Patents Examined by Yoshitoshi Takeuchi
  • Voltage sensing assembly and battery module including the same
    Patent number: 10320036
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a voltage sensing assembly including sensing bus bars connected to series connection portions of battery cells for sensing the voltage of the battery cells, a printed circuit board (PCB), to the upper part of which the sensing bus bars are and to the lower part of which a connector is coupled, the connector mounted on the PCB, an insulative mounting member including a receiving part having a shape corresponding to the shape of the PCB such that the PCB is mounted in the receiving part, the receiving part being provided at one side thereof with openings, through which the sensing bus bars extend, and an insulation sheet attached to the front surface of the PCB.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2019
    Assignee: LG CHEM, LTD.
    Inventors: Jung Oh Moon, Dal Mo Kang, Jong Woon Choi, Jun Yeob Seong, Byung O Kong, Youngsop Eom
  • Fuel Cell Power Management
    Patent number: 10320015
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and other embodiments associated with fuel cell power management. According to one embodiment, a fuel cell stack includes a plurality of fuel cells producing electric potentials. An electric potential of a fuel cell is measured as a fuel cell voltage. The fuel cell stack further includes a plurality of connection points including a ground, a first connection point, and a second connection point. The first connection point draws a first voltage based on combined fuel cell voltages of a first set of fuel cells of the plurality of fuel cells. The second connection point draws a second voltage based on the combined fuel cell voltages of a second set of fuel cells of the plurality of fuel cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2019
    Assignee: The United States of America as Represented by the Administrator of National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    Inventor: Kenneth A. Burke
  • Dynamically responsive high efficiency CCHP system
    Patent number: 10320018
    Abstract: A highly efficient combined cooling, heating, and power (CCHP) system is capable of providing 100% utilization of an energy generator used by the system by distributing thermal and electrical outputs of the energy generator to loads and/or other storage apparatuses. The CCHP system includes an energy generator, which can be a fuel cell and a waste heat recovery unit that assists in recovering thermal energy from the energy generator and returning it to the energy generator, and/or providing it to a thermal load, or a storage as needed or desired.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2019
    Assignee: Combined Energies, LLC
    Inventors: Rhonda Lee Staudt, Donald Frank Rohr, John Anthony Vogel
  • Process for the preparation of carbon-coated lithium transition metal phosphate and its use
    Patent number: 10312506
    Abstract: A process for the preparation of carbon-coated lithium transition metal phosphate having the formula Li0.9+xMyMn1?yPO4 and its use as cathode material in secondary lithium-ion batteries wherein the process includes few synthesis steps which can be conducted easily, therefore providing a low cost process and results in a complete reaction of the starting material compounds or the mixtures thereof. At least one starting material compound is dispersed or dissolved in an essentially aqueous medium and heated to a temperature between 50° C. and 100° C. prior to addition of the remaining starting material compounds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: Johnson Matthey Public Limited Company
    Inventors: Nicolas Tran, Genovefa Wendrich
  • Battery pack
    Patent number: 10312478
    Abstract: A battery pack is disclosed. In one aspect, the battery pack includes an electrode assembly and a case accommodating the electrode assembly, wherein the case includes first and second walls facing each other and respectively concave and convex with respect to the electrode assembly. The battery pack also includes an uneven portion formed on the second wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Jae-Il Seong
  • Fuel cell and method of manufacturing fuel cell
    Patent number: 10290878
    Abstract: A fuel cell comprises a membrane electrode assembly configured such that electrode catalyst layers are formed on respective surfaces of an electrolyte membrane; gas diffusion layers placed on respective surfaces of the membrane electrode assembly; and a frame placed around periphery of the membrane electrode assembly. The membrane electrode assembly has a protruding portion that is configured by protruding outside of the gas diffusion layer in a state that the membrane electrode assembly is combined with the gas diffusion layers. The frame has an engagement portion that is configured to engage with the protruding portion. An adhesive layer is formed from an ultraviolet curable adhesive between the protruding portion and the engagement portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2019
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kotaro Ikeda, Hikaru Hasegawa, Naohiro Asada, Makoto Yoshida, Tomokazu Hayashi, Michihisa Mochizuki
  • Small pore size nonwoven mat with hydrophilic/acid resistant filler used in lead acid batteries and applications therefor
    Patent number: 10283746
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a nonwoven fiber mat includes between 10% and 50% by weight of a plurality of first glass fibers having an average diameter of less than 5 ?m and between 50% and 90% by weight of a plurality of second glass fibers having an average diameter of greater than 6 ?m. The nonwoven fiber mat also includes an acid resistant binder that binds the first and second glass fibers together. The nonwoven fiber mat has an average pore size of between 1 and 100 ?m and exhibits an air permeability of below 100 cubic feet per minute per square foot (cfm/ft2) as measured by the Frazier test at 125 Pa according to ASTM Standard Method D737.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: Johns Manville
