Patents Examined by Jacob Marks
  • Nonaqueous electrolytic solution and nonaqueous-electrolyte secondary battery
    Patent number: 9515348
    Abstract: An object of the invention is to provide a nonaqueous electrolytic solution which is capable of bringing about a nonaqueous-electrolyte secondary battery improved in initial charge capacity, input/output characteristics, and impedance characteristics. The invention relates to a nonaqueous electrolytic solution which comprises: a nonaqueous solvent; LiPF6; and a specific fluorosulfonic acid salt, and to a nonaqueous-electrolyte secondary battery containing the nonaqueous electrolytic solution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI CHEMICAL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Tokuda, Hiroaki Yoshida, Atsushi Watarai
  • Electrodes, batteries, electrode production methods, and battery production methods
    Patent number: 9508985
    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 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: COPPERWATTS LLC
    Inventors: Alfred T. Volberding, Bradley W. Stone
  • Expanded battery cooling fin
    Patent number: 9509018
    Abstract: A battery assembly includes a plurality of battery cells and a plurality of fins arranged in an array. Each of the cells has a side portion disposed against the fins. Each fin defines a serpentine fluid channel having an inlet and an outlet, and a plurality of parallel sections extending across the cells such that lengths of the sections increase from the inlet to the outlet. The length of at least one of the sections near the outlet is greater than the width of the cells and the length of at least one of the sections near the inlet is less than the width of the cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Patrick Daniel Maguire, Neil Robert Burrows
  • Method and system for rebalancing electrolytes in a redox flow battery system
    Patent number: 9509011
    Abstract: A method of rebalancing electrolytes in a redox flow battery system comprises directing hydrogen gas generated on the negative side of the redox flow battery system to a catalyst surface, and fluidly contacting the hydrogen gas with an electrolyte comprising a metal ion at the catalyst surface, wherein the metal ion is chemically reduced by the hydrogen gas at the catalyst surface, and a state of charge of the electrolyte and pH of the electrolyte remain substantially balanced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: ESS Tech, Inc.
    Inventors: Craig E. Evans, Yang Song
  • Electronic device
    Patent number: 9502701
    Abstract: An electronic device includes a battery module, a casing and a latching mechanism. The battery module has at least one battery retention tab. A battery compartment is formed on the casing. The battery module is detachably installed in the battery compartment, and the casing has a stopping structure. The latching mechanism is slidably installed on the casing and includes a latching cover, a lock member and a resilient member. The latching cover is installed on the casing in a slidable manner. The lock member is pivoted to the latching cover. The resilient member is installed on the latching cover. When the latching cover slides to the lock position, the resilient member forces the lock member to engage with the stopping structure, so as to fix the latching cover in the lock position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: Wistron Corporation
    Inventors: Frank Annerino, Jonathan Wollak
  • Air electrode catalyst
    Patent number: 9502717
    Abstract: This invention proposes metal complexes of polyphenylenediamines as the precursors of carbonized materials used as the air electrode catalysts. Method of production includes mixing phenylenediamine monomer with a catalyst carrier in a solvent, and adding an oxidant with metal salt to produce a metal complex of polyphenylenediamine. After drying the precursor is heat treated in the temperature range 400 C.°-1000 C.° in nitrogen. Then the catalyst is leached and heat treated once again. In a modified procedure the heat treatment is carried out in air while leaching and subsequent thermal treatment are eliminated. The catalyst has demonstrated high performance and stability as the component of the air electrode of a metal-air battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: PANISOLAR INC.
    Inventors: Iakov Kogan, Anna Khomenko
  • Molding packaging material and molded case
    Patent number: 9498935
    Abstract: A molding packaging material 1 of this invention contains a biaxially stretched polyamide film layer 2 as an outer layer, a thermoplastic resin layer 3 as an inner layer, and a metal foil layer 4 disposed between the both layers 2 and 3, in which a biaxially stretched polyamide film in which when the fracture strength of the film is defined as “X” and the fracture strain of the film is defined as “Y”, the X/Y value is 230 MPa to 360 MPa is used as the biaxially stretched polyamide film 2. The molding packaging material can secure excellent moldability even when the molding packaging material is not coated with a slipperiness imparting component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: SHOWA DENKO PACKAGING CO.
