Patents Examined by Jacob Marks
  • Fuel cell system including diagnostic technique for unbalanced compressor
    Patent number: 9331350
    Abstract: A diagnostic system for determining whether a rotor shaft of a compressor is unbalanced. The compressor includes a displacement sensor that measures the displacement of the rotor shaft as it is rotating. The sensor dynamic frequency signal is sent to a bandpass filter that filters out an eigen-frequency frequency that is a function of shaft elasticity and rotor dynamics. The filtered frequency signal is then rectified by a rectifier to make the filtered frequency signal positive. The rectified signal is then passed through a low pass filter that converts the rectified signal to a DC signal. The DC signal is then sent to a controller that determines if the amplitude of the signal is above a predetermined threshold, which indicates a problem with the balance of the compressor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Oliver Maier, Bernd Peter Elgas, Ulrich Dumke, Peter Willimowski
  • Bonded sheet and sheet-member bonding method
    Patent number: 9331345
    Abstract: A bonded sheet to be applied to a membrane electrode assembly includes gaskets serving as a first sheet member and an electrolyte membrane serving as a second sheet member stacked on the gaskets. The gaskets each include a first bonded portion where grooves provided in a sheet surface direction at least partly face sheet end portions, and a second bonded portion having no groove. The electrolyte membrane is stacked on the gaskets in the first bonded portion and the second bonded portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masaya Yamamoto, Norifumi Horibe, Kei Ono, Kenichi Toyoshima, Takayuki Terasaki
  • Battery module
    Patent number: 9331368
    Abstract: A battery module has at least four battery cells that are cooled via a cooling plate arranged between them. Fins project on the cooling plate and at the same time serve as stops for individual battery cells. As a result, a powerful and very rigid battery module is provided that is of structurally simple construction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Tim Schmidt, Dietmar Luz, Jeremy Curnow
  • Cell frame for extended range electric vehicle battery module
    Patent number: 9324981
    Abstract: A foldable frame for a battery cell assembly includes a one-piece main body. The main body has a first section, a second section, and a third section. The first section is coupled to each of a second section and a third section with living hinges. The first section is configured to receive a first battery cell. The second section is configured to receive an expansion unit and a second battery cell. The second section folds over the first battery cell. The third section is configured to fold over the second battery cell, thereby securing each of the first battery cell, the expansion unit, and the second battery cell within the foldable frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventor: Ulrich Schmieder
  • Secondary battery
    Patent number: 9324987
    Abstract: A secondary battery includes an electrode assembly including a first electrode plate, a separator, and a second electrode plate; a first collecting plate electrically coupled to the first electrode plate; a second collecting plate electrically coupled to the second electrode plate; a case containing the electrode assembly, the first collecting plate, and the second collecting plate; a first electrode terminal electrically coupled to the first collecting plate; a second electrode terminal electrically coupled to the second collecting plate; a first plate coupled to the first collecting plate and the first electrode plate and configured to seal the case; a second plate coupled to the second collecting plate and the second electrode terminal; and an insulation plate between the first plate and the second plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignees: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd., Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Minhyung Guen
  • Ceramic porous substrate, reinforced composite electrolyte membrane using the same and membrane-electrode assembly having the same
    Patent number: 9318763
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a ceramic porous substrate, a reinforced composite electrolyte membrane using the same, and a membrane-electrode assembly having the same. The ceramic porous substrate comprises: a porous polymer base; and void structures formed on the surface of the porous polymer base by linking the space of the inorganic nanoparticles using a polymer binder or a silane-based inorganic binder. The ceramic porous substrate has improved mechanical properties compared to the porous polymer substrate alone, and the void structures thereof can be controlled in various ways.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignee: Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology
    Inventors: Young Talk Hong, Jong Ho Choi, Kyung Seok Yoon, Sang Young Lee
  • Method for preparing anode active material, anode active material prepared therefrom and lithium secondary battery having the same
    Patent number: 9315882
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for preparing an anode active material, comprising (S1) forming a shell being a coating layer comprising a carbon material on the surface of a core comprising silicon oxide particles, to obtain a silicon oxide-carbon composite having a core-shell structure; (S2) mixing the silicon oxide-carbon composite with an oxygen-containing lithium salt, followed by heat treatment to produce a silicon oxide-lithium alloy, thereby obtaining a (SiOx—Liy)—C (0<x<1.5, 0<y<4) composite having a core-shell structure; and (S3) washing the surface of the (SiOx—Liy)—C composite having a core-shell structure and drying the composite, and an anode active material prepared by the method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignee: LG Chem, Ltd.