    Inventors: Zhihua Guo, Gautam Sharma, Souvik Nandi, Jawed Asrar, Albert G Dietz, III
  • Flange assembly for use with a solid oxide fuel cell system
    Patent number: 10283804
    Abstract: A flange assembly for use with a SOFC system includes a first flange, a second flange, and a dielectric element coupled between the first flange and the second flange. The dielectric element includes an outer cylindrical surface and an inner cylindrical surface. The inner cylindrical surface defines a cylindrical region having a circumference. The inner cylindrical surface also defines a channel that extends radially about the circumference of the cylindrical region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Keith Garrette Brown, Liwei Hao, Darren Bawden Hickey, Kevin Joseph Gavel, John Raymond Krahn, Qin Chen, Lili Zhang, Daniel Qi Tan
  • Fuel cell for detecting a pollutant
    Patent number: 10283784
    Abstract: A fuel cell including: a diaphragm/electrodes assembly including a first electrode forming an anode, and a first reinforcement attached to a surface of the diaphragm and surrounding the first electrode; two bipolar plates, having the diaphragm/electrodes assembly placed therebetween and including at least one flow collector passing therethrough, a first surface of the diaphragm including an active area and a connection area and arranged between the flow collector and the active area; a conductor track rigidly connected to the first surface of the diaphragm and extending between the connection area and one edge of the diaphragm that projects beyond the first reinforcement; and a measurement electrode, positioned on the connection area of the first surface of the diaphragm and making electrical contact with the conductor track.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: COMMISSARIAT À L'ÉNERGIE ATOMIQUE ET AUX ÉNERGIES ALTERNATIVES
    Inventors: Remi Vincent, Sebastien Rosini, Denis Tremblay
  • High conductivity NASICON electrolyte for room temperature solid-state sodium ion batteries
    Patent number: 10276892
    Abstract: Solid electrolytes compositions, methods of making the solid electrolytes, and methods of using the solid electrolytes in batteries and other electrochemical technologies are disclosed. The method of producing a solid electrolyte comprises (a) ball milling Na2CO3, SiO2, NH4H2PO4, a zirconium source, and a dopant to produce a ball milled powder; (b) calcining the ball milled powder to produce a calcined powder; and (c) sintering the calcined powder to produce a solid electrolyte. The zirconium source for the solid electrolyte may be ZrO2. The dopant for the solid electrolyte may be AI2O3, Fe2O3, Sb2O3, Yb2O3, or Dy2O3.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2019
    Assignee: University of Maryland
    Inventors: Eric D. Wachsman, Gregory Thomas Hitz, Kang Taek Lee
  • Ultra supercritical boiler header alloy and method of preparation
    Patent number: 10260129
    Abstract: A high temperature, high strength Ni—Co—Cr alloy is provided. The alloy includes, in weight percent (wt. %): 23.5 to 25.5% Cr, 15.0 to 22.0% Co, 1.1 to 2.0% Al, 1.0 to 1.8% Ti, 0.95 to 2.2% Nb, less than 1.0% Mo, less than 1.0% Mn, up to 0.24% Si, less than 3.0% Fe, less than 0.3% Ta, less than 0.3% W, 0.005 to 0.08% C, 0.01 to 0.3% Zr, 0.0008 to 0.006% B, up to 0.05% rare earth metals, and a balance of Ni plus trace impurities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2019
    Assignee: Huntington Alloys Corporation
    Inventors: Brian A. Baker, Gaylord D. Smith, Ronald D. Gollihue
  • Ionic conductivity of NASICON through aliovalent cation substitution
    Patent number: 10256504
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to solid NASICON electrolytes in which the zirconium site is doped with a 2+ oxidation state cation. The present invention is also directed to methods of making the solid electrolytes and methods of using the solid electrolytes in batteries and other electrochemical technologies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2019
    Assignee: University of Maryland
    Inventors: Eric D. Wachsman, Adam Jolley
  • Composite negative active material, negative electrode including composite negative active material, and lithium secondary battery including negative electrode
    Patent number: 10249874
    Abstract: A composite negative active material including: a silicon-containing negative active material; and a non-metal doped metal phosphate, wherein the non-metal doped metal phosphate includes two or more metals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2019
    Assignees: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD., SAMSUNG SDI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Guesung Kim, Jinsoo Mun, Heechul Jung
  • Modular battery configured for wire bonding
    Patent number: 10243184
    Abstract: Aspects of a modular clip for an electric battery module, a battery module comprising multiple such modular clips, and a battery pack comprising multiple battery modules are provided. The modular clip includes a housing configured to receive a plurality of battery cells. The modular clip may further comprise at least one interconnect plate. The modular clip may further comprise a retainer plate including a plurality of top cell recesses, each of the plurality of top cell recesses may comprise an opening to enable wire bonds between electrical terminals of a battery cell and the at least one interconnect plate. The battery module may comprise a plurality of wire bonds between at least one voltage sensing PCB and the at least one interconnect plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: Thor Trucks Inc.
