Patents by Inventor Ernest Matthew Villanueva
Ernest Matthew Villanueva 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).
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Patent number: 10020550Abstract: An energy storage pack includes a coolant inlet manifold, a coolant outlet manifold, and a plurality of thermal-exchange tubes extending between the coolant inlet manifold and the coolant outlet manifold to exchange heat between coolant passing through the plurality of thermal-exchange tubes and a plurality of battery cells mounted adjacent to and among the plurality of thermal-exchange tubes within the energy storage pack. In one embodiment, at least one of coolant inlet manifold and the coolant outlet manifold includes a plurality of thermal-exchange tube terminating structures and a plurality of hose segments intercoupling the plurality of thermal-exchange tube terminating structures. The energy storage pack may further include a coolant inlet opening located on the coolant inlet manifold and a coolant outlet opening located on the coolant outlet manifold.Type: GrantFiled: February 20, 2017Date of Patent: July 10, 2018Assignee: Tesla, Inc.Inventors: Robert David Sumpf, Jr., Ernest Matthew Villanueva, David Elias Hegeman, Satvik Vipin Batavia, Ganesh Ramanarayan Singh, Alex Prilutsky, Scott Ira Kohn, Bruce Phillip Edwards, Peter Thomas Tennessen, Jayesh Bharat Gorasia, Hugh Burnett Ross
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Patent number: 9828039Abstract: Impact protection structures for vehicles are described. An impact protection structure includes a support structure of the vehicle, an interior rail coupled to the support structure, and an exterior rail coupled to the interior rail. The exterior rail has an inboard boundary wall positioned between an upper mounting region and a lower mounting region. The upper and the lower exterior mounting region of the exterior rail are coupled to an upper and a lower mounting region of the interior rail. At least a portion of the inboard boundary wall is spaced apart from an outboard wall of the interior rail such that when the exterior rail is impacted by a blunt-object barrier, the inboard boundary wall of the exterior rail deforms, thereby damping energy of the impact at the exterior rail and arresting crack propagation between the exterior rail and the interior rail.Type: GrantFiled: August 13, 2014Date of Patent: November 28, 2017Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Tesla Motors, Inc.Inventors: Jonathan Richard Young, Donald James Robert Parr, Ernest Matthew Villanueva, Nathan Nelson, Paul Dewitt Frey
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Publication number: 20170162922Abstract: An energy storage pack includes a coolant inlet manifold, a coolant outlet manifold, and a plurality of thermal-exchange tubes extending between the coolant inlet manifold and the coolant outlet manifold to exchange heat between coolant passing through the plurality of thermal-exchange tubes and a plurality of battery cells mounted adjacent to and among the plurality of thermal-exchange tubes within the energy storage pack. In one embodiment, at least one of coolant inlet manifold and the coolant outlet manifold includes a plurality of thermal-exchange tube terminating structures and a plurality of hose segments intercoupling the plurality of thermal-exchange tube terminating structures. The energy storage pack may further include a coolant inlet opening located on the coolant inlet manifold and a coolant outlet opening located on the coolant outlet manifold.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 20, 2017Publication date: June 8, 2017Applicant: Tesla, Inc.Inventors: Robert David Sumpf, JR., Ernest Matthew Villanueva, David Elias Hegeman, Satvik Vipin Batavia, Ganesh Ramanarayan Singh, Alex Prilutsky, Scott Ira Kohn, Bruce Phillip Edwards, Peter Thomas Tennessen, Jayesh Bharat Gorasia, Hugh Burnett Ross
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Patent number: 9187131Abstract: An impact protection structure for a vehicle impacting a blunt-object barrier includes a support structure of the vehicle, an energy absorbing rail coupled to the support structure, and a localized energy dissipation structure. The energy absorbing rail extends an energy absorbing rail length and includes a plurality of lumens. The localized energy dissipation structure extends a localized energy dissipation structure length less than the energy absorbing rail length.Type: GrantFiled: November 7, 2013Date of Patent: November 17, 2015Assignees: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., Tesla Motors, Inc.Inventors: Jonathan Richard Young, Donald James Robert Parr, Ernest Matthew Villanueva, Derek Paul
