Patents Examined by Nathanael T Zemui
  • Patent number: 10454103
    Abstract: The present application is generally directed to composites comprising a hard carbon material and an electrochemical modifier. The composite materials find utility in any number of electrical devices, for example, in lithium ion batteries. Methods for making the disclosed composite materials are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2019
    Assignee: Group14 Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Avery J. Sakshaug, Leah A. Thompkins, Henry R. Costantino, Aaron M. Feaver
  • Patent number: 10411286
    Abstract: An alkali/oxidant battery is provided with an associated method of creating battery capacity. The battery is made from an anode including a reduced first alkali metal such as lithium (Li), sodium (Na), and potassium (K), when the battery is charged. The battery's catholyte includes an element, in the battery charged state, such as nickel oxyhydroxide (NiOOH), manganese(IV) (oxide Mn(4+)O2), or iron(III) oxyhydroxide Fe(3+)(OH)3), with the alkali metal hydroxide. An alkali metal ion permeable separator is interposed between the anolyte and the catholyte. For example, if the catholyte includes nickel(II) hydroxide (Ni(OH)2) in a battery discharged state, then it includes NiOOH in a battery charged state. To continue the example, the anolyte may include dissolved lithium ions (Li+) in a discharged state, with solid phase reduced Li formed on the anode in the battery charged state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2019
    Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
    Inventors: Yuhao Lu, Hidayat Kisdarjono, Jong-Jan Lee, David R. Evans
  • Patent number: 10396321
    Abstract: A battery pack spacer is divided into a first region and a second region, the first region includes an end portion in a first direction and occupies half of an entire region of the spacer in a second direction from the end portion in the first direction, the second region includes an end portion in the second direction and occupies half of the entire region of the spacer in the first direction from the end portion in the second direction, and the second region has higher compressibility in the single cell arrangement direction than the first region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yuya Ishihara, Jumpei Terashima, Ayumu Kamakura
  • Patent number: 10388928
    Abstract: The present invention provides a propylene-based resin microporous film which has excellent lithium ion permeability, can constitute a high-performance lithium ion battery, and can prevent a short circuit between a positive electrode and a negative electrode due to dendrites. The propylene-based resin microporous film of the present invention is a propylene-based resin microporous film containing micropores, wherein the degree of gas permeability is 100 to 400 s/100 mL, the standard deviation of the degree of gas permeability is 7 s/100 mL or less, the thermal shrinkage ratio during heating at 105° C. for 2 hours is 6% or less, and the standard deviation of the thermal shrinkage ratio is 1% or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: ASAHI KASEI KABUSHIKI KAISHA:
    Inventor: Takahiko Sawada
  • Patent number: 10340499
    Abstract: This invention provides a sealed secondary battery comprising a current cutoff mechanism. The current cutoff mechanism has a current breaking valve 30 comprising a sloped side wall 32A which tapers with decreasing diameter from the inner circumference of a flange 32 and a dome 32B descending in a spherical cap shape from the rim of sloped side wall 32A. The rotation axis L of sloped side wall 32A and the sloped side wall 32A form an angle ? to satisfy 60°???75° while dome 32B has a sphere radius R of 30 mm or larger, but smaller than 100 mm. In a planer view along the rotation axis L, the outer circumference of dome 32B is located outside the outer circumference of a thin portion 76.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroya Umeyama, Hiroaki Imanishi
  • Patent number: 10312501
    Abstract: An example electrolyte includes a solvent, a lithium salt, and an additive selected from the group consisting of a silane with at least one Si—H group; a fluorinated methoxysilane; a fluorinated chlorosilane; and combinations thereof. The electrolyte may be used in a method for making a solid electrolyte interface (SEI) layer on a surface of a lithium electrode. A negative electrode structure may be formed from the method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Li Yang, Mei Cai, Fang Dai, Qiangfeng Xiao, Mark W. Verbrugge
  • Patent number: 10297816
