Patents Examined by Daniel Gatewood
  • Patent number: 9659715
    Abstract: The present invention provides an electricity storing/discharging device having multiple input/output electric conductive interface covered by electrode plate pair with multiple-sided electric conductive terminals with a single layer means, which is applied in a specific multiple-sided package structure having electrode plate pair with multiple-sided electric conductive terminals and a multiple-directional input/output electric conductive interfaces, so the electrode plate pair is able to be installed on at least one multiple-sided electric conductive terminal and/or at least one side for forming an electric conductive interface so as to transfer electric energy to the exterior.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Inventor: Tai-Her Yang
  • Patent number: 9660284
    Abstract: Provided is a power conversion system having a solid-oxide fuel cell capable of stably generating electricity from hydrogen generated by an organic hydride. The power conversion system includes a solid-oxide fuel cell, a reactor for producing hydrogen and a dehydrogenation product from an organic hydride by dehydrogenation reaction, and a heat engine for generating motive power. The power conversion system separates the hydrogen produced by the reactor, and supplies the hydrogen as fuel to the solid-oxide fuel cell. Exhaust heat of the heat engine is supplied to both the solid-oxide fuel cell and the reactor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Atsushi Shimada, Takao Ishikawa, Masatoshi Sugimasa
  • Patent number: 9647299
    Abstract: A betavoltaic power source. The power source comprises a source of beta particles, one or more regions for collecting the beta particles and for generating electron hole pairs responsive thereto, and a secondary power source charged by a current developed by the electron hole pairs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: City Labs, Inc.
    Inventor: Peter Cabauy
  • Patent number: 9634328
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a positive electrode includes a positive electrode layer and a positive electrode current collector. The positive electrode layer includes a positive electrode active material including a first oxide represented by the following formula (?) and/or a second oxide represented by the following formula (?). The positive electrode layer has an intensity ratio falling within a range of 0.25 to 0.7. The ratio is represented by the following formula (1) in an X-ray diffraction pattern obtained by using CuK? radiation for a surface of the positive electrode layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Hidesato Saruwatari, Takuya Iwasaki, Koji Takazawa, Norio Takami
  • Patent number: 9627663
    Abstract: A battery pack includes at least one unit cell with a top end, the unit cell including a vent hole, and a pack cover over the top end of the unit cell. The pack cover includes a discharge part having a bottom member that is sloped with respect to the top end of the unit cell. The bottom member of the pack cover including an aperture corresponding to the vent hole of the unit cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: SAMSUNG SDI CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Hyung-Ho Kim
  • Patent number: 9620795
    Abstract: Provided are a heat recovery apparatus based on a fuel cell and an operating method thereof. In the fuel cell-based heat recovery apparatus and the operating method thereof, hot water and steam may be generated by using heat generated while a molten carbonate fuel cell (MCFC) operates to supply the generated hot water or steam to buildings, thereby reducing a rate of operation in cooling/heating equipment using electricity so as to reduce air-conditioning costs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: Posco Energy Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hyun Lae Lee, Jung Tae Hwang, Ja Hoon Jeong, Sung Lay Ryu
  • Patent number: 9608274
    Abstract: Provided is a sodium secondary battery including a graphite felt having a maximum porosity on a surface facing a solid electrolyte and a decreased porosity in a thickness direction, as a cathode current collector impregnated with an electrolyte.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: SK Innovation Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Young Shol Kim, Ku Bong Chung, Jeong Soo Kim
  • Patent number: 9601810
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing lithium ion cells includes the steps of: 1) coating a collector roll along an unreeling direction thereof to form one or more strip coated areas, two side edges of the coated area each being provided with an uncoated area to form tabs thereon; 2) compacting the coated collector roll and obtaining a compacted collector roll; 3) cutting the compacted collector roll into anode plates/cathode plates having different sizes each having a tab and rounded corners; 4) recombining an anode plate/a cathode plate with a separator; cutting the separator after recombination to form rounded corners at a position corresponding to the rounded corners of the anode plate/cathode plate and further obtain a mono-cell or a half-cell having different sizes; 5) stacking the mono-cells and half-cells into a step preliminary cell; and 6) hot pressing the stacked preliminary cell to form a whole lithium ion cell via bonding of the anode plates/cathode plates with the separator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignees: Dongguan Amperex Technology Limited, Ningde Amperex Technology Limited
    Inventors: Ping He, Hong xin Fang, Bai qing Zhang, Man sen Li, Da wei Chen
  • Patent number: 9597708
