Patents Examined by Frank Chernow
  • Patent number: 10418603
    Abstract: A circuit substrate, a plurality of supporting members that are arranged at intervals in a longitudinal direction of the circuit substrate and support both longitudinal ends of the circuit substrate, and a housing onto which the supporting members are fixed are included.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2019
    Assignee: FDK CORPORATION
    Inventors: Minoru Imaizumi, Masanori Yamashita
  • Patent number: 10403920
    Abstract: Provided is a fuel battery cell capable of suppressing absorption of water discharged from a manifold by a porous body disposed between a membrane electrode assembly and a separator, and so improving drainage performance. This fuel battery cell 1 includes: a porous passage 20c that is disposed to be opposed to a membrane electrode assembly 10m on a cathode side, and a separator 30 sandwiching the membrane electrode assembly 10m and the porous passage 20c, the separator including a cathode off-gas discharging through hole 32b through which cathode off-gas discharged from the porous passage 20c flows.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yusuke Watanabe
  • Patent number: 10381668
    Abstract: The operation control method of a fuel cell includes acquiring a startup temperature of the fuel cell; acquiring a present temperature of the fuel cell; setting a present target operation point of the fuel cell that is identified by an output voltage value and an output current value based on the startup temperature, or based on the startup temperature and the present temperature; controlling at least one of the flow of the reaction gas supplied to the fuel cell, and an output voltage of the fuel cell so that the operation point of the fuel cell becomes the target operation point, and setting the target operation point includes a process of setting an operation point having a low output voltage value as the target operation point when the startup temperature is low as compared to the case when the startup temperature is high, if the present temperature is the same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2019
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshiaki Naganuma, Masashi Toida, Tomohiro Ogawa, Tsuyoshi Maruo
  • Patent number: 10355327
    Abstract: An example system includes a battery, a controllable heating element arranged to heat the battery, a load coupled to the battery, and a controller configured to: determine a current temperature of the battery; determine a SOC of the battery; based on the current temperature of the battery, select a setpoint profile from a plurality of setpoint profiles for the battery, where each of the plurality of setpoint profiles has a temperature association, and where each of the plurality of profiles comprises one or more temperature setpoints; based on a comparison of the current SOC and a SOC of the selected setpoint profile, determine a current temperature setpoint from the one or more temperature setpoints of the selected setpoint profile; and in response to determining the current temperature setpoint of the battery, cause the current temperature of the battery to adjust according to the current temperature setpoint of the battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: Loon LLC
    Inventors: Jacob Buswell Roberts, Sameera Sylvia Ponda
  • Patent number: 10326160
    Abstract: A cathode and a battery including a cathode active material including a layer-structured material having a composition of xLi2MO3-(1-x)LiMeO2; and a metal oxide having a perovskite structure. The cathode active material may have improved structural stability by intermixing a metal oxide having a similar crystalline structure with the layer-structured material, and thus, life and capacity characteristics of a cathode and a lithium battery including the metal oxide may be improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2019
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Myung-hoon Kim, Kyu-sung Park, Min-sik Park, Jin-hwan Park
  • Patent number: 10297804
    Abstract: A separator includes a porous body, and a particle membrane that is formed on at least one principal surface of the porous body. The particle membrane is made of inorganic particles, and has a void formed therein by the inorganic particles. The particle membrane has a porosity that is non-uniform in the thickness direction thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masahiro Sawaguchi, Masashi Meguro, Masaru Hiratsuka, Yoshiyuki Fuchigami
  • Patent number: 10283775
