Patents by Inventor Bernard Heller

Bernard Heller 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).

  • Publication number: 20070182364
    Abstract: A terminal platform comprising a first terminal block securable to a housing of the battery, a second terminal block configured to electrically connect to a terminal wire of the battery, and an insulating support electrically isolating the second terminal block from the first terminal block.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2006
    Publication date: August 9, 2007
    Inventors: Jennifer Zhao, Thomas Ceballos, James Strom, Richard Bruchmann, John Nicholson, Scott Robinson, Bernard Heller
  • Publication number: 20060024567
    Abstract: Lithium is a soft malleable metal and sticks to most materials when a fresh surface is exposed. Currently lithium anodes are pressed in a die with temporary polymer components protecting the pressing die. During anode pressing, the lithium anode sticks to these temporary components. They facilitate easy release of the lithium anode from the die via operator intervention. The pressed anode is then manually wrapped with a micro-porous polymeric separator material and built into the battery. This process is labor intensive and would be difficult to automate. By utilizing a formed polymer cup on the anode, both the anode pressing process and separator sealing process would be simplified and have potential options for automation. The cup would allow easy release from the anode pressing die and provide some of the insulation of the anode from regions of opposite polarity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2004
    Publication date: February 2, 2006
    Inventors: Bernard Heller, Donald Merritt, Joseph Hartwick
  • Publication number: 20050084746
    Abstract: An electrochemical cell including a cell enclosure, a fill tube, a ball, a closing button, an anode, a cathode, and an electrolyte. The cell enclosure defines an internal volume and includes a cover forming a fillport through hole. The fill tube is separately formed, and defines a leading section, a trailing section, and a passageway. The leading section is secured within the fillport through hole. The ball is sealingly secured within the passageway. The closing button is also separately formed, and is sealingly secured within the fillport through hole adjacent the leading section of the fill tube. The anode, cathode, and electrolyte are maintained within the internal volume. By configuring the fill tube such that the leading section thereof is secured within the fillport through hole, an overall extension of the fill tube relative to the internal volume is greatly reduced, thereby maximizing a volumetric efficiency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 27, 2004
    Publication date: April 21, 2005
    Inventor: Bernard Heller
  • Patent number: 5209994
    Abstract: In lithium iodine electrochemical cells, control of polyvinylpyridine film thickness and/or polyvinylpyridine film surface area coverage and/or control of the quantity thereof on or with respect to the lithium anode operative surface directly affects cell voltage characteristics during discharge, allowing the tailoring of the voltage characteristics near cell end-of-life (EOL) in a useful way.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 1990
    Date of Patent: May 11, 1993
    Assignee: Medtronic, Inc.
    Inventors: David L. Blattenberger, William D. Helgeson, John C. Strohkirch, Bernard Heller