Patents Examined by Sarika Gupta
  • Patent number: 12294050
    Abstract: Preparation of anhydrous lithium sulfide (Li2S) purified suitably for applications in advanced batteries, and, in particular, for synthesis of solid electrolytes based on Li2S, including sulfide solid electrolytes of the type that may be described as crystalline (e.g., polycrystalline), amorphous (e.g., glass) and combinations thereof, such as sulfide glass-ceramic solid electrolyte materials.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2025
    Assignee: PolyPlus Battery Company
    Inventors: Steven J. Visco, Alexei Petrov, Valentina Loginova, Vitaliy Nimon, Yevgeniy S. Nimon, Bruce D. Katz
  • Patent number: 12278398
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a technique for constructing an electrode terminal with superior conductivity. An electrode terminal disclosed herein includes: a first member which has a connecting portion that is exposed to outside of the case; and a second member which is a plate-shaped conductive member arranged outside of the case. In addition, the connecting portion penetrates the case and the second member and forms a cap portion having a flat plate shape outside of the second member. Furthermore, a plurality of recessed portions are formed on an upper surface of the cap portion, and a bonding portion due to an intermetallic bond is formed on a boundary, which is between the first member and the second member, below each of the recessed portions. Accordingly, a contact resistance between the first member and the second member can be reduced and conductivity of the electrode terminal can be improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2025
    Assignee: PRIME PLANET ENERGY & SOLUTIONS, INC.
    Inventor: Takahiro Sakurai
  • Patent number: 12278339
    Abstract: A solid-state battery cell, such as a lithium-ion cell, is assembled with a solid electrolyte layer member positioned between co-extensive surface layers of an anode active layer member and a cathode active material layer member. At least one of the engaging surfaces of the solid electrolyte layer is not flat. It is formed with a topographical pattern comprising recesses in a flat surface, or a surface of projections and recesses, and placed against a compatibly-shaped, mating surface of the anode layer and/or the cathode layer. The re-shaping of the surface(s) of the solid electrolyte layer and adjoining electrode layer(s) is to significantly increase the effective contact area with the facing layer of electrode material and improve the conduction of ions across the interface. A thin film of interlayer material may be placed between the surfaces of the facing cell members with the specially shaped adjacent faces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2025
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Yong Lu, Zhe Li, Dewen Kong
  • Patent number: 12261277
    Abstract: Provided are a liquid cooling plate and a battery module. The liquid cooling plate has a first liquid cooling portion and a second liquid cooling portion that are perpendicular to each other. The first liquid cooling portion is located at a middle position of the second liquid cooling portion in a first direction. The liquid cooling plate includes: a first plate body having a one-piece structure and including the first liquid cooling portion and a cover body portion of the second liquid cooling portion, the first plate body having a first flow channel of the first liquid cooling portion; and a second plate body having a one-piece structure and fixedly connected to the cover body portion, a second flow channel of the second liquid cooling portion being defined between the second plate body and the cover body portion. The first flow channel is in communication with the second flow channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2024
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2025
    Assignee: XIAMEN HITHIUM ENERGY STORAGE TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Haiming Qi, Chunsheng Hong
  • Patent number: 12261331
    Abstract: The invention relates to an electrochemical device that includes an electrochemical unit. The electrochemical unit includes a stack of SOEC/SOFC-type solid oxides operating at high temperatures, a clamping system provided with two clamping plates, referred to as the first clamping plate and second clamping plate, respectively, between which the stack is clamped, one and/or both of the two clamping plates having at least one gas inlet and at least one gas outlet. The unit includes heating means which are designed to ensure the heating of the electrochemical unit and are integrated into said unit. The device includes a containment box, housed in a volume, referred to as internal volume V, the electrochemical unit, the internal volume V being delimited by a surface, referred to as the internal surface S, of the containment box, which follows the shape of the electrochemical assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2025
    Assignee: COMMISSARIAT A L'ENERGIE ATOMIQUE ET AUX ENERGIES ALTERNATIVES
    Inventors: Michel Planque, Charlotte Bernard, Guilhem Roux
  • Patent number: 12243974
    Abstract: Provided is a method of improving a cycle-life of a rechargeable alkali metal-sulfur cell, the method comprising implementing an electronically non-conducting anode-protecting layer between an anode active material layer and a cathode active material without using a porous separator in the cell, wherein the anode-protecting layer has a thickness from 1 nm to 100 ?m and comprises an elastomer having a fully recoverable tensile elastic strain from 2% to 1,000%, a lithium ion or sodium ion conductivity from 10?8 S/cm to 5×10?2 S/cm, and an electronic conductivity less than 10?4 S/cm when measured at room temperature. This battery exhibits an excellent combination of high sulfur content, high sulfur utilization efficiency, high energy density, no known dendrite issue, no dead lithium or dead sodium issue, and a long cycle life.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2025
    Assignee: Honeycomb Battery Company
    Inventor: Bor Z. Jang
  • Patent number: 12230849
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a direct alcohol fuel cell comprising a housing containing a proton exchange membrane (PEM) separating an anode section from a cathode section, which anode section and which cathode section are contained in the housing, the cathode section comprising a cathode collection element electrically connected to a cathode catalyst, which cathode catalyst is in diffusive communication with a gaseous oxidant, and the anode section comprising an anode collection element electrically connected to an anode catalyst, and a pervaporation membrane located at a spacing distance from the PEM, which pervaporation membrane provides diffusive communication between the anode catalyst and a fuel supply, wherein the housing comprises one or more venting holes providing fluid communication between the anode section and the ambient environment, which venting hole has or which venting holes have a largest dimension in the range of 25 ?m to 300 ?m, the venting hole being located within the spacing distan
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2025
    Assignee: Widex A/S
