Patents Examined by Jacob Buchanan
  • Patent number: 10797283
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a battery module, which comprises a battery group, two end plates and two side plates. Each end plate has X direction groove portions respectively formed to two ends of the end plate in the X direction. Each side plate has: a body portion positioned at one of the two ends of the battery group in the X direction; and inserting portions respectively extending from two ends of the body portion in the Y direction toward the X direction. The inserting portions of each side plate are respectively inserted into the corresponding X direction groove portions of the end plates to limit relative movement between each side plate and the end plates in the Y direction to make each side plate and the end plates fixed and connected. Strength of the battery module is improved and the possibility in connection failure of the battery module is reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2020
    Assignee: CONTEMPORARY AMPEREX TECHNOLOGY CO., LIMITED
    Inventors: Bangying Zhu, Feng Yu
  • Patent number: 10790558
    Abstract: A battery module includes: a cell cover close to a battery cell and having one surface emitting heat of the battery cell; and a cooling channel portion having a cooling channel that a refrigerant flows formed therein and having one surface of the cooling channel close to the one surface of the cell cover to absorb heat of the battery cell. In a contact region of the cell cover and the cooling channel portion, the cell cover has a protrusion portion protruded in the direction of the cooling channel, and the cooling channel has a penetration hole for inserting the protrusion portion into an inner portion that the refrigerant flows.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2020
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Yoon Cheol Jeon, Min Wook Kim, Dal Kim
  • Patent number: 10790480
    Abstract: A lithium-ion secondary-battery case that allows bonding without weld spatter and has high strength against external force acting on the battery case, and a method for manufacturing the lithium-ion secondary-battery case are provided. Specifically, an austenitic stainless steel foil is used for a cup component (2), and a two-phase stainless steel having an austenite transformation start temperature AC1 in a temperature increase process at 650° C. to 950° C. and an austenite and ferrite two-phase temperature range of 880° C. and higher, is used for a cover component (3), and the diffusion bonding is proceeded while accompanied by grain boundary movement upon transformation of the two-phase steel from a ferrite phase into an austenite phase within a heating temperature range of 880° C. to 1080° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2020
    Assignee: NISSHIN STEEL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Katsunari Norita, Norimasa Miura, Jun Kurobe
  • Patent number: 10777838
    Abstract: A fuel cell module includes a plurality of fuel cell stacks; a manifold configured to provide process gases to and receive process gases from the plurality of fuel cell stacks; and a module housing enclosing the plurality of fuel cell stacks and the manifold. Each of the plurality of fuel cell stacks is individually installable onto the manifold by lowering the fuel cell stack onto the manifold, and is individually removable from the manifold by raising the fuel cell stack from the manifold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2020
    Assignee: FUELCELL ENERGY, INC.
    Inventors: Keith Davis, Stephen Jolly, Michael L. Quatannens, Matthew Lambrech
  • Patent number: 10741335
    Abstract: A lithium super-battery cell comprising: (a) A cathode comprising a cathode active material having a surface area to capture or store lithium thereon, wherein the cathode active material is not a functionalized material and does not bear a functional group; (b) An anode comprising an anode current collector; (c) A porous separator disposed between the two electrodes; (d) A lithium-containing electrolyte in physical contact with the two electrodes, wherein the cathode active material has a specific surface area of no less than 100 m2/g being in direct physical contact with the electrolyte to receive lithium ions therefrom or to provide lithium ions thereto; and (e) A lithium source implemented at one or both of the two electrodes prior to a first charge or a first discharge cycle of the cell. This new generation of energy storage device exhibits the best properties of both the lithium ion battery and the supercapacitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: Global Graphene Group, Inc.
    Inventors: Aruna Zhamu, Bor Z. Jang
  • Patent number: 10741804
    Abstract: The present invention provides a battery pack that has a plurality of laminated batteries arranged in an array direction. In the plurality of laminated batteries, positive electrode terminals and negative electrode terminals are connected in series, and in the array direction, a distance between the positive and negative electrode terminals that are electrically connected to each other is relatively shorter than a distance between the positive and negative electrode terminals that are not electrically connected to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hideto Mitsuhashi
  • Patent number: 10727507
    Abstract: A fuel cell system including a hydrogen shut-off valve and a hydrogen supply valve connected therewith, the fuel cell system including: a holder capable of accommodating the hydrogen supply valve, wherein the holder includes a rupture part which may be formed at one point between the hydrogen supply valve and the hydrogen shut-off valve, and the hydrogen shut-off valve may be accommodated in one or more extended ends of the holder, and when the rupture part is cut off by external shock the hydrogen shut-off valve and the hydrogen supply valve are disconnected from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2020
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Se Kwon Jung, Hyo Sub Shim, Bu Kil Kwon
  • Patent number: 10720628
    Abstract: Provided is a battery module including a battery cell laminate and a cooling pin. The battery cell laminate includes a plurality of battery cells are arranged adjacent to each other, each of the battery cells having a structure in which an electrode assembly is sealed together with an electrolytic solution, within a battery case. The cooling pin is interposed between the battery cells, the cooling pin having a plate-shaped structure and including a plurality of fixing protrusions that are locally inserted into an outer surface of the battery case of the battery cell that faces the cooling pin and fixed in position with respect to the battery cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2020
    Assignee: LG Chem, Ltd.
