Patents Examined by Carmen Lyles-Irving
  • Patent number: 9070918
    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: February 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2015
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventor: Allen Wayne Schade
  • Patent number: 9059455
    Abstract: Methods for refurbishing components, such as interconnects of a fuel cell stack, include singulating the stack and removing the electrolyte, seals and oxide layer using non-mechanical methods. The various methods of may be used either singly or in combination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2015
    Assignee: BLOOM ENERGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michael Gasda, Matthias Gottmann, Neil Ide, Ryan Hallum, Dien Nguyen
  • Patent number: 9054360
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an integrated high-voltage battery housing. More particularly, it relates to an integrated high-voltage battery housing adapted to secure safety against side impact collisions while reducing the weight of a vehicle by integrating a connecting structure between a battery housing and a side member of a chassis of the vehicle. In particular, the integrated high-voltage battery housing includes: a bottom housing configured to receive a battery; a battery fixing bracket configured to fix the battery to a top surface of the bottom housing; and a plurality of flanges extending from an upper end edge of a side wall of the bottom housing and each having a coupling aperture for coupling the flange to a chassis side member. A protruding reinforcing portion extends transversely between opposite sides of the bottom housing on a bottom surface of the bottom housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2015
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Gyu Ho Yi, Sun Hyung Cho
  • Patent number: 9054354
    Abstract: Automated systems and methods remove water from a fuel cell powered vehicle and eliminate the need for one or more separate steps to discharge the water. The water may be simultaneously drained or discharged from the vehicle holding tank while the fuel cell powered vehicle is being refueled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2015
    Assignee: The Raymond Corporation
    Inventors: Augustus Baldini, Richard Day
  • Patent number: 9034510
    Abstract: A battery pack is provided. The battery pack has a base plate and a peripheral side wall extending upwardly from the base plate. The peripheral side wall has first and second side portions disposed at first and second ends, respectively, of the base plate. The battery pack further includes a plurality of battery modules disposed on the base plate between the first and second ends of the base plate along a longitudinal axis of the base plate. The battery pack further includes a first mounting bracket coupled to the first side portion of the peripheral side wall. The battery pack further includes a second mounting bracket having a plate portion, an extension portion extending outwardly from the plate portion, and an elastomeric member disposed on the extension portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: LG Chem, Ltd.
    Inventors: Steven Lent, Michael Garascia
  • Patent number: 9034505
    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: August 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: Zimmer Surgical SA
    Inventors: Marc Detry, Kévin Sornay
  • Patent number: 9023502
    Abstract: An embodiment of a system for the storage of electric energy with reduced thickness for a vehicle with electric propulsion; the storage system has: a support plane; and a plurality of chemical batteries, each of which includes at least one electrochemical cell which rests on the support plane and has a flat parallelepiped shape with two mutually parallel, opposite larger bases; in each chemical battery the electrochemical cell is arranged parallel to the support plane and rests a larger lower base on the support plane; and each chemical battery includes its own compression system which presses directly on a larger upper base of the electrochemical cell opposite to the larger lower base, keeps the electrochemical cell pressed against the support plane, and is independent from the compression systems of the other batteries.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: Ferrari S.P.A.
    Inventor: Fabrizio Favaretto
  • Patent number: 9017851
    Abstract: An apparatus for powering a medical device includes a battery pack, a connection feature on the battery pack, and a protective layer. In some versions the protective layer covers the battery pack and the connection feature to provide a fluid tight seal. In some versions, the connection feature comprises at least one electrode, which may pierce the protective layer to establish electrical communication with the medical device from within the protective layer such that a non-sterile battery pack could be used to deliver power to a sterile medical device without compromising sterility of the medical device. The protective layer may form a compartment. The at least one electrode may have a conical shape to facilitate piercing the protective layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignee: Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc.
    Inventors: Kevin D. Felder, Christopher B. Anderson, Frederick E. Shelton, IV, Michael J. Stokes, Sora Rhee, Timothy G. Dietz, William D. Dannaher
  • Patent number: 9012104
    Abstract: A bipolar plate and regenerative fuel cell stacks including the bipolar plates and membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) alternately stacked. The bipolar plate comprises a plate main body formed of an electrically conductive material. The plate main body has a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface. Each surface has reaction flow channels through which fluids pass. The reaction flow channels on the first surface have a plurality of ribs therebetween forming an interdigitate flow field pattern. The reaction flow channels on the second surface have a plurality of ribs therebetween forming an interdigitate flow field pattern or a flow field pattern different from an interdigitate flow field pattern, e.g., a serpentine flow field pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: Ramot At Tel-Aviv University Ltd.
