Patents Examined by Maria Laios
  • Electrolyte element and a cell incorporating the electrolyte element
    Patent number: 11349155
    Abstract: An electrolyte element (10) comprises a perforated sheet (11) of non-reactive metal such as an aluminium-bearing ferritic steel, and a non-permeable ceramic layer (16b) of sodium-ion-conducting ceramic bonded to one face of the perforated sheet (11) by a porous ceramic sub-layer (16a). The perforated sheet (11) may be of thickness in the range 50 ?m up to 500 ?m, and the thickness of the non-permeable ceramic layer (16b) may be no more than 50 ?m, for example 20 ?m or 10 ?m. Thus the electrolyte properties are provided by the non-permeable thin layer (16b) of ceramic, while mechanical strength is provided by the perforated sheet (11). The electrolyte element (10) may be used in a rechargeable molten sodium-metal halide cell, in particular a sodium/nickel chloride cell (20). It makes cells with increased power density possible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Inventor: Richard Dawson
  • Methods for prelithiation of silicon containing electrodes
    Patent number: 11342553
    Abstract: The present application describes a method of forming an energy storage device that directly adds a lithium layer (such as a lithium foil or otherwise deposited lithium) into the cell stack during cell assembly for prelithiating. The method includes providing a silicon-based anode, providing a cathode, positioning a separator between the anode and the cathode, and disposing a lithium layer between the silicon-based anode and the separator, such that the lithium layer is in contact with the anode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: ENEVATE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shiang Jen Teng, Xiaohua Liu, David J. Lee, Tracy Ho, Mai Vietnam, Benjamin Yong Park, Frederic Bonhomme
  • Electrodes and process for reconditioning contaminated electrode materials for use in batteries
    Patent number: 11335962
    Abstract: A polymer derived ceramic precursor is selected and mixed with a contaminated recycled electrode material or materials. The mixture is pyrolyzed to form a ceramic or ceramic-carbon composite, reduced to a powder and formed into an electrode of a battery, such as a lithium ion battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: Dynamic Material Systems LLC
    Inventors: Kyle Marcus, Walter Sherwood, William Easter, Arnold Hill, Gordon Nameni
  • Mounting brackets for retaining battery pack internal components
    Patent number: 11329342
    Abstract: This disclosure details exemplary battery pack designs for use in electrified vehicles. An exemplary battery pack may include an enclosure assembly, one or more battery arrays housed within the enclosure assembly, a first battery internal component (e.g., an array holding device, heat exchanger plate, tray, etc.) adjacent to the battery array, a mounting bracket mounted to the first battery internal component, and a second battery internal component (e.g., a wiring harness of an electrical distribution system) elevated above the first battery internal component by the mounting bracket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Tarek Obeid, Ihab Grace, David J. Pfeiffer
  • Displacement absorption tunnels for circular beads
    Patent number: 11329296
    Abstract: A plate includes a planar portion and a circular bead, or circular bead seal, that is offset from the planar portion. An axis is substantially perpendicular to the planar portion, and the circular bead arcs about the axis. The axis may be defined by a hole through the planar portion that is substantially surrounded by the circular bead. One or more displacement absorption tunnels is offset from the planar portion and extends radially relative to the axis. Each of the displacement absorption tunnels intersects the circular bead. In some configurations the displacement absorption tunnels may have an arcuate shape, and in some configurations the displacement absorption tunnels may have a trapezoidal shape. A plurality of plates having similar, though not identical, features may be stacked together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Liang Xi, Siguang Xu, Maddani Ramya
  • Stacked device structure
    Patent number: 11316143
    Abstract: A method for fabricating a stacked device structure includes preparing plural device layers each having a glass layer, a metal layer, and a resin layer. The metal layer corresponds to one of plural metal layers. The method further includes stacking the plural device layers to compose stacked device layers; and drilling vertically a hole into the stacked device layers by laser such that the plural metal layers are exposed to the hole and filling conductive material into the hole to connect the plural metal layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akihiro Horibe, Kuniaki Sueoka
  • Fuel cell stacks and methods for forming same for providing uniform fluid flow
    Patent number: 11316174
    Abstract: A fuel cell stack for providing uniform fluid flow through a plurality of plates is provided. The fuel cell stack includes a plurality of plates that define a plurality of fuel cells stacked with each other, each plate having a fuel inlet hole for receiving fuel and a fuel outlet hole for discharging fuel. The fuel cell stack includes a fuel inlet insert extending into the fuel inlet hole of at least some of the plurality of plates. The fuel inlet insert has an upstream end and a downstream end relative to a direction of fuel flow through the fuel inlet holes. The upstream end of the fuel inlet insert has a porosity and permeability less than a porosity and permeability of the downstream end of the fuel inlet insert such that the fuel insert provides uniform fuel flow through the plurality of plates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Ercan Mehmet Dede, Yuqing Zhou, Tsuyoshi Nomura