    Inventors: Young Suk Cho, Dae Sik Choi
  • Patent number: 10707459
    Abstract: A battery includes a housing, a plurality of battery cells, a first part, and a second part. The plurality of battery cells is disposed in the housing. The first part includes a first contact. The first contact has a first connection to at least one battery cell of the plurality of battery cells. The second part includes a second contact. The second contact has a second connection to at least one battery cell of the plurality of battery cells. The second part is movable to a first position to provide electrical separation between the second contact and the first contact such that the plurality of battery cells is disconnected from each other. In addition, the second part is movable to a second position to provide electrical connection between the second contact and the first contact such that the plurality of battery cells is connected to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2020
    Assignees: Robert Bosch Tool Corporation, Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Plamen Marinov
  • Patent number: 10700313
    Abstract: A crash elements structure in an electric vehicle for reducing the damage to a vehicle battery caused by a vehicle collision. The crash elements structure may be situated near a corner of the vehicle battery, and may channel energy received by the vehicle away from the vehicle battery. The crash elements structure includes an upper structure positioned above and laterally offset from a lower structure, and a “W” structure that interfaces between the vehicle battery and the upper and lower structures. The upper and lower structures include several shells coupled together to form hexagonal apertures. The specific arrangement of the shells and the upper and lower structures influences the transfer of energy through the crash elements structure in the event of a collision.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2020
    Assignee: THUNDER POWER ELECTRIC VEHICLE LIMITED
    Inventor: Jens Maier
  • Patent number: 10693166
    Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell that generates electric power using fuel gas and oxidant gas, a fuel gas supply path through which the fuel gas is supplied to an anode inlet of the fuel cell, a recycle gas path through which anode off-gas discharged from an anode outlet of the fuel cell returns to the fuel gas supply path, and a pressure booster arranged in the recycle gas path, and the pressure booster is arranged above a confluence portion where the fuel gas supply path and the recycle gas path meet each other when gravity acts downward from above.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takehiko Ise, Akinori Yukimasa, Junji Morita, Miki Abe, Yoshito Usuki
  • Patent number: 10693112
    Abstract: A battery module includes: cells; and a battery holder made of a resin material that contains a filler in a resin matrix. In the resin material of the battery holder, the lower limit of the content of the filler is determined on the basis of the endothermic amount, and the upper limit of the content of the filler is determined on the basis of the viscosity. Another battery module includes: cylindrical cells; and a battery holder having a plurality of tubular first accommodation portions each having a substantially hexagonal hole and a plurality of tubular second accommodation portions each having a substantially polygonal (heptagonal or more) hole. In the battery holder, the first accommodation portions and second accommodation portions are arranged in a manner of log pile by sandwiching a first column including the first accommodation portions between second columns including the second accommodation portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takeshi Enomoto, Keisuke Shimizu
  • Patent number: 10686201
    Abstract: A method of setting a cutting time of a gasket during manufacture of a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) is provided. The method includes: moving a reaction sheet, in which electrode layers are formed on an electrolyte membrane with a predetermined interval; photographing a boundary area between the electrolyte membrane and the electrode layer in the moving reaction sheet by using a fixed vision; setting a front end reference line and a rear end reference line between a front-most end and a rear-most end in the boundary area; calculating a trigger reference line between the front end reference line and the rear end reference line, except for a front portion of the front end reference line and a rear portion of the rear end reference line; and calculating a cutting time of a gasket based on the trigger reference line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2020
    Assignees: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, KIA MOTORS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Sun Ho Lee, Sunha Hwang
  • Patent number: 10680246
    Abstract: Provided is a binder for a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery electrode. The binder contains a crosslinked polymer having a carboxyl group, or salt thereof, a use therefor, and a method for manufacturing a carboxyl group-containing crosslinked polymer or salt thereof for use in the binder. The crosslinked polymer contains a structural unit derived from an ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid monomer in the amount of 50 to 100 mass % of total structural units, and after the crosslinked polymer neutralized to a degree of a neutralization of 80 to 100 mol % has been subjected to water swelling in water and then dispersed in a 1 mass % NaCl aqueous solution, the particle diameter thereof is 0.1 to 7.0 ?m in a volume-based median diameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2020
    Assignee: TOAGOSEI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hideo Matsuzaki, Naohiko Saito, Kinuko Ogura, Atsushi Nishiwaki, Akitsugu Shibata
  • Patent number: 10680214
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a battery cell activation tray which is an activation tray configured to accommodate battery cells during an activation process of the battery cells and has a structure including a base plate having a plate-type structure in which a plurality of battery cells are located on an upper surface thereof and a supporting portion of a partition wall structure protruding at one end in an upper surface direction, a plurality of jigs located on the upper surface of the base plate and separated from each other at a predetermined interval, and one or more elastic members mounted on the jigs to adjust separation distances between the jigs by elasticity, at both of opposite outer peripheral portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2020
    Assignee: LG CHEM, LTD.
