Patents by Inventor Mikhail S. Balk

Mikhail S. Balk 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: 20150072176
    Abstract: A battery module includes a housing and battery cells disposed in the housing, each of the battery cells including two terminals. The battery module also includes bus bar cell interconnects including a first material, where each bus bar cell interconnect is configured to electrically couple two adjacent battery cells via an electrical coupling with a first terminal of one of the adjacent battery cells and a second terminal of the other adjacent battery cell, where at least one of the first and second terminals includes the first material. The battery module includes welds, each weld being disposed at a corresponding welding point to directly couple one of the bus bar cell interconnects with the corresponding at least one terminal including the first material. Each welding point is accessible for welding from a position above the battery cells when the interconnects are disposed over the battery cells.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2014
    Publication date: March 12, 2015
    Applicant: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: John P. Dinkelman, Lisa L. Winders, Richard M. DeKeuster, Edward J. Soleski, Mikhail S. Balk
  • Publication number: 20150072177
    Abstract: A lid assembly for use in a battery module includes a lid with apertures extending through the lid in a vertical direction, where each of the apertures is configured to receive a terminal of a battery cell of the battery module. The lid assembly also includes one or more extensions extending away from the lid in the vertical direction. Each of the one or more extensions is configured to couple the lid to a printed circuit board assembly of the battery module. The lid assembly also includes walls extending away from the lid in the vertical direction. Each of the walls is configured to extend between a first terminal of a first battery cell and a second terminal of a second battery cell.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2014
    Publication date: March 12, 2015
    Applicant: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Edward J. Soleski, Mikhail S. Balk, Richard M. DeKeuster, Stephen D. Cash
  • Publication number: 20150072195
    Abstract: A battery module and a method of manufacture are provided. The battery module may include a printed circuit board (PCB) assembly. The PCB assembly may include a PCB designed to be disposed in a battery module for controlling operations of the battery module. The PCB may also include voltage sensing circuitry. In addition, the PCB assembly may include a bus bar cell interconnect. The bus bar cell interconnect may electrically couple batteries of the battery module. The PCB assembly may also include a voltage sense connection tab. The voltage sense connection tab may carry a voltage between a bus bar cell interconnect of the battery module and the voltage sensing circuitry on the PCB.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2014
    Publication date: March 12, 2015
    Applicant: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Edward J. Soleski, Mikhail S. Balk, Lisa L. Winders, Richard M. DeKeuster, John P. Dinkelman
  • Publication number: 20150072175
    Abstract: Present embodiments are directed to a battery module including a venting assembly and a method of manufacturing the battery module. The venting assembly may, in certain embodiments, be designed to vent gases from a plurality of battery cells disposed in a housing of the battery module. Each of the plurality of battery cells may include a battery cell vent. The venting assembly may include a lid designed to be coupled to the housing and disposed over the battery cells in the housing. In some embodiments, the lid includes a vent chamber formed in the lid and designed to receive and direct gases vented from the plurality of battery cells away from the battery module.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2014
    Publication date: March 12, 2015
    Applicant: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Richard M. DeKeuster, Robert J. Mack, Edward J. Soleski, Matthew R. Tyler, Stephen D. Cash, Mikhail S. Balk
  • Publication number: 20150072193
    Abstract: A system includes a lid disposed over battery cells in a battery module. The lid includes flexible fingers, and each of the flexible fingers aligns with a corresponding one of the battery cells. Each of the flexible fingers is configured to exert a downward force against the corresponding one of the battery cells, and the flexible fingers are configured to accommodate varying heights of the battery cells.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2014
    Publication date: March 12, 2015
    Applicant: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Mikhail S. Balk, Richard M. DeKeuster, Stephen D. Cash
  • Publication number: 20150072207
    Abstract: A terminal for a battery module and a method of manufacture of the terminal are provided. The battery module may include a plurality of battery cells and a bus bar. The bus bar may be electrically coupled to the plurality of battery cells. The battery module also may include a battery terminal that carries a voltage from the bus bar. The battery terminal may include a generally cylindrical terminal portion and a connector. The connector may be coupled to the bus bar cell interconnect. The battery terminal also may include a bent portion. The bent portion is disposed between the terminal portion and the connector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2014
    Publication date: March 12, 2015
    Applicant: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Edward J. Soleski, Mikhail S. Balk, Richard M. DeKeuster
  • Publication number: 20130330594
    Abstract: A battery system includes at least a first battery module and a second battery module, and a service disconnect unit electrically coupling the first battery module to the second battery module. The service disconnect unit comprises a bus bar that includes a first portion electrically connected to the first battery module, and a second portion electrically connected to the second battery module. The service disconnect unit also comprises a removable conductive member configured to electrically connect the first portion of the bus bar to the second portion of the bus bar.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 5, 2013
    Publication date: December 12, 2013
    Inventors: Edward J. Soleski, Stephen D. Cash, Gary P. Houchin-Miller, Mikhail S. Balk, Bryan L. Thieme, Richard M. DeKeuster
  • Publication number: 20120247107
    Abstract: A battery module includes a rigid external casing made, for example, of a metallic sheet material. Securement features, tabs, and so forth may be formed in the material of the casing. The casing may be made by stamping and bending metallic sheet. A liner is disposed in the casing, and one or more battery cells are disposed in the liner. The liner may comprise an insulative sheet material that is cut and folded to generally conform to the casing. The structure may include a bus bar assembly, compression members, a thermal component and other structural and functional elements.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2012
    Publication date: October 4, 2012
    Applicant: Johnson Controls Technology LLC
    Inventors: Mikhail S. Balk, Richard M. DeKeuster, Binbin Fan