Patents Examined by Seenam Agbetiafan
  • Patent number: 9882218
    Abstract: A lithium secondary battery is provided which can exhibit excellent battery performances for a long period of time and has an excellent crystal structure stability. The positive electrode of the lithium secondary battery provided according to the present invention includes positive electrode active material particles mainly containing a lithium-containing phosphate compound represented by the general formula: LixM[P(1-y)Ay]O4, where M is one or two or more elements selected from the group consisting of Ni, Mn, Fe and Co; A is a pentavalent metal element; and x and y are real numbers satisfying 0<x?2 and 0<y?0.15.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Jun Yoshida, Kunihiro Nobuhara, Yoshiumi Kawamura
  • Patent number: 9865866
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for carbon coating on lithium titanium oxide-based anode active material nanoparticles. The method includes (a) introducing a lithium precursor solution, a titanium precursor solution and a surface modifier solution into a reactor, and reacting the solutions under supercritical fluid conditions to prepare a solution including nanoparticles of an anode active material represented by Li4Ti5O12, (b) separating the anode active material nanoparticles from the reaction solution, and (c) calcining the anode active material nanoparticles to uniformly coat the surface of the nanoparticles with carbon. Further disclosed are carbon-coated lithium titanium oxide-based anode active material nanoparticles produced by the method. In the anode active material nanoparticles, lithium ions are transferred rapidly. In addition, the uniform carbon coating ensures high electrical conductivity, allowing the anode active material nanoparticles to have excellent electrochemical properties.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: KOREA INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Jaehoon Kim, Jong Min Park, Kyung Yoon Chung, Agung Nugroho, Byung Won Cho
  • Patent number: 9859578
    Abstract: A fuel cell assembly (1), having at least one fuel cell (10) with a cathode (11) and an anode, the cathode (11) and the anode each having a fluid inlet (12) and a fluid outlet (13), a cooling device (14) for cooling at least the cathode (11) of the fuel cell (10) by means of a coolant, and a device (15) for influencing the moisture content of at least one cathode fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Helerson Kemmer, Mark Hellmann
  • Patent number: 9825278
    Abstract: A high voltage battery for vehicles includes an anode tab that is divided into a first part placed near a battery cell and a second part placed near a terminal. A first part extension extends from the first part and is fixed to a lower pouch. A second part extension extends from the second part, comes into contact with the first part extension, and is fixed at an upper end thereof to an upper pouch. An cathode extension extends from a cathode tab and is spaced apart from the upper end of the second part extension. A cushion is interposed between the second part extension and the cathode extension, with a reference level of pressure formed in the cushion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY
    Inventors: Hong Seok Min, Seung Ho Ahn, Sung Min Choi
  • Patent number: 9806370
    Abstract: The secondary battery includes an electrode assembly including a first electrode plate and a second electrode plate whereon first and second electrode active materials, and first and second electrode tabs are formed, respectively, and including a separator disposed between the first and second electrode plates while overlapping with the first and second electrode plates; and a planarizing member disposed on at least one of first and second ends that are opposite to each other in a longitudinal direction of the electrode assembly, wherein the planarizing member covers a stepped surface exposed on the at least one of the first and second ends so as to planarize the stepped surface. In the secondary battery, the stepped surface of an end of the electrode assembly is planarized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: SAMSUNG SDI CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Chang-Bum Ahn
  • Patent number: 9793520
    Abstract: Battery covers and methods for producing battery covers are described. One battery cover described herein includes a single sheet of material formed into a substantially rectangular box shape with an opening formed along one side, the rectangular box shape capable of being folded into a flattened shape for transportation and the material including a flexible laminate of at least one layer of synthetic fiber and a polymer film layer. The material has a thickness and other properties such that when the battery cover is unfolded, the material substantially maintains the rectangular box shape, and when the battery cover is folded into the flattened shape, the material maintains a spring force such that, unless restrained, the battery cover would unfold to the rectangular box shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignee: Carcoustics TechConsult GmbH
    Inventors: Rainer Knapp, Gerald Fitzgerald, Axel Boehme, Graydon Stuckey, Tony Rasegan, Lucero Guzman Gaytan, Eric Stuckey
  • Patent number: 9761849