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Publication number: 20140346813Abstract: Impact protection structures for vehicles are described. An impact protection structure includes a support structure of the vehicle, an interior rail coupled to the support structure, and an exterior rail coupled to the interior rail. The exterior rail has an inboard boundary wall positioned between an upper mounting region and a lower mounting region. The upper and the lower exterior mounting region of the exterior rail are coupled to an upper and a lower mounting region of the interior rail. At least a portion of the inboard boundary wall is spaced apart from an outboard wall of the interior rail such that when the exterior rail is impacted by a blunt-object barrier, the inboard boundary wall of the exterior rail deforms, thereby damping energy of the impact at the exterior rail and arresting crack propagation between the exterior rail and the interior rail.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 13, 2014Publication date: November 27, 2014Inventors: Jonathan Richard Young, Donald James Robert Parr, Ernest Matthew Villanueva, Nathan Nelson, Paul Dewitt Frey
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Patent number: 8833839Abstract: Impact protection structures for vehicles are described. An impact protection structure includes a support structure of the vehicle, an interior rail coupled to the support structure, and an exterior rail coupled to the interior rail. The exterior rail has an inboard boundary wall positioned between an upper mounting region and a lower mounting region. The upper and the lower exterior mounting region of the exterior rail are coupled to an upper and a lower mounting region of the interior rail. At least a portion of the inboard boundary wall is spaced apart from an outboard wall of the interior rail such that when the exterior rail is impacted by a blunt-object barrier, the inboard boundary wall of the exterior rail deforms, thereby damping energy of the impact at the exterior rail and arresting crack propagation between the exterior rail and the interior rail.Type: GrantFiled: April 13, 2012Date of Patent: September 16, 2014Assignees: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., Telsa Motors, Inc.Inventors: Jonathan Richard Young, Donald James Robert Parr, Ernest Matthew Villanueva, Nathan Nelson, Paul Dewitt Frey
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Publication number: 20140049070Abstract: An impact protection structure for a vehicle impacting a blunt-object barrier includes a support structure of the vehicle, an energy absorbing rail coupled to the support structure, and a localized energy dissipation structure. The energy absorbing rail extends an energy absorbing rail length and includes a plurality of lumens. The localized energy dissipation structure extends a localized energy dissipation structure length less than the energy absorbing rail length.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 7, 2013Publication date: February 20, 2014Applicants: Tesla Motor, Inc., Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.Inventors: Jonathan Richard Young, Donald James Robert Parr, Ernest Matthew Villanueva, Derek Paul
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Patent number: 8608230Abstract: An impact protection structure for a vehicle impacting a blunt-object barrier includes a support structure of the vehicle, an energy absorbing rail coupled to the support structure, and a localized energy dissipation structure. The energy absorbing rail extends an energy absorbing rail length and includes a plurality of lumens. The localized energy dissipation structure extends a localized energy dissipation structure length less than the energy absorbing rail length.Type: GrantFiled: April 13, 2012Date of Patent: December 17, 2013Assignees: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., Tesla Motor, Inc.Inventors: Jonathan Richard Young, Donald James Robert Parr, Ernest Matthew Villanueva, Derek Paul
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Publication number: 20130270864Abstract: An impact protection structure for a vehicle impacting a blunt-object barrier includes a support structure of the vehicle, an energy absorbing rail coupled to the support structure, and a localized energy dissipation structure. The energy absorbing rail extends an energy absorbing rail length and includes a plurality of lumens. The localized energy dissipation structure extends a localized energy dissipation structure length less than the energy absorbing rail length.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 13, 2012Publication date: October 17, 2013Applicants: Tesla Motor Inc., Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.Inventors: Jonathan Richard Young, Donald James Robert Parr, Ernest Matthew Villanueva, Derek Paul
