Patents Examined by Monique Wills
  • Patent number: 9742027
    Abstract: A first method for fabricating an anode for use in sodium-ion and potassium-ion batteries includes mixing a conductive carbon material having a low surface area, a hard carbon material, and a binder material. A carbon-composite material is thus formed and coated on a conductive substrate. A second method for fabricating an anode for use in sodium-ion and potassium-ion batteries mixes a metal-containing material, a hard carbon material, and binder material. A carbon-composite material is thus formed and coated on a conductive substrate. A third method for fabricating an anode for use in sodium-ion and potassium-ion batteries provides a hard carbon material having a pyrolyzed polymer coating that is mixed with a binder material to form a carbon-composite material, which is coated on a conductive substrate. Descriptions of the anodes and batteries formed by the above-described methods are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
    Inventors: Sean Vail, Yuhao Lu, Long Wang, Motoaki Nishijima, Jong-Jan Lee
  • Patent number: 9741990
    Abstract: Provided is a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery laminated separator including a laminated porous film including a porous film and a porous layer. The piercing strength (S) of the laminated porous film satisfies Formula (1): 2 gf?Sp?S?25 gf, and the piercing strength (Sp) of the porous film after removal of the porous layer from the laminated porous film satisfies Formula (2): 300 gf?S?400 gf. The nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery laminated separator is excellent in output characteristic, shutdown characteristic, and piercing strength.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: SUMITOMO CHEMICAL COMPANY, LIMITED
    Inventor: Hirohiko Hasegawa
  • Patent number: 9742018
    Abstract: An electrode comprises an acid treated, cathodically cycled carbon-comprising film or body. The carbon consists of single walled nanotubes (SWNTs), pyrolytic graphite, microcrystalline graphitic, any carbon that consists of more than 99% sp2 hybridized carbons, or any combination thereof. The electrode can be used in an electrochemical device functioning as an electrolyser for evolution of hydrogen or as a fuel cell for oxidation of hydrogen. The electrochemical device can be coupled as a secondary energy generator into a system with a primary energy generator that naturally undergoes generation fluctuations. During periods of high energy output, the primary source can power the electrochemical device to store energy as hydrogen, which can be consumed to generate electricity as the secondary source during low energy output by the primary source. Solar cells, wind turbines and water turbines can act as the primary energy source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: University of Florida Research Foundation, Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew Gabriel Rinzler, Rajib Kumar Das, Yan Wang, Hai-Ping Cheng
  • Patent number: 9728786
    Abstract: An anode for a lithium-ion battery includes a current collector, a separator and an active material comprising alloying particles and a carbon material. A conductive net of carbon material surrounds the active material on at least the side walls and a separator-facing surface, the conductive net having net openings sized to retain the alloying particles and the carbon material within the conductive net while allowing lithium ions and electrons to pass through. The conductive net also maintains electrical contact between the carbon material and the alloying particles during lithiation and delithiation of the alloying particles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: Nissan North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Jessica Weber, Nilesh Dale
  • Patent number: 9728775
    Abstract: An anode electrode for an energy storage device includes both an ion intercalation material and a pseudocapacitive material. The ion intercalation material may be a NASICON material, such as NaTi2(PO4)3 and the pseudocapacitive material may be an activated carbon material. The energy storage device also includes a cathode, an electrolyte and a separator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: AQUION ENERGY, INC.
