Patents Examined by Stephen J. Kalafut
  • Patent number: 7892670
    Abstract: A power delivery system includes a group of removable power cells. Each power cell includes a water cooled heat sink, an air intake, and an air output. The system also includes a heat exchanger. The heat exchanger draws air from the cells, cools it, and recirculates the cooled air to the cells via each cell's air intake. The cell may be designed so that components that are not near the heat sink are cooled by air from the intake before that air reaches the heat sink.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2011
    Assignee: Siemens Industry, Inc.
    Inventors: Marc F. Aiello, Edward Alan Cheesman, Wayne Sheldon Jordan
  • Patent number: 7887966
    Abstract: A PEM fuel cell power plant includes fuel cells, each of which has a cathode reactant flow field plate which is substantially impermeable to fluids, a coolant source, and a fluid permeable anode reactant flow field plate adjacent to said coolant source. The anode reactant flow field plates pass coolant from the coolant sources into the cells where the coolant is evaporated to cool the cells. The cathode flow field plates prevent reactant crossover between adjacent cells. By providing a single permeable plate for each cell in the power plant the amount of coolant present in the power plant at shut down is limited to a degree which does not require adjunct coolant purging components to remove coolant from the plates when the power plant is shut down during freezing ambient conditions. Thus the amount of residual frozen coolant in the power plant that forms in the plates during shut down in such freezing conditions will be limited.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2011
    Assignee: UTC Power Corp.
    Inventors: Robert M. Darling, Michael L. Perry
  • Patent number: 7883793
    Abstract: A battery module having battery cell assemblies with alignment-coupling features is provided. The battery module includes a first battery cell assembly having at least first, second, third and fourth alignment-coupling features thereon. The battery module further includes a second battery cell assembly having at least fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth alignment-coupling features thereon. The fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth alignment-coupling features of the second battery cell assembly are configured to engage the first, second, third and fourth alignment-coupling features, respectively, of the first battery cell assembly to couple the second battery cell assembly to the first battery cell assembly and to align the second battery cell assembly relative to the first battery cell assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2011
    Assignee: LG Chem, Ltd.
    Inventors: Mark Niedzwiecki, Heekook Yang, Igor Isayev
  • Patent number: 7883812
    Abstract: A fuel cell system is capable of shifting to a normal operation quickly, and can be provided in transportation equipment such as a motorbike. The fuel cell system includes a cell stack which has a plurality of fuel cells; an aqueous solution tank which holds aqueous methanol solution to be supplied to the cell stack; a water pump which supplies water to the aqueous solution tank; an electric current detection circuit which detects an electric current value of the cell stack; and CPU which controls the fuel cell system. The CPU drives the water pump, and thereby starts a liquid amount adjustment if the electric current value detected by the electric current detection circuit becomes not lower than a predetermined value after power generation of the cell stack is started.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2011
    Assignee: Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yasuyuki Muramatsu
  • Patent number: 7879497
    Abstract: A battery is adapted such that a nickel hydroxide particle group constituted of a number of nickel hydroxide particles filled in a void part of a positive electrode substrate contains, at a ratio of 15 wt % or less, small-diameter nickel hydroxide particles each having a particle diameter of 5 ?m or less. The positive electrode substrate is configured such that a front-surface-side nickel layer and a back-surface-side nickel layer are made larger in thickness than a middle nickel layer, and an average thickness B of either the front-surface-side nickel layer or the back-surface-side nickel layer, which is thicker one, and an average thickness C of the middle nickel layer satisfy a relation of C/B?0.6.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2011
    Assignee: Panasonic EV Energy Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Sakamoto, Kazuhiro Ohkawa
  • Patent number: 7879478
    Abstract: A battery module comprises: first and second rechargeable batteries, each of which includes a casing for storing an electrode assembly and a cap assembly provided on top of the casing; an interconnector provided between an upper portion of the first rechargeable battery and a lower portion of the second rechargeable battery so as to connect the first and second rechargeable batteries with each other; and an insulation cover which covers interconnected portions of the first and second rechargeable batteries, and which has at least one ventilation outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2011
    Assignee: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tae-Yong Kim, Sang-Won Byun
  • Patent number: 7862929
    Abstract: Disclosed are anode active material slurry for a lithium secondary cell having improved dispersibility of an anode active material and a conductive agent, and a lithium secondary cell comprising the same. Particularly, the present invention is characterized by adding a dispersant comprising a polymer backbone capable of surface-adsorption and a side-chain having non-ionic surfactant properties in a small amount, to the anode active material slurry comprising a carbon-based anode active material that is capable of lithium ion intercalation/deintercalation, a conductive agent, a binder comprising a styrene-butadiene-based polymer resin, a thickener comprising a cellulose-based or an acrylate-based resin, and water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2011
    Assignee: LG Chem, Ltd.
