Patents Examined by Patrick Joseph Ryan
  • Slurry composition, electrode and secondary cell
    Patent number: 7316864
    Abstract: A slurry composition for electrode comprising a binder, an active material, and a liquid medium, characterized in that the binder comprises a polymer (X) comprising 60 to 95 mole % of repeating units derived from acrylonitrile or methacrylonitrile and 5 to 30 mole % of repeating units derived from at least one kind of a monomer selected from 1-olefins and compounds represented by the following general formula (1): CH2?CR1—COOR2 wherein R1 represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group and R2 represents an alkyl group; and the liquid medium is capable of dissolving the polymer (X). The slurry composition allows the manufacture of a lithium ion secondary battery having enhanced capacity and good charge-discharge cycle characteristics and good charge-discharge rate characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2008
    Assignee: Zeon Corporation
    Inventors: Akira Nakayama, Takao Suzuki, Hidekazu Mori, Katsuya Nakamura, Masahiro Yamakawa
  • Ionic liquid-modified cathode and electrochemical device using the same
    Patent number: 7316866
    Abstract: The present invention provides a cathode produced from a cathode slurry comprising: (a) a cathode active material based on a lithium-containing metal composite oxide or a chalcogenide compound; and (b) an ionic liquid, as well as an electrochemical device including the cathode. The inventive cathode can greatly improve the safety of batteries without causing a significant deterioration in the battery performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2008
    Assignee: LG Chem, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hyun Hang Yong, Sang Young Lee, Seok Koo Kim, Soon Ho Ahn
  • Battery holding frame, in particular for an electrically driven sweeping machine
    Patent number: 7316861
    Abstract: A battery holding frame is provided for an electrically driven sweeping machine having one lower supporting face (4) for the battery (10), and lateral faces (5) to contain the same battery (10), which include a mobile lateral face (5a) rotatable between a first closed position across the first lower supporting face (4) and a second operating position substantially aligned with and adjacent to the lower supporting face (4) where rotatable elements (7) are provided on the mobile lateral face (5a), suitable for allowing the battery (10) to slide whenever the mobile lateral face (5a) is in an operating position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2008
    Assignee: Dulevo International S.p.A.
    Inventor: Michele Scita
  • Method of manufacturing an electrode active material particle for a rechargeable battery
    Patent number: 7316717
    Abstract: A rechargeable battery includes electrodes containing particles of an active material capable of being alloyed with Li. A metallic element that is not alloyed with Li is distributed by its diffusion in particles of the active material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2008
    Assignee: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masahisa Fujimoto, Yasuyuki Kusumoto, Masahide Miyake, Hiroaki Ikeda, Shin Fujitani
  • Method for manufacturing alkaline battery
    Patent number: 7314492
    Abstract: In a method in which the inside surface of the negative electrode cup of an alkaline battery is coated with metal or metal alloy having a higher hydrogen overpotential than copper, the mask used for coating processing has the shape in which: when d is the diameter of the negative electrode cup, t is the plate thickness of the negative electrode cup, A is the diameter of the mask opening on the negative electrode cup mounting side, B is the diameter of the mask opening on the negative electrode cup supplying side, h is the depth of the negative electrode cup, C is the thickness of mask on negative electrode cup mounting side, and D is a tapered angle of the mask opening on the negative electrode cup, 2(2t+d)?B>A ?0.7d, (A/2)?h?C>0 mm, and 90°>D?45° are satisfied to coat only the inside surface area except a cuff portion and cuff bottom portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2008
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Takumi Ohhara, Satoshi Sato
  • Air supply apparatus for a fuel cell
    Patent number: 7314679
    Abstract: In an air supply apparatus of a fuel cell having a fuel electrode and an air electrode, the air sucked in by an air blower is fed as cooling air to the cooling are passage groove, and a manifold is provided as a communicating member to communicate the exhaust side of a cooling air passage groove with the suction side of a reaction air passage groove (air electrode) such that both cooling air and reaction air are fed to the fuel cell by driving a single air blower. With this, the consumed electricity needed to drive the air supply fan can be reduced, and an increase in the size and weight can be suppressed. In addition, a flow-uniforming device such as current plates, a punching plate or a sponge plate are provided in the manifold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2008
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tsutomu Hatsugai, Toshirou Kiura
