Patents Examined by Carmen Lyles-Irving
  • Patent number: 8927174
    Abstract: A sealing structure of a fuel cell has a first gasket made of an elastomer and provided integrally on a separator, and a second gasket made of an elastomer and provided integrally on other separator. A membrane-electrode assembly is sandwiched or pinched by the first and second gaskets. The first gasket has a main lip in which a top portion brought into close contact with the membrane-electrode assembly is formed flat. The second gasket has a flat seal portion and a sub lip protruding from this flat seal portion at a position opposing the main lip. The flat seal portion and the sub lip are brought into close contact with the membrane-electrode assembly. The width of the top portion of the main lip is narrower than the width of the flat seal portion, and larger than the width of the sub lip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: NOK Corporation
    Inventors: Shinichiro Taguchi, Shigeru Watanabe
  • Patent number: 8911916
    Abstract: A fuel cell includes a membrane electrode assembly, a first separator, and a second separator. The membrane electrode assembly includes a solid polymer electrolyte membrane, a first electrode, a second electrode, and a resin frame member. The membrane electrode assembly includes a power generation section and a stepped section. The power generation section is located in an interior space of the resin frame member. The solid polymer electrolyte membrane is provided between the first electrode and the second electrode in the power generation section. The stepped section is located on an outer side of the first electrode. The solid polymer electrolyte membrane is provided between the second electrode and the resin frame member in the stepped section. A magnitude of an interference in the stepped section is set to be smaller than a magnitude of an interference in the power generation section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Seiji Sugiura, Hiroshi Shinkai, Kenichi Tanaka, Mihoko Kawaharada, Kenta Urata, Yukihito Tanaka, Takashi Kato
  • Patent number: 8911902
    Abstract: A nickel (Ni)-based positive electrode active material, a method of preparing the same, and a lithium battery using the Ni-based positive electrode active material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Assignee: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Do-Hyung Park, Seon-Young Kwon, Min-Han Kim, Ji-Hyun Kim, Chang-Hyuk Kim, Jeong-Seop Lee, Yoon-Chang Kim
  • Patent number: 8911892
    Abstract: A battery module mounting assembly is provided. The assembly includes a base plate, and a first retention clamp having a first plate of uniform thickness. The first plate has a central rib, first and second base portions, and first and second clamping portions. The first and second base portions extend from first and second sides, respectively, of the central rib, and are fixedly attached to the base plate. The first clamping portion extends outwardly from the first base portion. The first clamping portion holds a first portion of a first battery module housing. The second clamping portion extends outwardly from the second base portion. The second clamping portion holds a second portion of a second battery module housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Assignee: LG Chem, Ltd.
    Inventors: Steven Lent, Heekook Yang, Robert Merriman, Michael P. Garascia
  • Patent number: 8906524
    Abstract: A secondary battery includes a module frame capable of supporting a protection circuit module in a stable manner. The secondary battery includes a bare cell including a cap plate, a protection circuit module, and a module frame provided between the cap plate and the protection circuit module to support the protection circuit module. The module frame is made of a conductive material to electrically connect the cap plate and the protection circuit module to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Sangjoo Lee
  • Patent number: 8895172
    Abstract: A method is provided for controlling the temperature of a traction battery in a hybrid vehicle, where the hybrid vehicle includes an internal combustion engine and an electric motor for traction power. The method includes providing a first temperature regulating circuit for the internal combustion engine, providing a second temperature regulating circuit for the traction battery, heating the traction battery by an electrical heater provided in the second temperature regulating circuit in series with a pump, a radiator and the traction battery, transferring power to the electrical heater via a DC/DC converter from the electrical motor, which electrical motor is driven by the internal combustion engine, while the battery is below a predetermined temperature interval.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: Volvo Lastvagnar AB
    Inventors: Tobias Axelsson, Guy Mouden, Johan Larsson, Jerker Lennevi
  • Patent number: 8883336
