Patents Examined by Julian Anthony
  • Cathode with silver material and silicate dopant and method of producing
    Patent number: 9799886
    Abstract: The present invention provides novel cathodes having a reduced resistivity and other improved electrical properties. Furthermore, this invention also presents methods of manufacturing novel electrochemical cells and novel cathodes. These novel cathodes comprise a silver material that is doped with a silicate material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: ZPower, LLC
    Inventors: Jeffrey V. Ortega, Hongxia Zhou, George W. Adamson
  • Button cells and method of producing same
    Patent number: 9799913
    Abstract: A button cell includes a housing cup and a top separated by a seal and forms a housing with parallel flat bottom and top areas, and an electrode-separator assembly including a flat positive and negative electrode and connected by one flat separator, wherein the electrodes are aligned essentially at right angles to the flat bottom and top areas and the assembly is a spiral winding having end faces defining side surfaces of the winding facing in an axial direction relative to the flat bottom and top areas, one of the electrodes connects to the flat bottom or top area via an output conductor including a foil resting between an end face of the winding and the flat top or bottom area, and at least one insulator preventing direct mechanical and electrical contact between the end faces of the winding and the flat bottom and top areas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Inventors: Eduard Pytlik, Jürgen Lindner, Ulrich Barenthin, Winfried Gaugler
  • Lithium secondary battery and method for producing same
    Patent number: 9793547
    Abstract: This invention provides a lithium secondary battery capable of bringing about greater cycle characteristics, being in a 4.2 V or higher class. The lithium secondary battery provided by this invention is a 4.2 V or higher class lithium secondary battery using a lithium transition metal composite oxide as a positive electrode active material. The lithium secondary battery comprises a negative electrode at or around which a silicon-containing cyclic compound and/or a reaction product thereof are present. The silicon-containing cyclic compound comprises at least one silicon atom in its ring and has a vinyl group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Yamaguchi
  • Battery management system having an increased robustness against negative voltages
    Patent number: 9793578
    Abstract: A battery management system includes at least one cell monitoring unit with a plurality of cell voltage terminals, supply lines coupled to the cell voltage terminals, and a cell monitoring circuit made of a plurality of electronic semiconductor modules connected in parallel via the supply lines. The battery management system is configured to monitor a plurality of battery cells via the cell monitoring unit. The battery cells are in each case connected on both sides with their respective positive battery cell terminal and negative battery cell terminal to the battery management system via the cell voltage terminals. Furthermore, one or several supply lines are provided with a melt fuse so that in each battery cell that is connected to the battery management system at least one supply line coupled to the battery cell comprises a melt fuse in its current path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignees: Robert Bosch GmbH, Samsung SDI Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Holger Fink
  • Shared electrode battery
    Patent number: 9793570
    Abstract: A shared electrode battery includes multiple electrodes of one type (e.g., two or more cathodes) that share an electrode of another type (e.g., a shared anode). The multiple electrodes of the same type (e.g., the multiple cathodes) can have different characteristics, such as different chemistries, particle sizes and distributions, capacities, and so forth that are designed to provide particular features such as high energy density, high power density, high cycle life, fast charge, safety, and so forth. Multiple cathode-anode pairings of one of the multiple electrodes of the same type with the shared electrode are possible. Switching hardware is operable to select one of the multiple pairings at any given time, allowing the battery to provide power using the cathode having the desired characteristics at that given time. A single battery is thus able to provide these multiple different features.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Ranveer Chandra, Eric Horvitz, Anirudh Badam, Julia L. Meinershagen, Nissanka Arachchige Bodhi Priyantha, Christopher Dekmezian
  • Polymer electrolyte membrane for fuel cell and method for manufacturing the same
    Patent number: 9761900
    Abstract: Disclosed are a polymer electrolyte membrane showing high ion conductivity even under the condition of low humidity and high temperature and a method for manufacturing the same. The polymer electrolyte membrane of the present invention comprises a porous substrate, a self proton conducting material dispersed in the porous substrate, and an ion conductor impregnated in the porous substrate. The self proton conducting material comprises an inorganic particle functionalized with an azole ring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignee: KOLON INDUSTRIES, INC.