    Abstract: A negative electrode active material for a lithium ion secondary battery, made up of substantially spherical graphite particles (A), having fine protrusions on the surfaces thereof and obtained by impregnating and coating substantially spherical graphite particles with a mixture of pitch and carbon black, followed by baking in a range of 900 to 1500° C. In accordance with Raman spectroscopic analysis of the particles (A) using argon laser Raman scattering light, there exists a G-band composite peak comprising peaks in the vicinity of 1600 cm?1, and 1580 cm?1, respectively, and at least one peak in the vicinity of D-band at 1380 cm?1, an interlayer distance of the lattice plane d002, obtained by wide-range X-ray diffraction, being in the range of 0.335 to 0.337 nm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: NIPPON CARBON CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takanobu Kawai, Ken-ichi Hongawa, Hayato Matsumoto, Kazuaki Yamashita
  • Patent number: 10263277
    Abstract: Exemplary flexible thin film solid state lithium ion batteries (10) and methods for making the same are disclosed. An exemplary flexible solid state thin film electrochemical device (10) may include a flexible substrate (12), first (14) and second electrodes (18), and an electrolyte (16) disposed between the first (14) and second electrodes (18). The electrolyte (16) is disposed on the flexible substrate (12). The first electrode (14) is disposed on the electrolyte (16), and the second electrode (18) having been buried between the electrolyte (16) and the substrate (12).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2019
    Assignee: Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC
    Inventors: John Roland Pitts, Se-Hee Lee, C. Edwin Tracy
  • Patent number: 10249907
    Abstract: Provided is a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery with better battery performance than in the past, by forming an SEI coat with very little non-uniformity on the surface of the negative electrode active material layer. The invention provides a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery in which an electrode assembly including a positive electrode, a separator, and a negative electrode, and a nonaqueous electrolyte are contained in a battery case. In this secondary battery, the nonaqueous electrolyte contains a crown ether that forms a complex with a sodium ion, and the negative electrode includes a negative current collector, a negative electrode active material layer containing a negative electrode active material formed on the surface of the current collector, and a coat including an oxalato complex structure and provided on at least part of the surface of the negative electrode active material layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takahiro Sakurai, Hiroyasu Kado, Hirohiko Morikawa, Hisanao Kojima
  • Patent number: 10230084
    Abstract: A swelling tape for filling a gap, a method of manufacturing the swelling tape for filling a gap, a method of filling a gap, an electrode assembly and a secondary battery are provided. For example, the swelling tape can be applied inside a gap in which a fluid exists so as to fill the gap by becoming a 3D form, and can be useful at anchoring a subject in which the gap is formed, as necessary.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2019
    Assignee: LG Chem, Ltd.
    Inventors: Se Ra Kim, Suk Ky Chang, Hyo Sook Joo, Yoon Tae Hwang, Se Woo Yang, Joon Hyung Kim, Sung Jong Kim
  • Patent number: 10224569
    Abstract: Methods for forming magnesium batteries include improved processes for synthesizing magnesium electrolytes. The magnesium electrolytes include boron cluster anions, and the improved methods are solid phase or solution phase reactions that yield the desired magnesium boron cluster electrolytes from inexpensive, commercially available starting materials in a single step with relatively high purity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Oscar Tutusaus, Rana Mohtadi
  • Patent number: 10211447
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a battery including a cell having an electrode laminate and a liquid electrolyte mounted in an internal space of a battery case, a gas discharging member communicating with the internal space of the battery case for discharging gas generated in the cell out of the cell, and a liquid electrolyte injection member communicating with the internal space of the battery case for injecting a liquid electrolyte into internal space of the battery case.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2019
    Assignee: LG Chem, Ltd.