  • Integrated fuel cell power module
    Patent number: 7314680
    Abstract: A fuel cell power system has at least one fuel cell stack assembly having a clamp mechanism for holding plates of the fuel cell stack together, a fuel supply and exhausting stream, an oxidant supply and exhausting stream, and at least one of a fuel cell stack cooling loop and a cogeneration heat exchanger. The cooling loop or the cogeneration heat exchanger has a stack of heat exchange plates held together with the plates of said fuel cell stack by the clamp mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2008
    Assignee: Hyteon Inc
    Inventors: Dingrong Bai, Jean-Guy Chouinard, David Elkaim
  • Layer cathode methods of manufacturing and materials for Li-ion rechargeable batteries
    Patent number: 7314684
    Abstract: A positive electrode active material for lithium-ion rechargeable batteries of general formula Li1+xNi?Mn?A?O2 and further wherein A is Mg, Zn, Al, Co, Ga, B, Zr, or Ti and 0<x<0.2, 0.1???0.5, 0.4???0.6, 0???0.1 and a method of manufacturing the same. Such an active material is manufactured by employing either a solid state reaction method or an aqueous solution method or a sol-gel method which is followed by a rapid quenching from high temperatures into liquid nitrogen or liquid helium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2008
    Assignee: U Chicago Argonne LLC
    Inventors: Sun-Ho Kang, Khalil Amine
  • Carbon compound-adsorbed cathode active material and lithium battery using the same
    Patent number: 7314683
    Abstract: A cathode active material is prepared by mixing a transition metal compound and a lithium compound in a molar ratio of 1:1.0-1:1.2 and thermally treating the mixture while supplying CO2 and O2 in a ratio of partial pressures ranging from 1:0.001-1:1,000, and a lithium battery utilizes the cathode active material. The lithium battery ensures safety against over-charging because an overflow of current may be effectively cut off without reducing discharging capacity and cycle life characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2008
    Assignee: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Young-min Choi, Yong-nam Ham, Jung-joon Park
  • Solid oxide fuel cell device with a component having a protective coatings and a method for making such
    Patent number: 7314678
    Abstract: A solid oxide fuel cell device comprises: (a) zirconia based electrolyte; (b) at least one ectrode situated on the electrolyte; (c) a component situated in close proximity to the electrolyte, the component comprising at least one metal or metal oxide capable, at temperatures of above 625° C., of: (i) migrating to the surface of this component, and (ii) being re-deposited on said at least one electrode; and (d) a protective coating situated on at least one surface of this component. The protective coating substantially prevents the at least one metal or metal oxide from leaving the surface of the component, which is situated under said protective coating. The protective coating is also being substantially impermeable to oxygen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2008
    Assignee: Corning Incorporated
    Inventors: Michael E Badding, Peter J Kalal, Raja R Wusirika
  • Multi-function energy system operable as a fuel cell, reformer, or thermal plant
    Patent number: 7311986
    Abstract: An energy system including a converter disposed within a collection vessel for collecting exhaust generated by the converter for delivery, if desired, to a bottoming device, such as a gas turbine assembly. The converter can be operated as a reformer. The chemical converter may also be operated as an electrochemical device. When the converter is operated as a fuel cell, electrical energy is generated when supplied with hydrogen or a hydrocarbon fuels. When operated as an electrolytic cell, the electrical energy is consumed for the production of chemical feed stocks or media for storage. The energy system can also include or be used as a thermal plant for producing pressurized, superheated vapor, or a hot thermal fluid or gas medium for commercial, industrial or power generation uses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2007
    Assignee: Ztek Corporation
    Inventor: Michael S. Hsu
  • Device and method for supplying hydrogen to a fuel cell, and the use thereof for electric vehicle traction
    Patent number: 7311985
    Abstract: A device used to supply a gas mixture including hydrogen and carbon monoxide at a concentration not exceeding 100 ppm to a main fuel cell which is supplied with air. The device includes a reformer, which is used to convert a fuel into a gas mixture including carbon monoxide and hydrogen, and a purification device to diminish the concentration of carbon monoxide in the gas mixture and that is connected to an anode inlet of the main fuel cell. The supply device also includes an auxiliary fuel cell supplied with air and that receives the carbon monoxide produced by the reformer to convert part of the chemical energy of the carbon monoxide into electrical energy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2007
    Assignees: Renault S.A.S., Association pour la Recherche et le Developpement des Methodes et Processus Industriels-A.R.M.I.N.E.S.