    Abstract: A battery pack includes at least one battery module having a plurality of battery cells; and a housing accommodating the at least one battery module and having an inlet port at a first side thereof and discharging port at a second side thereof opposite to the first side, the housing having a bottom surface that has a slope and a first hole at an end of the slope.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignees: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd., Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Myung-Chul Kim, In-Hwan Cha, Hyun-Ye Lee
  • Patent number: 8859125
    Abstract: A battery pack frame for accommodating a plurality of secondary cells arranged in parallel with each other, each secondary cell extending axially in a first direction, the battery pack frame including an upper frame for coupling with an upper portion of each of the plurality of secondary cells so as to accommodate the plurality of secondary cells; a lower frame facing the upper frame, the lower frame being for coupling with a lower portion of each of the plurality of secondary cells, the upper and lower frames being spaced from each other in the first direction; and a plurality of elastic members disposed in parallel with each other and extending in the first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kum-Yul Hwang, Andrey Matyushenko
  • Patent number: 8859134
    Abstract: A battery connector includes: a plurality of terminals, each of which is to be connected to each electrode of a plurality of batteries; and a case which contains the plurality of terminals therein. The case includes a terminal fixing part in which the plurality of terminals are fixed, and an insulating cover which is supported to be displaced to a closing position at which an open face of the terminal fixing part is covered by the insulating cover. A wire guide is formed in an outer surface of the insulating cover in the closing position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
    Inventors: Tomohiro Ikeda, Keizo Aoki, Yukihisa Kikuchi, Ryuta Takishita, Kaiho Ryu, Masaru Imai
  • Patent number: 8852793
    Abstract: A secondary battery includes an electrode assembly including a first electrode plate including a first non-coating portion, a second electrode plate including a second non-coating portion, and a separator between the first and second electrode plates; an insulating bag accommodating the electrode assembly and including first and second connection members electrically connected to the first and second non-coating portions, respectively; a case accommodating the electrode assembly and the insulating bag; a cap plate sealing an opening of the case; and first and second electrode terminals electrically connected to the first and second connection members, respectively. An upper part of the insulating bag having an opening is coupled to a lower surface of the cap plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignees: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd., Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Minhyung Guen
  • Patent number: 8852770
    Abstract: A device includes two electrically conductive rods to couple to connection terminals of a battery cell of a battery, with a force tending to squeeze the electrically conductive rods together. The device includes an insulating block to keep the electrically conductive rods from making electrical contact with each other. An insulating block disable element disables the insulating block in response to a control signal generated by a disable element controller. The disable element controller monitors at least one operating state signal of the cell, and generates the control signal based on the monitoring, allowing the rods to come into electrical contact and short-circuit the battery cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics SA
    Inventor: Jochen Langheim
  • Patent number: 8835030
    Abstract: A battery pack includes a first bare cell and a second bare cell having positive electrodes electrically connected to each other at a first node and negative electrodes electrically connected to each other at the second node, a first protective device connected between the positive electrode of the first bare cell and the first node, and a protective circuit module electrically connected between the first bare cell and second bare cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Seok-Ryun Park, Seok Koh
  • Patent number: 8822096
    Abstract: An electrical power source for a portable electronic device. The electrical power source includes at least one fuel cell adapted to receive fuel and generate therefrom electrical power for powering at least one component of the portable electronic device, a fuel tank adapted to provide fuel to the fuel cell, and at least one thermoelectric module in thermal contact with at least one of the fuel cell and fuel tank for regulating the temperature of the at least one fuel cell and at least one fuel tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: David Gerard Rich, Lyall Kenneth Winger
  • Patent number: 8815465