  • Composite separator, method of preparing the same, and secondary battery including the same
    Patent number: 11316232
    Abstract: A composite separator, a method of preparing the composite separator, and a secondary battery including the composite separator are provided. The composite separator includes a heat-resistant nonwoven fabric, and a porous coating film on at least one surface of the heat-resistant nonwoven fabric and including a multi-phase polymer including a stationary phase segment and a reversible phase segment, wherein an amount of the stationary phase segment is larger than an amount of the reversible phase segment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Boksoon Kwon, Youngsuk Jung, Seungrim Yang, Dongsu Ko, Youngnam Kwon, Hyoungwoo Choi
  • Molten ion conductive salt/silicon interface for decreased interfacial resistance
    Patent number: 11309585
    Abstract: An interfacial additive layer for decreasing the interfacial resistance/impedance of a silicon based electrode-containing device such as, for example, an energy storage device or a micro-resistor, is disclosed. The interfacial additive layer, which is composed of a molten lithium containing salt, is formed between a silicon based electrode and a solid polymer electrolyte layer of the device. The presence of such an interfacial additive layer increases the ion and electron mobile dependent performances at the silicon based electrode interface due to significant decrease in the resistance/impedance that is observed at the respective interface as well as the impedance observed in the bulk of the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: John Collins, Ali Afzali-Ardakani, Teodor K. Todorov, Joel P. de Souza, Devendra K. Sadana
  • Battery module frame for a battery module of a battery system
    Patent number: 11302983
    Abstract: A battery module frame includes first and second frame sections each having a main body, an upper side wall extending from the main body, and a lower side wall extending from the main body. The main body has a bus bar pad for a bus bar that is configured to be electrically connected to battery cells of the battery module. The upper and lower side walls include upper and lower mounting features. The first and second frame sections are coupled at a seam with the upper mounting features removably coupled together at an upper separable interface and with the lower mounting features removably coupled together at a lower separable interface. The first and second frame sections are coupled together with the bus bar pads of the main bodies coplanar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Inventors: Weiping Zhao, Jeremy Christin Patterson, Amadeu Luiz Fazani Cavallieri
  • Activation device for a battery for an electronic ignition mechanism and battery
    Patent number: 11302930
    Abstract: An activation device for a battery for an electronic ignition mechanism has an ampoule filled with an electrolyte and a device for breaking the ampoule. The breaking device contains two leaf spring elements, which are fixed with a prestress on a component in the housing interior and between which the ampoule is clamped. At least the leaf spring element which supports the ampoule on the bottom side snaps from a first shape into a second shape when a force due to acceleration is applied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: Diehl & Eagle Picher GmbH
    Inventor: Roland Hein
  • Battery pack
    Patent number: 11302981
    Abstract: A battery pack including a plurality of battery cells, each battery cell having a positive electrode and a negative electrode on a top surface of the battery cell, the battery cells being arranged in a first direction and in a second direction crossing the first direction; a protective circuit module, the protective circuit module including a printed circuit board on the battery cells, and a plurality of conductive tabs on the printed circuit board and electrically connecting the battery cells; and a case accommodating the battery cells and the protective circuit module, wherein each of the conductive tabs include a substrate connector connected to the printed circuit board, a cell connector electrically connected to a battery cell, and a fusible link extending from the substrate connector and having a width that is smaller than that of the substrate connector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: SAMSUNG SDI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Il Oh Kang, Dae Yon Moon
  • Secondary battery
    Patent number: 11296352
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to obtain a secondary battery that allows grasping a position of a mixture layer on an electrode and facilitates adjustment of positions of a positive electrode and a negative electrode. A secondary battery (100) of the present invention includes a negative electrode (32) that includes a strip-shaped copper foil (45) having both surfaces, negative electrode mixture layers (32a) on both the surfaces, a negative electrode foil exposed portion (32b), and insulating layers (31). The negative electrode foil exposed portion (32b) where the copper foil (45) is exposed is formed in an end portion on one side in a width direction of the copper foil (45). The insulating layers (31) are disposed on the negative electrode mixture layers (32a) and on the negative electrode foil exposed portion (32b).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: VEHICLE ENERGY JAPAN INC.
