Patents Examined by Sadie White
  • Patent number: 12249737
    Abstract: A lithium battery cell includes an upper cover module, a first battery electrode group, a second battery electrode group, and a plurality of first electrode connection straps. The first electrode connection straps are stacked together and have the same width and length. A first end of the first electrode connection straps is welded to a first tab, a second end of the first electrode connection straps is welded to a second tab, and a middle part of the first electrode connection straps is welded to a first electrode terminal. An even number of first bending parts are formed between the middle part and the first end, and an even number of second bending parts are formed between the middle part and the second end, and the first bending parts and the second bending parts are symmetrical to each other. Furthermore, a lithium battery cell manufacturing method is also disclosed therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2025
    Assignee: DELTA ELECTRONICS, INC.
    Inventors: Cheng-Huang Chen, Yi-Hsiang Chan, Shu-Lin Chen, Wei-En Hsu
  • Patent number: 12244265
    Abstract: One or more solar cells are connected to a flex circuit, wherein: the flex circuit is comprised of a flexible substrate having one or more conducting layers for making electrical connections to the solar cells; the flex circuit is attached to a panel; and the solar cells are attached to the panel. The flex circuit can be attached to the panel so that the conducting layers are adjacent the solar cells, or the flex circuit can be attached to the panel so that the conducting layers run underneath the solar cells. The conducting layers can be deposited on the flexible substrate and/or the conducting layers can be embedded in the flex circuit, wherein the conducting layers are sandwiched between insulating layers of the flex circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2025
    Assignee: THE BOEING COMPANY
    Inventor: Eric M. Rehder
  • Patent number: 12237809
    Abstract: A system includes a plurality of photovoltaic modules installed and arranged in an array on a roof deck. Each of the photovoltaic modules includes a wire cover bracket configured to receive at least one electrical component. A rapid shutdown device is electrically connected to the at least one electrical component. The rapid shutdown device is configured to reduce an electrical voltage of the system to a predetermined voltage level. At least one visible indicator is electrically connected to the plurality of photovoltaic modules. The at least one visible indicator is activated when the electrical voltage of the system is less than or equal to the predetermined voltage level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2025
    Assignee: GAF Energy LLC
    Inventors: Richard Perkins, Babak Farhangi
  • Patent number: 12231080
    Abstract: According to one or more embodiments, an intelligent solar racking system is provided. The intelligent solar racking system includes a racking frame that receives and mechanically supports solar modules. The intelligent solar racking system includes sensors distributed throughout the racking frame. Each of the sensors detects and reports parameter data by generating output signals. The sensors include module sensors positioned to associate with each of the solar modules and detect a module presence as the parameter data for the solar modules. The intelligent solar racking system includes a computing device that receives, stores, and analyzes the output signals to determine and monitor operations of the intelligent solar racking system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2025
    Assignee: CONTI INNOVATION CENTER, LLC
    Inventors: Kurt G. Conti, Cullin J. Wible
  • Patent number: 12230725
    Abstract: In an example, the present invention provides a solar tracker apparatus. In an example, the apparatus comprises a center of mass with an adjustable hanger assembly configured with a clam shell clamp assembly on the adjustable hanger assembly and a cylindrical torque tube comprising a plurality of torque tubes configured together in a continuous length from a first end to a second end such that the center of mass is aligned with a center of rotation of the cylindrical torque tubes to reduce a load of a drive motor operably coupled to the cylindrical torque tube. Further details of the present example, among others, can be found throughout the present specification and more particularly below.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2025
    Assignee: NEXTRACKER LLC
    Inventor: Alexander W. Au
  • Patent number: 12228662
    Abstract: In an example, the present invention provides a solar tracker apparatus configured with an off-set drive assembly. In an example, the apparatus has an inner race structure, which has a cylindrical region coupled to a main body region, the main body comprising an off-set open region. The cylindrical region is an annular sleeve structure coupled to the main body region, which occupies the spatial region within the cylindrical region. In an example, the apparatus has an outer race structure coupled to enclose the inner race structure, configured to couple the inner race structure to allow the inner race structure to move in a rotational manner about a spatial arc region; and configured to allow the inner race structure to pivot about a region normal to a direction of the spatial arc region. In an example, the solar tracker has a clamp assembly that is configured to pivot a torque tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2025
    Assignee: NEXTRACKER LLC
    Inventor: Alexander W. Au
  • Patent number: 12211947