    Inventors: Emanuel Peled, Arnon Blum, Adi Aharon, Yaron Konra, Vladimir Zel, Kobby Saadi
  • Patent number: 9005818
    Abstract: A negative electrode active material including mesoporous silica having mesopores filled with a metal and a lithium battery including the same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: So-Ra Lee, Jae-Myung Kim, Jun-Sik Kim, Kyeu-Yoon Sheem
  • Patent number: 8999547
    Abstract: A battery module includes a plurality of battery cells, and a heat exchanging member adjoining the plurality of battery cells in heat exchanging relationship therewith. The heat exchanging member includes a plurality of tubes arranged therein, and each tube defines a plurality of heat exchanging medium flow passageways therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignees: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd., ROBERT BOSCH GmbH
    Inventors: In-Hwan Cha, Kwon Sohn, Seung-Woo Yang, Min-Kyun Mok
  • Patent number: 8993185
    Abstract: A system and method for determining a maximum average cell voltage set-point for fuel cells in a fuel cell stack that considers oxidation of the catalyst in the fuel cells. The method includes determining the average cell voltage, the stack current density (I) and an internal resistance (R) of membranes in the fuel cells to calculate an IR corrected average cell voltage. The IR corrected average cell voltage is then used to determine the oxidation state of the catalyst particles using, for example, an empirical model. The oxidation state of the particles is then used to calculate the maximum average cell voltage set-point of the fuel cells, which is used to set the minimum power requested from the fuel cell stack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: John P. Salvador, Thomas A. Greszler, Brian A. Litteer
  • Patent number: 8993186
    Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell, a fuel gas passage, and an oxidant gas passage. The fuel cell includes a solid polymer membrane, a fuel electrode, and an oxidant electrode. A coolant flows into the fuel cell via a coolant passage to adjust a temperature of the fuel cell. An oxidant gas outlet temperature detector is configured to detect an outlet temperature of an oxidant gas discharged from an outlet of the oxidant gas passage. A coolant temperature detector is configured to detect a temperature of the coolant passing through an inlet or an outlet of the coolant passage. A dry-up controller is configured to decide that the solid polymer membrane is in a dry-up state when a temperature difference between the temperature of the coolant and the outlet temperature of the oxidant gas exceeds a first threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Koichiro Furusawa, Toshikatsu Katagiri, Akiji Ando, Kentaro Nagoshi
  • Patent number: 8986873
    Abstract: A battery pack includes at least two or more bare cells, a lead tab and an insulating member. Each of the bare cells has a first terminal portion. The lead tab is provided to the first terminal portion of the bare cell. The insulating member is interposed between the bare cell and the lead tab and is provided with an opening so that the bare cell and the lead tab are electrically connected to each other. In the battery pack, the insulating member includes two or more bare cell facing portions respectively corresponding to the bare cells, an extending portion that connects neighboring bare cell facing portions to each other, and guide portions respectively provided to the bare cell facing portions so as not to be arranged in one straight line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Dong-Wan Kang
  • Patent number: 8980470
    Abstract: A lithium ion battery comprises a shell, a cell disposed in the shell, and two lugs connected to the cell. Each of the lugs comprises a conductive foil with a surface and a PTC layer disposed on the surface of the conductive foil. The lugs conduct currents between the lithium ion battery and an outer circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignees: Tsinghua University, Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jian-Jun Li, Xiang-Ming He, Min Chen, Li-Juan Feng
  • Patent number: 8974975
    Abstract: A method for determining a rate of accumulation of nitrogen in an anode side of a fuel cell stack. The method includes determining a concentration of nitrogen in an anode loop and determining a number of moles of nitrogen in the anode loop. The method also includes determining a rate of accumulation of nitrogen in the anode loop and determining a permeability factor of nitrogen through fuel cell membranes in the fuel cell stack using the determined rate of accumulation of nitrogen in the anode loop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2015
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Daniel C. Di Fiore, Thomas W. Tighe
  • Patent number: 8974983
    Abstract: An electrical conductive member includes: an electrical conductive structure including: a substrate; an electrical conductive carbon layer provided on at least one surface of the substrate and containing electrical conductive carbon; and a middle layer interposed between the substrate and the electrical conductive carbon layer. An intensity ratio R (ID/IG) of a D-band peak intensity (ID) to a G-band peak intensity (IG) measured by a Raman scattering spectroscopic analysis in the electrical conductive carbon layer is between 1.4 and 1.9.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2015
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomokatsu Himeno, Atsushi Miyazawa, Motoki Yaginuma, Keisuke Yamamoto, Keiji Okada, Tsutomu Yamazaki, Yasuhiro Numao, Toshihiko Tsuda
  • Patent number: 8968906
    Abstract: A battery module is described. The battery module includes the battery module includes a plurality of repeating frames; a plurality of battery cells positioned between the plurality of repeating frames, the battery cells having a flexible heat conducting covering, an edge of the heat conducting covering folded over an outside edge of the repeating frame; and a heat sink contacting the edge of the heat conducting covering folded over the edge of the repeating frame. A method of cooling a battery module is also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Chih-Cheng Hsu, Herman K. Phlegm
  • Patent number: 8968967
    Abstract: A fuel cell catalyst support includes a fluoride-doped metal oxide/phosphate support structure and a catalyst layer, supported on such fluoride-doped support structure. In one example, the support structure is a sub-stechiometric titanium oxide and/or indium-tin oxide (ITO) partially coated or mixed with a fluoride-doped metal oxide or metal phosphate. In another example, the support structure is fluoride-doped and mixed with at least one of low surface carbon, boron-doped diamond, carbides, borides, and silicides.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: Ballard Power Systems Inc.
    Inventors: Belabbes Merzougui, Minhua Shao, Lesia V. Protsailo
  • Patent number: 8962170
    Abstract: A device for performing at least one medical function on a user is proposed. The device has at least one medical functional element that is designed to perform the medical function. The medical function is selected from a diagnostic, a therapeutic and a surgical function. The device has at least one evaluation and control part that comprises at least one actuation component for controlling the medical function. The evaluation and control part has at least one casing and at least one battery receptacle. The battery receptacle comprises at least one electrical energy reservoir, more particularly at least one battery. The battery receptacle is designed to be opened irreversibly by the user for removing the energy reservoir.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Roche Diagnostics Operations, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephan-Michael Frey, Helmut Walter, Juergen Braun, Juergen Pfrang