Patents Examined by Ladan Mohaddes
  • Patent number: 9048489
    Abstract: An electrode assembly and a lithium secondary battery including the same. Heat generation of the electrode tabs is reduced by providing the electrode tabs at the outermost parts of the electrode assembly. An insulation member is attached at the boundary of the electrode tabs and the respective electrode plates. An insulation member is also attached to the uncoated portions formed on the outer circumference of the electrode assembly, thereby preventing internal short circuits either between an uncoated portion and an active material layer or between the uncoated portions. The electrode assembly can be used in pouch, rectangular and cylindrical lithium secondary batteries to prevent an internal short circuit within the batteries.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2015
    Assignee: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jeongwon Oh, Joongheon Kim
  • Patent number: 9048493
    Abstract: A cathode active material, a cathode including the cathode active material, and a lithium battery including the cathode. The cathode active material includes a lithium composite oxide and a lithium titanium oxide, wherein the lithium titanium oxide includes titanium having an average oxidation number of 4-y (0<y<2). The lithium titanium oxide is reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2015
    Assignee: SAMSUNG SDI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kyu-sung Park, Dong-min Im
  • Patent number: 9017880
    Abstract: A magnesium battery 10 according to the present invention includes a positive electrode 12, a negative electrode 14 having a magnesium-containing negative electrode active material, and an inorganic magnesium solid electrolyte 16 that is interposed between the positive electrode 12 and the negative electrode 14, has a complex ion structure that contains magnesium and hydrogen, and conducts magnesium ions. The inorganic magnesium solid electrolyte 16 may contain a compound having at least one selected from boron and nitrogen. The inorganic magnesium solid electrolyte may be produced by a production method that includes a heat-treatment step of mixing and heating Mg(BH4)2 and Mg(NH2)2 to form a compound having a complex ion structure that contains magnesium and hydrogen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Chuo Kenkyusho
    Inventors: Shougo Higashi, Masakazu Aoki
  • Patent number: 9005815
    Abstract: A negative active material for a rechargeable lithium battery, a method of manufacturing the same, and a rechargeable lithium battery including the negative active material. The negative active material includes carbon particles having interplanar spacing (d002) ranging from about 0.34 nm to about 0.50 nm at a 002 plane, measured by X-ray diffraction using CuK?, and nitrogen on the surface of the carbon particles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kyeu-Yoon Sheem, Bok-Hyun Ka, Da-Woon Han
  • Patent number: 8993166
    Abstract: A battery with the high capacity, the superior cycle characteristics, and the superior initial charge and discharge efficiency, and an anode active material used for it are provided. The anode active material contains at least tin, cobalt, carbon, and phosphorus as an element. A carbon content is from 9.9 wt % to 29.7 wt %, a phosphorus content is from 0.1 wt % to 2.2 wt %, and a cobalt ration to the total of the tin and the cobalt is from 24 wt % to 70 wt %.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Satoshi Mizutani, Hiroshi Inoue, Akinori Kita, Akira Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 8986871
    Abstract: An electrode assembly and a secondary battery having the same improve efficiency and stability of the secondary battery. The electrode assembly includes: a positive electrode plate having a positive electrode collector on which a positive electrode coating portion and a positive electrode non-coating portion are formed; a negative electrode plate having a negative electrode collector on which a negative electrode coating portion and a negative electrode non-coating portion are formed; a separator disposed between the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate; and an insulating member disposed on one side of the positive or negative electrode non-coating portion, and formed adjacent to at least one of the ends of the positive electrode coating portion and/or at least one of the end of the negative electrode coating portion. The electrode assembly at least prevents damage to a separator generated due to non-uniformity of the ends of the electrode coating portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jong-Ku Kim, Yoo-Eup Hyung
  • Patent number: 8986902
    Abstract: A pair of gaskets is integrally formed with seal lips corresponding to each other and extending in the longitudinal direction of the gasket, and side portions disposed on either sides or one side of the seal lip and having a height lower than that of the seal lip. The plate-shaped attachment member includes a through-hole provided at a position where the side portions of the pair of gaskets communicate with each other so as to be formed therethrough in the thickness direction, and the pair of gaskets is integrally formed through the through-hole. An opening shape of the through-hole is set to be an elongated shape in the longitudinal direction of the gasket so as to make a width dimension of each of the side portions as small as possible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: NOK Corporation
    Inventor: Tetsuya Urakawa
  • Patent number: 8986894
    Abstract: A solid electrolyte including a layered metal oxide represented by the formula (1), (La1-xAx)(Sr1-yBy)3(Co1-zCz)3O10-???(1) [wherein A represents a rare earth element other than La; B represents Mg, Ca, or Ba; C represents Ti, V, Cr, or Mn; 0?x<1, 0?y<1, 0?z<1; and ? represents an oxygen deficiency amount].