    Abstract: A method includes forming, on a substrate by performing physical vapor deposition in vacuum, an absorber layer including copper (Cu), indium (In), gallium (Ga) and selenium (Se), forming a stack including the substrate and an oxygen-annealed absorber layer by performing in-situ oxygen annealing of the absorber layer to improve quantum efficiency of the image sensor by passivating selenium vacancies due to dangling bonds, and forming a cap layer over the oxygen-annealed absorber layer by performing physical vapor deposition in vacuum. The cap layer includes at least one of: Ga2O3·Sn, ZnS, CdS, CdSe, ZnO, ZnSe, ZnIn2Se4, CuGaS2, In2S3, MgO, or Zn0.8Mg0.2O.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2025
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Philip Hsin-hua Li, Seshadri Ramaswami
  • Patent number: 12199278
    Abstract: Lithium antimony sulfide compounds having crystal structure of a space group selected from P4/mmm, P21, P212121, Pmma, P2/c and Pnma and having a lithium ion conductivity of at least 10?5 S/cm are described. The materials are useful as coatings of lithium metal anodes to prevent dendrite formation and to provide solid-state lithium batteries having high energy density.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2024
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2025
    Assignee: TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventor: Chen Ling
  • Patent number: 12191406
    Abstract: A solar cell is provided with: a semiconductor substrate having a light-receiving surface and a non-light-receiving surface; a PN junction section formed on the semiconductor substrate; a passivation layer formed on the light-receiving surface and/or the non-light-receiving surface; and power extraction electrodes formed on the light-receiving surface and the non-light-receiving surface. The solar cell is characterized in that the passivation layer includes an aluminum oxide film having a thickness of 40 nm or less. As a result of forming a aluminum oxide film having a predetermined thickness on the surface of the substrate, it is possible to achieve excellent passivation performance and excellent electrical contact between silicon and the electrode by merely firing the conductive paste, which is conventional technology. Furthermore, an annealing step, which has been necessary to achieve the passivation effects of the aluminum oxide film in the past, can be eliminated, thus dramatically reducing costs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2025
    Assignee: SHIN-ETSU CHEMICAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Hashigami, Takenori Watabe, Hiroyuki Otsuka
  • Patent number: 12183843
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing photovoltaic module includes: providing solar cells and a solder strip; applying insulating adhesive on rear surface of the solar cells; laying the solar cells along a first direction; placing the solder strip on the solar cells so that, along the first direction, one end of the solder strip abuts against a positive busbar of one solar cell, and is bonded to the insulating adhesive, and the other end of the solder strip abuts against a negative busbar of another solar cell adjacent thereto, and is bonded to the insulating adhesive; curing the insulating adhesive by irradiation with an ultraviolet lamp, so that the solar cells form a solar cell string; arranging the solar cell strings along a second direction, and connecting to form a photovoltaic cell pack; providing and laminating front packaging structure, the photovoltaic cell pack, and back packaging structure to form the photovoltaic module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2023
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2024
    Assignees: JINKO SOLAR (HAINING) CO., LTD., ZHEJIANG JINKO SOLAR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Wusong Tao, Dongdong Sun, Niannian Qin, Jingguo Yang, Luchuang Wang, Bendong Xu, Zijie Zhao
  • Patent number: 12184224
    Abstract: A bifacial photovoltaic module has components that are arranged to maximize the efficiency of a module for both front and back surfaces. An opaque portion is disposed on back surfaces of modules and aligned with horizontal support bars of a multiple-module system. Junction boxes are arranged at opposing ends of the opaque portion and couple adjacent modules in the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2024
    Assignee: Maxeon Solar Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Adam Detrick, Nadeem Haque, Vishal Chandrashekar, Michael Lau
  • Patent number: 12183877
    Abstract: An all solid battery includes a multilayer chip in which plurality of internal electrodes are alternately exposed to two side faces. A thickness SE of a solid electrolyte layer is 1 ?m or more and 50 ?m or less in an intersection portion in which two internal electrodes next to each other connected to different external electrodes overlap with each other. Thicknesses EL1 and EL2 of the two internal electrodes are 1 ?m or more and 200 ?m or less. In one of two non-intersection portions, a length EM from one of the pair of external electrodes contacting the one of the two non-intersection portions to an internal electrode spaced from the one of the pair of external electrodes in a distance direction is 50 ?m or more and 800 ?m or less. EM/(SE+EL1/4+EL2/4) is 20 or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2024
    Assignee: TAIYO YUDEN CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Sachie Tomizawa, Daigo Ito
  • Patent number: 12183894
    Abstract: An electrode has a band-shaped core and an electrode mixture layer carried by the core to form a spiral electrode assembly with a gas generating electrode and a separator for an alkaline secondary battery. The electrode in the spiral shape has a first circumference portion, an intermediate portion, and an outermost circumference portion. The first circumference portion is a starting portion for winding into the spiral shape. The intermediate portion is a second and following circumferences of the spiral shape. The outermost circumference portion has an inner surface only which faces the gas generating electrode. The electrode mixture layer includes a reactant that develops a reaction consuming gas generated from the gas generating electrode. An amount of the reactant in the first circumference portion is more than those in the intermediate portion and/or the outermost circumference portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2024