    Abstract: Disclosed is an electrode active material including a core formed from one selected from the group consisting of lithium-containing transition metal oxide, a carbon material, a lithium metal, and a metal compound, or mixtures thereof, and a shell formed on a surface of the core and including lithium metal oxide particles and polymer, and a lithium secondary battery using the same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Assignee: Kokam Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ji-Jun Hong, Sung-Tae Ko, Yoon-Jeong Heo
  • Patent number: 10256449
    Abstract: A porous membrane separator for a secondary battery, comprising a separator substrate, a porous membrane formed on at least one surface of the separator substrate, and an adhesive layer formed on the porous membrane, wherein: the porous membrane contains non-conductive particles and a water-soluble maleimide-maleic acid copolymer including a specific structural unit (a) a structural unit (b); and the adhesive layer contains a particulate polymer having a glass transition temperature of 10° C. or higher and 110° C. or lower.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2019
    Assignee: ZEON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yujiro Toyoda, Takuya Kaneda
  • Patent number: 10249865
    Abstract: A bus bar module includes: a plurality of bus bar cases each housing a bus bar; a first engagement portion provided to one of the plurality of bus bar cases; a first connecting member having flexibility and connecting the plurality of bus bar cases; a plurality of insulating covers covering openings of the plurality of bus bar cases, the insulating covers including a second engagement portion to be engaged with the first engagement portion; a second connecting member having flexibility and connecting the plurality of insulating covers; and a pair of ribs provided to extend downward from an inner surface of each of the insulating covers located adjacent to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2019
    Assignee: YAZAKI CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shigeyuki Ogasawara, Shinichi Yanagihara
  • Patent number: 10243177
    Abstract: A cylindrical battery includes a cylindrical battery case and a cylindrical electrode assembly arranged in the battery case and including a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a separator. The electrode assembly has a slit extending from a first axial end to a second axial end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: GS Yuasa International Ltd.
    Inventors: Manabu Kanemoto, Tadashi Kakeya, Mitsuhiro Kodama
  • Patent number: 10230108
    Abstract: An active material capable of improving the discharge capacity of a lithium ion secondary battery is provided. The active material of the present invention includes LiVOPO4 and one or more metal elements selected from the group consisting of Al, Nb, Ag, Mg, Mn, Fe, Zr, Na, K, B, Cr, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Si, Be, Ti, and Mo.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2019
    Assignee: TDK CORPORATION
    Inventors: Atsushi Sano, Keitaro Otsuki, Tomohiko Kato, Akiji Higuchi
  • Patent number: 10230099
    Abstract: In a battery production process, a positive electrode active material having a reaction-suppressing layer that does not easily peel off formed on the surface thereof, and a positive electrode and an all-solid-state battery that use said material are provided. The present invention involves positive electrode active material particles for an all-solid-state battery containing sulfide-based solid electrolyte. The positive electrode active material particles are an aggregate containing two or more particles. The surface of the aggregate is coated with a reaction-suppressing layer for suppressing reactions with the sulfide-based solid electrolyte.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Takayuki Uchiyama
  • Patent number: 10224533
    Abstract: In a secondary battery (10) suggested herein, when a gas pressure in a battery case (12) is increased to or above a specified level and a current interrupt valve (26) is consequently raised to a connecting terminal (21) side, a thinned section (71) is broken around a portion that is joined to the current interrupt valve 26, the connecting terminal (21) and an electrode body are electrically interrupted from each other. An insulant (27) is disposed in a portion where the thinned section (71) is broken, and is interposed between both edges of the broken thinned section (71) after the thinned section (71) is broken.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroaki Imanishi, Hiroya Umeyama
  • Patent number: 10211463
    Abstract: A carbon material according to an embodiment contains: 2% by mass or more and 15% by mass or less of nitrogen and 0.3% by mass or more and 2.5% by mass or less of sulfur, and 40% by mass or more of the nitrogen is a graphitic nitrogen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2019
    Assignee: NISSHINBO HOLDINGS INC.