    Inventors: Torsten Lund-Olesen, Kasper Vestentoft, Oskar Tynelius, Jacob Lindner Bonde, Jan Harry Hales, Leif Hojslet Christensen
  • Patent number: 12230813
    Abstract: A top cap assembly includes a top cap plate, a mounting piece, and a protection film. The top cap plate includes an inner side and an outer side disposed opposite to each other along a thickness direction of the top cap plate, the inner side and the outer side are spaced apart from each other to form a receptacle in between, and the receptacle communicates with an outside space. The mounting piece is disposed protrusively in the receptacle and comprising a fixed end and a free end disposed opposite to each other. The fixed end is disposed on a wall of the receptacle, and the free end extends along the thickness direction of the top cap plate and is spaced apart from the wall of the receptacle to form a threading clearance. One end of the protection film is attached to the mounting piece through the threading clearance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2024
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2025
    Assignee: CONTEMPORARY AMPEREX TECHNOLOGY (HONG KONG) LIMITED
    Inventors: Yukun Wu, Xiaoping Zhang, Wenzhu Xu
  • Patent number: 12212023
    Abstract: A cell stack device includes a cell stack and an end current collector. The cell stack includes a plurality of cells arrayed therein. The end current collector is located in an end portion of the cell stack in an array direction of the plurality of cells. The end current collector includes a surface exposed to an oxidizing atmosphere covered with a covering material including manganese and a surface exposed to a reducing atmosphere covered with a film different from the covering material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2025
    Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
    Inventors: Koji Yamazaki, Fumito Furuuchi
  • Patent number: 12199311
    Abstract: A battery includes: a conductive member provided with a through hole; and a terminal member inserted in the through hole and having a tip portion exposed on the conductive member. A joined portion of the tip portion of the terminal member to the conductive member is formed. The joined portion includes a thick portion at which a thickness of the terminal member is relatively thick, and a thin portion at which the thickness of the terminal member is relatively thin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2025
    Assignee: PRIME PLANET ENERGY & SOLUTIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Yohei Muroya, Kohji Umemura, Toshiki Imabori
  • Patent number: 12160010
    Abstract: A pouch-type battery cell includes an electrode assembly, a pouch having at least one electrode accommodation portion accommodating the electrode assembly therein and a sealing portion for sealing the electrode assembly, and electrode leads electrically connected to the electrode assembly and exposed externally of the pouch through the sealing portion, wherein the electrode accommodation portion includes a body portion of which a width is greater than a height thereof, and an extension portion extending from a central portion of the body portion in a width direction to one side and having a width narrower than the width of the body portion, the electrode leads are disposed outside the extension portion in the width direction, and an end of the electrode leads has a height lower than an outer portion of the pouch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2024
    Assignee: SK ON CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yang Kyu Choi, Seo Roh Rhee, Young Sun Choi, Eun Jeong Choi
  • Patent number: 12142797
    Abstract: A button-type battery including a package assembly and a cell assembly is provided. In actual application, as part of a sealing wall is recessed inwards in a direction to a battery reservoir so as to form a locking boss, as such, when a battery cover is being assembled, the locking boss is pressed against part of a sealing plastic ring so that the part of the sealing plastic ring is in tight contact with a sealing edge, and a battery cup can be locked to the battery cover by means of the locking boss, thereby preventing easy detachment of the battery cover from the battery cup to cause exposure of a rolled cell. The battery cover is applied with a strong locking force from the battery cup, greatly improving the safety of the button-type battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2023
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2024
    Assignee: GUANGDONG MIC-POWER NEW ENERGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hao Jiang, Zhiyong Chen
  • Patent number: 12126064
    Abstract: A metal support-type fuel cell that has a configuration in which a fuel cell element is supported by a metal support, and is capable of reasonably and effectively utilizing an internal reforming reaction even when an anode layer provided in the fuel cell element has a thickness of several tens of micron order is obtained. A fuel cell element is formed in a thin layer shape on a metal support, an internal reforming catalyst layer for producing hydrogen from a raw fuel gas by a steam reforming reaction is provided in a cell unit, and an internal reformed fuel supply path for discharging steam generated by a power generation reaction from an anode layer to lead the steam to the internal reforming catalyst layer, and leading the produced hydrogen to the anode layer is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2024
    Assignee: Osaka Gas Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Mitsuaki Echigo, Hisao Onishi, Noritoshi Shinke, Yuji Tsuda
  • Patent number: 12126041
    Abstract: An apparatus may include a material with different portions having different densities. In one or more implementations, the material includes beads. Despite the different densities, the material is the same for both densities, thus the material may include the same chemistry but with different densities. Based on using a material of the same chemistry, the beads may fuse together. The apparatus may take the form of a potting structure for battery cells. Alternatively, the apparatus may take the form of a battery subassembly for various battery applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2023
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2024
    Assignee: Rivian IP Holdings, LLC
    Inventors: Yichi Zhang, Liangliang Li
  • Patent number: 12119439
    Abstract: One aspect of the present invention is an energy storage device including: an electrode assembly including a negative electrode and a positive electrode that are stacked on each other with a separator interposed therebetween; a nonaqueous electrolyte containing a nonaqueous solvent; and a flat outer case housing the electrode assembly and the nonaqueous electrolyte, wherein the electrode assembly is disposed in the outer case in a compressed state so that the electrode assembly is pressurized in a direction of stack, a surface pressure acting on the outer case in the direction of stack is 1 k Pa or more, the nonaqueous solvent contains a fluorinated cyclic carbonate, and the nonaqueous electrolyte has an electric conductivity at 25° C. of 0.75 S/m or more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2024
    Assignee: GS Yuasa International Ltd.
