Patents Examined by Rena Dye Cronin
  • Patent number: 10535845
    Abstract: A flexible and stretchable chain battery includes multiple individual batteries connected in parallel and/or in series via stretchable conductive interconnects. The positive terminals of each battery are connected to a first stretchable conductive interconnect and the negative terminals of each battery are connected to a second stretchable conductive interconnect. The stretchable conductive interconnects and the batteries are coupled to a stretchable substrate. The stretchable conductive interconnects provide electrical interconnection between the multiple batteries while enabling stretchability between the batteries.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2020
    Assignee: Flex Ltd.
    Inventors: Weifeng Liu, William Uy, Zhen Feng, Anwar Mohammed, Murad Kurwa
  • Patent number: 10483578
    Abstract: The present application relates to a method of manufacturing an anode support of a solid oxide fuel cell and an anode support of a solid oxide fuel cell, and may improve performance and durability of the fuel cell by improving an interfacial property between the anode support and an electrolyte.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: LG CHEM, LTD.
    Inventors: Yeonhyuk Heo, Kwangwook Choi, Jongjin Lee, Takkeun Oh, Bu Won Son
  • Patent number: 10461333
    Abstract: The use of fibril materials, such as fibril cellulose materials and other similar materials, in electrochemical cells and components thereof is generally described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: Sion Power Corporation
    Inventors: Yuriy V. Mikhaylik, David L. Coleman
  • Patent number: 10446813
    Abstract: Disclosed is a battery module, which includes a plurality of battery cells, a case frame configured to accommodate the plurality of battery cells, and a case cover mounted to a front side and a rear side of the case frame to package the plurality of battery cells together with the case frame, the case cover having an anti-exposure channel provided therein to prevent a flame generated when the battery cells are ignited from being exposed to the outside.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2019
    Assignee: LG Chem, Ltd.
    Inventors: Bong-Gun Kim, Jun Park, Min-Woo Lee
  • Patent number: 10439200
    Abstract: The present invention relates to the extraction of lithium from liquid resources such as natural and synthetic brines, leachate solutions from clays and minerals, and recycled products.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Assignee: LILAC SOLUTIONS, INC.
    Inventors: David Henry Snydacker, Alexander John Grant, Ryan Ali Zarkesh
  • Patent number: 10431820
    Abstract: The surface of a lithium ion cathode material (e.g., a lithium metal oxide material capable of releasing and accepting lithium ions during charging and discharging, respectively, of a lithium ion electrochemical cell) is coated with a lithium metal oxide (LMO) material comprising a high-valent metal to, inter alia, reduce interfacial resistance toward lithium exchange. Li-rich phases on the surface of the treated LMO particles allow for better lithium ion diffusion. The inclusion of elements that form phases with lithium and can substitute in the host structure allow for mixing across interfaces leading to more robust structures that better mimic epitaxial-type layers. Inclusion of doping elements in place of some of the high-valent metal in the surface-treating composition provides unexpectedly improved performance over surface treatments comprising lithium metal oxides that only include a high-valent metal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: UCHICAGO ARGONNE, LLC
    Inventors: Jason Croy, Mahalingam Balasubramanian, Joong Sun Park
  • Patent number: 10424809
    Abstract: A secondary battery including an electrode body that includes a positive electrode plate and a negative electrode plate, an outer body that houses the electrode body, a metal sealing plate that seals an opening of the outer body, a positive electrode collector electrically connected to the positive electrode plate and the sealing plate, a negative electrode external terminal connected to the negative electrode plate through a negative electrode collector. In the secondary battery, a first projection and a second projection are formed on a surface of the sealing plate on a battery inner side, the positive electrode collector includes a first opening and a cut-out, the first projection is disposed in the first opening, the first projection and an edge portion of the first opening is welded and connected to each other, and the second projection is disposed in the cut-out.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2019
    Assignee: SANYO Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinichirou Yoshida, Yohei Muroya, Hiroshi Maesono, Hiroyuki Inoue
  • Patent number: 10424780
