Patents by Inventor Alan B. McEwen

Alan B. McEwen has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 6531241
    Abstract: Cyclic delocalized cations joined together by spacer groups, with anions of equal number to cations to maintain charge neutrality, are disclosed. These spacer groups may be organic or inorganic in origin and may vary in length. The spacer groups may be saturated, containing single bonds, or may be unsaturated, containing double and triple bonds. With appropriate design these materials can have melting and glass transition temperatures below, around, and above room temperature. The lyophobic character of these materials may be adjusted, providing unique properties. These materials are well suited for use as electrolytes, lubricants, solvents for extractions and for running reactions, biphase catalysis media, media for electroluminescent devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2003
    Assignee: Covalent Associates, Inc.
    Inventor: Alan B. McEwen
  • Patent number: 6514296
    Abstract: A dry preunit (10), includes a plurality of cells (110, 112, 114) in a true bipolar configuration, which are stacked and bonded together, to impart to the device an integral and unitary construction. Each cell (114) includes two electrically conductive electrodes (111A, 111B) that are spaced apart by a predetermined distance. The cell (114) also includes two identical dielectric gaskets (121, 123) that are interposed, in registration with each other, between the electrodes (111A, 11B), for separating and electrically insulating these electrodes. When the electrodes (111A, 111B), and the gaskets (121, 123) are bonded together, at least one fill gap (130) is formed for each cell. Each cell (114) also includes a porous and conductive coating layer (119, 120) that is formed on one surface of each electrode. The coating layer (119) includes a set of closely spaced-apart peripheral microprotrusions (125), and a set of distally spaced-apart central microprotrusions (127).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2003
    Assignee: Pacific ShinFu Technologies Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: K. C. Tsai, Gary E. Mason, Mark L. Goodwin, Nazir Ahmad, Davy Wu, Douglas Cromack, Robert R. Tong, James M. Poplett, Ronald L. Anderson, James P. Nelson, Alan B. McEwen
  • Publication number: 20020110739
    Abstract: Improved electrolytes for application in electrical storage devices, such as batteries and capacitors, electrochromic display and other applications requiring tonically conductive medium are disclosed. The electrolytes of the invention contain organic cation salts, also called ionic liquids or molten salts. These improved electrolytes have useful characteristics such as high thermal stability and reduced flammability.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 25, 2001
    Publication date: August 15, 2002
    Inventors: Alan B. McEwen, Victor R. Koch
  • Patent number: 6005764
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an improved method to produce an electrical storage device having useful characteristics such as higher charge density, small volume, long-term reliable charge/discharge cycles, low leakage current, and the like. The dry preunit has useful properties in that it can be stored for long periods prior to contact with a non-aqueous or aqueous electrolyte. When the electrode surfaces are contacted with a non-aqueous or aqueous electrolyte, the novel capacitors produced are useful as a portable power supply in applications such as in defibrillator, electrical vehicles, radiotelephones etc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 21, 1999
    Assignee: Pinnacle Research Institute, Inc.
    Inventors: Ronald L. Anderson, Mark L. Goodwin, Gary E. Mason, Alan B. McEwen, James P. Nelson, James M. Poplett, Robert R. Tong, K. C. Tsai
  • Patent number: 5973913
    Abstract: An electrochemical capacitor is disclosed that features two, separated, high surface area carbon cloth electrodes sandwiched between two current collectors fabricated of a conductive polymer having a flow temperature greater than 130.degree. C., the perimeter of the electrochemical capacitor being sealed with a high temperature gasket to form a single cell device. The gasket material is a thermoplastic stable at temperatures greater than 100.degree. C., preferably a polyester or a polyurethane, and having a reflow temperature above 130.degree. C. but below the softening temperature of the current collector material. The capacitor packaging has good mechanical integrity over a wide temperature range, contributes little to the device equivalent series resistance (ESR), and is stable at high potentials. In addition, the packaging is designed to be easily manufacturable by assembly line methods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 26, 1999
    Assignee: Covalent Associates, Inc.
    Inventors: Alan B. McEwen, David A. Evans, Thomas J. Blakley, Jay L. Goldman
  • Patent number: 5965054
    Abstract: Improved nonaqueous electrolytes for application in electrical storage devices such as electrochemical capacitors or batteries are disclosed. The electrolytes of the invention contain salts consisting of alkyl substituted, cyclic delocalized aromatic cations, and their perfluoro derivatives, and certain polyatomic anions having a van der Waals volume less than or equal to 100 .ANG..sup.3, preferably inorganic perfluoride anions and most preferably PF.sub.6.sup.-, the salts being dissolved in organic liquids, and preferably alkyl carbonate solvents, or liquid sulfur dioxide or combinations thereof, at a concentration of greater than 0.5M and preferably greater than 1.0M. Exemplary electrolytes comprise 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate dissolved in a cyclic or acylic alkyl carbonate, or methyl formate, or a combination therof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 12, 1999
    Assignee: Covalent Associates, Inc.
    Inventors: Alan B. McEwen, Ein-Eli Yair
  • Patent number: 5867363
    Abstract: A dry preunit (10), includes a plurality of cells (110, 112, 114) in a true bipolar configuration, which are stacked and bonded together, to impart to the device an integral and unitary construction. Each cell (114) includes two electrically conductive electrodes (111A, 111B) that are spaced apart by a predetermined distance. The cell (114) also includes two identical dielectric gaskets (121, 123) that are interposed, in registration with each other, between the electrodes (111A, 111B), for separating and electrically insulating these electrodes. When the electrodes (111A, 111B), and the gaskets (121, 123) are bonded together, at least one fill gap (130) is formed for each cell. Each cell (114) also includes a porous and conductive coating layer (119, 120) that is formed on one surface of each electrode. The coating layer (119) includes a set of closely spaced-apart peripheral microprotrusions (125), and a set of distally spaced-apart central microprotrusions (127).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 1994
    Date of Patent: February 2, 1999
    Assignee: Pinnacle Research Institute, Inc.
    Inventors: K. C. Tsai, Gary E. Mason, Mark L. Goodwin, Nazir Ahmad, Davy Wu, Douglas Cromack, Robert R. Tong, James M. Poplett, Ronald L. Anderson, James P. Nelson, Alan B. McEwen
  • Patent number: 5464453
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an improved method to produce an electrical storage device having useful characteristics such as higher charge density, small volume, long-term reliable charge/discharge cycles, low leakage current, and the like. The dry preunit has useful properties in that it can be stored for long periods prior to contact with a non-aqueous or aqueous electrolyte. When the electrode surfaces are contacted with a non-aqueous or aqueous electrolyte, the novel capacitors produced are useful as a portable power supply in applications such as in defibrillator, electrical vehicles, radiotelephones etc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 1992
    Date of Patent: November 7, 1995
    Assignee: Pinnacle Research Institute, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert R. Tong, James M. Poplett, Alan B. McEwen, Gary E. Mason, Mark L. Goodwin, K. C. Tsai, Ronald L. Anderson, James P. Nelson