    Inventors: Dong Hoon Lee, Moo-Seok Lee, Na Young Kim, Yong-Cheol Shin
  • Secondary battery
    Patent number: 9755215
    Abstract: A secondary battery includes an electrode assembly; a case accommodating the electrode assembly; a cap plate sealing the case; and a first electrode terminal electrically connected to the electrode assembly and passing through the cap plate, wherein the electrode assembly is connected to the first electrode terminal through a first current collection tab.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Dukjung Kim
  • Electrode for sodium molten-salt battery and sodium molten-salt battery
    Patent number: 9755240
    Abstract: Provided is an electrode for a sodium molten-salt battery in which degradation of the electrode can be suppressed even when charging and discharging are repeated, and which has excellent cycle characteristics. The electrode for a sodium molten-salt battery includes a current collector and an electrode mixture adhering to a surface of the current collector, in which the electrode mixture includes an electrode active material and a binder containing a polymer, and the polymer does not contain a fluorine atom. The polymer can include, for example, at least one selected from the group consisting of polyamide resins and polyimide resins or at least one selected from the group consisting of acrylic resins, rubber-like polymers, and cellulose derivatives.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shoichiro Sakai, Koma Numata, Eiko Imazaki, Atsushi Fukunaga, Koji Nitta, Shinji Inazawa
  • Battery stack with leapfrogging protocol
    Patent number: 9748786
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention are directed to a battery stack with a leapfrogging communication network. Each cell stage may include a controller, a transmitter, and a pair of receivers. The cell stage in the battery stack may be coupled to the closest two preceding battery cell stages in the stack. In this manner, each cell stage may be able to determine if a fault is present in an immediately preceding cell stage in the stack by monitoring the first preceding cell stage and the second preceding cell stage. If discharge/charge commands transmitted by the second preceding cell stage are not reaching the battery cell stage at issue, the controller may determine that there is a fault in the first preceding cell stage and discharge/charge the cell stage based on the commands transmitted by the second preceding cell stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2017
    Assignee: Analog Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: James C. Camp, Thomas M. MacLeod
  • Methods and apparatus to form biocompatible energization primary elements for biomedical devices
    Patent number: 9746695
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus to form biocompatible energization elements are described. In some embodiments, the methods and apparatus to form the biocompatible energization elements involve forming cavities comprising active cathode chemistry. The active elements of the cathode and anode are sealed with a laminate stack of biocompatible material. In some embodiments, a field of use for the methods and apparatus may include any biocompatible device or product that requires energization elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2017
    Assignee: Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc.
    Inventors: Frederick A. Flitsch, Shivkumar Mahadevan, Daniel B. Otts, Randall B. Pugh, James Daniel Riall, Adam Toner
  • Flexible membranes and coated electrodes for lithium based batteries
    Patent number: 9742028
    Abstract: An example of a flexible membrane includes a porous membrane and a solid electrolyte coating formed on at least a portion of a surface of the porous membrane, in pores of the porous membrane, or both on the surface and in the pores. The solid electrolyte coating includes i) a polymer chain or ii) an inorganic ionically conductive material. The polymer chain or the inorganic material includes a group to interact or react with a polysulfide through covalent bonding or supramolecular interaction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Weidong Zhou, Xingcheng Xiao, Mei Cai
  • Flooded lead-acid battery and method of making the same
    Patent number: 9728772
    Abstract: Positive active material pastes for flooded deep discharge lead-acid batteries, methods of making the same and lead-acid batteries including the same are provided. The positive active material paste includes lead oxide, a sulfate additive, and an aqueous acid. The positive active material paste contains from about 0.1 to about 1.0 wt % of the sulfate additive. Batteries using such positive active material pastes exhibit greatly improved performance over batteries with conventional positive active material pastes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: Trojan Battery Company, LLC
    Inventors: Gordon Beckley, Marvin C. Ho, Colin Smith, Charles E. Snyder
  • Battery sensor data transmission unit and a method for transmitting battery sensor data
    Patent number: 9720048
    Abstract: A battery sensor data transmission unit is described as including a connection state ascertainment unit for ascertaining a series connection state in which a battery cell is connected in series to one other battery cell with the aid of a power transmission line and/or for determining a bypassing state in which at least one pole of the battery cell is decoupled from at least one other battery cell. Furthermore, the battery sensor data transmission unit includes a data transmission unit designed for outputting a sensor signal, which represents a physical variable in or at the battery cell, in the series connection state to an evaluation device using the power transmission line and/or outputting the sensor signal in the bypassing state to the evaluation device using a battery housing wall as the transmission medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Fabian Henrici, Axel Wenzler, Werner Schiemann, Reiner Schnitzer, Berthold Elbracht
