Patents Examined by Kiran Quraishi
  • Patent number: 9142865
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a cable-type secondary battery, comprising: an inner electrode supporter; and a sheet-form laminate of inner electrode-separation layer-outer electrode, spirally wound on the outer surface of the inner electrode supporter, wherein the laminate of inner electrode-separation layer-outer electrode is formed by carrying out compression for the integration of an inner electrode, a separation layer for preventing a short circuit, and an outer electrode. In the cable-type secondary battery of the present disclosure, since the electrodes and the separation layer are adhered to each other and integrated, the separation layer coming into contact with the electrodes absorbs an electrolyte solution to induce the uniform supply of the electrolyte solution into the outer electrode active material layer, thereby enhancing the stability and performances of the cable-type secondary battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2015
    Assignee: LG Chem, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yo-Han Kwon, Byung-Hun Oh, Hye-Ran Jung, Je-Young Kim
  • Patent number: 9142811
    Abstract: In lithium bipolar batteries, to improve sealing against electrolytes between adjacent electrochemical cells, mixed current collector-electrode supports are produced, in a form of a metal grate or raised metal sheet housed in a strip made of electrical insulator material, the function of the periphery of which is to constitute a sealing area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2015
    Assignee: Commissariat a l'energie atomique et aux energies alternatives
    Inventor: Marianne Chami
  • Patent number: 9136522
    Abstract: A protection circuit module of a rechargeable battery comprises a substrate formed of a flexible insulator and including a circuit supporting unit and a wiring supporting unit extending from the circuit supporting unit; a conductive circuit pattern unit formed on the circuit supporting unit; a conductive wiring unit formed on the wiring supporting unit, wherein the wiring unit is electrically connected to the circuit pattern unit and extends along the wiring supporting unit; circuit elements electrically connected to the circuit pattern unit and formed on one surface of the circuit supporting unit; and a reinforcement unit formed on an opposing surface of the circuit supporting unit and supporting the circuit supporting unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2015
    Assignee: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Myung-Jun Lee
  • Patent number: 9126844
    Abstract: A positive electrode is disclosed for a non-aqueous electrolyte lithium rechargeable cell or battery. The electrode comprises a lithium containing material of the formula NayLixNizMn1-z-z?Mz?Od, wherein M is a metal cation, x+y>1, 0<z<0.5, 0?z?<0.5, y+x+1 is less than d, and the value of d depends on the proportions and average oxidation states of the metallic elements, Li, Na, Mn, Ni, and M, if present, such that the combined positive charge of the metallic elements is balanced by the number of oxygen anions, d. The inventive material preferably has a spinel or spinel-like component in its structure. The value of y preferably is less than about 0.2, and M comprises one or more metal cations selected preferably from one or more monovalent, divalent, trivalent or tetravalent cations, such as Mg2+, Co2+, Co3+, B3+, Ga3+, Fe2+, Fe3+, Al3+, and Ti4+.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2015
    Assignee: UCHICAGO ARGONNE, LLC
    Inventors: Christopher Johnson, Sun-Ho Kang
  • Patent number: 9070920
    Abstract: The present invention is a solid oxide fuel cell 1 including a reforming section 94, disposed inside a fuel gas supply flow path 20 above a vaporizing section 86 to surround the upper portion of a fuel cell stack 14, for steam reforming raw fuel gas F introduced from a fuel gas introducing portion 90a using steam S produced in a vaporizing section; and a circulating flow path portion 156 disposed in a fuel gas supply flow path between the vaporizing section and the reforming section for circulating rising raw fuel gas introduced from a fuel gas introducing section into a fuel gas supply flow path and rising steam produced in the vaporizing section along the circumferential direction of the fuel gas supply flow path so as to form a flow supplying mixed raw fuel gas and steam uniformly over the entire circumference of the reforming section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2015
    Assignee: TOTO LTD.