    Inventors: Seok Koo Kim, Cha Hun Ku, Soon Ho Ahn
  • Patent number: 7862925
    Abstract: A secondary battery having an increased winding area of the electrode assembly due to an absent positive electrode terminal. An electrode plate of the electrode assembly is directly welded to the can for electrical connection and to prevent the electrode assembly from floating inside the can. The secondary battery includes a hexahedronal can having an opening formed on a side and an electrode assembly contained in the can. The electrode assembly has a first electrode plate, a separator, and a second electrode plate laminated and wound together. The first electrode plate is connected to the inner surface of the can and the second electrode plate is connected to an electrode tab extending a predetermined distance to the exterior. A cap assembly has a cap plate coupled to the opening of the can to which the electrode is welded and an electrode terminal is coupled to the electrode terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2011
    Assignee: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kwang Chun Kim
  • Patent number: 7862920
    Abstract: A sequence or array of electrochemical cells storing both digital and analog data. Both binary code and codes having a higher base may be stored in the memory device to increase information density. Such battery arrays could also provide power for the micro or nanodevice. Devices are microscale and nanoscale in size and utilize electrically conductive atomic force microscopy tips to record and read data stored in the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2011
    Assignee: The University of Tulsa
    Inventors: Dale Teeters, Anthony Layson, Christina Dewan
  • Patent number: 7862919
    Abstract: A high-capacity battery pack attachable to a small-sized electronic device in which a lithium-polymer cell and a lithium-ion cell are physically coupled and to be electrically connected in parallel, and an electronic device using the battery pack maximize a battery mounting space while providing a high-capacity battery pack useful for the small-sized electronic device. The battery pack is arranged such that the lithium-polymer cell having a thin thickness in a large cross-sectional area and a lithium-ion cell having a thick thickness in a small cross-sectional area are appropriately arranged to maximize the space of the battery accommodating portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2011
    Assignee: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Heong-Sin Kim, Jong-Hwa Hur, Kyung-Won Seo
  • Patent number: 7862951
    Abstract: A connecter comprises a housing having a first projection formed on an upper half of a first lateral surface over the entire width thereof between the front surface and the rear surface, and a second projection formed on a lower half of a second lateral surface opposed to the first lateral surface; a single detection terminal mounted inside the first projection, capable of connection to an electrode of a single cell contained in a fuel cell; and a detection terminal mounted in the lower half of the housing, capable of connection to the electrode of the single cell contained in the fuel cell. The detection terminals are all arranged at equal intervals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2011
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Tyco Electronics Japan G.K.
    Inventors: Ryuichi Komiyama, Norishige Konno
  • Patent number: 7858229
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are a cell module cartridge including a cartridge body constructed in a rectangular structure in which a plate-shaped secondary battery cell is mounted to the cartridge body, the cartridge body being open at the top thereof, and a top cover mounted to the open top of the cartridge body while the battery cell is mounted to the cartridge body, wherein the cartridge body is provided at the bottom thereof with a plurality of through-holes, the cartridge body is provided at one side of the upper and lower ends of each side wall thereof with a coupling protrusion and a coupling groove, and the cartridge body is provided at the front thereof with a coupling part, to which an additional member for mounting an electrode terminal connecting member is coupled in an assembly fashion, such that the electrode terminal connecting member is stably connected to the corresponding electrode terminal of the corresponding battery cell, and a middle- or large-sized battery module including the same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2010
    Assignee: LG Chem, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yongshik Shin, Jeeho Kim, Jin Woong Ha
  • Patent number: 7858254
    Abstract: An electrochemical energy generating apparatus with which the crossover of a fuel can be suppressed and a method of driving the apparatus are disclosed. The electrochemical energy generating apparatus (e.g., a fuel cell system) includes an electrochemical device (fuel cell) which has an electrolyte membrane 6 clamped between opposed electrodes and which generates electrochemical energy by a reaction of an alcohol with water at one (fuel electrode) of the electrodes and a fuel evaporating section by which a fuel including said alcohol and substantially not containing water is supplied in a gaseous state to the side of the one of the electrodes of the electrochemical device. The method of driving the electrochemical energy generating apparatus 1 includes supplying the fuel in the gaseous state to the one of the electrodes by the fuel evaporating section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2010