    Abstract: A membrane electrode assembly for a polymer electrolyte fuel cell includes: a proton conductive membrane for conducting protons; electrode catalyst layers arranged at both sides of the proton conductive membrane containing catalyst particles and an electrode electrolyte; and gas diffusion layers arranged on the respective electrode catalyst layers, having a porous basic material. Further, intermediate layers each having a thickness of 2-6 ?m are included, with noble metallic nanoparticles, an electrode electrolyte and carbon powder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Naoki Mitsuta, Shintaro Tanaka, Taku Eguchi
  • Patent number: 8808901
    Abstract: An anode protector of a lithium-ion battery and a method for fabricating the same are provided. A passivation protector (110) is formed on a surface of an anode (102) in advance by film deposition, such as atomic layer deposition (ALD). The passivation protector (110) is composed of a metal oxide having three dimensional structures, such as columnar structures. Accordingly, the present invention is provided with effective protection of the anode electrode structure and maintenance of battery cycle life under high-temperature operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: National Taiwan University of Science and Technology
    Inventors: Fu-Ming Wang, Hsin-Yi Wang, Chin-Shu Cheng
  • Patent number: 8802259
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a battery pack including a battery module including a cell module stack having a structure in which a plurality of cell modules, each of which includes a battery cell mounted in a cartridge, is vertically stacked, a lower end plate to support a lower end of the cell module stack, an upper end plate to fix an uppermost cartridge of the cell module stack disposed on the lower end plate, and a voltage detection assembly to detect voltages of the battery cells, a box type pack case in which the battery module is mounted, a pack cover coupled to the pack case, and fastening extension members protruding upward from the battery module to couple the battery module to the pack case and the pack cover.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: LG Chem, Ltd.
    Inventors: BumHyum Lee, Jin Kyu Lee, MinJung Kim, Jong Moon Yoon, DalMo Kang
  • Patent number: 8802319
    Abstract: The present invention relates to block copolymer electrolyte composite membranes with improved ionic conductivity. The block copolymer electrolyte composite membrane in accordance with an aspect of the present invention can comprise a plate-like inorganic filler as surface-modified with a sulfonic group; and a block copolymer comprising at least one selected from the group consisting of a sulfonic group, a carbonic acid group, and a phosphoric acid group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: Korea Institute of Science and Technology
    Inventors: Chong-Min Koo, Soon-Man Hong, Seung-Sang Hwang, Kyung-Youl Baek, Jang-Woo Lee, Jin-Hong Lee, Youn-Duk Park, Kyung-ho Min, Ji-Young Jung
  • Patent number: 8795861
    Abstract: A fuel cell system and a fuel cell vehicle equipped with the fuel cell system are provided. In a case where the voltage of a battery is outside a voltage range of fuel cells where oxidation-reduction proceeds, an ECU controls a DC/DC converter to be placed in a direct connection state (Vbat?Vfc), and controls a gas supply unit so as to regulate concentration of oxygen or hydrogen supplied to the fuel cells in accordance with a target power generation electric power determined based on electric power required by a load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Shuichi Kazuno, Hibiki Saeki, Kazunori Watanabe
  • Patent number: 8795874
    Abstract: A battery pack including a stack, the stack including a plurality of cells having different polarities at top and bottom surfaces thereof, the plurality of cells being arranged such that at least two cells are arranged along a short axis of the stack when viewed from top or bottom surfaces of the cells, and center connecting lines of adjacent cells along a long axis of the stack are other than perpendicular to the short axis; and conductive plates electrically connecting the plurality of cells to each other, each of the conductive plates including connection parts electrically connected to the cells and a linking part between the connection parts, wherein each of the connection parts includes at least two welding points and a line connecting the welding points, the line being parallel with the short axis of the stack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kwangsoo Bae
  • Patent number: 8790839
    Abstract: A fuel cell system for use with an endothermic fuel generator including a fuel cell stack having a primary fuel cell stack having a first thermal mass and a secondary fuel cell stack having a second thermal mass smaller than the first, the fuel cell system further including a first thermal coupling mechanism configured to thermally couple waste heat from the secondary fuel cell stack to the primary fuel cell stack, and a second thermal coupling mechanism configured to thermally couple waste heat from the fuel cell stack to the endothermic fuel generator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: Ardica Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel Braithwaite, Tibor Fabian, Friedrich B. Prince