    Inventors: Mi-Rim Lee, Yong-Ju Lee, Je-Young Kim, Hye-Ran Jung
  • Rechargeable battery
    Patent number: 9312565
    Abstract: A rechargeable battery includes an electrode assembly having a first electrode and a second electrode; a case housing the electrode assembly; a cap plate coupled to the case; a short-circuit tab electrically coupled to the second electrode and having an opening; a short-circuit member electrically coupled to the first electrode and configured to be moved by a change in pressure to be electrically coupled to the short-circuit tab; and a cover covering the opening in the short-circuit tab.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignees: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd., Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Duk-Jung Kim
  • Method of assembling a battery
    Patent number: 9306222
    Abstract: A method of joining a substrate for a bipolar electrode of a bipolar battery to a frame for supporting the bipolar electrode for use in the bipolar battery includes the implanting of a thermoplastic material in the substrate. The substrate and the frame are then vibration welded together at a frequency in the range of 50 Hz to 1 kHz to melt the thermoplastic material. The melted thermoplastic material forms a continuous or substantially continuous loop around the substrate to join the substrate and the frame together. A bipolar battery comprising a substrate and a frame joined together by the method, and a substrate for a bipolar electrode for use in the method are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: Atraverda Limited
    Inventors: Adam Jones, Adam Morgan, Gavin Davies
  • Redox flow battery
    Patent number: 9306235
    Abstract: Provided are redox flow batteries employing supporting electrolyte of a ring- or spiro-type structure and having high energy efficiencies and energy densities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Myung-jin Lee, Duk-jin Oh, Seung-sik Hwang
  • Electrodes, batteries, electrode production methods, and production methods
    Patent number: 9299980
    Abstract: Battery electrodes are provided that can include a conductive core supported by a polymeric frame. Methods for manufacturing battery electrodes are provided that can include: providing a sheet of conductive material; and framing the sheet of conductive material with a polymeric material. Batteries are provided that can include a plurality of electrodes, with individual ones of the electrodes comprising a conductive core supported by a polymeric frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: COPPERWATTS LLC
    Inventors: Alfred T. Volberding, Bradley W. Stone
  • Lithium nickel cobalt manganese composite oxide cathode material
    Patent number: 9293766
    Abstract: A lithium nickel cobalt manganese composite oxide cathode material includes a plurality of secondary particles. Each secondary particle consists of aggregates of fine primary particles. Each secondary particle includes lithium nickel cobalt manganese composite oxide, which is expressed as LiaNi1-b-cCobMncO2. An average formula of each secondary particle satisfies one condition of 0.9?a?1.2, 0.08?b?0.34, 0.1?c?0.4, and 0.18?b+c?0.67. The lithium nickel cobalt manganese composite oxide has a structure with different chemical compositions of primary particles from the surface toward core of each of the secondary particles. The primary particle with rich Mn content near the surface and the primary particle with rich Ni content in the core of the secondary particle of the lithium nickel cobalt manganese composite oxide cathode material have provided the advantages of high safety and high capacity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: FU JEN CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Mao-Huang Liu, Hsin-Ta Huang
  • Battery with auxiliary electrode
    Patent number: 9287580
    Abstract: A lithium-ion battery includes a case, an electrolyte, a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and an auxiliary electrode. The positive electrode includes a current collector and an active material. The negative electrode includes a current collector and an active material. The auxiliary electrode includes an active material. The electrolyte, positive electrode, and negative electrode are disposed within the case. The auxiliary electrode is configured to selectively couple to the negative electrode to irreversibly absorb lithium from the negative electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: MEDTRONIC, INC.