    Inventors: Motonari Kifune, Tetsuya Horinohchi, Kazuhide Uemura, Mutsumi Tsujide
  • Battery
    Patent number: 11296315
    Abstract: A main object of the present disclosure is to provide a battery with excellent capacity. The present disclosure achieves the object by providing a battery comprising a cathode layer, an electrolyte layer, and an anode layer, in this order, and the anode layer includes a silicon clathrate compound, as an anode active material, the silicon clathrate compound has a composition represented by MxSi46, wherein M is a metal element, x satisfies 0<x<46, and includes a crystal phase of a Type I silicon clathrate, and an average primary particle size of the silicon clathrate compound is 50 nm or more and 3000 nm or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Jun Yoshida, Daichi Kosaka, Takamasa Otomo, Hideyuki Nakano
  • Battery pack
    Patent number: 11289764
    Abstract: A battery pack includes: a housing; a battery stack being housed in the housing, the battery stack including a plurality of prismatic batteries stacked on each other in a row; a one-side restraint portion that restrains one side of the battery stack in a Y direction; an opposite-side restraint portion that restrains another side of the battery stack in the Y direction; a housing-side end plate that restrains one side in the X direction of the battery stack and oppositely faces a housing inner-surface in the X direction; and a plate movement allowing and positioning mechanism that allows movement of the housing-side end plate in the X direction due to the expansion of the battery stack in the X direction, and positions the housing-side end plate with respect to housing 2 in the Y direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Chifumi Murayama
  • Positive electrode for air battery
    Patent number: 11276861
    Abstract: A positive electrode for an air battery includes a current collector and a porous layer including an electroconductive material. The current collector includes a base having a first major surface, and a plurality of projections disposed on at least the first major surface of the base. The first major surface of the base is a planar surface. The porous layer is disposed on the first major surface of the base and is in direct contact with the first major surface. The projections are in direct contact with the porous layer in the interior of the porous layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Koichi Sawada, Tsutomu Kawashima
  • Hydrogen fuel cell stack and method for upgrading a hydrogen fuel cell stack
    Patent number: 11276869
    Abstract: This disclosure relates to a hydrogen fuel cell stack with one or more hydrogen fuel cell (102) having in turn a proton exchange membrane (104), a hydrogen reaction layer (112) and an oxygen reaction layer (116) within a pair of bipolar plates (106). At least a bipolar plate (106) comprises a channel (108) inside for hydrogen inflow. Additionally, this disclosure relates to a method of upgrading a hydrogen fuel cell stack, said method comprising inserting a channel (108) for hydrogen inflow inside at least a bipolar plate (106).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: José Antonio Blanco, Nieves Lapeña, Jose L. Lemus, Enrique Emilio Serrot Hauke, Eduardo G. Ferreyra
  • Metal porous body and current collector for nickel-metal hydride battery
    Patent number: 11271215
    Abstract: A metal porous body is a metal porous body mainly composed of nickel and having a framework of a three-dimensional network structure, Ni(OH)2 being present in a surface of the framework, when the metal porous body is subjected to at least 30 potential scans between a lower limit potential of ?0.10 V and an upper limit potential of +0.65 V with respect to a hydrogen standard potential in not less than 10% by mass and not more than 35% by mass of a potassium hydroxide aqueous solution, at least oxygen being detected within a depth of 5 nm from the surface, and hydrogen being detected at least in the surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignees: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD., SUMITOMO ELECTRIC TOYAMA CO., LTD., PRIMEARTH EV ENERGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuki Okuno, Masatoshi Majima, Hitoshi Tsuchida, Junichi Nishimura, Koutarou Kimura, Yusuke Shimizu
  • Multilayer structure incorporating a mat of carbon nanotubes as diffusion layer in a PEMFC
    Patent number: 11271220
    Abstract: A multilayer structure, of use as composite diffusion layer in a proton-exchange membrane fuel cell, including at least one mat of carbon nanotubes having a unit diameter of less than or equal to 20 nm, defining at least one face of the structure, the mat of carbon nanotubes being superposed on a support based on carbon fibres. It also relates to a process for preparing such a multilayer structure and to the use thereof for an electrode of a PEMFC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: COMMISSARIAT A L'ENERGIE ATOMIQUE ET AUX ENERGIES ALTERNATIVES
    Inventors: Arnaud Morin, Jean Dijon, Raphael Ramos
  • Johnson thermo-electrochemical converter
    Patent number: 11271236
    Abstract: A electrochemical direct heat to electricity converter having a low temperature membrane electrode assembly array and a high temperature membrane electrode assembly array is provided. Additional cells are provided in the low temperature membrane electrode assembly array, which causes an additional amount of the working fluid, namely hydrogen, to be pumped to the high pressure side of the converter. The additional pumped hydrogen compensates for the molecular hydrogen diffusion that occurs through the membranes of the membrane electrode assembly arrays. The MEA cells may be actuated independently by a controller to compensate for hydrogen diffusion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: JOHNSON IP HOLDING, LLC
    Inventor: Lonnie G. Johnson