    Abstract: An electrically-conductive layer of material having a composition comprising lanthanum and strontium is described. The material is characterized by a microstructure having bimodal porosity. Another concept in this disclosure relates to a solid oxide fuel cell attached to at least one cathode interconnect by a cathode bond layer. The bond layer includes a microstructure having bimodal porosity. A fuel cell stack which incorporates at least one of the cathode bond layers is also described herein, along with related processes for forming the cathode bond layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Jian Wu, Todd-Michael Striker, Stephane Renou, Simon William Gaunt
  • Patent number: 9601735
    Abstract: The opening of a cylindrical battery case 1 with a bottom is sealed by a seal assembly 5. The seal assembly 5 has an upper valve plate 13, a lower valve plate 15, and a bottom plate 16. The bottom plate 16 has inner gas vent holes 21. When the inner gas vent holes 21 are viewed from the axial direction of the battery case 1, at least a part of each inner gas vent hole 21 overlaps a valve-hole forming portion 15b of the lower valve plate 15. With this configuration, for example, even when an electrode assembly 20 is pushed up by increased internal pressure of the battery to push up the bottom plate 16, the valve hole is not closed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Tomohiko Yokoyama
  • Patent number: 9595711
    Abstract: A positive electrode active material including: a lithium complex oxide represented by Formula 1; and a carbon coating layer disposed on the lithium complex oxide, wherein, in a C1s XPS spectrum of the positive electrode active material, a peak intensity of a first peak at a binding energy from about 288 eV to about 293 eV is greater than a peak intensity of a second peak at a binding energy from about 283 eV to about 287 eV, and in an O1s X-ray photoelectron spectrum of the positive electrode active material, a peak intensity of a third peak at a binding energy from about 530.5 eV to about 535 eV is greater than a peak intensity of a fourth peak at a binding energy from about 527.5 electron volts to about 530 electron volts, LiaMbM?cM?dOe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: In-hyuk Son, Min-sang Song, In-yong Song, Jae-man Choi
  • Patent number: 9590226
    Abstract: A battery is mounted in a hybrid electric automotive vehicle. The battery is held by a restraining bar across top surfaces of a plurality of cells that comprise the battery. A holder is located between the cells and restraining bar to increase a contact area between the restraining bar and the battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TEHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventor: Brian T. Utley
  • Patent number: 9583767
    Abstract: Methods for making battery electrode system are disclosed herein. In an example of the method, a mixture of a polymer binder, an active material and a conductive filler is deposited on a current collector. The deposited mixture is exposed to an external field having a field direction that is normal to a surface of the current collector. The exposure aligns, outward from and normal to the surface of the current collector, the active material and the conductive filler to form a plurality of discrete structures that extend outward from and normal to the surface of the current collector and are respectively aligned with a field line of the external field. Each of the plurality of discrete structures includes some of the active material and some of the conductive filler.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Mark W. Verbrugge, Tao Xie, Hamid G. Kia
  • Patent number: 9583762
    Abstract: An electrically interconnected mass includes elongated structures. The elongated structures are electrochemically active and at least some of the elongated structures cross over each other to provide intersections and a porous structure. The elongated structures include doped silicon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: Nexeon Limited
    Inventors: Mino Green, Feng-Ming Liu
  • Patent number: 9583801
    Abstract: A temperature regulating system for regulating the temperature of a battery in a vehicle. The system regulates airflow to the battery for cooling or warming the battery based on the speed of the vehicle and the temperature of the battery. The system provides active cooling airflow to the battery when the battery temperature is above a recommended temperature range, or when the battery temperature is within the recommended temperature range and the speed of the motor vehicle is below a speed threshold. The system provides passive cooling airflow when the battery temperature is within the recommended temperature range and the speed of the motor vehicle is above a speed threshold. The system provides active warming airflow when the battery temperature is below the recommended temperature range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Christopher Leonard Steinmeyer, Deryk Baker, Robert Settles, Jr., Charles Richard Owens, Jr., Duong Hoang Vu
  • Patent number: 9583773
    Abstract: Provided is a solid oxide fuel cell unit comprising an insulating support, and a power generation element comprising, at least, a fuel electrode, an electrolyte and an air electrode, which are sequentially laminated one another, the power generation element being provided on the insulating support, wherein an exposed insulating support portion, an exposed fuel electrode portion, and an exposed electrolyte portion are provided in an fuel electrode cell end portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: TOTO LTD.