    Inventor: Gaurav Jain
  • Batteries with replenishable storage capacities
    Patent number: 9281526
    Abstract: This invention provides batteries with improved calendar and cycle lifetimes. A rechargeable battery comprises an additional electrode that includes active ions, such as lithium ions. Cell capacity of the battery can be increased by supplying these active ions to the anode or the cathode. In some variations, this invention provides a lithium-ion battery comprising an anode, a cathode, an electrolyte, and an additional lithium-containing electrode, wherein the additional lithium-containing electrode is capable of supplying lithium ions to the anode or the cathode in the presence of an electrical current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: HRL Laboratories, LLC
    Inventors: Ping Liu, John Wang, Souren Soukiazian
  • Automatically determining alarm threshold settings for monitored battery system components in battery systems, and related components, systems, and methods
    Patent number: 9276298
    Abstract: Embodiments disclosed include automatically determining alarm threshold settings for monitored battery cells in battery systems. Battery monitoring control units are provided that are configured to initiate battery performance tests (e.g., ohmic tests) on battery cells in a battery system. Failing battery cells are identified as those battery cells having battery performance characteristics outside defined battery performance threshold settings. An initial performance alarm threshold setting is established for each battery cell because of unique performance characteristics that can substantially change during initial charging cycles before the battery cells have settled. A settled performance alarm threshold setting specific to each battery cell is then established based on battery cell performance during the defined settling time period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: NDSL, Inc.
    Inventors: David Brown, David Robert Battle, Christopher James Belcher, Duncan Joseph Brown, George Feller
  • Shaped fuel source and fuel cell
    Patent number: 9276285
    Abstract: An example fuel cell assembly may include a shaped fuel source that is formed into a desired shape. The shaped fuel source may have an outer surface, and a fuel cell may be mounted directly on the outer surface of the shaped fuel source. In some instances, the fuel cell assembly may also include one or more of a cathode cap, an anode cap, a refill port, and an outer shell disposed around an exterior of the fuel cell assembly, but these are not required.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventor: Steven J. Eickhoff
  • Operating method of fuel cell system
    Patent number: 9269973
    Abstract: Conventional fuel cell systems had the problem of impurity gases flowing back from a buffer tank and a reduction in the voltages of unit cells when the supply pressure of an anode gas is caused to pulsate at startup. An operating method include setting any one of the amplitude and cycle of the pulsation of the supply pressure of the anode gas to a fuel cell stack (FS) in accordance with the permeability of a nitrogen gas from a cathode side to an anode side. The method makes it possible to suppress unnecessary pulsation of the supply pressure of the anode gas at startup, and thus to maintain the concentration of a hydrogen gas in the fuel cell stack (FS) at an optimum level while preventing degradation in the mechanical strength of a membrane electrode structure that constitutes each unit cell (FC) of the fuel cell stack (FS).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hidetaka Nishimura, Keigo Ikezoe, Masashi Sato
  • Secondary battery
    Patent number: 9269942
    Abstract: A secondary battery including a circuit board unnecessitating a cut-out portion is provided. The secondary battery includes a battery cell having a cell tab, a protective circuit module electrically connected to the cell tab and having a circuit pattern formed therein, and a connection tab attached to the protective circuit module and electrically connected to the circuit pattern, wherein the connection tab includes a conductive layer adhered to the protective circuit module and including a first plating layer formed on the conductive layer and a second plating layer formed on the first plating layer, and the cell tab is welded to the connection tab.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: SAMSUNG SDI CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Wonil Lee
  • Anode for use in a lithium-ion secondary battery, and lithium-ion secondary battery
    Patent number: 9263733
    Abstract: A negative electrode for a lithium ion secondary battery including an active material layer that is disposed on a current collector and that contains a negative electrode active material and a binder, in which the negative electrode active material includes an alloy active material and a carbon active material, and the weight ratio between the alloy active material and the carbon active material in the active material layer is 20:80 to 50:50, and the binder contains 0.1 to 15 wt % of an ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid monomer polymerization unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: Zeon Corporation
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Wakizaka, Kei Kobayashi
  • Method for providing electrical potential from a sodium-based secondary cell
    Patent number: 9263770
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for providing electrical potential from a solid-state sodium-based secondary cell (or rechargeable battery). A secondary cell is provided that includes a solid sodium metal negative electrode that is disposed in a non-aqueous negative electrolyte solution that includes an ionic liquid. Additionally, the cell comprises a positive electrode that is disposed in a positive electrolyte solution. In order to separate the negative electrode and the negative electrolyte solution from the positive electrolyte solution, the cell includes a sodium ion conductive electrolyte membrane. The cell is maintained and operated at a temperature below the melting point of the negative electrode and is connected to an external circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: CERAMATEC, INC.
    Inventors: Chett Boxley, W Grover Coors, John Joseph Watkins