    Inventors: Masaki Sato, Naoki Watanabe, Nobuo Isaka, Shigeru Ando, Yutaka Momiyama, Kiyoshi Hayama, Seiki Furuya, Osamu Okamoto
  • Patent number: 9054361
    Abstract: A method of assembling a battery module assembly includes a step of preparing a plurality of battery cell stacks. Each battery cell stack is constructed by positioning a pre-compressed foam unit interposed between a first battery cell and a second battery cell. Each battery cell stack is positioned in a receiving frame. After such positioning, the pre-compressed foam unit of each battery cell stack is expanded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2015
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Benjamin R. Christian, Sami A. Syed, Herman K. Phlegm, John G. Dorrough
  • Patent number: 9017861
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery includes an electrode group, a battery container, an insulation member, and a nonaqueous electrolyte solution. The electrode group includes a positive electrode, a negative electrode and a separator disposed between the positive electrode and the negative electrode. The insulation member, which insulates the positive electrode and the negative electrode from the battery container and absorbs vibration, includes a resin and an inorganic material and has a bending elastic modulus between 600 MPa and 1,500 MPa, a specific heat between 0.25 cal/° C.·g and 0.40 cal/° C.·g, and a thermal conductivity between 0.3 W/m·K and 0.6 W/m·K.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Masanori Tanaka, Hidesato Saruwatari
  • Patent number: 9017874
    Abstract: Disclosed are an electrode active material for lithium secondary batteries, comprising at least one selected from compounds represented by the following formula 1, and a lithium secondary battery comprising the same. LixMo4-yMyO6-zAz??(1) wherein 0?x?2, 0?y?0.5, 0?z?0.5, M is a metal or transition metal cation having an oxidation number of +2 to +4, and A is a negative monovalent or negative bivalent anion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignee: LG Chem, Ltd.
    Inventors: Young Sun Choi, Seung-Tae Hong, Soojin Kim, YoungHwa Jung
  • Patent number: 9017886
    Abstract: A fuel cell system is disclosed with a fuel cell stack having a plurality of fuel cells, the fuel cell stack including an anode supply manifold and an anode exhaust manifold, a sensor for measuring at least one of an environmental condition affecting the fuel cell stack and a characteristic of the fuel cell stack, wherein the sensor generates a sensor signal representing the measurement of the sensor; and a processor for receiving the sensor signal, analyzing the sensor signal, and controlling a flow rate of a fluid flowing into the anode supply manifold based upon the analysis of the sensor signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Daniel I. Harris, Joseph Nicholas Lovria, Patrick Frost
  • Patent number: 9005805
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a plate-shaped secondary battery configured to have a structure in which an electrode assembly of a cathode/separator/anode structure is mounted in a battery case in a sealed state by thermal welding, wherein a protuberance is formed at an outer edge sealed portion of an electrode assembly receiving part of the battery case such that the protuberance protrudes upward and downward from the sealed portion, and the protuberance extends along the outer edge of the electrode assembly receiving part continuously in a curved line or in a straight line in a state in which the protuberance is adjacent to the electrode assembly receiving part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: LG Chem, Ltd.
    Inventors: WonChan Park, Min Su Kim, Ye Hoon Im, Seung Jae You, Woo Yong Lee
  • Patent number: 8951660
    Abstract: Disclosed is a battery pack including a battery module array, wherein a reinforcement member is coupled to side walls of end plates or sides of main members at an outer side of an outermost battery module of the battery module array to minimize deformation of the battery pack when the battery pack is vibrated in the front and rear direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2015
    Assignee: LG Chem, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yeonseok Choo, Chae Ho Chung, Ye Hoon Im
  • Patent number: 8936869
    Abstract: A flange 37b of a cap case 37 is provided with protrusions 37c that, before being swaging, project upward from the flange 37b. When the flange 37b is swaged along an upper surface of the cap 3, the protrusion 37c projects along the upper surface of the cap 3 from the flange 37b toward a center of the cap 3. The cap case 37 is welded to the cap 3 by friction stir welding at a welding portion 37d located at a substantially center of the protrusion 37c. The protrusions 37c are formed approximately in a letter-T shape that is symmetric left and right, and width W2 of a connecting portion 37r in a cap circumferential direction is smaller than the maximum width W1. The rigidity of the connecting portion 37r against deformation is reduced by forming a portion with small width W1 at the connecting portion 37r.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2015
    Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Katsunori Suzuki, Mikio Oguma, Sho Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 8906545
    Abstract: A crimped portion of a positive electrode external terminal is crimped on its upper end side to be electrically connected to a positive electrode terminal plate. This crimped portion is welded to the positive electrode terminal plate by applying high energy beams. The negative electrode side has a configuration similar to that of the positive electrode side. The contact area between the positive electrode terminal plate and the crimped portion of the positive electrode external terminal is set smaller than the corresponding contact area on the negative electrode side, and the volume of the crimped portion of the positive electrode external terminal is set larger than that of the corresponding crimped portion on the negative electrode side. Thus, a prismatic secondary battery is provided that shows strong joining strength between the external terminal and the terminal plate, suppressed internal resistance variations, and improved reliability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignees: SANYO Electric Co., Ltd., Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takayuki Hattori, Eiji Okutani, Yoshiya Maruyama, Yasuhiro Yamauchi, Hironori Harada, Toshihiro Takada, Hiroshi Inukai
  • Patent number: 8895169
    Abstract: Disclosed is a secondary battery having a novel structure in which a jelly-roll type electrode assembly (“jelly-roll”) in which a cathode including a cathode active material coated portion on at least one surface of a cathode current collector, an anode including an anode active material coated portion on at least one surface of an anode current collector, and a separator disposed therebetween are wound and an electrolyte are accommodated in a battery case, and at least one of a cathode lead coupled to a cathode uncoated portion and an anode lead coupled to an anode uncoated portion includes a first metal layer used for coupling with an electrode uncoated portion and/or coupling with a battery case and a second metal layer having a relatively lower resistance than that of the first metal layer, wherein the first and second metal layers are coupled to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: LG Chem, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kyung Su Oh, Cha-Hun Ku, Sung Jong Kim
  • Patent number: 8883342
    Abstract: A battery module of the present invention is adaptable to be utilized in various configurations including and not limited to an overlapping battery cell packaging configuration and a vertical stack battery cell packaging configuration used in an automotive and non-automotive applications. The battery module has a plurality of battery heatsink assemblies with the cells disposed therebetween. A plurality of rods extend through the each heatsink assemblies to secure the heatsink assemblies and the cell with one another to form the battery module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Enerdel, Inc.