    Abstract: A battery module includes a plurality of battery cells arranged in one direction, barriers interposed among the plurality of battery cells, a pair of first and second end plates arranged outside the battery cells, and coupling members that couple the first and second end plates, wherein at least one of the barriers includes at least one protrusion that provides a step difference between the protrusion and a surface of the barrier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignees: SAMSUNG SDI CO., LTD., ROBERT BOSCH GmbH
    Inventors: Young-Bin Lim, Hyun-Ye Lee
  • Patent number: 9761883
    Abstract: A battery grid is disclosed. The battery grid includes a pattern of grid wires. The pattern includes a grid wire having a first segment with a first corrosion resistance and a second segment with a second corrosion resistance which is less than the first corrosion resistance. The second segment corrodes at a rate which is faster than the corrosion rate of the first segment so as to dynamically release internal stress and control grid growth of the battery grid during its service life. A battery includes said grid and a method of forming said grid are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: M. Eric Taylor, Jianxun Hu, Glenn W. Andersen, Joseph F. Mathews, Bart William Sauer, James S. Symanski, Feng Xue, Mohamadkheir Alkhateeb
  • Patent number: 9735434
    Abstract: At least a portion of the enclosure of a thermal battery is formed of a ceramic material that is non-porous and electrically-non-conductive. The thermal battery includes at least one cell, a squib that when activated causes the at least one cell to become active, and an enclosure that surrounds the at least one cell and the squib. Squib terminals and battery terminals extend through the enclosure and are electrically connected to the squib and to the at least one cell, respectively. At least the portion of the enclosure through which the squib and battery terminals extend is formed of the ceramic material. The enclosure includes a container and a header. At least the header is made from the ceramic material, and preferably both the container and the header are made from the ceramic material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: EaglePicher Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: James Ferraro, Greg Kirk, Greg Miller, Charles Lamb
  • Patent number: 9728811
    Abstract: A nonaqueous electrolyte for a lithium secondary battery, the nonaqueous electrolyte including: a fluorine-containing lithium salt, an organic solvent, and an organosilicon compound represented by Formula 1: wherein, in Formula 1, R1 to R6 are each independently a C1-C10 alkyl group or a C1-C10 alkoxy group. Also a lithium secondary battery including the nonaqueous electrolyte.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignees: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD., SAMSUNG SDI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jinah Seo, Dongyoung Kim, Hosang Park, Yoonsok Kang, Insun Park
  • Patent number: 9722290
    Abstract: A storage cell has an air electrode, connected to an air supply device, and a storage device. Channels for receiving a storage medium rest on the storage electrode. In addition, partition walls for partitioning off the channels with respect to one another are provided. The partition walls have a recess in the region of the storage electrode. This recess serves the purpose of spacing apart the storage medium from the storage electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: SIEMENS AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventors: Wolfgang Drenckhahn, Horst Greiner
  • Patent number: 9711773
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a separator and a lithium-ion secondary battery. The separator comprises: a microporous membrane having micropores; and a coating provided on a surface of the microporous membrane. The coating comprises polymer particles and binder particles. The polymer particle is a hollow shell structure which comprises a shell and a cavity positioned in the shell, an outer surface of the shell is distributed with nanopores which are communicated with the cavity, a particle diameter of the polymer particle is larger than a pore size of the micropore of the microporous membrane; a particle diameter of the binder particle is larger than the pore size of the micropore of the microporous membrane. The lithium-ion secondary battery comprises: a positive electrode plate; a negative electrode plate; the aforementioned separator interposed between the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate; and an electrolyte.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: DONGGUAN AMPEREX TECHNOLOGY LIMITED
    Inventors: Xulun Lai, Hui Jiang, Jianrui Yang, Kejun Zhan, Lei Niu
  • Patent number: 9692039
    Abstract: The disclosure is related to battery systems. More specifically, embodiments of the disclosure provide a nanostructured conversion material for use as the active material in battery cathodes. In an implementation, a nanostructured conversion material is a glassy material and includes a metal material, one or more oxidizing species, and a reducing cation species mixed at a scale of less than 1 nm. The glassy conversion material is substantially homogeneous within a volume of 1000 nm3.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: QuantumScape Corporation
    Inventors: Timothy Holme, Jagdeep Singh, Rainer Fasching, Joseph Han, Weston Arthur Hermann, Cheng Chieh Chao, Bradley O. Stimson, Karl Brown
  • Patent number: 9692090