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Publication number: 20130270863Abstract: Impact protection structures for vehicles are described. An impact protection structure includes a support structure of the vehicle, an interior rail coupled to the support structure, and an exterior rail coupled to the interior rail. The exterior rail has an inboard boundary wall positioned between an upper mounting region and a lower mounting region. The upper and the lower exterior mounting region of the exterior rail are coupled to an upper and a lower mounting region of the interior rail. At least a portion of the inboard boundary wall is spaced apart from an outboard wall of the interior rail such that when the exterior rail is impacted by a blunt-object barrier, the inboard boundary wall of the exterior rail deforms, thereby damping energy of the impact at the exterior rail and arresting crack propagation between the exterior rail and the interior rail.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 13, 2012Publication date: October 17, 2013Applicants: Tesla Motor, Inc., Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.Inventors: Jonathan Richard Young, Donald James Robert Parr, Ernest Matthew Villanueva, Nathan Nelson, Paul Dewitt Frey
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Patent number: 8389142Abstract: A method and apparatus for simplifying battery pack assembly that allows inspection of the cell-to-housing bonding region is provided. In particular, a battery pack housing member is provided that includes an interior surface that partially defines the interior region of the battery pack and that includes a plurality of cell mounting wells and an exterior surface that includes a plurality of bonding wells. Adhesive introduced into the bonding wells forms a mechanical bond between an exterior surface of a cell introduced into an adjacent cell mounting well and the housing member.Type: GrantFiled: September 28, 2009Date of Patent: March 5, 2013Assignee: Tesla Motors, Inc.Inventors: Paul Bryan Kreiner, Weston Arthur Hermann, Dorian Watkins West, Morgan Daniel Adis, Ernest Matthew Villanueva, Noel Jason Mendez, William Vucich Beecher
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Patent number: 8293393Abstract: An apparatus for simplifying battery pack encapsulation is provided. The battery pack includes a pair of complementary housing members with each housing member including a plurality of cell constraints into which the ends of corresponding battery cells are inserted during assembly. One or both housing members also include at least one, and preferably a plurality, of raised encapsulant injection ports. The raised encapsulant injection ports are designed to extend above the surface of the respective housing members and beyond the injected encapsulation material, thus ensuring that the ports remain open after encapsulation material injection.Type: GrantFiled: March 29, 2012Date of Patent: October 23, 2012Assignee: Tesla Motors, Inc.Inventors: Weston Arthur Hermann, Scott Ira Kohn, Noel Jason Mendez, Ernest Matthew Villanueva, Alexander Thomas Jacobs, Peng Zhou
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Publication number: 20120183826Abstract: An apparatus for simplifying battery pack encapsulation is provided. The battery pack includes a pair of complementary housing members with each housing member including a plurality of cell constraints into which the ends of corresponding battery cells are inserted during assembly. One or both housing members also include at least one, and preferably a plurality, of raised encapsulant injection ports. The raised encapsulant injection ports are designed to extend above the surface of the respective housing members and beyond the injected encapsulation material, thus ensuring that the ports remain open after encapsulation material injection.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 29, 2012Publication date: July 19, 2012Applicant: TESLA MOTORS, INC.Inventors: Weston Arthur Hermann, Scott Ira Kohn, Noel Jason Mendez, Ernest Matthew Villanueva, Alexander Thomas Jacobs, Peng Zhou
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Patent number: 8216502Abstract: A method and apparatus for simplifying battery pack encapsulation is provided. The battery pack includes a pair of complementary housing members with each housing member including a plurality of cell constraints into which the ends of corresponding battery cells are inserted during assembly. One or both housing members also include at least one, and preferably a plurality, of raised encapsulant injection ports. The raised encapsulant injection ports are designed to extend above the surface of the respective housing members and beyond the injected encapsulation material, thus ensuring that the ports remain open after encapsulation material injection.Type: GrantFiled: December 2, 2008Date of Patent: July 10, 2012Assignee: Tesla Motors, Inc.Inventors: Weston Arthur Hermann, Scott Ira Kohn, Noel Jason Mendez, Ernest Matthew Villanueva, Alexander Thomas Jacobs, Peng Zhou