    Abstract: In a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery containing SiOX as a negative electrode active material, initial charge/discharge efficiency and cycle characteristics are increased. A negative electrode active material for nonaqueous electrolyte secondary batteries is provided. The negative electrode active material contains particles comprising of SiOx (0.8?X?1.2). The particles have cracks therein. SiOX preferably contains a lithium silicate phase, a Si-M compound, or an oxide of M (M is at least one selected from the group consisting of Al, Ti, Fe, and Ni). The cracks preferably extend radially from inner portions of the particles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2019
    Assignee: SANYO Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Minami, Tatsuya Akira, Taizou Sunano
  • Patent number: 10411285
    Abstract: Parasitic reactions, such as production of hydrogen and oxidation by oxygen, can occur under the operating conditions of flow batteries and other electrochemical systems. Such parasitic reactions can undesirably impact operating performance by altering the pH and/or state of charge of one or both electrolyte solutions in a flow battery. Electrochemical balancing cells can allow rebalancing of electrolyte solutions to take place. Electrochemical balancing cells suitable for placement in fluid communication with both electrolyte solutions of a flow battery can include: a first chamber containing a first electrode, a second chamber containing a second electrode, a third chamber disposed between the first chamber and the second chamber, an ion-selective membrane forming a first interface between the first chamber and the third chamber, and a bipolar membrane forming a second interface between the second chamber and the third chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2019
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Energy, LLC
    Inventors: Steven Y. Reece, John Goeltz, Joseph Johannes Henricus Pijpers, Paravastu Badrinarayanan
  • Patent number: 10381678
    Abstract: A new battery cell structure uses a reduced stack pressure force to be used and applied over a much smaller area of the cells by using the sides of the cell instead of the top and bottom of the cell. To reduce the amount of force required to compress a cell, an edge-wise construction can be used instead of the sheet construction. Instead of stack pressure having to be applied to the top and bottom of the cell, it is now applied across the edges. An edge-on design is used to form strips, which allows for flat sides of a battery body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2019
    Assignee: INTEL CORPORATION
    Inventor: Andrew W. Keates
  • Patent number: 10367209
    Abstract: A recycling system in which anode off gas of a fuel cell is recycled to a stack includes a purge flow path purging the anode off gas passing through the stack, and a sprayer spraying pure gas supplied from a fuel tank to the stack. The sprayer is disposed on a path where the anode off gas passing through the stack is discharged, the purge flow path is spaced a certain distance from the sprayer, and the anode off gas passing through the stack is mixed with the pure gas by suction force of the sprayer to be introduced to the stack, thereby being recycled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2019
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventors: Bu Kil Kwon, Duck Whan Kim, Se Kwon Jung, Ik Jae Son, Hyo Sub Shim
  • Patent number: 10367241
    Abstract: The invention relates to a receiving device for receiving at least one energy storing component, includes at least one receiving part which delimits at least some sections of a receiving chamber for receiving the energy storing component. A coolant channel structure which includes at least one coolant channel is formed in at least some sections of the surface of the receiving part, wherein the coolant channel structure communicates with at least one coolant inlet and at least one coolant outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2019
    Assignee: AUDI AG
    Inventors: Norbert Enning, Bastian Guyot
  • Patent number: 10340508
    Abstract: The invention demonstrates that only 2% functional conductive polymer binder without any conductive additives was successfully used with a micron-size silicon monoxide (SiO) anode material, demonstrating stable and high gravimetric capacity (>1000 mAh/g) for ˜500 cycles and more than 90% capacity retention. Prelithiation of this anode using stabilized lithium metal powder (SLMP®) improves the first cycle Coulombic efficiency of a SiO/NMC full cell from ˜48% to ˜90%. This combination enables good capacity retention of more than 80% after 100 cycles at C/3 in a lithium-ion full cell. We also demonstrate the important connection between porosity and the loading of silicon electrodes. By employing a highly porous silicon electrode, a high areal capacity (3.3 mAh/cm2) is obtained. This method works well to achieve high loading of other high-capacity alloy anodes, the state-of-art graphite anode, as well as a high loading of positive electrodes for LIBs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of California
    Inventors: Gao Liu, Hui Zhao
  • Patent number: 10333166