    Abstract: A battery cooling structure includes a cooling plate and an electrically insulative sheet. The cooling plate is to support a cooling surface of a battery module to cool the battery module including a plurality of battery cells arranged side by side. The electrically insulative sheet has an electrical non-conductivity and is disposed between the cooling surface of the battery module and the cooling plate to transfer heat from the cooling surface to the cooling plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Arihisa Kimura, Goichi Katayama, Koichi Yamamoto, Masato Fujioka
  • Patent number: 9660249
    Abstract: A rechargeable battery includes an electrode assembly; a case housing the electrode assembly; and an electrode connection assembly electrically coupled to the electrode assembly, the electrode connection assembly including: a terminal; a current collector electrically coupled to the electrode assembly; an insulating member between the terminal and the current collector, wherein a portion of the insulating member is spaced from the terminal and the current collector; and a connection member electrically coupling the terminal and the current collector, the connection member including a fuse part, wherein the portion of the insulating member overlaps with the connection member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sang-Won Byun, Won-Jun Lee, Young-Sik Moon
  • Patent number: 9640793
    Abstract: The disclosure is related to battery systems. More specifically, embodiments of the disclosure provide a nanostructured conversion material for use as the active material in battery cathodes. In an implementation, a nanostructured conversion material is a glassy material and includes a metal material, one or more oxidizing species, and a reducing cation species mixed at a scale of less than 1 nm. The glassy conversion material is substantially homogeneous within a volume of 1000 nm3.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: QuantumScape Corporation
    Inventors: Timothy Holme, Jagdeep Singh, Rainer Fasching, Joseph Han, Weston Arthur Hermann, Cheng Chieh Chao, Bradley O. Stimson, Karl Brown
  • Patent number: 9634340
    Abstract: A water vapor transfer unit having fluid flow conduits which distribute wet or dry fluid throughout the water vapor transfer unit, which are created by forming apertures in each wet and dry plate so that when the plates are stacked, fluid flow inlet and outlet headers are integrated into the flow stack. These integrated headers negate the need for traditional wet and dry fluid inlet and outlet manifolds external to the water vapor transfer unit stack. Because the plates are stacked and sealed so that the fluid flows cannot co-mingle, the fluids are introduced directly into the stack, flow across the flow fields, and exit the stack without leakage or flow contamination. The integrated header design allows for sealing the stack on no more than a single plane defined by the stack or on no more than two parallel opposing planes and allows for accommodation of stack expansion and contraction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: David A. Martinchek, Ian R. Jermy, Jeffrey M. Guzda
  • Patent number: 9620747
    Abstract: A secondary battery includes a case including an accommodating space therein, an electrode assembly in the accommodating space of the case, a collecting plate electrically connected to the electrode assembly, a cap plate sealing the case, the collecting plate passing through the cap plate, a terminal plate coupled to an exposed end of the collecting plate, and an insulation member between the cap plate and the terminal plate, the insulation member including a sealing member on at least one surface thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: SAMSUNG SDI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Dukjung Kim, Taeahn Kim
  • Patent number: 9608296
    Abstract: An electrochemical cell assembly has electrochemical cells of large diameter and high storage capacity, making it particularly useful for stabilization of electric supply systems. The assembly includes at least one electrochemical cell composed of a layer of: a liquid metal or liquid metal alloy forming the cathode, a liquid electrolyte layer, and a layer of a liquid metal or liquid metalloid forming the anode. An electrically insulating inner tube is provided along the vertical axis of the assembly, the presence of which prevents the occurrence of the Tayler instability or other instabilities caused in the liquids by the current flow, and thus prevents the intermixing of the liquids. Another very efficient option for increasing the maximum current of the cell is that of conducting a current having a suitable direction and intensity through the interior of the inner tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: HELMHOLTZ-ZENTRUM DRESDEN-ROSSENDORF E.V.
    Inventors: Frank Stefani, Tom Weier, Gunter Gerbeth
  • Patent number: 9601734
    Abstract: In general, according to one embodiment, there is provided a battery. This battery includes a container, a lid, a gas-relief vent, an electrode group, an intermediate lead, and a terminal lead. The gas-relief vent is provided in the lid. The intermediate lead includes a first lead-joint part, an electrode-group-joint part, and a leg part. The leg part connects the first lead-joint part and the electrode-group-joint part to each other. The first lead-joint part and the electrode-group-joint part are located on planes different from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Haruchika Ishii, Eiki Kashiwazaki, Souichi Hanafusa, Natsuki Toyota, Tsutomu Matsui, Tatsuya Shinoda