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Shinichi Uesaka, Noritoshi Araki
  • Patent number: 7855012
    Abstract: A secondary battery for electronic appliance to be installed in an electronic appliance, thereby feeding an electric power to the electronic appliance, is disclosed, which includes: a battery cell in which a positive electrode, a negative electrode and an electrolyte are accommodated in a pack, and a positive electrode terminal and a negative electrode terminal from the positive electrode and the negative electrode, respectively are lead out from the same side face of the pack; a metallic battery can in which one opening from which the battery cell is inserted is formed and which accommodates the battery cell therein such that the side face from which the positive electrode terminal and the negative electrode terminal are lead out is faced towards the opening side; and a lid made of a synthetic resin in which a positive electrode terminal part and a negative electrode terminal part to be connected to the electrodes of the electronic appliance upon being connected to the positive electrode terminal and the neg
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2010
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Toshio Takeshita, Yoichi Miyajima, Hiroaki Sato, Atsushi Takahashi, Shoichi Shintani, Kei Tashiro, Osamu Nagashima, Hideki Kamiya, Hisashi Aoki, Toshiyuki Okada, Yoshihiro Sato
  • Patent number: 7851095
    Abstract: An anode structure for incorporation into a fuel cell includes a first region having one or more electrocatalysts, in which the first region is adjacent to the fuel inlet when the anode structure is incorporated into a fuel cell, and a second region having one or more electrocatalysts, in which the second region is adjacent to the fuel outlet when the anode structure is incorporated into a fuel cell. The first region is better at promoting the electrochemical oxidation of carbon monoxide than the second region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2010
    Assignee: Johnson Matthey Public Limited Company
    Inventors: Sarah Caroline Ball, David Thompsett
  • Patent number: 7851089
    Abstract: An electrode plate for a battery includes a current collector having a substrate and a plurality of protrusions that are carried on the substrate; and an active material layer that is carried on the current collector. The protrusions include a conductive material that undergoes plastic deformation more easily than the substrate. A lithium secondary battery includes the above electrode plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2010
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Yasutaka Kogetsu, Kazuyoshi Honda
  • Patent number: 7846573
    Abstract: A battery assembly may include a cooling system assembly having first and second battery modules and a coolant manifold in fluid communication therewith. The first battery module may include a first coolant flow path and the second battery module may include a second coolant flow path. The coolant manifold may include first and second ports and a main body portion to provide expansion and contraction between the first and second ports. The first port may be in communication with the first flow path and the second port may be in communication with the second flow path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2010
    Assignee: Cobasys, LLC
    Inventor: Shad A. Kelly
  • Patent number: 7846570
    Abstract: Water-tight battery powered appliances, for example personal care appliances such as razors and toothbrushes, are provided. The appliances include a housing having a seal that allows gases, e.g., hydrogen, to vent from the appliance without allowing water to enter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2010
    Assignee: The Gillette Company
    Inventors: Martin Diehl, Ulrich Fandrey, Uwe Schaaf, Florina Winter
  • Patent number: 7842432
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to nanowire structures and interconnected nanowire networks comprising such structures, as well as methods for their production. The nanowire structures comprise a nanowire core, a carbon-based layer, and in additional embodiments, carbon-based structures such as nanographitic plates consisting of graphenes formed on the nanowire cores, interconnecting the nanowire structures in the networks. The networks are porous structures that can be formed into membranes or particles. The nanowire structures and the networks formed using them are useful in catalyst and electrode applications, including fuel cells, as well as field emission devices, support substrates and chromatographic applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2010
    Assignee: Nanosys, Inc.
    Inventors: Chunming Niu, Baixin Qian, Ionel Stefan
  • Patent number: 7842423
    Abstract: Lithium metal anode protection, and various semi-fuel cell constructions for use in deep, high pressure seawater or air media are provided. The described lithium semi-fuel cells achieve record high energy densities, due to the high energy density of lithium anode and the use of the cathode reactant from the surrounding media, which is not part of the cell weight, and the use of ultralight and flexible packaging materials. These features make the described semi-fuel cells the ideal choice for powering underwater and air vehicles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2010
    Assignee: MaxPower, Inc.
    Inventors: Ian Kowalczyk, William Eppley, Mark Salomon, David Chua, Benjamin Meyer