    Inventors: Sei Woon Oh, Seok Koo Kim, Eun Ju Lee, Bokkyu Choi, Je Young Kim
  • Patent number: 10205171
    Abstract: A negative electrode for a rechargeable lithium battery includes a negative current collector; a negative active material layer on the negative current collector; and a negative electrode tab on an uncoated region of the negative current collector, the uncoated region not having a negative active material coated thereon, wherein the negative electrode tab has a three-layered structure of a nickel layer-copper layer-nickel layer. A rechargeable lithium battery includes the negative electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2019
    Assignee: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hyo-Rim Bak
  • Patent number: 10199653
    Abstract: A battery has a three dimensional electrode including a current collector, electron directing members, each electron directing member having a perimeter edge attached to a surface of the current collector with a polymer binder, the electron directing members extending from the surface of the current collector and configured to direct electron flow along a layered direction of the electrode, an active material layer on the current collector and a separator. The electron directing members extend into the active material layer and having a free end in spaced relation to the separator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2019
    Assignee: Nissan North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Kan Huang, Nilesh Dale, Xiaoguang Hao, Jessica Weber, Ying Liu
  • Patent number: 10177409
    Abstract: In the present invention, a compound represented by Formula (1) is used as an additive of electrolytic solution for a lithium secondary battery, (where, in Formula (1), R1 to R3 respectively denote any of hydrogen, an alkyl group and a functional group containing halogen; R4 to R8 respectively denote any of hydrogen, a hydrocarbon group, a functional group containing halogen and BF3X; X denotes alkali metal or alkali earth metal; and at least any of R4 to R8 is BF3X).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventor: Norio Iwayasu
  • Patent number: 10122015
    Abstract: A positive electrode for a lithium secondary battery is described which includes a lithium transition metal complex oxide including a lithium nickel based complex oxide and/or a lithium cobalt based complex oxide, active carbon having a specific surface area of from about 900 m2/g to about 1600 m2/g, and a water-based binder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2018
    Assignee: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Seung-Hun Han, Jun-Kyu Cha, Hye-Sun Jeong, Kwi-Seok Choi
  • Patent number: 10122034
    Abstract: A system and method for controlling an output of a dynamic fuel cell is provided. A dynamic fuel cell has a membrane wherein a dimension of the membrane is variable during operation of the dynamic fuel cell in response to a control signal from an intelligent controller. By varying the dimension of the membrane, the output voltage of the dynamic fuel cell can be altered. An intelligent controller is provided that can measure a number of outputs and input parameters of the dynamic fuel cell and approximate input parameters using the measured values to adjust the input of the dynamic fuel cell to the approximated values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2018
    Inventors: Rene Virgilio Mayorga Lopez, Shoumin Song
  • Patent number: 10084162
    Abstract: A pouch case of the present disclosure includes an inner resin layer, a metallic layer, and an outer resin layer, wherein the resin layer(s) include(s) a foaming activator containing an isocyanate-based compound and a polyol compound. Accordingly, since the pouch case includes the inner resin layer and/or the outer resin layer including the foaming activator, when moisture or the like is permeated thereto due to an external factor, a protective layer including urethane-based foam is formed in the outer resin layer or between the inner resin layer and an electrode assembly in a short time, so that the pouch case and the electrode assembly may be protected, moisture which is permeable into the electrode assembly may be blocked, and separator cracking also may be prevented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2018
    Assignee: LG CHEM, LTD.
    Inventors: Soo Ji Hwang, Sang Hun Kim, Won Pill Hwang, Sang Sok Jung, Hyung Kyun Yu
  • Patent number: 10079402
    Abstract: A fuel cell module includes a fuel cell and a case housing the fuel cell. The fuel cell includes a cell stack and a pressure plate arranged at an outermost position of a stacking direction relative to the cell stack. The case includes a cover section that faces the pressure plate and covers the pressure plate while the fuel cell is housed in the case. The cover section includes a pin housing portion having a through hole and a pin placed in the through hole with which the pressure plate is pressed. The pin housing portion has a thick part thicker than a thin part that is at least a part of the cover section continuous with the pin housing portion. The thick part is formed in an inward direction of the case.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2018
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Makoto Takeyama
  • Patent number: 10069142
    Abstract: The invention provides a rotary tubular furnace including a rotatable furnace tube having an inlet end through which silicon compound particles (SiOx where 0.5?x<1.6) are put therein and an outlet end through which the particles coated with carbon are taken out therefrom; and a heating chamber having a heater to heat the furnace tube, wherein the furnace tube is composed of a heat portion inside the heating chamber and a non-heat portion outside the heating chamber, a length B of the heat portion and an overall length A of the furnace tube satisfy 0.4?B/A<1, and a distance C between the heat portion and the outlet end and the overall length A satisfy 0.04?C/A?0.35. This furnace can inhibit clogging of the furnace tube and mass-produce a negative electrode active material for a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery having a high capacity with inhibited variations in the amount of carbon coating and crystallinity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: SHIN-ETSU CHEMICAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kohta Takahashi, Masahiro Furuya, Hiroki Yoshikawa, Koichiro Watanabe, Takakazu Hirose, Hiromichi Kamo