Patents Examined by Yoshitoshi Takeuchi
  • Patent number: 10673049
    Abstract: Provided is a bus bar module and a power supply device capable of reducing the entire size thereof and improving assemblability thereof. A barrel portion of a voltage detection terminal extends from a voltage detection line housing groove provided between batteries and is connected to an outer end portion of a terminal portion in a Y direction through a connection portion, so that it is possible to ensure a Y direction dimension of the barrel portion while reducing a Y direction dimension of the entire bus bar module and power supply device. This can prevent the voltage detection terminal from being bent in an X direction when being bent in the Y direction when being housed in a bus bar housing portion, thereby allowing improvement of assemblability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2020
    Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
    Inventors: Shigeyuki Ogasawara, Shinichi Yanagihara
  • Patent number: 10665867
    Abstract: An air battery includes a negative electrode allowing a metal ion to be occluded in the negative electrode and released from the negative electrode, a positive electrode configured to use oxygen in the air as a positive electrode active material, a nonaqueous metal ion conductor disposed between the negative electrode and the positive electrode, and oxygen evolving catalysts. The positive electrode includes a carbon material. At least one of the oxygen evolving catalysts is fixed to the surface of the carbon material through a Si—O bond.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masako Moriishi, Yu Otsuka
  • Patent number: 10658656
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a high voltage cathode active material and a method for preparing the same. The cathode active material includes particles of a spinel-type compound having a composition represented by Formula (1) and a carbon-based material present on surfaces of the particles of the spinel-type compound: Li1+aMxMn2?xO4?zAz??(1) where ?0.1?a?0.1, 0.3?x?0.8 and 0?z?0.1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: LG Chem, Ltd.
    Inventors: Byung Chun Park, Seong Hoon Kang, Minsuk Kang, Wang Mo Jung, Ho Suk Shin, Sang Min Park, Geungi Min
  • Patent number: 10644338
    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: May 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignee: Combined Energies LLC
    Inventors: Rhonda Lee Staudt, Donald Frank Rohr, John Anthony Vogel
  • Patent number: 10629970
    Abstract: A lithium air battery includes a negative electrode allowing a lithium ion to be occluded in the negative electrode and released from the negative electrode; a positive electrode configured to use oxygen in air as a positive electrode active material; a nonaqueous lithium ion conductor disposed between the negative electrode and the positive electrode; and a copper ion present in at least one selected from the group consisting of the positive electrode and the nonaqueous lithium ion conductor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masako Moriishi, Yu Otsuka
  • Patent number: 10622627
    Abstract: In an example of a method for making a sulfur-based positive electrode active material, a carbon layer is formed on a sacrificial nanomaterial. The carbon layer is coated with titanium dioxide to form a titanium dioxide layer. The sacrificial nanomaterial is removed to form a hollow material including a hollow core surrounded by a carbon and titanium dioxide double shell. Sulfur is impregnated into the hollow core.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2020
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Gayatri V. Dadheech, Xingcheng Xiao, Mei Cai
  • Patent number: 10608271
    Abstract: A reversible SOFC-based system for generating electricity, including: an solid-oxide-fuel-cell (SOFC) stack containing at least one elementary solid-oxide electrochemical cell, each of which is formed from a cathode, an anode and an electrolyte intermediate between the cathode and the anode; a separator of liquid and gas phases, which separator is connected to the outlet of the fuel-cell stack; a methanation reactor suitable for implementing a methanation reaction, the inlet of which is connected to the outlet of the phase separator and the outlet of which is connected to the inlet of the fuel-cell stack so that the mixture issued from the methanation reactor is introduced into the fuel-cell stack; and a tank for reversibly storing hydrogen, suitable for storing hydrogen, the outlet of which is connected to the inlet of the methanation reactor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2020
    Assignee: COMMISSARIAT A L'ENERGIE ATOMIQUE ET AUX ENERGIES ALTERNATIVES
    Inventors: Magali Reytier, Isabelle Noirot Le Borgne, Guilhem Roux
  • Patent number: 10608241
    Abstract: A lithium-based electrode assembly and methods of formation relating thereto are provided. The lithium-based electrode assembly comprises a metal current collector, an electrode comprising lithium metal, and an intermediate layer disposed therebetween. The intermediate layer comprising an intermetallic compound comprising the lithium metal of the electrode and a metal selected from the group consisting of: aluminum, silver, gold, barium, bismuth, boron, calcium, cadmium, carbon, gallium, germanium, mercury, indium, iridium, lead, palladium, platinum, rhodium, antimony, selenium, silicon, tin, strontium, sulfur, tellurium, zinc, and combinations thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2020
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Michael P. Balogh, Hongliang Wang, Fang Dai, Tengjiao Qi
  • Patent number: 10608212
    Abstract: The disclosure provides electrochemical batteries, electrochemical battery housings and methods for assembling electrochemical batteries. The battery housing can include a container, a container lid assembly and an electrical conductor. The container can include a cavity that extends into the container from a cavity aperture. The lid assembly can seal the cavity, and can include an electrically conductive container lid and an electrically conductive flange. The container lid can cover the cavity aperture and can include a conductor aperture that extends through the container lid. The flange can cover the conductor aperture and can be electrically isolated from the container lid. The conductor can be connected to the flange and can extend through the conductor aperture into the cavity. The conductor can be electrically isolated from the container lid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2020
    Assignee: AMBRI INC.
