Patents Examined by Jonathan Crepeau
  • Lithium nickel-manganese-cobalt oxide cathode powders for high voltage lithium-ion batteries
    Patent number: 11011747
    Abstract: A lithium metal oxide powder for a cathode material in a rechargeable battery, consisting of a core and a surface layer, the surface layer being delimited by an outer and an inner interface, the inner interface being in contact with the core, the core having a layered crystal structure comprising the elements Li, M and oxygen, wherein M has the formula M=(Niz (Ni1/2 Mn1/2)y Cox)1-k Ak, with 0.15?x?0.30, 0.20?z?0.55, x+y+z=1 and 0<k?0.1, wherein the Li content is stoichiometrically controlled with a molar ratio 0.95?Li:M?1.10; wherein A is at least one dopant and comprises Al; wherein the core has an Al content of 0.3-3 mol % and a F content of less than 0.05 mol %; and wherein the surface layer has an Al content that increases continuously from the Al content of the core at the inner interface to at least 10 mol % at the outer interface, and a F content that increases continuously from less than 0.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignees: Umicore, Umicore Korea Ltd.
    Inventors: Xin Xia, Jens Paulsen, JiHye Kim, Song-Yi Han
  • Positive electrode active material for lithium ion secondary battery, manufacturing method thereof, and lithium ion secondary battery
    Patent number: 11011751
    Abstract: A compound having a layered structure that is used for a positive electrode active material for a lithium ion secondary battery achieves both a high energy density and a high cyclability. The positive electrode active material for a lithium ion secondary battery contains a compound having a layered structure belonging to a space group R-3m, in which the compound having a layered structure is represented by a compositional formula: Li1+aM1O2+? wherein M1 represents a metal element or metal elements other than Li, and contains at least Ni, ?0.03?a?0.10, and ?0.1<?<0.1, a proportion of Ni in M1 is larger than 70 atom %, and a site occupancy of a transition metal or transition metals at a 3a site obtained by structural analysis by a Rietveld method is less than 2%, and a content of residual lithium hydroxide in the positive electrode active material is 1 mass % or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: HITACHI METALS, LTD.
    Inventors: Akira Gunji, Tatsuya Toyama, Shin Takahashi, Takashi Nakabayashi, Shuichi Takano, Xiaoliang Feng, Sho Furutsuki, Hisato Tokoro
  • Lithium-ion secondary battery
    Patent number: 11011774
    Abstract: There is provided a lithium ion secondary battery having excellent cycle characteristics at a high temperature and comprising lithium nickel composite oxides, in which the Ni content is high, in a positive electrode. The present invention relates to a lithium ion secondary battery having a positive electrode, a negative electrode and an electrolyte solution, wherein the positive electrode comprises a lithium nickel complex oxide denoted by the general formula, LiNixCoyMnzO2, wherein x, y, and z are respectively 0.75?x?0.85, 0.05?y?0.15, and 0.10?z?0.20.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: NEC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Takeshi Azami
  • Method for producing negative electrode and secondary battery, and secondary battery
    Patent number: 11011738
    Abstract: Provided is a method for producing a negative electrode by using a negative electrode active material and ceramic particles, the method ensuring satisfactory coatability of the paste and high peel strength and hardness of the obtained negative electrode active material layer. The method for producing a negative electrode disclosed herein includes a step of coating a negative electrode paste including a negative electrode active material and ceramic particles on a negative electrode current collector; a step of drying the coated negative electrode paste to form a negative electrode active material layer; and a step of pressing the negative electrode active material layer. The ceramic particles have an aspect ratio of 1.5 or more and 20 or less. The ceramic particles have a short side length of ? or less of an average particle diameter of the negative electrode active material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazuhisa Takeda, Yuji Yokoyama, Keisuke Ohara
  • Fuel cell system
    Patent number: 11011761
    Abstract: A fuel cell system includes: a fuel cell stack of fuel cells that generate electricity by electrochemical reaction between hydrogen that is a fuel gas and oxygen that is an oxidant gas; an expander that is provided on a supply path of the fuel gas to the fuel cell stack, and at which, due to the fuel gas that is in a high-pressure state being supplied thereto, the fuel gas is expanded and the pressure thereof is reduced, and, due to the fuel gas being expanded and the pressure thereof being reduced, internal energy of the fuel gas is converted into mechanical energy; and a heating device that is provided further toward an upstream side of the supply path than the expander, and that heats the fuel gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Masakatsu Tsubouchi
  • Battery module and battery pack
    Patent number: 11005138
    Abstract: A battery module includes a plurality of single cells, a battery chamber, an exhaust chamber, a partition wall, a smoke exhaust cover and a seal member. The exhaust chamber is provided adjacently to the battery chamber. Gas released from the single cells flows through the exhaust chamber. The exhaust chamber has one or more exhaust holes configured to release the gas to an outside. The partition wall isolates the exhaust chamber and the battery chamber from each other. The smoke exhaust cover is arranged so as to lace the partition wall. The exhaust chamber is surrounded by the partition wall, the smoke exhaust cover and the seal member. The smoke exhaust cover has a protective protrusion at a location between the seal member and the exhaust valves adjacent to the seal member. The protective protrusion is configured upright from the smoke exhaust cover toward the partition wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Satoshi Morioka
  • Preloaded battery module safety plugs
    Patent number: 11005145