    Inventors: Yuuji Minamibori, Tetsunobu Kuramoto
  • Nitrogen-containing hydride anodes, and galvanic elements containing nitrogen-containing hydride anodes
    Patent number: 9496552
    Abstract: The subject matter of the invention are transition-metal-free nitrogen-containing hydride anodes of the general formula LioNH3-o, where o=1, 2 or 3, and wherein said transition-metal-free nitrogen-containing hydride anodes, in the charged state, are mixed with lithium hydride, and electrochemical elements, for example lithium batteries, which contain said transition-metal-free nitrogen-containing hydride anodes as the anode. The invention also describes methods for producing transition-metal-free nitrogen-containing hydride anode materials and electrochemical elements comprising transition-metal-free nitrogen-containing hydride anodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Inventor: Ulrich Wietelmann
  • Reservoir for multiphase electrolyte flow control
    Patent number: 9490496
    Abstract: A flow battery reservoir includes a reservoir housing, an electrolyte inlet configured to provide an electrolyte mixture containing a liquid metal-halide electrolyte solution and a complexed halogen phase at or toward a stagnant zone in a lower portion of the reservoir, and an electrolyte outlet configured to outlet the liquid metal-halide solution from the reservoir. The electrolyte outlet is positioned such that in use the liquid metal-halide solution flows upward against the force of gravity to reach the electrolyte outlet while the complexed halogen phase settles in the stagnant zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2016
    Assignee: PRIMUS POWER CORPORATION
    Inventors: Peter Tennessen, Jonathan Hall, Russell Cole, Paul Kreiner
  • Battery assembly having a thermal management system
    Patent number: 9490508
    Abstract: A battery assembly includes a plurality of battery cells disposed adjacent and in heat transfer relationship with a plurality of cooling modules. The cooling modules are directly affixed to or cause to abut at least one of a first thermally conductive base and a second thermally conductive base forming a thermal transfer path from the battery cells through the cooling modules to the at least one thermally conductive base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2016
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventor: Axel Heise
  • Large-grain graphene thin film current collector and secondary batteries containing same
    Patent number: 9484160
    Abstract: A unitary graphene-based current collector in a battery or capacitor. The current collector is or contains a unitary graphene layer that is composed of closely packed and chemically bonded parallel graphene planes having an inter-graphene plane spacing of 0.335 to 0.40 nm and an oxygen content less than 5% by weight (more typically 0.001% to 1%), an average grain size larger than 5 ?m (more typically >100 ?m; some as large as >cm), a physical density higher than 1.8 g/cm3, and is obtained from heat-treating a graphene oxide gel at a temperature higher than 100° C. (typically and preferably from 1,000 to 3,000° C.). Such an integrated or unitary graphene entity is compatible with essentially all electrolytes commonly used in batteries and supercapacitors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: Nanotek Instruments, Inc.
    Inventors: Aruna Zhamu, Bor Z Jang, Guorong Chen
  • Battery having a cooling plate and motor vehicle having a corresponding battery
    Patent number: 9478810
    Abstract: A battery includes at least one battery module having a lower face, a cooling plate having an upper face, and a fixing system configured for the at least one battery module. The battery module is arranged on the upper face of the cooling plate. The fixing system includes at least two rails running at a distance from each other. The at least one battery module is fixed on the cooling plate by the rails in such a way that the lower face of the battery module is in direct contact with the upper face of the cooling plate. A motor vehicle includes the battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignees: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd., Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Boris Gendlin, Marc Dill, Ralf Angerbauer, Conrad Bubeck, Andreas Rueble
  • High-voltage battery with integrated cell connector
    Patent number: 9478786
    Abstract: Provided is a high-voltage battery with an integrated connector. The high-voltage battery includes cells, support members, a housing, the integrated connector and a BMS. A lower connection member is provided on one side of each support member and has protrusions made of electrical conductors. The protrusions come into contact with corresponding electrodes of the cells. A cell assembly formed by the arrangement of the cells and the supports is inserted into the housing. The integrated connector is connected to the lower connection members of the support members so as to mechanically and electrically connect the cells to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: SK INNOVATION CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jae Hwan Lim, Soo Yeup Jang
  • Shaped fuel source and fuel cell
    Patent number: 9478816
    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: January 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventor: Steven J. Eickhoff
  • Separator incorporating electrode, electrical storage device, and vehicle
    Patent number: 9466820