    Inventors: Jay Whitacre, Alex Mohamed, Andrew Polonsky, Sneha Shanbhag, Kristen Carlisle
  • Patent number: 9722264
    Abstract: A redox flow battery includes an anolyte storage tank configured for containing a quantity of anolyte and an anolyte headspace; a catholyte storage tank configured for containing a quantity of a catholyte and a catholyte headspace; and a gas management system comprising at least one conduit interconnecting the anolyte headspace and the catholyte headspace, and a gas exchange device configured to contain or release an evolving gas from either or both of the anolyte and catholyte storage tanks to an exterior battery environment when an interior battery pressure exceeds an exterior battery pressure by a predetermined amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: UniEnergy Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Liyu Li, Guanguang Xia, Jinfeng Wu, Chenxi Sun, Christopher Howard
  • Patent number: 9722263
    Abstract: An object is to suppress interference with the flow of a reactive gas or an off-gas in a fuel cell. There is provided a fuel cell comprising a stacked body that includes at least a power generation body configured by stacking a plurality of unit cells; and an end plate that is placed on at least one end in a stacking direction of the stacked body. The stacked body includes a manifold that is formed to pass through at least the power generation body in the stacking direction and is configured to cause a reactive gas or an off-gas to flow through. The end plate comprises a through hole that is formed to communicate with the manifold; and a plate portion that is placed inside of the through hole at a position corresponding to an outer circumference of an opening of the manifold formed in an end face on the one end of the stacked body and is arranged away from the end face of the stacked body across a clearance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Makoto Takeyama
  • Patent number: 9722260
    Abstract: An ion exchanger includes a lower casing, an upper casing, and a cartridge. The lower casing includes an upper opening and a circumferential wall, which includes an intake port and a discharge port. The upper casing includes a lid, which is arranged on the opening of the lower casing, and a cylinder, which extends downward from the lid and is accommodated in the circumferential wall. The cartridge, which is provided integrally with the inner side of the cylinder, accommodates an ion exchange resin. The cylinder includes a communication hole, through which the inner side of the cylinder is in communication with the intake port. The upper casing includes an accumulation limiting structure that limits the air remaining immediately below the lower surface of the lid in the upper casing after flowing into the cylinder together with coolant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA BOSHOKU KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Nobuhiko Nakagaki, Junko Ohira, Yuki Matsuda
  • Patent number: 9722231
    Abstract: A battery system having a bladed fuse connector and a method of operation of the bladed fuse connector are provided. The system may, in certain embodiments, include a printed circuit board (PCB) and a high current interconnect. The high current interconnect may be mounted to and extending upward from the PCB. The battery system may also include a fuse. The fuse may limit an amount of current flowing through the battery system. Additionally, the battery system may include a bladed fuse connector coupled between the high current interconnect and the fuse. The bladed fuse connector may carry a current between the high current interconnect and the fuse. To that end, the bladed fuse connector may include an S-shaped bend between the high current interconnect and the fuse.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Edward J. Soleski, Richard M. DeKeuster
  • Patent number: 9722232
    Abstract: A secondary battery, including an electrode assembly; a cap plate that seals the electrode assembly; an electrode pin electrically connected to the electrode assembly and on the cap plate with an insulating gasket therebetween; and a first lead tab coupled to the electrode pin, a relative ratio W2/W1 of a width W2 of the insulating gasket to a width W1 of the first lead tab satisfying 1.0<W2/W1<1.14.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jaemin Kim, Daeyon Moon
  • Patent number: 9716259
    Abstract: A vehicle underbody includes a tray structure, a battery pack having a plurality of footers and a bracket; and an enclosure surrounding the battery pack. The bracket has a wall attached to the enclosure, a ledge attached to the footers, and a stepped deformation region between the wall and ledge. The stepped deformation region deforms in response to impact to absorb energy associated with the impact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2017
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Rajaram Subramanian, Amar Marpu, Saravanan Paramasivam, Mladen Marjanovic, John Jardine
  • Patent number: 9716262
    Abstract: A battery wiring module is manufactured by an arrangement process of arranging in parallel a long chain bus-bar which is configured by connecting a plurality of bus bars at chain parts, a covering process of covering both an outer periphery of plurality of linear conductors and a side edge of the chain bus-bar adjacent to the plurality of linear conductors with an insulation resin part integrally formed by extrusion molding, a breaking process of breaking the chain parts of the chain bus-bar in order to separate the plurality of bus bars, and a connection process of electrically connecting each of the plurality of linear conductors to a predetermined one of the bus bars.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2017
    Assignee: YAZAKI CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshiaki Ichikawa, Hirotaka Mukasa
  • Patent number: 9705165