    Abstract: This disclosure relates to safety plugs for a battery of an electrified vehicle. An example battery includes a first battery module adjacent a second battery module, with each battery module having a respective housing. Further, the first battery module includes a first electrical contact and the second battery module includes a second electrical contact configured to electrically connect to the first electrical contact in a normal operating condition. The first and second electrical contacts are biased away from one another in a first direction, and the first and second electrical contacts are held together by a positive locking arrangement in the normal operating condition. Additionally, the first and second electrical contacts are configured to move out of contact with one another upon relative movement of the first and second battery modules in a second direction transverse to the first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Marius Sawatzki, Daniel Meckenstock, Joergen Hilmann
  • Lithium iron disulfide battery
    Patent number: 10998535
    Abstract: A lithium-iron disulfide battery with improved high temperature performance is disclosed. The separator characteristics are deliberately selected to be compatible with the electrolyte at the intended temperature. Additional or alternative modifications can be made in the form of a scaffold or laminated structure. A preferred polymer for such separators is polyimide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Assignee: Energizer Brands, LLC
    Inventors: Mark A. Schubert, Matthew T. Wendling, Weiwei Huang
  • Battery
    Patent number: 10991947
    Abstract: A battery according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a first electrode layer, a first counter electrode layer being a counter electrode of the first electrode layer, a first solid electrolyte layer located between the first electrode layer and the first counter electrode layer, and a first heat-conducting layer including a first region containing a heat-conducting material. The first region is located between the first electrode layer and the first solid electrolyte layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Izuru Sasaki
  • Control valve, fuel cell exhaust assembly and fuel cell
    Patent number: 10978725
    Abstract: A control valve for controlling the exhausting of a purge gas from a fuel cell assembly, comprising a valve body having a valve member therein moveable between a first position and a second position, an inlet port for receiving a purge gas from the fuel cell assembly and an outlet port for providing an outlet for the purge gas, the valve member configured to, in the first position, prevent purge gas from flowing between the inlet port and the outlet port and, in the second position, allow the flow of purge gas between the inlet port and the outlet port, the valve body including a drain port adapted and arranged in the valve body to allow liquid to drain out of the valve body, the drain port configured to close when the valve member is in the second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: Intelligent Energy Limited
    Inventors: Gareth Coates, Karl Blackmore, Ralph Clague
  • Doped nickelate compounds
    Patent number: 10978708
    Abstract: The invention relates to doped nickelate-containing compounds comprising AaM1VM2WM3XM4yM5ZO2-c wherein A comprises either sodium or a mixed alkali metal in which sodium is the major constituent; M1 is nickel in oxidation state greater than 0 to less than or equal to 4+, M2 comprises a metal in oxidation state greater than 0 to less than or equal to 4+, M3 comprises a metal in oxidation state 2+, M4 comprises a metal in oxidation state greater than 0 to less than or equal to 4+, and M5 comprises a metal in oxidation state 3+ wherein 0?a<1, v>0, at least one of w and y is >0 x?0, z?0 wherein c is determined by a range selected from 0<c?0.1 and wherein (a, v, w, x, y, z and c) are chosen to maintain electroneutrality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: FARADION LIMITED
    Inventors: Jeremy Barker, Richard Heap
  • Electrical connector for a battery module
    Patent number: 10978750
    Abstract: Disclosed is a battery module comprising at least one battery cell and a cell monitoring unit which is connected in an electrically conducting manner to a flexible circuit board by at least one bonding wire and/or at least one bonding strip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Emilia Schwindt, Carsten Mueller, Stefan Baumann, Andreas Ruehle
  • Polyolefin microporous membrane, battery separator and production method
    Patent number: 10978721
    Abstract: A battery separator includes a polyolefin microporous membrane and a porous layer placed on at least one surface of the polyolefin microporous membrane. The polyolefin microporous membrane has a variation range of an F25 value in a longitudinal direction of 1 MPa or less. The F25 value indicates a value obtained by dividing a load value measured at 25% elongation of a specimen with use of a tensile tester by a cross-sectional area of the specimen. The porous layer contains a fluorine-based resin and an inorganic particle and has an average thickness T(ave) of 1 to 5 ?m.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: Toray Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Naoki Mizuno, Masami Sugata
  • Method of manufacturing conducting elastomer composite-encapsulated particles of anode active materials for lithium batteries
    Patent number: 10971722
    Abstract: A method of producing a powder mass for a lithium battery, comprising: (a) mixing graphene sheets and a sulfonated elastomer or its precursor in a liquid medium or solvent to form a suspension; (b) dispersing a plurality of particles of an anode active material in the suspension to form a slurry; and (c) dispensing the slurry and removing the solvent and/or polymerizing or curing the precursor to form the powder mass comprising multiple particulates, wherein at least one of the particulates is composed of one or a plurality of the particles encapsulated by a thin layer of a sulfonated elastomer/graphene composite having a thickness from 1 nm to 10 ?m, a fully recoverable tensile strain from 2% to 500%, a lithium ion conductivity from 10?7 S/cm to 5×10?2 S/cm and an electrical conductivity from 10?7 S/cm to 100 S/cm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: Global Graphene Group, Inc.