    Abstract: Provided is a separator incorporating an electrode, provided with two of separator sheets facing each other, an electrode sandwiched between the separator plates. Each of the facing surfaces of the separator sheets is provided with a coated portion coated with a ceramic, and a non-coated portion that is not coated with the ceramic, located in at least a portion of ranges corresponding to peripheral edges of the electrode. The separator sheets are joined to one another in the non-coated portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2016
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOYOTA JIDOSHOKKI
    Inventors: Motoaki Okuda, Takayuki Kato
  • Integral bi-layer separator-electrode construction for lithium-ion batteries
    Patent number: 9455430
    Abstract: A porous bi-layer separator is composed of a first separator layer with a contacting array of non-conducting particles overlaid with a second separator layer of a microporous polymer layer, fabricated on the electrode surface of the anode of a lithium-ion battery to form an integral electrode-separator construction. Exemplary bi-layer separators may be fabricated by deposition of solvent-containing slurries of separator particles followed by solvent evaporation to produce the particle layer with subsequent application of polymer solutions followed by controlled evaporation of solvent to produce the microporous polymer layer. The elevated temperature performance of lithium-ion battery cells incorporating such integral electrode-bi-layer separators was demonstrated to exceed the performance of similar cells using commercial and experimental single layer polymer separators.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2016
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Xiaosong Huang, Hamid G. Kia
  • Fuel cell system and method of operating fuel cell system
    Patent number: 9425473
    Abstract: The invention is provided to reliably restore generated voltage that has declined due to clogging of water in a fuel cell stack. A method of operating a fuel cell system having a fuel cell stack that generates electricity through an electrochemical reaction between a fuel gas including hydrogen gas and an oxidation gas, wherein when a generated voltage of the fuel cell stack declines, the water-in-cell content of the fuel cell stack is adjusted so that a variation in cell pressure loss in the fuel cell stack decreases based on a characteristic curve of the water-in-cell content of the fuel cell stack and the cell pressure loss of the fuel cell stack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yoshiaki Naganuma, Keigo Suematsu, Tomotaka Ishikawa, Hiroyuki Katsuda
  • Anode active material, lithium secondary battery comprising the same, and method of manufacturing anode active material
    Patent number: 9419276
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an anode active material comprising a composite of a core-shell structure, a lithium secondary battery comprising the same, and a method of manufacturing the anode active material. According to an aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an anode active material of a core-shell structure comprising a core including alloyed (quasi)metal oxide-Li (MOx—Liy) and a shell including a carbon material coated on a surface of the core. According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a method of manufacturing the anode active material of the core-shell structure. According to an aspect of the present disclosure, an anode active material with high capacity, excellent cycle characteristics and volume expansion control capacity, and high initial efficiency is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignee: LG Chem, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yong-Ju Lee, Yoon-Ah Kang, Mi-Rim Lee, Je-Young Kim, Hye-Ran Jung
  • Compliant stack for a planar solid oxide fuel cell
    Patent number: 9401524
    Abstract: A fuel cell stack formed of repeating cell units is provided wherein each cell unit includes a fuel cell having an anode side and a cathode side; an anode side frame; a cathode side frame; a bipolar plate having an anode side interconnect adjacent to the anode side frame and a cathode side interconnect adjacent to a cathode side frame of an adjacent cell unit; a cathode side seal between the fuel cell and the cathode side frame; and an anode side seal between the fuel cell and the anode side frame, wherein at least one of the anode side interconnect, cathode side interconnect, anode side seal and cathode side seal are compliant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2016
    Assignee: Ballard Power Systems Inc.
    Inventors: Sunil G. Warrier, Jean Yamanis, James R. Maus, Benoit Olsommer
  • Separator for fuel cell, and fuel cell system including same
    Patent number: 9397369
    Abstract: A fuel cell separator and a fuel cell system including the same. The separator includes a main body including a plurality of cell barriers and a flow channel disposed between the cell barriers, and a hydrophilic surface-treatment layer disposed on the bottom surface of the flow channel of the main body. The hydrophilic surface-treatment layer disposed on the bottom surface of the flow channel has a contact angle less than a contact angle of a side surface of at least one of the cell barriers by approximately 10° to approximately 60°.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2016
    Assignee: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hee-Tak Kim, Sung-Yong Cho, Kah-Young Song, Tae-Yoon Kim, Sang-Il Han, Geun-Seok Chai, Myoung-Ki Min