Patents by Inventor Thomas P. Muniz

Thomas P. Muniz 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: 20240027532
    Abstract: For each cell in a plurality of cells from a same manufacturing run, a first and a second cell characteristic are received in order to obtain a plurality of cell characteristics. For each cell, a batch compatibility number that is associated with a number of compatible cells that that cell is compatible with is determined based at least in part on the plurality of cell characteristics. The plurality of cells is sorted according to the batch compatibility numbers to obtain a sorted list of cells. A plurality of compatible cells to include in a battery is selected from the plurality of cells, including by evaluating the plurality of cells according to the order of the sorted list of cells and beginning with the lowest batch compatibility number.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 7, 2023
    Publication date: January 25, 2024
    Applicant: Wisk Aero LLC
    Inventors: Lewis Romeo Hom, Thomas P. Muniz, Patrick K. Herring
  • Patent number: 11768246
    Abstract: For each cell in a plurality of cells from a same manufacturing run, a first and a second cell characteristic are received in order to obtain a plurality of cell characteristics. For each cell, a batch compatibility number that is associated with a number of compatible cells that that cell is compatible with is determined based at least in part on the plurality of cell characteristics. The plurality of cells is sorted according to the batch compatibility numbers to obtain a sorted list of cells. A plurality of compatible cells to include in a battery is selected from the plurality of cells, including by evaluating the plurality of cells according to the order of the sorted list of cells and beginning with the lowest batch compatibility number.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2023
    Assignee: Wisk Aero LLC
    Inventors: Lewis Romeo Hom, Thomas P. Muniz, Patrick K. Herring
  • Publication number: 20230103521
    Abstract: A vertical take-off and landing aircraft includes a fuselage, at least one wing connected to the fuselage, a plurality of rotors connected to the at least one wing for providing lift for vertical take-off and landing of the aircraft and a plurality of proprotors connected to the at least one wing and tiltable between lift configurations for providing lift for vertical take-off and landing of the aircraft and propulsion configurations for providing forward thrust to the aircraft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2022
    Publication date: April 6, 2023
    Applicant: Archer Aviation, Inc.
    Inventors: Geoffrey C. BOWER, Thomas P. MUNIZ, Brett ADCOCK, Adam GOLDSTEIN, Calder Richmond HUGHES, Zachary Robert Timm HAZEN
  • Publication number: 20230020002
    Abstract: For each cell in a plurality of cells from a same manufacturing run, a first and a second cell characteristic are received in order to obtain a plurality of cell characteristics. For each cell, a batch compatibility number that is associated with a number of compatible cells that that cell is compatible with is determined based at least in part on the plurality of cell characteristics. The plurality of cells is sorted according to the batch compatibility numbers to obtain a sorted list of cells. A plurality of compatible cells to include in a battery is selected from the plurality of cells, including by evaluating the plurality of cells according to the order of the sorted list of cells and beginning with the lowest batch compatibility number.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2022
    Publication date: January 19, 2023
    Inventors: Lewis Romeo Hom, Thomas P. Muniz, Patrick K. Herring
  • Patent number: 11552346
    Abstract: A battery system includes a can with a lip around an opening. At least an interior surface of the can is anodized and the lip of the can includes a longer and shorter side. The can further includes a flange on the longer side of the lip and a plurality of layers that are inserted into the can. The plurality of layers includes a battery cell and a thermally conducting layer with a fin and the fin has a spring force that pushes the fin towards the anodized interior surface. The battery system further includes a lid that is configured to cover the opening of the can, where the flange is configured to wrap around the lid when the lid covers the opening of the can.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: Wisk Aero LLC
    Inventors: John Melack, Thomas P. Muniz, Colin Charles Brey
  • Patent number: 11467216
    Abstract: For each cell in a plurality of cells from a same manufacturing run, a first and a second cell characteristic are received in order to obtain a plurality of cell characteristics. For each cell, a batch compatibility number that is associated with a number of compatible cells that that cell is compatible with is determined based at least in part on the plurality of cell characteristics. The plurality of cells is sorted according to the batch compatibility numbers to obtain a sorted list of cells. A plurality of compatible cells to include in a battery is selected from the plurality of cells, including by evaluating the plurality of cells according to the order of the sorted list of cells and beginning with the lowest batch compatibility number.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: Wisk Aero LLC
    Inventors: Lewis Romeo Hom, Thomas P. Muniz, Patrick K. Herring
  • Patent number: 11322772
    Abstract: Battery assembly techniques and a corresponding system are disclosed. In various embodiments, the battery assembly techniques include compressing battery cells and inserting the battery cells in a can. Battery cells are stacked and then compressed using pneumatic cylinders that exert pressure on a first external layer of the stacked battery cells. A first portion of the stacked battery cells is released from the pneumatic cylinders while a second portion of the battery cells remains compressed. The first portion of the stacked battery cells is inserted in a can. In various embodiments, friction decreasing materials are added to the stacked battery cells to compress the stacked battery cells or ease insertion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: Wisk Aero LLC
    Inventors: John Melack, Thomas P. Muniz, Nihal Murthy
  • Publication number: 20220021057
    Abstract: A battery system includes a battery cell, a thermally insulating layer, and a thermally conducting layer which includes a fin. The fin pushes against an interior surface of a case which surrounds the battery cell, the thermally insulating layer, and the thermally conducting layer. The thermally conducting layer includes a discontinuity where the discontinuity is configured to reduce a capacitance associated with the thermally conducting layer compared to when the thermally conducting layer does not include the discontinuity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 5, 2021
    Publication date: January 20, 2022
    Inventors: John Melack, Thomas P. Muniz, Nihal Murthy, Sampson Lau
  • Publication number: 20210362849
    Abstract: A vertical take-off and landing aircraft includes a fuselage, at least one wing connected to the fuselage, a plurality of rotors connected to the at least one wing for providing lift for vertical take-off and landing of the aircraft and a plurality of proprotors connected to the at least one wing and tiltable between lift configurations for providing lift for vertical take-off and landing of the aircraft and propulsion configurations for providing forward thrust to the aircraft
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2020
    Publication date: November 25, 2021
    Applicant: Archer Aviation, Inc.