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, National University Corporation Hokkaido University
    Inventors: Haruyuki Nakanishi, Tatsuya Takeguchi, Hiroki Takahashi, Ayaka Nakamura, Saburo Hosokawa
  • Patent number: 8962214
    Abstract: Shaped microporous articles are produced from polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and nucleating agents using thermally induced phase separation (TIPS) processes. The shaped microporous article is oriented in at least one direction at a stretch ratio of at least approximately 1.1 to 1.0. The shaped article may also comprise a diluent, glyceryl triacetate. The shaped microporous article may also have the micropores filled with a sufficient quantity of ion conducting electrolyte to allow the membrane to function as an ion conductive membrane. The method of making a microporous article comprises the steps of melt blending polyvinylidene fluoride, nucleating agent and glyceryl triacetate; forming a shaped article of the mixture; cooling the shaped article to cause crystallization of the polyvinylidene fluoride and phase separation of the polyvinylidene fluoride and glyceryl triacetate; and stretching the shaped article in at least one direction at a stretch ratio of at least approximately 1.1 to 1.0.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Samantha D. Smith, Gene H. Shipman, Robert M. Floyd, Harold Todd Freemyer, Steven J. Hamrock, Michael A. Yandrasits, David G. S. Walton
  • Patent number: 8962215
    Abstract: An electrolyte membrane which comprises a cation exchange membrane made of a polymer having cation exchange groups and contains cerium ions is used as an electrolyte membrane for a polymer electrolyte fuel cell. In a case where the cation exchange membrane has sulfonic acid groups, the sulfonic acid groups are ion-exchanged, for example, with cerium ions so that cerium ions are contained preferably in an amount of from 0.3 to 20% of —SO3? groups contained in the cation exchange membrane. A membrane for a polymer electrolyte fuel cell capable of power generation in high energy efficiency, having high power generation performance regardless of the dew point of the feed gas and capable of stable power generation over a long period of time, can be provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Asahi Glass Company, Limited
    Inventors: Eiji Endoh, Shinji Terazono
  • Patent number: 8956747
    Abstract: The case 20 housing a plurality of cells 100 is divided, by a circuit board 30 provided at the same sides of the cells 100, into a housing space 50 housing the cells 100 and an exhaust duct 60 for releasing a gas from the vents 8a of the cells 100 to outside the case 20. The vents 8a of the cells 100 communicate with the exhaust duct 60 through openings 30a formed in the flat plate 30. The exhaust duct 60 is divided into a first space 61 and a second space 62 by a partition 40 provided between the flat plate 30 and an external plate 21 of the case 20. The first space 61 communicates with the second space 62 through through holes 40a formed in the partition 40.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshiki Itoi, Shunsuke Yasui, Hiroshi Takasaki
  • Patent number: 8956745
    Abstract: A metal halogen electrochemical energy cell system that generates an electrical potential. One embodiment of the system includes at least one cell including at least one positive electrode and at least one negative electrode, at least one electrolyte, a mixing venturi that mixes the electrolyte with a halogen reactant, and a circulation pump that conveys the electrolyte mixed with the halogen reactant through the positive electrode and across the metal electrode. Preferably, the positive electrode comprises porous carbonaceous material, the negative electrode comprises zinc, the metal comprises zinc, the halogen comprises halogen, the electrolyte comprises an aqueous zinc-halide electrolyte, and the halogen reactant comprises a halogen reactant. Also, variations of the system and a method of operation for the systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: Primus Power Corporation
    Inventor: Rick Winter
  • Patent number: 8945788
    Abstract: A fuel cell system whose fuel loss caused by the crossover of the fuel is small and which can be operated economically. The fuel cell system includes a fuel cell 10, a primary feeding system 12 for feeding a primary fuel which is a liquid fuel to the fuel cell 10, a secondary feeding system 13 for feeding a secondary fuel which is a liquid fuel whose saturation vapor pressure is lower than that of the primary fuel to the fuel cell 10, a ECU 30 for controlling each part so that the primary fuel in the fuel cell is replaced with the secondary fuel when terminating the operation of the fuel cell 10.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Haruyuki Nakanishi, Hidekazu Arikawa, Kazuya Uchisasai
  • Patent number: 8936874
    Abstract: This invention provides a nanocomposite-based lithium battery electrode comprising: (a) A porous aggregate of electrically conductive nano-filaments that are substantially interconnected, intersected, physically contacted, or chemically bonded to form a three-dimensional network of electron-conducting paths, wherein the nano-filaments have a diameter or thickness less than 1 ?m (preferably less than 500 nm); and (b) Sub-micron or nanometer-scale electro-active particles that are bonded to a surface of the nano-filaments with a conductive binder material, wherein the particles comprise an electro-active material capable of absorbing and desorbing lithium ions and wherein the electro-active material content is no less than 25% by weight based on the total weight of the particles, the binder material, and the filaments. Preferably, these electro-active particles are coated with a thin carbon layer. This electrode can be an anode or a cathode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2015
    Assignee: Nanotek Instruments, Inc.