    Inventors: Yudai Kawasoe, Kenta Nagamine
  • Patent number: 12095121
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides an energy-storage device and an electricity-consumption device. The energy-storage device includes a housing, an electrode assembly, an end cap assembly, and a lower plastic assembly. The housing has an opening and is provided with an accommodating cavity in communication with the opening, and the accommodating cavity is configured to store fluid. The lower plastic assembly includes a cover plate and two distribution members connected to the cover plate. Each distribution member is provided with a reflux tank, and the reflux tank is configured to collect fluid flowing out from the accommodating cavity and distribute fluid into the accommodating cavity. Each reflux tank defines a first distribution channel and a second distribution channel in a length direction of the lower plastic assembly. Fluid flow capacity of the first distribution channel is greater than fluid flow capacity of the second distribution channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2023
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2024
    Assignees: Shenzhen Hithium Energy Storage Technology Co., Ltd., Xiamen Hithium Energy Storage Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yongfeng Xiong, Jinqiang Chen
  • Patent number: 12095128
    Abstract: A solid oxide type fuel battery cell includes a substrate that has electrical insulation, a solid electrolyte that includes first parts, and residual parts different in shape from the first parts, a plurality of electricity generation elements, each electricity generation element including a fuel electrode on the substrate, one of the residual parts on the fuel electrode, and an air electrode on the one of the residual parts, a length of each electricity generation element in a longitudinal direction being defined by a length of the air electrode, and a plurality of electrical connection parts, each electrical connection part being disposed between adjacent two of the plurality of electricity generation elements, each electrical connection part including an electrical connection member that electrically connects a fuel electrode of first one of the plurality of electricity generation elements and an air electrode of second one of the plurality of electricity generation elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2024
    Assignee: KYOCERA Corporation
    Inventor: Kensuke Imura
  • Patent number: 12074351
    Abstract: Disclosed is a refueling unit for refueling a fuel cell. The refueling unit comprising a fuel cell receiving section and a cartridge receiving section. The refuelling unit is configured to receive through a waste inlet a waste fluid. The refuelling unit further comprises an intermediate fuel reservoir for storing fuel. The refuelling unit is configured to firstly receive in the intermediate fuel reservoir a predetermined amount of fuel from a cartridge and secondly empty the intermediate fuel reservoir and guide said fuel stored therein into the fuel reservoir of a fuel cell connected to the fuel cell receiving section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2024
    Assignee: WIDEX A/S
    Inventors: Michael Frydendal Larssen, Per Kokholm Sorensen, Thorvaldur Oli Bodvarsson, Boris Valnert
  • Patent number: 12062819
    Abstract: The present invention regards a method for depositing a material layer on a metallic interconnector or support for fuel cells or cells for electrolysis. A deposition method is provided which allows applying a protective ceramic material layer on metallic supports of complex geometry, such as the metallic interconnectors of the fuel cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2024
    Assignee: SOLIDPOWER S.P.A.
    Inventors: Dario Montinaro, Christian Menato
  • Patent number: 12040443
    Abstract: A battery system includes an electrochemical cell. The electrochemical cell includes a cover having an opening. The electrochemical cell also includes an aluminum terminal pad disposed proximate an outer surface of the cover. The pad opening includes a tapered surface such that the pad opening has a larger cross-sectional width proximate an upper surface of the aluminum terminal pad than proximate a lower surface of the aluminum terminal pad opposite the upper surface and facing the outer surface of the cover. The electrochemical cell also includes a rivet having a body portion extending through the opening in the cover, a head portion disposed in the pad opening of the aluminum terminal pad, and a shoulder extending between the body portion and the head portion. The head portion includes an inverted cone shape corresponding with the tapered surface of the pad opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2024
    Assignee: CPS Technology Holdings LLC
    Inventors: Xugang Zhang, Jason D. Fuhr