    Inventor: John Henry Harris, III
  • Polycrystalline lithium manganese oxide particles, preparation method thereof, and cathode active material including the same
    Patent number: 10236499
    Abstract: Provided are polycrystalline lithium manganese oxide particles represented by Chemical Formula 1 and a method of preparing the same: Li(1+x)Mn(2?x?y?f)AlyMfO(4?z)??<Chemical Formula 1> where M is any one selected from the group consisting of boron (B), cobalt (Co), vanadium (V), lanthanum (La), titanium (Ti), nickel (Ni), zirconium (Zr), yttrium (Y), and gallium (Ga), or two or more elements thereof, 0?x?0.2, 0<y?0.2, 0<f?0.2, and 0?z?0.2. According to an embodiment of the present invention, limitations, such as the Jahn-Teller distortion and the dissolution of Mn2+, may be addressed by structurally stabilizing the polycrystalline lithium manganese oxide particles. Thus, life characteristics and charge and discharge capacity characteristics of a secondary battery may be improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: LG Chem, Ltd.
    Inventors: Ick Soon Kwak, Seung Beom Cho, Hwa Seok Chae
  • Electrolytic copper foil for lithium secondary battery and lithium secondary battery comprising the same
    Patent number: 10218004
    Abstract: An electrolytic copper foil for a lithium secondary battery has yield strength of 30 kgf/mm2 to 60 kgf/mm2, a surface area ratio of 1 to 3, and a weight deviation of 3% or below.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignee: KCF TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Dae-Young Kim, Seung-Min Kim
  • Hollow packaging for cable-type secondary battery, and cable-type secondary battery comprising same
    Patent number: 10211432
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a hollow packaging for a cable-type secondary battery and a cable-type secondary battery comprising same, and more specifically, to a hollow packaging for a cable-type secondary battery and a cable-type secondary battery comprising same, wherein the hollow packaging for a cable-type secondary battery comprises a packaging sheet including a sheet-type thin metal layer provided with a corrugated pattern on the surface, a first polymer resin layer formed on one surface of the thin metal layer, and a mechanical support layer formed on the other surface of the thin metal layer, wherein the packaging sheet forms a hollow space by bending so that the first polymer resin layer faces inward.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2019
    Assignee: LG Chem, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yo-Han Kwon, Hye-Ran Jung, Je-Young Kim, Seok-Koo Kim
  • Electrochemical device, such as a microbattery or an electrochromic system, covered by an encapsulation layer comprising a barrier film and an adhesive film, and method for fabricating one such device
    Patent number: 10193110
    Abstract: An electrochemical device, such as a microbattery or an electrochromic system, including at least one stack of active layers containing lithium, said stack being arranged on a substrate and being covered by an encapsulation layer. The encapsulation layer includes at least: a barrier film presenting at least one electrically insulating surface and including at least one layer hermetic to oxidising species, said adhesive film including a juxtaposition of electrically conducting adhesive strips and of electrically insulating adhesive strips, and an adhesive film, provided with a first surface and a second surface, the first surface being in contact with the electrically insulating surface of the barrier film and the second surface covering the stack of active layers and a part of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: COMMISSARIAT À L'ENERGIE ATOMIQUE ET AUX ENERGIES ALTERNATIVES
    Inventors: Messaoud Bedjaoui, Sylvain Poulet, Thomas Sebastien
  • Battery terminal connector
    Patent number: 10186703
    Abstract: A battery terminal connector for terminating to a battery post of a battery. The battery terminal connector includes a cable attachment portion, a flange portion having a tightening member provided thereon, and a post engaging portion. A guard member is mounted on the flange portion. The guard member is moveable between a first position and a second position. The guard member has a projection which extends over the tightening member when the guard member is in the first position. The projection is removed from the tightening member when the battery terminal connector is properly positioned relative to the battery post and the guard member is in the second position. The battery terminal connector can only be terminated to the battery post when the battery terminal connector is properly positioned relative to the battery post.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2019
    Assignee: TE CONNECTIVITY BRASIL INDUSTRIA DE ELECTRONICOS LTDA.
    Inventors: Jose Roberto Goldschmidt, Amadeu Luiz Fazani Cavallieri
  • Rechargeable battery module
    Patent number: 10177353
    Abstract: A rechargeable battery module is disclosed. In one aspect, the battery module includes a plurality of unit cells including first and second outermost unit cells disposed at first and second opposing ends of the unit cells arranged in a first direction, wherein the unit cells have top and bottom surfaces opposing each other. The battery module also includes a bus bar holder covering the top surface of the unit cells, a bus bar disposed at the bus bar holder to electrically connect the unit cells and a pair of end plates respectively supporting the first and second outermost unit cells. The battery module further includes a pair of side plates disposed at third and fourth opposing ends of the unit cells arranged in a second direction crossing the first direction, wherein the side plates are connected to the end plates and the bus bar holder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Young-Deok Kim, Ji-Soon Lim, Shi-Dong Park