Patents Examined by Christopher Domone
  • Patent number: 9911980
    Abstract: Provided herein is a battery and an electrode. The battery may include two electrodes; and an electrolyte, wherein at least one electrode further includes: a nano-scale coated network, which includes one or more first carbon nanotubes electrically connected to one or more second carbon nanotubes to form a nano-scale network, wherein at least one of the one or more second carbon nanotubes is in electrical contact with another of the one or more second carbon nanotubes. The battery may further include an active material coating distributed to cover portions of the one or more first carbon nanotubes and portions of the one or more second carbon nanotubes, wherein a plurality of the one or more second carbon nanotubes are in electrical communication with other second carbon nanotubes under the active material coating. Also provided herein is a method of making a battery and an electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: Wellstat BioCatalysis, LLC
    Inventor: Evgeniya Freydina
  • Patent number: 9893397
    Abstract: The present invention provides a metal-air cell that allows pieces of an electrode active material that have fallen off to contribute to a discharge reaction and thus has high power generation efficiency. The metal-air cell according to the present invention includes an electrolyte cell containing an electrolyte, a metal electrode disposed in the electrolyte cell and serving as an anode, and an air electrode serving as a cathode. The metal electrode includes a current collector and an electrode active material part disposed on the current collector and made of an electrode active material. The current collector includes a supporting part supporting the electrode active material part and a receiving part disposed between a bottom of the electrolyte cell and the electrode active material part. The receiving part includes a projection projecting in the electrolyte cell beyond a side surface of the electrode active material part toward a sidewall of the electrolyte cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Akihito Yoshida, Masaki Kaga, Tomoharu Arai, Hirotaka Mizuhata
  • Patent number: 9871264
    Abstract: The present invention provides a fuel cell system using combustion heat for an evaporator and a desulfurizer effectively. The fuel cell system comprises a combustor, a reformer, a fuel cell, a first cathode air heating part, a desulfurizer and an evaporator. A mixture of oxygen and gas which is contained in fuel is combusted in the combustor. A combustion exhaust gas generated in the combustor flows in the fuel cell system in such a manner that the combustion exhaust gas gives thermal energy to the reformer, the first cathode air heating part, the desulfurizer, and the evaporator in this order.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Miki Dohkoshi, Kunihiro Ukai, Takehiro Maruyama
  • Patent number: 9853310
    Abstract: A method of determining a distribution of electrolytes in a flow battery includes providing a flow battery with a fixed amount of fluid electrolyte having a common electrochemically active specie, a portion of the fluid electrolyte serving as an anolyte and a remainder of the fluid electrolyte serving as a catholyte. An average oxidation state of the common electrochemically active specie is determined in the anolyte and the catholyte and, responsive to the determined average oxidation state, a molar ratio of the common electrochemically active specie between the anolyte and the catholyte is adjusted to increase an energy discharge capacity of the flow battery for the determined average oxidation state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Robert Mason Darling, Andrew Smeltz, Sven Tobias Junker, Michael L. Perry
  • Patent number: 9847544
    Abstract: Ion conductive organic-inorganic composite particles are particles that have an organic group on the surface of inorganic particles and have at least a configuration that does not allow the inorganic particles to contact with each other by steric hindrance of the organic group, the organic group containing an ion conductive group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2017
    Assignee: NITTO DENKO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshiharu Hatakeyama, Hideyuki Emori, Hiroyuki Nishii, Junichi Nagase, Shusaku Shibata, Saori Fukuzaki, Tatsuki Nagatsuka, Takahiro Fukuoka
  • Patent number: 9843073
    Abstract: A gel electrolyte and a separator are provided between the positive electrode current collector and the negative electrode current collector. The plurality of positive electrode current collectors and the plurality of negative electrode current collectors are stacked such that surfaces of negative electrodes with which active material layers are not coated or surfaces of positive electrodes with which active material layers are not coated are in contact with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2017
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yumiko Yoneda, Masaki Yamakaji, Ryota Tajima, Masaaki Hiroki
  • Patent number: 9837665