    Inventors: Eun Seok Choi, In Gu An, Jae Han Jung
  • Patent number: 10665831
    Abstract: Provided are a battery module and a battery pack including the same. The battery module includes: a cartridge assembly in which a plurality of cartridges, each accommodating a battery cell, are stacked on each other; a cover surrounding the cartridge assembly; a bushing member inserted through the cartridge assembly and the cover, and protruding to the outside of the cover by a pre-set interval; and a locking member inserted into the bushing member and locking the cover.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignee: LG CHEM, LTD.
    Inventors: Hwa-Joong Kim, Tae-Young Kang, Jun-Yeob Seong, Sung-Chun Yu, Yong-Joon Choi
  • Patent number: 10644294
    Abstract: A secondary battery according to the present disclosure includes a battery case, an electrode member contained in the battery case, and a lid configured to hermetically seal the battery case. A current-carrying part, which electrically connects a collector terminal of the electrode member with an external electrode terminal, includes a displacement part configured to be displaced outward in response to a rise in an internal pressure of the battery case, the displacement part being connected to at least a part of the collector terminal. When the displacement part is displaced outward in response to the rise in the internal pressure of the battery case, the connection between the displacement part and the collector terminal is disconnected and the current-carrying part is electrically cut off from the collector terminal. In the secondary battery according to the present disclosure, the current-carrying part including the displacement part is disposed in the lid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tomohiro Ono, Yuta Nemoto, Takashi Takimoto
  • Patent number: 10629917
    Abstract: A separator for fuel cells is provided. The separator includes: a base material; an underlying plate layer formed on the base material; and a gold plate layer formed on the underlying plate layer by means of electroless plating. The separator is characterized in that a face of the underlying plate layer facing the gold plate layer has an arithmetic average roughness Ra of 80 nm or less. According to the present invention, there can be provided a separator for fuel cells in which the gold plate layer can be uniformly formed for irregular parts that constitute gas flow channels and the occurrence of unformed parts and pinholes in the gold plate layer is prevented without increasing the film thickness of the gold plate layer and which is excellent in the corrosion resistance and the conductivity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignee: TOYO KOHAN CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Nobuaki Mukai
  • Patent number: 10618422
    Abstract: A fuel cell vehicle includes a fuel cell module accommodated in a fuel cell accommodation space disposed in a front portion of the vehicle, a hydrogen circulation flow path configured to recirculate anode off-gas that is discharged from a fuel cell constituting the fuel cell module to the fuel cell, and a hydrogen pump provided in the hydrogen circulation flow path and fixed to a lower portion of the fuel cell module. The hydrogen pump is fixed to the fuel cell module via a bracket and the deformation strength of the bracket is set to be lower than a load input from a wall portion behind the fuel cell accommodation space at the time of collision of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2020
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tomoyuki Kozuka
  • Patent number: 10593976
    Abstract: A catalytic burner arrangement including at least a catalytic burner unit with a housing having a reaction chamber in which a catalyst is arranged is provided wherein the catalyst is adapted to react a fuel, particularly a hydrogen containing fluid, with an oxidant, particularly air, for producing heat, the housing having a fluid inlet for supplying a fluid stream into the housing and a fluid outlet for exiting a fluid stream from the housing, and the catalytic burner arrangement further includes a mixing unit forming a mixing chamber in which fuel and oxidant are mixed, wherein the mixing device includes a fuel inlet, an oxidant inlet and an fuel-oxidant-mixture outlet, and wherein the fluid inlet of the catalytic burner unit merges with the fuel-oxidant-outlet of the mixing unit for transferring the fuel-oxidant-mixture from the mixing chamber to the reaction chamber of the catalytic burner unit wherein the fuel inlet of the mixing chamber is arranged upstream of the oxidant inlet of the mixing unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: POWERCELL SWEDEN AB
    Inventors: Per Ekdunge, Federico Ghirelli, Ida Toftefors