    Abstract: The present invention provides a lithium-air battery air electrode, the air electrode comprises: a collector, an in-situ loading catalyst on collector. The invention also provides a preparation method of the air electrode for lithium-air batteries and the lithium-air batteries. The air electrode of the present invention can greatly improve the performance of the lithium-air battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: SHANGHAI INSTITUTE OF CERAMICS, CHINESE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES
    Inventors: Zhaoyin Wen, Yanming Cui, Yu Liu, Xiangwei Wu, Jingchao Zhang
  • Patent number: 9705130
    Abstract: An electrochemical battery is provided with an aluminum anode current collector and an antimony (Sb)-based electrochemically active material overlying the aluminum current collector. The Sb-based electrochemically active material may be pure antimony, Sb with other metal elements, or Sb with non-metal elements. For example, the Sb-based electrochemically active material may be one of the following: Sb binary or ternary alloys of sodium, silicon, tin, germanium, bismuth, selenium, tellurium, thallium, aluminum, gold, cadmium, mercury, cesium, gallium, titanium, lead, carbon, and combinations thereof. The aluminum current collector may additionally include a material such as magnesium, iron, nickel, titanium, and combinations thereof. In one aspect, the anode further composed of a coating interposed between the aluminum current collector and the Sb-based electrochemically active material. This coating may be a non-corrodible metal or a carbonaceous material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
    Inventors: Xin Zhao, Sean Vail, Yuhao Lu, Motoaki Nishijima
  • Patent number: 9705110
    Abstract: A cell is provided. The cell includes a cell element including a positive electrode, a negative electrode, an electrolyte and a laminate film including an exterior layer, a metal layer, an interior layer, and a welded layer formed of the interior layer; wherein a thickness of the welded layer is larger than 5 ?m in a flat portion of the interior layer, wherein the welded layer increases in thickness from the flat portion to an end portion of the welded layer, and wherein when a thickness of the laminate film is t, a thickness of the interior layer is p and a thickness of the laminate film in the welded layer is t1, a following equation is satisfied: t×2?p×2+5<t1<t×2?5 (?m).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuhito Hatta, Mashio Shibuya
  • Patent number: 9705161
    Abstract: A battery module includes a battery block, a cover member, a circuit board, a wiring member, and a first connection member. The battery block includes a plurality of battery cells, and has a terminal surface. Terminals of the plurality of battery cells are arranged on the terminal surface. The cover member is arranged on or above the terminal surface of the battery block. The circuit board overlaps the cover member, and includes a voltage detection circuit for detecting terminal voltages of the plurality of battery cells. The wiring member overlaps the cover member, and is electrically connected to the terminals of the plurality of battery cells. The first connection member electrically connects the circuit board to the wiring member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: SANYO ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshitomo Nishihara, Yasuhiro Asai, Tsuyoshi Watanabe
  • Patent number: 9698441
    Abstract: A fuel cell module includes a fuel cell stack and FC peripheral equipment. The FC peripheral equipment includes an evaporator. At least one of evaporation pipes of the evaporator connects a water vapor discharge chamber and an inlet of a reformer to form an evaporation return pipe as a passage of water vapor. A raw fuel pipe is inserted into the evaporation return pipe for allowing a raw fuel to flow from the downstream side to the upstream side of the evaporation return pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tetsuya Ogawa, Yuki Yoshimine
  • Patent number: 9698429
    Abstract: The present application relates to a fuel cell and a method of manufacturing the same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: LG CHEM, LTD.
    Inventors: Kwanghyun Kim, Gyo Hyun Hwang, Sang Hoon Kim, Jun Yeon Cho
  • Patent number: 9694772
    Abstract: A battery mounting structure for a vehicle includes: a battery frame made of fiber reinforced resin and fastened and fixed to a vehicle body via a plurality of first fastening portions; a battery fastened and fixed to the battery frame via a plurality of second fastening portions; and a ductile member provided between the first fastening portion and the second fastening portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Koki Ikeda, Kiyoshi Hokazono, Toshiya Miyashita, Tomohiro Sakurai, Kentaro Nakamura
  • Patent number: 9698412
    Abstract: A decomposition reaction of an electrolyte solution and the like caused as a side reaction of charge and discharge is minimized in repeated charge and discharge of a lithium ion battery or a lithium ion capacitor, and thus the lithium ion battery or the lithium ion capacitor can have long-term cycle performance. A negative electrode for a power storage device includes a negative electrode current collector and a negative electrode active material layer which includes a plurality of particles of a negative electrode active material. Each of the particles of the negative electrode active material has an inorganic compound film containing a first inorganic compound on part of its surface. The negative electrode active material layer has a film in contact with an exposed part of the negative electrode active material and part of the inorganic compound film. The film contains an organic compound and a second inorganic compound.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuhiro Inoue, Kai Kimura, Sachiko Kataniwa, Ryota Tajima