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Patent number: 8173295Abstract: One embodiment includes a bottom clamshell and a top clamshell sandwiching a first battery and a second battery, with a fill port extending from a top surface of the top clamshell through to the bottom surface of the top clamshell and to a space between the first and second batteries. The embodiment includes a protrusion coupled to the top clamshell proximate to the fill port and extending into the space, wherein the protrusion at least partially occludes a direct path through the fill port to the space.Type: GrantFiled: July 18, 2007Date of Patent: May 8, 2012Assignee: Tesla Motors, Inc.Inventors: Ernest Matthew Villanueva, Brian Charles Hewett, William Vucich Beecher, Dorian Watkins West, Scott Ira Kohn, Eugene Michael Berdichevsky
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Publication number: 20110076538Abstract: A method and apparatus for simplifying battery pack assembly that allows inspection of the cell-to-housing bonding region is provided. In particular, a battery pack housing member is provided that includes an interior surface that partially defines the interior region of the battery pack and that includes a plurality of cell mounting wells and an exterior surface that includes a plurality of bonding wells. Adhesive introduced into the bonding wells forms a mechanical bond between an exterior surface of a cell introduced into an adjacent cell mounting well and the housing member.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 28, 2009Publication date: March 31, 2011Applicant: Tesla Motors, Inc.Inventors: Paul Bryan Kreiner, Weston Arthur Hermann, Dorian Watkins West, Morgan Daniel Adis, Ernest Matthew Villanueva, Noel Jason Mendez, William Vucich Beecher
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Patent number: 7755329Abstract: A system for optimizing battery pack charging is provided. In this system, during charging the coupling of auxiliary systems (e.g., battery cooling systems) to the external power source are delayed so that the battery pack charge rate may be optimized, limited only by the available power. Once surplus power is available, for example as the requirements of the charging system decrease, the auxiliary system or systems may be coupled to the external power source without degrading the performance of the charging system.Type: GrantFiled: November 5, 2009Date of Patent: July 13, 2010Assignee: Telsa Motors, Inc.Inventors: Scott Ira Kohn, Ernest Matthew Villanueva
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Publication number: 20100136407Abstract: The adverse effects of the dielectric material covering the lateral outer surface of a conventional battery are eliminated by replacing it with a dielectric barrier that covers less than 20 percent of the lateral outer surface of the cell case; more preferably less than 15 percent of the lateral outer surface of the cell case; still more preferably less than 10 percent of the lateral outer surface of the cell case; and yet still more preferably less than 5 percent of the lateral outer surface of the cell case. The dielectric barrier may be shrunk-fit, bonded, friction-fit or otherwise held in place. An electrically insulating disk may be interposed between the dielectric barrier and the end edge portion of the cell case.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 17, 2009Publication date: June 3, 2010Applicant: Tesla Motors, Inc.Inventors: William Vucich Beecher, Weston Arthur Hermann, Paul Bryan Kreiner, Ernest Matthew Villanueva, Kurt Russell Kelty
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Publication number: 20100136413Abstract: A method and apparatus for simplifying battery pack encapsulation is provided. The battery pack includes a pair of complementary housing members with each housing member including a plurality of cell contraints into which the ends of corresponding battery cells are inserted during assembly. One or both housing members also include at least one, and preferably a plurality, of raised encapsulant injection ports. The raised encapsulant injection ports are designed to extend above the surface of the respective housing members and beyond the injected encapsulation material, thus ensuring that the ports remain open after encapsulation material injection.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 2, 2008Publication date: June 3, 2010Applicant: Tesla Motors, Inc.Inventors: Weston Arthur Hermann, Scott Ira Kohn, Noel Jason Mendez, Ernest Matthew Villanueva, Alexander Thomas Jacobs, Peng Zhou
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Publication number: 20100072954Abstract: A system for optimizing battery pack charging is provided. In this system, during charging the coupling of auxiliary systems (e.g., battery cooling systems) to the external power source are delayed so that the battery pack charge rate may be optimized, limited only by the available power. Once surplus power is available, for example as the requirements of the charging system decrease, the auxiliary system or systems may be coupled to the external power source without degrading the performance of the charging system.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 5, 2009Publication date: March 25, 2010Applicant: Tesla Motors, Inc.Inventors: Scott Ira Kohn, Ernest Matthew Villanueva