    Abstract: Provided is a catalyst for fuel cell which has a high catalytic activity and enables maintaining the high catalytic activity. Disclosed is an electrode catalyst for fuel cell comprising a catalyst carrier containing carbon as a main component and a catalytic metal supported on the catalyst carrier, wherein the catalyst has the R? (D?/G intensity ratio) of 0.6 or less, which is the ratio of D? band peak intensity (D? intensity) measured in the vicinity of 1620 cm?1 relative to G band peak intensity (G intensity) measured in the vicinity of 1580 cm?1 by Raman spectroscopy, and the volume ratio of a water vapor adsorption amount relative to a nitrogen adsorption amount at a relative pressure of 0.5 in adsorption isotherm is 0.15 or more and 0.30 or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2019
    Assignees: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD., NIPPON STEEL CHEMICAL & MATERIAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shinichi Takahashi, Tetsuya Mashio
  • Patent number: 10333187
    Abstract: A secondary battery has: a box body having a heat insulating structure, the box body having an opening on the upper surface thereof and an assembled battery housed therein; a lid body having a heat insulating structure, the lid body sealing the opening of the box body; and a duct which is installed at least between the box body and the lid body and inside which a fluid circulates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2019
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Keiichi Wakida, Koji Hoshino, Shinichiro Osaka
  • Patent number: 10320020
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an electrode catalyst for fuel cell containing a catalyst carrier having carbon as a main component and a catalytic metal carried on the catalyst carrier, wherein the electrode catalyst for fuel cell has a ratio R? (D?/G intensity ratio) of a peak intensity of D? band (D? intensity) measured in the vicinity of 1620 cm?1 to a peak intensity of G band (G intensity) measured in the vicinity of 1580 cm?1 by Raman spectroscopy of more than 0.6 and 0.8 or less, and satisfies at least one of the (a) to (d). According to the present invention, an electrode catalyst for fuel cell excellent in gas transportability is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2019
    Assignees: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD., NIPPON STEEL CHEMICAL & MATERIAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shinichi Takahashi, Tetsuya Mashio, Norifumi Horibe, Atsushi Ohma
  • Patent number: 10319965
    Abstract: A battery cell holder member, including a main body including a plurality of accommodating portions accommodating ends of a plurality of battery cells, respectively, and a partition separating the plurality of accommodating portions; at least one stopper portion on a first side of the partition; and at least one engaging portion on a second side of the partition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2019
    Assignee: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Young Min Oh, No Hyun Kwag
  • Patent number: 10312550
    Abstract: This invention relates to a lithium-sulfur battery and a method of manufacturing the same, and more particularly, to a molten salt-based lithium-sulfur battery and a method of manufacturing the same, in which a metal foam including lithium or a lithium alloy, as an anode active material, and sulfur or metal sulfide, as a cathode active material, is used as a support and a current collector, and a solid-state electrolyte is used to thus improve energy density and power output characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: AGENCY FOR DEFENSE DEVELOPMENT
    Inventors: Hae-Won Cheong, Chae-Nam Im, Ji-Youn Kim, Sung-Ho Kang, Jang-Hyeon Cho
  • Patent number: 10276864
    Abstract: The anode active material of the present invention comprises silicon-based particles obtained from at least one of silicon, a silicon oxide and a silicon alloy, and the silicon-based particles have a faceted shape, thereby providing high capacity and good life characteristics without causing any deterioration which has been generated in the use of conventional silicon-based particles, and eventually providing a lithium secondary battery having such characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2019
    Assignee: LG Chem, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yong-Ju Lee, Yoon-Ah Kang, Je-Young Kim, Seung-Youn Choi, Mi-Rim Lee, Hye-Ran Jung, Jung-Woo Yoo
  • Patent number: 10270141
    Abstract: Disclosed embodiments include thermoelectric-based thermal management systems and methods configured to heat and/or cool an electrical device. Thermal management systems can include at least one electrical conductor in electrical and thermal communication with a temperature-sensitive region of the electrical device and at least one thermoelectric device in thermal communication with the at least one electrical conductor. Electric power can be directed to the thermoelectric device by the same electrical conductor or an external power supply, causing the thermoelectric device to provide controlled heating and/or cooling to the electrical device via the at least one electrical conductor. The thermoelectric management system can be integrated with the management system of the electrical device on a printed circuit substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2019
    Assignee: Gentherm Incorporated
    Inventors: Alfred Piggott, Dmitri Kossakovski, Todd Robert Barnhart