    Inventors: Shigeru Ando, Naoki Watanabe, Takuya Hoshiko, Shuhei Tanaka, Masaki Sato, Nobuo Isaka, Yutaka Momiyama, Seiki Furuya, Kiyoshi Hayama, Yasuo Kakinuma, Osamu Okamoto
  • Patent number: 9577266
    Abstract: A method for producing a negative grid for a battery which includes providing a strip of battery grid material and performing a punching operation on the battery grid material to remove material and form a grid. The punching operation produces a negative battery grid having a plurality of grid wires bounded by a frame. The battery grid includes a top frame member. A first side frame member is coupled to the top frame member at a first end thereof. A second side frame member is coupled to the top frame member at a second end thereof. A bottom frame member is spaced apart from the top frame member and coupled to the first side frame member and the second side frame member. The negative grid does not include exposed wire ends that may puncture a polymeric separator when the negative grid is provided within the separator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Jeffrey L. Troxel, Charles J. Schaeffer, Glenn W. Andersen, Michael E. Lacroix, Wen-Hong Kao
  • Patent number: 9577289
    Abstract: An electrochemical cell including at least one nitrogen-containing compound is disclosed. The at least one nitrogen-containing compound may form part of or be included in: an anode structure, a cathode structure, an electrolyte and/or a separator of the electrochemical cell. Also disclosed is a battery including the electrochemical cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: Sion Power Corporation
    Inventors: Zhaohui Liao, Chariclea Scordilis-Kelley, Yuriy Mikhaylik
  • Patent number: 9577261
    Abstract: A lithium ion secondary battery includes a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and an electrolyte provided between the positive electrode and the negative electrode. The positive electrode includes a positive electrode current collector and a positive electrode active material layer over the positive electrode current collector. The positive electrode active material layer includes a plurality of lithium-containing composite oxides each of which is expressed by LiMPO4 (M is one or more of Fe (II), Mn (II), Co (II), and Ni (II)) that is a general formula. The lithium-containing composite oxide is a flat single crystal particle in which the length in the b-axis direction is shorter than each of the lengths in the a-axis direction and the c-axis direction. The lithium-containing composite oxide is provided over the positive electrode current collector so that the b-axis of the single crystal particle intersects with the surface of the positive electrode current collector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: SEMICONDUCTOR ENERGY LABORATORY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tomoya Futamura, Tamae Moriwaka, Takahiro Kawakami, Junpei Momo, Nobuhiro Inoue
  • Patent number: 9570770
    Abstract: This underwater vehicle includes an electrolyte-activated electrochemical fuel cell to supply it with electrical power, which fuel cell includes: an electrochemical power production cell (3), a reservoir (4) to contain the electrolyte. means of circulation (7) of the electrolyte between the electrochemical cell (3) and the reservoir (4), comprising a semi-axial flow pump arranged axially in the reservoir and comprising a motorized wheel rotatably mounted in a diffuser, characterized in that the diffuser has the general shape of a dome to direct the flow of the electrolyte coming out of the pump in a direction substantially parallel to the axis of the pump, and thus of the reservoir.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: DCNS
    Inventors: Francois Gerlier, Thomas Senez, Alexandre Lemasquerier