    Inventors: Fabien Boudjemaa, Luc Rouveyre, Sadok Garnit, Rudolf Metkemeijer
  • Separator for lithium ion secondary battery and lithium ion secondary battery provided therewith
    Patent number: 7311994
    Abstract: A separator for a lithium ion secondary battery, comprising a porous base material containing polyolefin, and a porous layer containing a vinylidene fluoride resin as a main component provided on at least one surface of the porous base material is excellent in electrolytic solution retention properties, adhesion and bondability to electrodes, and dimensional stability, and also has high and uniform ionic conductivity, reduced interfacial resistance to electrodes, and shutdown properties. A lithium ion secondary battery having excellent capacity characteristics, charge and discharge characteristics, cycle characteristics, safety and reliability can be provided by using the separator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2007
    Assignee: Tomoegawa Paper Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masahide Sugiyama, Hiroki Totsuka, Shuuji Mitani, Masanori Takahata
  • Electrochemical cell
    Patent number: 7311995
    Abstract: An electrochemical cell has an outer case formed of one of ceramics and glass. An electrochemical cell element is hermetically sealed in the outer case. The electrochemical cell element contains a positive pole, a negative pole, and a non-aqueous electrolyte containing an organic solvent. A metal layer is formed on an edge of the outer case. A sealing plate is resistance welded to the metal layer. The sealing plate is made of an alloy containing, in weight percentage, Co by 1 to 50%, Ni by 1 to 70%, Fe by 20% or higher, Cr by 10% or lower, Mn by 2.0% or lower, Si by 1.0% or lower and C by 1.0% or lower.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2007
    Assignee: SII Micro Parts Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshibumi Nakamura, Kensuke Tahara, Shunji Watanabe, Tsugio Sakai, Hideharu Onodera
  • Lithium secondary cell
    Patent number: 7312002
    Abstract: To improve an impregnation property of an electrolyte and the cycle characteristics, which have been a problem in the case of employing a casing having a variable shape. A lithium secondary cell comprising a casing having a variable shape, and a cell element having a positive electrode, a negative electrode and an electrolyte, sealed in the casing, wherein a compound represented by following formula (1) is contained in the lithium secondary cell: A1-X-A2??(1) (wherein X is a Group VI element in the periodic table, and A1 and A2 represent an aromatic group, provided that A1 and A2 may be the same or different, and may be connected each other to constitute a ring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2007
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation
    Inventors: Takayuki Aoshima, Iwao Soga, Mitsuharu Kobayashi
  • Rechargeable batteries based on nonconjugated conductive polymers
    Patent number: 7311997
    Abstract: Rechargeable batteries have been fabricated using doped nonconjugated conductive polymers as the cathode and various metals such as aluminum, copper and zinc as the anode. A nonconjugated conductive polymer is a polymer with at least one double bond in the repeat with the double bond number fraction of less than ½. The dopants include electron acceptors such as iodine. Various electrolytes including potassium iodide dissolved in water can be used. A paste formed by dissolving potassium iodide and poly(vinyl alcohol) in water has been used to demonstrate batteries in the shape of large-area sheets (11 cm×11 cm×5 mm). An open circuit voltage of 1.25 volts and a capacity more than 5 mAh have been observed. The batteries are rechargeable using an external power supply.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2007
    Inventor: Mrinal Thakur
  • Fuel cell system
    Patent number: 7311984
    Abstract: A fuel cell system of the present invention is mounted on a moving object and is equipped with a fuel cell for generating power by chemically reacting a fuel gas supplied to an anode and an oxidizer gas supplied to a cathode; a cooling mechanism for cooling the fuel cell by radiating heat of a refrigerant circulating in the fuel cell into an atmosphere; a speed detection mechanism for detecting a moving speed of the moving object; an outside air temperature detection mechanism for detecting an outside air temperature; a cooling amount estimation mechanism for estimating a cooling amount of the fuel cell by the cooling mechanism, based on the moving speed and the outside air temperature; and an upper limit value set mechanism for setting an upper limit value of a power generation current, based on an estimation result of the cooling amount estimation mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2007
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenichiro Ueda, Koichiro Miyata
  • Form-in-place fastening for fuel cell assemblies
    Patent number: 7311990
    Abstract: A fuel cell sub-assembly includes first and second flow field plates each comprising several fastener apertures defined at a number of fastening locations. A membrane electrode assembly is situated between the first and second flow field plates and includes several fastener apertures defined at a number of fastening locations, the respective fastener apertures aligned to define fastening holes. A form-in-place fastener formed of an elastomeric material is disposed in each of the fastening holes. The elastomeric material facilitates volumetric displacement of the form-in-place fasteners in response to placing the fuel cell sub-assembly in compression.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2007
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Mark K. Debe, Andrew J. L. Steinbach
  • Layered lithium-nickel-based compound oxide powder and its production process
    Patent number: 7309543
    Abstract: A layered lithium-nickel-based compound oxide powder for a positive electrode material for a high density lithium secondary cell, capable of providing a lithium secondary cell having a high capacity and excellent in the rate characteristics also, is provided. A layered lithium-nickel-based compound oxide powder for a positive electrode material for a lithium secondary cell, characterized in that the bulk density is at least 2.0 g/cc, the average primary particle size B is from 0.1 to 1 ?m, the median diameter A of the secondary particles is from 9 to 20 ?m, and the ratio A/B of the median diameter A of the secondary particles to the average primary particle size B, is within a range of from 10 to 200.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2007
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation
    Inventor: Kenji Shizuka
  • Hydrogen absorbing alloy, electrode thereof and nickel-metal hydride battery
    Patent number: 7309547
    Abstract: A hydrogen absorbing alloy containing at least a rare-earth element, magnesium (Mg), nickel (Ni) and aluminum (Al), having an intensity ratio (IA/IB) of not smaller than 0.6 (where IA represents an intensity of the highest peak in a range of 2?=30°˜34° in the X-ray diffraction pattern using CuK?-radiation as the X-ray source and IB represents the intensity of the highest peak in a range of 2?=40°˜44°), and not substantially including La as the rare-earth element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2007
    Assignee: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tetsuyuki Murata, Shigekazu Yasuoka, Jun Ishida