    Inventors: Masayoshi Watanabe, Kaoru Dokko, Shiguo Zhang
  • Patent number: 10211436
    Abstract: A lithium ion cell includes a housing and positive and negative terminals. The housing includes top and bottom surfaces. The housing includes first, second, third, and fourth side surfaces, perpendicular to the top and bottom surfaces. A cell isolator includes first and second portions made of an electrically non-conductive material. The first portion includes first, second, and third wall members. The first wall member directly contacts the first side surface. The second wall member directly contacts a portion of the second side surface. The third wall member directly contacts a portion of the third side surface. The second portion includes fourth, fifth, and sixth wall members. The fourth wall member directly contacts the fourth side surface. The fifth wall member directly contacts portions of the second side surface and the second wall member. The sixth wall directly contacts portions of the third side surface and the third wall member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2019
    Assignees: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd., Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Christopher M. Millon
  • Patent number: 10211453
    Abstract: A storage structure of an electrical metal-air energy storage cell is provided having an active storage material. The storage structure has a core region and at least one shell region, wherein the material in the core region has a higher porosity than the material of the shell region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2019
    Assignee: SIEMENS AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventors: Katrin Benkert, Thomas Soller
  • Patent number: 10205140
    Abstract: A cell includes a front cover having a front cavity, a rear cover having a rear cavity, a first terminal, a second terminal, and an electrode group. The rear cover is connected to the front cover. The first terminal is disposed on the front cover and passes through the front cover to the front cavity. The second terminal is disposed on the front cover, and passes through the front cover to the front cavity. The electrode group is disposed in the front cavity and the rear cavity, and connected to the first terminal and the second terminal in the front cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2019
    Assignee: DELTA ELECTRONICS, INC.
    Inventors: Chin-Ming Chen, Po-Lin Pan
  • Patent number: 10193118
    Abstract: Provided is a hydroxide-ion-conductive dense membrane having a He permeability per unit area of 10 cm/min·atm or less. The present invention provides a highly-densified hydroxide-ion-conductive membrane that can significantly reduce permeation of substances other than hydroxide ions (in particular, Zn, which may cause growth of dendritic zinc in a zinc secondary battery) and that is particularly suitable for use in, for example, a separator for a battery (in particular, a zinc secondary battery, which may cause growth of dendritic zinc).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kouta Asai, Kenshin Kitoh
  • Patent number: 10177390
    Abstract: In a method for controlling a fuel cell system, a shutoff valve is opened to supply a fuel gas from a storage container to a fuel cell after a fuel cell system shutdown instruction is sent to the fuel cell system so that the fuel cell generates and discharges electricity. The storage container is supplied to the fuel gas supplied from a fuel supply source provided outside the fuel cell system in response to a filling instruction to supply the fuel gas to the storage container. A data signal indicating a state of the storage container is transmitted to the fuel supply source. The shutoff valve is closed and the storage container is supplied to the fuel gas supplied from the fuel supply source if the filling instruction is output while opening the shutoff valve after the fuel cell system shutdown instruction is sent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Go Kikuchi, Chihiro Wake, Yuji Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 10170736
    Abstract: A battery case is disclosed. In one aspect, the battery case includes a front case and an attaching/detaching mechanism. The front case includes a first surface corresponding to a front end portion of a battery module placed in parallel to a bottom surface thereof, and a first flange portion extending toward the battery module from the periphery of the first surface, the first flange portion having an opening formed in an upper surface thereof. The attaching/detaching mechanism includes an elastic member positioned between the front case and a front end portion of the battery module, cover members respectively surrounding both ends of the elastic member, an extending member extended upward from one area of each cover member, and a press member respectively formed toward both the ends of the elastic portion at end portions of the extending member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2019
    Assignee: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Man-Sik Cho, Kwang-Soo Bae, Sun-Hye Hu