    Assignee: FDK CORPORATION
    Inventor: Akira Saguchi
  • Patent number: 12176445
    Abstract: Methods of fabricating solar cell emitter regions with differentiated P-type and N-type region architectures, and resulting solar cells, are described. In an example a solar cell includes a first emitter region of a first conductivity type disposed on a first dielectric region, the first dielectric region disposed on a surface of a substrate. A second dielectric region is disposed laterally adjacent to the first and second emitter region. The second emitter region of a second, different, conductivity type is disposed on a third dielectric region, the third dielectric region disposed on the surface of the substrate, over the second dielectric region, and partially over the first emitter region. A first metal foil is disposed over the first emitter region. A second metal foil is disposed over the second emitter region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2024
    Assignee: Maxeon Solar Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Staffan Westerberg, Gabriel Harley
  • Patent number: 12166253
    Abstract: Disclosed are an electrolytic reduction system of a vanadium electrolyte and a method for producing the electrolyte. The electrolytic reduction system includes a separating device and an electrolytic tank. The separating device is configured to separate a mixture consisting of a vanadium pentoxide (V2O5) solid and a sulfate acid solution, thereby obtaining a vanadium solution from a liquid discharging port of the separating device and a vanadium solid from a solid discharging port. The vanadium solution includes pentavalent vanadium ions. The electrolytic tank connects to the liquid discharging port of the separating device to contain the vanadium solution. In the method for producing the vanadium electrolyte, other chemical reagents are unnecessarily to be added into the mixture, and the vanadium solution is subjected to an electrolytic reduction process, such that the pentavalent vanadium ions are reduced to tetravalent vanadium ions and trivalent vanadium ions in the electrolytic tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2024
    Assignee: Institute of Nuclear Energy Research, Atomic Energy Council, Executive Yuan, R.O.C
    Inventors: Chin-Lung Hsieh, Cian-Tong Lu, Ya-Hsin Chang, Kan-Lin Hsueh
  • Patent number: 12155029
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing negative electrode active material including the steps of manufacturing a pellet by extruding a mixture of lithium metal and negative electrode active material, immersing the pellet in an electrolyte comprising an SEI film-forming additive, and manufacturing the pellet into powder form by grinding, washing and drying same. A negative electrode and a lithium rechargeable battery manufactured using the lithium-active material powder has an SEI film that is uniformly formed by having lithium uniformly doped in the negative electrode. During initial charging, the SEI film is stably formed, and thus an effect is achieved whereby the initial efficiency of the lithium rechargeable battery is improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2024
    Assignee: LG ENERGY SOLUTION, LTD.
    Inventors: Ye Ri Kim, Sang Wook Woo, Oh Byong Chae
  • Patent number: 12142719
    Abstract: An electrode plate stacking apparatus for a prismatic secondary battery is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2024
    Assignees: INNOMETRY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hyuk Shin, Nam Hyeong Hong, Cheol Won Yeom
  • Patent number: 12132129
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods for using cracked film lithography (CFL) for patterning transparent conductive metal grids. CFL can be vacuum- and Ag-free, and it forms more durable grids than nanowire approaches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2024
    Assignee: Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC
    Inventors: Christopher Paul Muzzillo, Matthew Owen Reese
  • Patent number: 12125936
    Abstract: Provided is a method for passivating a silicon-based semiconductor device and a silicon-based semiconductor device. The method includes the following steps: cutting, by using a cutting process, a preset region of the silicon-based semiconductor device, to form a first surface associated with the preset region; smoothing the first surface to adjust a surface appearance of the first surface, so that a height difference between a protrusion and a recess of a non-marginal region on the first surface is less than 20 nm; and passivating the smoothed first surface to form a first passivation layer on the first surface. The present application can reduce or avoid the problem of efficiency reduction caused by cutting a silicon-based semiconductor device and help to obtain a more efficient silicon-based semiconductor device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2024
    Assignees: JINKO GREEN ENERGY (SHANGHAI) MANAGEMENT CO., LTD, ZHEJIANG JINKO SOLAR CO., LTD
    Inventors: Xueting Yuan, Xinyu Zhang
  • Patent number: 12125929
    Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure provide a solar device and a method for making the solar device. The solar device can include solar cells configured to form a solar cell string with at least a string terminal, and an insulated interconnector including two conductive ends configured to connect the string terminal to peripheral circuitry of the solar device. The method can include disposing the solar cells to form a solar cell string with at least a string terminal, and disposing an insulated interconnector with two conductive ends to connect the string terminal to peripheral circuitry of the solar device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2024
    Assignee: MAXEON SOLAR PTE. LTD.
    Inventors: Gabriela Elena Bunea, Thierry Nguyen, Lewis Abra