof. Poles extending from an electrode group arranged in the container are inserted into and are welded to the bushing. Surface roughness of a surface of the annular projecting portion which faces a resin forming the cover in an opposed manner is lower than surface roughness of a surface of a portion other than the annular projecting portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: GS Yuasa International Ltd.
    Inventor: Shin Osaki
  • Patent number: 9593894
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are a variety of embodiments of a thermal interface material that may be used in a variety of systems and methods to improve heat transfer. One embodiment consistent with the present disclosure includes a heat dissipation system that includes a heat source and a heat sink. A thermal interface material may be at least partially disposed between the heat source and the heat sink. The thermal interface material may include a plurality of strands of thermally conductive material woven into a pattern. The thermal interface material may be configured to conform to the contact surfaces of the heat source and the heat sink to thereby increase transference of heat between the heat source and the heat sink.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Leo Schwab, Chih-Cheng Hsu
  • Patent number: 9594122
    Abstract: Some embodiments of the present invention provide a system that estimates a state of charge for a battery. During operation, while the battery is relaxing toward a fully rested state, the system determines if a modified state of charge of the battery is substantially consistent with a predetermined decay pattern. If so, the system estimates the state of charge of the battery as a value of the modified state of charge determined at the time when the consistency is observed. Otherwise, the system continues monitoring the modified state of charge of the battery. In one embodiment, the predetermined decay pattern is a single exponential decay. After estimating the state of charge of the battery, the system may determine an uncertainty of the estimated state of charge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas C. Greening, Jeffrey G. Koller, Nils E. Mattisson, P. Jeffrey Ungar
  • Patent number: 9595716
    Abstract: An electrode for an energy store, in particular for a lithium-ion battery. To achieve a particularly good and long-term stable capacitance, the electrode includes an active material, optionally a binder, optionally a conductive additive, and a sorption agent; intermediate stages of the active material arising during a charging and/or discharging procedure of the energy store may be immobilized by the sorption agent. Furthermore, also described is a method for manufacturing an electrode for an energy store, and the use of a sorption agent for manufacturing an electrode for an electrochemical energy store.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
    Inventors: Marcus Wegner, Jens Grimminger, Martin Tenzer, Jean Fanous
  • Patent number: 9587321
    Abstract: An auxiliary electrode for a lithium-ion battery includes a lithium source material. The auxiliary electrode is configured to selectively couple to a negative electrode of a lithium-ion battery to provide lithium for formation of a solid-electrolyte-inter-phase layer on a negative electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: MEDTRONIC INC.
    Inventors: Joseph J. Viavattine, Gaurav Jain, Prabhakar A. Tamirisa
  • Patent number: 9590280
    Abstract: A battery pack includes a plurality of bare cells electrically connected to one another and a housing that accommodates the bare cells therein. The housing includes a frame portion and a pair of side portions respectively connected to one end and the other end of the frame portion. The housing includes a guide portion to guide a flow of fluid, the guide portion being located where the one end of the frame portion and one side portion of the pair of side portions are adjacent to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Myung-Chul Kim
  • Patent number: 9577264
    Abstract: The purpose of this invention is to provide an aluminum base for a current collector, which enables the production of a secondary battery having excellent cycle properties; and a current collector, a positive electrode, a negative electrode and a secondary battery, each of which is produced using the aluminum base. The aluminum base for a current collector has a surface in which at least two structures selected from the group consisting of a large-wave structure having an average opening size of more than 5 ?m but up to 100 ?m, a medium-wave structure having an average opening size of more than 0.5 ?m but up to 5 ?m, and a small-wave structure having an average opening size of more than 0.01 ?m but up to 0.5 ?m are superimposed on one another, wherein a maximum peak-to-valley height Pt of a profile curve of the surface is up to 10 ?m.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Yusuke Hatanaka, Satoshi Hoshi
  • Patent number: 9570758
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a fuel cell. An insulating member has a plurality of communication holes disposed on a side of a gas diffusion layer, which is formed by stacking a layer made of a carbon fiber and a water-repellent layer, where the water-repellent layer is provided. The gas diffusion layer and the insulating member are sandwiched by a pair of electrodes, and a pair of contact pressure plates are disposed on respective rear surfaces of the pair of electrodes so as to sandwich the pair of electrodes so that the gas diffusion layer is pressurized by the pair of contact pressure plates. When a voltage is applied to the pair of electrodes while maintaining the pressurized state, the protrusion portion of the carbon fiber is burned and removed by Joule heat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignees: NIPPON SOKEN, INC., TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yuichi Gomi, Katsuhide Kikuchi, Hiroshi Fujitani, Akito Kawasumi, Junji Nakanishi, Kenji Tsubosaka
  • Patent number: 9559351
    Abstract: A method for producing nickel composite hydroxide particles may include: a first step of producing nuclei including primary particles by controlling the pH of an aqueous solution for nucleation, the aqueous solution for nucleation containing a metal compound having an atomic ratio of metals corresponding to an atomic ratio of metals in the nickel composite hydroxide particles and substantially not containing a metal complex ion-forming agent; and a second step of forming, on an outer surface of each of the nuclei, an outer shell portion including platy primary particles larger than primary particles of the nuclei by controlling the pH of an aqueous solution for particle growth containing the nuclei obtained in the nucleation step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: SUMITOMO METAL MINING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kensaku Mori, Rei Kokado, Shin Imaizumi
  • Patent number: 9553287
    Abstract: A battery pack including a plurality of bare cells electrically connected to one another; and a housing including a bottom portion accommodating the bare cells therein, a middle portion mounted on the bottom portion, and a top portion on the middle portion, the top portion including a first fastening portion, and the middle portion including a second fastening portion facing the first fastening portion, and at least a portion of the first fastening portion or the second fastening portion is spaced apart from the other of the first fastening portion or the second fastening portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Myung-Chul Kim, Jang-Gun Ahn, Hee-Joon Jin, Young-Bin Lim