    Inventors: Jinjun Shi, Aruna Zhamu, Bor Z. Jang
  • Patent number: 8932760
    Abstract: An electrode active material, containing ?-MnO2 which is stabilized with a stabilizing cation or molecule with a radius of from 1.35 to 1.55 ?, and wherein a molar ratio of the stabilizing ion or molecule to Mn is from 0.1 to 0.125, is provided. Also provided are a magnesium electrochemical cell having a cathode containing the stabilized ?-MnO2 and a rechargeable magnesium battery having a cathode containing the stabilized ?-MnO2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2015
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Ruigang Zhang, Fuminori Mizuno
  • Patent number: 8916284
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a battery cell including an electrode assembly of a cathode/separator/anode structure mounted in a receiving part of a battery case (cell case). The cell case is provided, at a predetermined region of the cell case corresponding to the upper end interface of the electrode assembly while the electrode assembly is mounted in the receiving part, with a small groove for pressing against the upper end of the electrode assembly to prevent the upward movement of the electrode assembly. The small groove is continuously formed in parallel with the upper end of the electrode assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2014
    Assignee: LG Chem, Ltd.
    Inventors: Jun Hwan Jang, Byungjin Choi, Hyang Mok Lee
  • Patent number: 8916294
    Abstract: Lithium rich metal oxyfluorides are described with high specific capacity and, good cycling properties. The materials have particularly good high rate capabilities. The fluorine dopant can be introduced in a low temperature process to yield the materials with desirable cycling properties. In some embodiments, the positive electrode active materials have a composition represented approximately by the formula Li1+xNi?Mn?Co?A?O2?zFz where: x is from about 0.02 to about 0.19, ? is from about 0.1 to about 0.4, ? is from about 0.35 to about 0.869, ? is from about 0.01 to about 0.2, ? is from 0.0 to about 0.1 and z is from about 0.01 to about 0.2, where A is Mg, Zn, Al, Ga, B, Zr, Ti, Ca, Ce, Y, Nb or combinations thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2014
    Assignee: Envia Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Sujeet Kumar, Herman Lopez, Subramanian Venkatachalam, Deepak Karthikeyan
  • Patent number: 8906537
    Abstract: A first object of the present invention is to provide a separator including a polyethylene microporous membrane and a heat-resistant porous layer, and that has a sufficient shutdown function and a sufficient heat resistance, and can be formed with a reduced thickness and can overcome the problem of slidability. A first aspect of the present invention is a separator for a non-aqueous secondary battery. The separator includes a microporous membrane of primarily polyethylene, and a heat-resistant porous layer of a primarily heat-resistant polymer formed on at least one surface of the microporous membrane. (1) The microporous membrane has a Gurley number of 25 to 35 sec/100 cc·?m per unit thickness. (2) The heat-resistant porous layer contains inorganic fine particles having an average particle diameter of 0.1 to 1.0 ?m. (3) The inorganic fine particles are 40% to 80% in volume with respect to a total volume of the heat-resistant polymer and the inorganic fine particles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Teijin Limited
    Inventor: Satoshi Nishikawa
  • Patent number: 8906538
    Abstract: A first object of the present invention is to provide a separator including a polyethylene microporous membrane and a heat-resistant porous layer, and that has a sufficient shutdown function and a sufficient heat resistance, and can be formed with a reduced thickness and can overcome the problem of slidability. A first aspect of the present invention is a separator for a non-aqueous secondary battery. The separator includes a microporous membrane of primarily polyethylene, and a heat-resistant porous layer of a primarily heat-resistant polymer formed on at least one surface of the microporous membrane. (1) The microporous membrane has a Gurley number of 25 to 35 sec/100 cc·?m per unit thickness. (2) The heat-resistant porous layer contains inorganic fine particles having an average particle diameter of 0.1 to 1.0 ?m. (3) The inorganic fine particles are 40% to 80% in volume with respect to a total volume of the heat-resistant polymer and the inorganic fine particles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Teijin Limited
    Inventor: Satoshi Nishikawa
  • Patent number: 8895171
    Abstract: Prior to loading into a vehicle, a duct is attached to a battery such that the duct is moveable between a loading position and a post-loading position. Before the battery and duct are loaded into the vehicle, the duct is positioned in the loading position. After the battery and duct are loaded into the vehicle, the duct is positioned in the post-loading position and secured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Patrick Daniel Maguire, Sarav Paramasivam, Jeffrey Joseph Omichinski