    Abstract: A lithium ion battery includes an anode and a cathode. The cathode includes a lithium, manganese, nickel, and oxygen containing compound. An electrolyte is disposed between the anode and the cathode. A protective layer is deposited between the cathode and the electrolyte. The protective layer includes pure lithium phosphorus oxynitride and variations that include metal dopants such as Fe, Ti, Ni, V, Cr, Cu, and Co. A method for making a cathode and a method for operating a battery are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: UT-BATTELLE, LLC
    Inventors: Nancy J. Dudney, Chengdu Liang, Jagjit Nanda, Gabriel M. Veith, Yoongu Kim, Surendra Kumar Martha
  • Patent number: 9831532
    Abstract: The present application provides a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery that includes, a cathode capable of being electrochemically doped/dedoped with lithium, an anode capable of being electrochemically doped/dedoped with lithium, and an electrolyte placed between the cathode and the anode, wherein the electrolyte contains at least one of fluoro ethylene carbonate represented by Chemical Formula (1) and difluoro ethylene carbonate represented by Chemical Formula (2) as a solvent and the ratio of a discharge capacity B during discharging at a 5C rate to a discharge capacity A during discharging at a 0.2C rate ((B/A)×100) is 80% or more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Akira Yamaguchi, Kunihiko Hayashi, Tadahiko Kubota, Hiroyuki Suzuki, Akira Ichihashi, Yuzuru Fukushima, Hironori Sato, Masaki Kuratsuka, Hideto Watanabe, Kimio Tajima, Masahiro Miyamoto
  • Patent number: 9825289
    Abstract: Stabilized lithium powder according to an embodiment of this disclosure contains lithium particles and transition metal. Each lithium particle has a stabilized film on a surface thereof; the stabilized film contains an inorganic compound; and main transition metal, which is contained the most in the transition metal, is contained by 0.5 ×10?3 wt % or more and 11.5×10?3 wt % or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: TDK CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masahiro Tsuchiya, Tomohiko Hasegawa, Yuji Yamamoto, Kazuma Akimoto
  • Patent number: 9825265
    Abstract: Provided herein are energy storage devices. In some cases, the energy storage devices are capable of being transported on a vehicle and storing a large amount of energy. An energy storage device is provided comprising at least one liquid metal electrode, an energy storage capacity of at least about 1 MWh and a response time less than or equal to about 100 milliseconds (ms).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: AMBRI INC.
    Inventors: David J. Bradwell, Hari Nayar
  • Patent number: 9825345
    Abstract: An electrical energy storage device for powering portable devices such as vehicles or consumer electronics includes barriers to minimize migration of thermal energy and propagation of combustion in the rare event that electrical energy storage cells fail, burst and ignite. Thermal energy absorbing materials are contained within the electrical energy storage device. Sacrificial members are provided within the thermal energy absorbing materials. In-situ channels are formed within the thermal energy absorbing materials when the sacrificial members thermally decompose.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: Gogoro Inc.
    Inventors: Tai-Tsun Liu, Chian-Peng Yang, Yi-Hsiang Lin, Hok-Sum Horace Luke
  • Patent number: 9812719
    Abstract: A mixed reactant fuel cell (MRFC) including a MRFC-optimized electrocatalyst utilizing a combination of selective catalysts and selective fuel distributors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: STC.UNM
    Inventors: Alexey Serov, Plamen B Atanassov, Elod Gyenge, Amin Aziznia
  • Patent number: 9812676
    Abstract: A prismatic secondary battery includes a battery case in a prismatic shape and a battery cover which seals up an opening part of the battery case. The battery cover has a convex part which projects toward the inside of the battery case, faces an inner surface of a side wall part of the battery case, and extends continuously along the entire periphery of the side wall part. Cover thickness of a contact part of the battery cover which is in contact with the upper end of the side wall part of the battery case at a position outside the convex part is greater than ½ of cover thickness of a blockage part blocking up an opening part at a position inside the convex part and is less than the cover thickness of the blockage part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventors: Kouichi Kajiwara, Hayato Koguchi, Takeshi Hizono, Hiroaki Egawa
  • Patent number: 9812687
    Abstract: An electric storage device including an electrode assembly, a case holding the electrode assembly therein, the case including a container, a lid formed in an opening of the container and including a long side and a short side, and a gas exhausting portion comprising a safety valve formed in the lid, the safety valve being configured to open to exhaust internal gas when an internal pressure reaches a specific level, and a sealing member formed on an outer surface of the lid, the sealing member including a short side which is adjacent to the short side of the lid, and a long side which is adjacent to the long side of the lid, and the sealing member including a protective portion formed over the gas exhausting portion, the protective portion comprising a perforation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: GS YUASA INTERNATIONAL LTD.