  • Rechargeable battery
    Patent number: 9711777
    Abstract: A rechargeable battery includes a plurality of electrode assemblies including a first electrode assembly and a second electrode assembly; a case housing the plurality of electrode assemblies; a first conductive plate between the first electrode assembly and the case; and a first contact electrically coupling the first conductive plate to the second electrode assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Duk-Jung Kim
  • Conductive polymer and Si nanoparticles composite secondary particles and structured current collectors for high loading lithium ion negative electrode application
    Patent number: 9705127
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention disclose a composition of matter comprising a silicon (Si) nanoparticle coated with a conductive polymer. Another embodiment discloses a method for preparing a composition of matter comprising a plurality of silicon (Si) nanoparticles coated with a conductive polymer comprising providing Si nanoparticles, providing a conductive polymer, preparing a Si nanoparticle, conductive polymer, and solvent slurry, spraying the slurry into a liquid medium that is a non-solvent of the conductive polymer, and precipitating the silicon (Si) nanoparticles coated with the conductive polymer. Another embodiment discloses an anode comprising a current collector, and a composition of matter comprising a silicon (Si) nanoparticle coated with a conductive polymer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: The Regents of The University of California
    Inventor: Gao Liu
  • Rechargeable battery
    Patent number: 9692032
    Abstract: A thin film is used in a metallic collector in order to increase the volume energy density. However, the strength of the thin film is low, so when a negative plate or a positive plate is directly joined to a terminal base portion, even an insignificant load might cause damage, such as cutting of the metallic collector. Even in a structure where the metallic collector is joined to a highly-conductive plate-like metal or a highly-conductive plate-like resin, and where the collecting plate is joined to a terminal base portion, the connection between the collecting plate and the terminal base portion affects the battery properties.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: HITACHI CHEMICAL COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Naoko Tsurumi, Akira Tanaka, Murashi Shinto, Yoshiki Miyamoto
  • Mesoporous carbon materials comprising bifunctional catalysts
    Patent number: 9680159
    Abstract: The present application is directed to mesoporous carbon materials comprising bi-functional catalysts. The mesoporous carbon materials find utility in any number of electrical devices, for example, in lithium-air batteries. Methods for making the disclosed carbon materials, and devices comprising the same, are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: BASF SE
    Inventors: Aaron M. Feaver, Henry R. Costantino, Richard D. Varjian
  • Power source device, electric vehicle comprising power source device, accumulator device
    Patent number: 9673430
    Abstract: A power supply device comprises plural battery cells having electrode portions, and bus bars connecting the electrode portions of the plural battery cells each other. The bus bar comprises a thin portion thinner than the other portion formed in at least one part of the end edge of the bus bar, and are welded to the electrode portion of the battery cell through the thin portion. The electrode portion comprises a pedestal portion, and an electrode terminal projecting from the pedestal portion, and the thin portion is disposed at the side surface of the electrode terminal. By this, at the time of welding the bus bar the thin portion is directly welded to the electrode portion, and without using other parts of the welding ring or the like the welding process is streamlined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: SANYO ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takashi Seto, Toshiya Shimizu, Yoshiyuki Furukoji, Nobukazu Yamanishi, Yasuhiro Asai
  • Thermal management for high-capacity large format Li-ion batteries
    Patent number: 9666907
    Abstract: A lithium ion battery includes a cathode in electrical and thermal connection with a cathode current collector. The cathode current collector has an electrode tab. A separator is provided. An anode is in electrical and thermal connection with an anode current collector. The anode current collector has an electrode tab. At least one of the cathode current collector and the anode current collector comprises a thermal tab for heat transfer with the at least one current collector. The thermal tab is separated from the electrode tab. A method of operating a battery is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: UT-BATTELLE, LLC
    Inventors: Hsin Wang, Keith Douglas Kepler, Sreekanth Pannala, Srikanth Allu
  • Method for the production of electrodes for fully solid batteries
    Patent number: 9660252
    Abstract: The invention relates to a process for fabrication of an electrode film in an all-solid-state battery comprising successive steps to: a) Procure a substrate, preferably a conducting substrate, b) Deposit an electrode film on said substrate by electrophoresis, from a suspension containing particles of electrode materials, c) Dry the film obtained in the previous step, d) Thermal consolidation of the electrode film obtained in the previous step by sintering, sintering being done at a temperature TR that preferably does not exceed 0.7 times the melting temperature (expressed in ° C.), even more preferably does not exceed 0.5 times the melting temperature (expressed in ° C.), and much more preferably does not exceed 0.3 times the melting temperature (expressed in ° C.) of the electrode material that melts at the lowest temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: I-TEN
    Inventors: Fabien Gaben, Frédéric Bouyer, Bruno Vuillemin