    Inventors: Aruna Zhamu, Bor Z. Jang
  • Electrochemical cell and electrochemical apparatus
    Patent number: 10971735
    Abstract: An electrochemical cell according to one embodiment includes a solid electrolyte layer having insulating property, a first electrode, and a second electrode. The solid electrolyte layer has a first face and a second face, and allows ions to move therethrough. The first electrode is one of an anode and a cathode and provided on the first face. The first electrode includes an inside channel that allows gas to flow, a third face into which a first open end of the channel opens, a fourth face into which a second open end of the channel opens, and an inner wall face that defines the channel. The second electrode is the other of the anode and the cathode and provided on the second face.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Yasuaki Hadame, Masayuki Tanaka, Naoya Akaishi, Takahiro Terada, Shinji Nakata
  • Hybrid solid-state cell with a sealed anode structure
    Patent number: 10971760
    Abstract: A monolithic ceramic electrochemical cell housing is provided. The housing includes two or more electrochemical sub cell housings. Each of the electrochemical sub cell housing includes an anode receptive space, a cathode receptive space, a separator between the anode receptive space and the cathode receptive space, and integrated electron conductive circuits. A first integrated electron conductive circuit is configured as an anode current collector within the anode receptive space. A second integrated electron conductive circuit is disposed as a cathode current collector within the cathode receptive space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: KERACEL, INC.
    Inventor: Philip Eugene Rogren
  • Conducting elastomer composite-encapsulated particles of anode active materials for lithium batteries
    Patent number: 10964936
    Abstract: Provided is an anode active material electrode for a lithium battery. This electrode layer comprises multiple particulates of an anode active material, wherein at least a particulate is composed of one or a plurality of particles of an anode active material being encapsulated by a thin layer of sulfonated elastomer/graphene composite having from 0.01% to 50% by weight of graphene sheets dispersed in a sulfonated elastomeric matrix material, wherein the encapsulating shell composite has a thickness from 1 nm to 10 ?m, a lithium ion conductivity from 10?7 S/cm to 5×10?2 S/cm, and an electrical conductivity from 10?7 S/cm to 100 S/cm when measured at room temperature. The anode active material is preferably selected from Si, Ge, Sn, SnO2, SiOx, Co3O4, Mn3O4, etc., which has a specific capacity of lithium storage greater than 372 mAh/g (the theoretical lithium storage limit of graphite).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: Global Graphene Group, Inc.
    Inventors: Aruna Zhamu, Bor Z. Jang
  • Electrolyte solution and lithium-ion battery
    Patent number: 10964976
    Abstract: An electrolyte solution for a lithium-ion battery is provided. The electrolyte solution contains at least a solvent and a lithium salt. The solvent contains at least methoxyacetone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroki Iguchi, Hideki Sano
  • X/hard carbon composite material and method of preparing the x/hard carbon composite material
    Patent number: 10957902
    Abstract: The invention relates to novel material comprising X/hard carbon composite and to a process for their preparation, the process comprising the steps: a) forming a mixture comprising i) one or more hard carbon-starting materials, ii) one or more starting materials which comprise one or more of the component elements of X, and optionally iii) one or more secondary carbon-containing materials; and b) heating the resulting mixture at 100° C. to 1500° C. to yield the material comprising the X/hard carbon composite; wherein X comprises one or more component elements selected from antimony, tin, phosphorus, sulfur, boron, aluminium, gallium, indium, germanium, lead, arsenic, bismuth, titanium, molybdenum, selenium, tellurium, cobalt and nickel and wherein X is present in an amount of at least 5% by weight of the material comprising the X/hard carbon composite.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: FARADION LIMITED
    Inventors: Jeremy Barker, Yang Liu
  • Secondary battery and method for supplementing electrolyte of secondary battery
    Patent number: 10944084
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a secondary battery and a method for supplementing an electrolyte of the secondary battery. The secondary battery according to the present invention comprises a battery case comprising an accommodation part accommodating an electrode and an electrolyte therein and a sealing member for additionally injecting the electrolyte, which is disposed on a portion of the battery case to additionally inject the electrolyte into the accommodation part of the battery case and seals an injection portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Inventors: Dae Soo Kim, Han Young Lee