    Inventors: Derrick S. Buck, Robert N. Fattig, Bruce J. Silk
  • Patent number: 8877379
    Abstract: Disclosed is a positive active material for a rechargeable lithium battery and a rechargeable lithium battery including the same, and the positive active material includes a carbon material having a structure with “n” polycyclic nano sheets, wherein “n” is an integer of 1 to 30 with hexagonal rings having six carbon atoms condensed and substantially aligned in a plane, the polycyclic nano sheets are laminated in a vertical direction to the plane; and a lithium-containing olivine-based compound attached to the surface of the carbon material is formed with a carbon-coating layer on its surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Woon-Suk Jang, Chae-Woong Cho, Bum-Jin Chang, Ki-Jun Kim, Kwi-Seok Choi
  • Patent number: 8877381
    Abstract: A composite oxide is produced via the following: a raw-material mixture preparation step of preparing a raw-material mixture by mixing a metallic-compound raw material and a molten-salt raw material with each other, the metallic-compound raw material at least including one or more kinds of Mn-containing metallic compounds being selected from the group consisting of oxides, hydroxides and metallic salts that include one or more kinds of metallic elements in which Mn is essential, the molten-salt raw material including lithium hydroxide and lithium nitrate, and exhibiting a proportion of the lithium hydroxide with respect to the lithium nitrate (i.e., (Lithium Hydroxide)/(Lithium Nitrate)) that falls in a range of from 0.05 or more to less than 1 by molar ratio; a molten reaction step of reacting said raw-material mixture at from 300° C. or more to 550° C. or less by melting it: and a recovery step of recovering said composite oxide being generated from said raw-material mixture that has undergone the reaction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Jidoshokki
    Inventors: Naoto Yasuda, Hitotoshi Murase, Ryota Isomura
  • Patent number: 8865328
    Abstract: A battery pack is disclosed. The battery pack has an analog front end which senses if a failure occurs in a microcontroller, and interrupts charging and discharging of the battery in response to the failure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Beom-Gyu Kim, Susumu Segawa, Eui-Jeong Hwang, Se-Sub Sim, Jong-Woon Yang, Han-Seok Yun, Jin-Wan Kim
  • Patent number: 8852821
    Abstract: An energy unit in accordance with an embodiment of the present application stores at least water and hydrogen. The energy unit includes an electrolysis component operable to provide hydrogen from the water, a hydrogen storage component operable to safely and stably store hydrogen in solid form and a fuel cell component operable to produce electricity from the hydrogen. The energy unit may be grouped with other like energy units to provide constant power for desired applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: Twisted Sun Innovations, Inc.
    Inventor: Nicolas Kernene
  • Patent number: 8852825
    Abstract: A solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) stack including a plurality of SOFCs and a plurality of interconnects. Each interconnect is located between two adjacent SOFCs, and each interconnect contains a Mn or Co containing, electrically conductive metal oxide layer on an air side of the interconnect. The SOFC stack also includes a barrier layer located between the electrically conductive metal oxide layer and an adjacent SOFC. The barrier layer is configured to prevent Mn or Co diffusion from the electrically conductive metal oxide layer to the adjacent SOFC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: Bloom Energy Corporation
    Inventors: Emad El Batawi, Eric Petersen, Mina Touma, Richard Stephenson