    Inventors: Syun Ito, Shogo Tsuruta, Seiichi Irie
  • Patent number: 9806301
    Abstract: A battery pack comprises a first battery cell and a second battery cell; the first and second battery cells each have a size within a manufacturing tolerance. A housing comprises at least one wall defining a first hole and a second hole, each hole for receiving one of the first or second battery cells, each hole having a size corresponding to a minimum size within the manufacturing tolerance. There is a flexibly resilient portion moveable between a rest position and a clamping position whereby the flexibly resilient portion clamps against at least one of the first and second battery cells when one of the first or second battery cells has a size greater than the minimum size within the manufacturing tolerance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: Black & Decker Inc.
    Inventors: Paul Ringer, Scott Keenlyside, Martyn Riley
  • Patent number: 9799876
    Abstract: Storage batteries connected in series in an uninterruptable or back-up power supply system may have voltage potential differences between exposed terminals or conductors that exceed safety limits. A demountable insulating shield having apertures may be positioned so that the series string may be broken into a plurality of series sub-strings having a lesser potential difference has a cover over the aperture through which the series string configuration may be connected and disconnected. The cover may be an insulating material removably fastened to the insulating shield or a sliding cover that is captivated to the insulating shield. When the series string has been divided in to the sub-strings, the insulating shield may be demounted from the structure housing the batteries so that the batteries or their connections may be serviced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: C & C POWER, INC.
    Inventors: N. William Conrardy, James R. Lupinek, William Fechalos, Christopher D. Heinz, Paul Blake, Michael Osko
  • Patent number: 9793548
    Abstract: Provided herein is a method of manufacturing a nanoscale coated network, which includes providing nanofibers, capable of forming a network in the presence of a liquid vehicle and providing a nanoscale solid substance in the presence of the liquid vehicle. The method may also include forming a network of the nanofibers and the nanoscale solid substance and redistributing at least a portion of the nanoscale solid substance within the network to produce a network of nanofibers coated with the nanoscale solid substance. Also provided herein is a nanoscale coated network with an active material coating that is redistributed to cover and electrochemically isolate the network from materials outside the network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignee: WELLSTAT BIOCATALYSIS, LLC
    Inventor: Evgeniya Freydina
  • Patent number: 9786879
    Abstract: A battery module includes a plurality of battery blocks formed by arranging a plurality of unit cells in each block; and a hollow spacer placed between two adjacent battery blocks. The accommodation member and the spacer may be made of the same metal material. The spacer may be formed to include an insulation member for insulating two joined battery blocks from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: SANYO ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Hiroshi Takasaki
  • Patent number: 9780356
    Abstract: Process for the fabrication of an electrode structure comprising an electrochemically active material suitable for use in an energy storage device. The method includes electrodepositing the electrochemically active material onto an electrode in electrodeposition bath containing a non-aqueous electrolyte. The electrode structure can be used for various applications such as electrochemical energy storage devices including high power and high-energy lithium-ion batteries.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: XERION ADVANCED BATTERY CORP.
    Inventors: Huigang Zhang, John D. Busbee, Hailong Ning, Kevin A. Arpin
  • Patent number: 9774022
    Abstract: A wiring module includes an insulating protector. The insulating protector includes a main body and a lid. The main body includes a holding portion that holds at least one of an element connecting member and an external connecting member. The lid is attached to the main body. The lid swings between an open position and a closed position. The holding portion is open at the open position and closed at the closed position. The lid includes a shaft for detachable attachment. The main body includes a shaft holder that receives the shaft and holds the shaft such that rotation of the shaft is allowed. The main body includes a restriction portion to hold the lid to the main body such that the swing of the lid is restricted between the open position and the closed position. The lid includes a restriction portion receiving portion that receives the restriction portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2017
    Assignees: SUMITOMO WIRING SYSTEMS, LTD., HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masaru Shitamichi, Yoshinao Kobayashi, Yuko Kinoshita, Tomomi Kurita, Yusuke Ozaki, Nobuaki Ishibashi