    Inventors: David J. Bradwell, Alex T. Vai, Jianyi Cui, Brian Neltner
  • Patent number: 10593940
    Abstract: A power storage device having high capacitance is provided. A power storage device with excellent cycle characteristics is provided. A power storage device with high charge and discharge efficiency is provided. A power storage device including a negative electrode with low resistance is provided. A negative electrode for the power storage device includes a current collector and an active material layer including a plurality of active material particles over the current collector. The active material particle is silicon, and the size of the silicon particle is greater than or equal to 0.001 ?m and less than or equal to 7 ?m.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kiyofumi Ogino, Yumiko Yoneda, Rika Yatabe, Nobuhiro Inoue
  • Patent number: 10559822
    Abstract: A negative electrode active material, wherein the negative electrode active material is a negative electrode active material including negative electrode active material particles; the negative electrode active material particles include silicon compound particles including a silicon compound (SiOx: 0.5?x?1.6); the silicon compound particles include at least any one kind or more kinds of Li2SiO3 and Li4SiO4; the negative electrode active material particles have a loose bulk density BD of 0.5 g/cm3 or more and 0.9 g/cm3 or less, a tapped bulk density TD of 0.7 g/cm3 or more and 1.2 g/cm3 or less, and a compression degree of 25% or less, the compression degree being defined by (TD?BD)/TD. Therefore, the negative electrode active material which is capable of improving the initial charge and discharge characteristics as well as the cycle characteristics upon using it as the negative electrode active material of a secondary battery is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2020
    Assignee: SHIN-ETSU CHEMICAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takumi Matsuno, Takakazu Hirose, Hiromichi Kamo, Masahiro Furuya, Hidekazu Awano
  • Patent number: 10553852
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for manufacturing a positive electrode including a positive electrode substrate made of aluminum foil and a positive electrode active material layer containing a positive electrode active material on the positive electrode substrate. This method includes the steps of stretching a first exposed region of the positive electrode substrate with a first stretching roller disposed upstream; stretching a second exposed region of the positive electrode substrate with a second stretching roller disposed downstream; and compressing the positive electrode active material layer with a pair of compression rollers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignee: SANYO Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masao Fukunaga, Ryosuke Shirota, Kazuya Nishio, Haruya Nakai
  • Patent number: 10553859
    Abstract: An electrode active material for a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery includes: a core part including at least one of an inorganic oxide and a carbon-composite inorganic composite oxide; and a shell part for carbon coating on the core part. The electrode active material has a specific surface area of 6.0 m2/g or more. The electrode active material has a moisture content of 400 ppm or less, which is measured by a Karl Fischer method such that the electrode active material is heated in a heat-evaporating manner, and continuously maintained at 250° C. for 40 minutes without exposing to an atmosphere after the electrode active material is exposed to the atmosphere to absorb moisture to be saturated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shuhei Yoshida, Koji Ohira, Masaki Uchiyama, Daisuke Shibata
  • Patent number: 10547083
    Abstract: Electrolyte formulations including additives or combinations of additives. The electrolyte formulations are useful in lithium ion battery cells having lithium titanate anodes. The electrolyte formulations provide low temperature power performance and high temperature stability in such lithium ion battery cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2020
    Assignees: WILDCAT DISCOVERY TECHNOLOGIES, INC., JOHNSON CONTROLS TECHNOLOGY COMPANY
    Inventors: Gang Cheng, Ye Zhu, Deidre Strand
  • Patent number: 10541426
    Abstract: The invention includes a method of making a catalytic electrode for a metal-air cell in which a carbon-catalyst composite is produced by heating a manganese compound in the presence of a particulate carbon material to form manganese oxide catalyst on the surfaces of the particulate carbon, and then adding virgin particulate carbon material to the carbon-catalyst composite to produce a catalytic mixture that is formed into a catalytic layer. A current collector and an air diffusion layer are added to the catalytic layer to produce the catalytic electrode. The catalytic electrode can be combined with a separator and a negative electrode in a cell housing including an air entry port through which air from outside the container can reach the catalytic electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2020
    Assignee: ENERGIZER BRANDS, LLC
    Inventor: Diana Dreher
  • Patent number: 10532423
    Abstract: Provided is a battery pack. The battery pack includes a plurality of battery cells, each of which is provided with an electrode tab, an electrode lead including first and second lead parts respectively connected to the electrode tabs of the adjacent battery cells and a connection part connecting the first and second lead parts to each other, and a bus bar to which the first and second lead parts are coupled and connecting the plurality of battery cells to each other in series or parallel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2020
    Assignee: LG CHEM, LTD.
    Inventors: Yong Kim, Yong Su Choi, Sang Hun Kim, Sang Suk Jung, Won Pill Hwang, Cho Long Kim
  • Patent number: 10529988
    Abstract: A main object of the present disclosure is to provide a fluoride ion battery having a high charge-discharge potential. The present disclosure achieves the object by providing a fluoride ion battery comprising a cathode active material layer, an anode active material layer, and an electrolyte layer formed between the cathode active material layer and the anode active material layer, and the cathode active material layer includes a cathode active material having a composition represented by CuxS, wherein 1?x?2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hidenori Miki, Masumi Sato
  • Patent number: 10505215
    Abstract: There is provided a method of manufacturing a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery equipped with a wound electrode body that is formed by laminating and winding a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a separator. This method includes preparing the wound electrode body including an uncoated portion of positive electrode active material layers and an uncoated portion of negative electrode active material layers, and not forming the positive electrode active material layers on at least a surface of a positive electrode current collector on a winding outer peripheral side thereof in a region that includes at least an outermost periphery of the positive electrode; structuring the secondary battery by accommodating the wound electrode body in a battery case; and subjecting the secondary battery to an aging treatment in which the secondary battery is retained within a temperature range that is equal to or higher than 60° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroki Kondo, Hideki Sano
  • Patent number: 10497944
    Abstract: A solid oxide fuel cell stack has a surface from which via conductors for drawing a current are exposed. Collector plates are disposed on the surfaces of the fuel cell stack so that one main surface of the collector plates faces the via conductors. Fixing plates are fixed to the collector plates. Spacers are disposed between the fuel cell stack and the fixing plates. An adhesive fixes the fixing plates to the fuel cell stack through the spacers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2019
    Assignees: MURATA MANUFACTURING CO., LTD., TOKYO GAS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yosuke Tomoshige, Tomoaki Hirai, Yasuhiro Sayo, Takuya Ito, Takuto Kushi, Toru Hatae
  • Patent number: 10490830
    Abstract: A method for enriching the oxygen fed to a fuel cell cathode intake comprises receiving at the cathode intake an oxidant from the air, storing oxygen in an adsorber coupled to the cathode intake, and adding the stored oxygen from the adsorber to the oxidant at the cathode intake during high current density operation. A fuel cell system comprises a membrane, an anode on one side of the membrane, and a cathode, coupled to a blocking member, on a second side of the membrane. The cathode comprising an intake configured to allow an oxidant to flow through the cathode, and an outlet configured to discharge unreacted oxygen from the cathode, an adsorber, coupled to the blocking member, configured to store oxygen for adding to the oxidant flowing through the cathode intake during high current density operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: Nissan North America, Inc.
    Inventor: Amod Kumar