    Inventors: Geoffrey C. BOWER, Thomas P. MUNIZ, Brett ADCOCK, Adam GOLDSTEIN, Calder Richmond HUGHES, Zachary Robert Timm HAZEN
  • Patent number: 11114725
    Abstract: A battery system includes a battery cell, a thermally insulating layer, and a thermally conducting layer which includes a fin. The fin pushes against an interior surface of a case which surrounds the battery cell, the thermally insulating layer, and the thermally conducting layer. The thermally conducting layer includes a discontinuity where the discontinuity is configured to reduce a capacitance associated with the thermally conducting layer compared to when the thermally conducting layer does not include the discontinuity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: WISK AERO LLC
    Inventors: John Melack, Thomas P. Muniz, Nihal Murthy, Sampson Lau
  • Patent number: 10981469
    Abstract: A desired departure temperature is determined for a battery, having a temperature, in a vehicle based at least in part on trip information associated with a trip. A temperature controlling system is used to bring the temperature of the battery towards the desired departure temperature, wherein the vehicle begins the trip with the battery at the desired departure temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: WISK AERO LLC
    Inventors: Thomas P. Muniz, Ke Zhang, John Melack
  • Publication number: 20210057788
    Abstract: A battery includes a metal can having a bottom, a top opening, and four sides. The battery also includes a plurality of cells stacked inside the metal can, wherein at least two opposing sides of the four sides of the metal can are biased inward against the plurality of cells to provide compression.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2020
    Publication date: February 25, 2021
    Inventors: John Melack, Thomas P. Muniz, Nihal Murthy
  • Patent number: 10903535
    Abstract: An aircraft hybrid cooling system is disclosed. The aircraft hybrid cooling system includes a conduit through an aircraft that is configured to allow airflow through the conduit. The aircraft hybrid cooling system additionally includes a battery assembly positioned in the conduit, configured to provide for airflow past a battery in the battery assembly in a first mode of operation and configured to provide flow of a cooling medium past the battery in a second mode of operation. In some embodiments, the battery in the battery assembly is cooled via airflow in the event the aircraft is in flight and is cooled via an applied cooling medium in the event the aircraft is grounded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2021
    Assignee: WISK AERO LLC
    Inventors: John Melack, Thomas P. Muniz, Eric Allison
  • Publication number: 20210005942
    Abstract: A battery system includes a can with a lip around an opening. At least an interior surface of the can is anodized and the lip of the can includes a longer and shorter side. The can further includes a flange on the longer side of the lip and a plurality of layers that are inserted into the can. The plurality of layers includes a battery cell and a thermally conducting layer with a fin and the fin has a spring force that pushes the fin towards the anodized interior surface. The battery system further includes a lid that is configured to cover the opening of the can, where the flange is configured to wrap around the lid when the lid covers the opening of the can.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 21, 2020
    Publication date: January 7, 2021
    Inventors: John MELACK, Thomas P. MUNIZ, Colin Charles BREY
  • Patent number: 10873111
    Abstract: A battery includes a metal can having a bottom, a top opening, and four sides. The battery also includes a plurality of cells stacked inside the metal can, wherein at least two opposing sides of the four sides of the metal can are biased inward against the plurality of cells to provide compression.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2020
    Assignee: WISK AERO LLC
    Inventors: John Melack, Thomas P. Muniz, Nihal Murthy
  • Patent number: 10756398
    Abstract: A battery system includes a can with a lip around an opening. At least an interior surface of the can is anodized and the lip of the can includes a longer and shorter side. The can further includes a flange on the longer side of the lip and a plurality of layers that are inserted into the can. The plurality of layers includes a battery cell and a thermally conducting layer with a fin and the fin has a spring force that pushes the fin towards the anodized interior surface. The battery system further includes a lid that is configured to cover the opening of the can, where the flange is configured to wrap around the lid when the lid covers the opening of the can.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Assignee: WISK AERO LLC
    Inventors: John Melack, Thomas P. Muniz, Colin Charles Brey
  • Publication number: 20200262313
    Abstract: A desired departure temperature is determined for a battery, having a temperature, in a vehicle based at least in part on trip information associated with a trip. A temperature controlling system is used to bring the temperature of the battery towards the desired departure temperature, wherein the vehicle begins the trip with the battery at the desired departure temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2020
    Publication date: August 20, 2020
    Inventors: Thomas P. MUNIZ, Ke ZHANG, John MELACK
  • Patent number: 10727551
    Abstract: A liquid temperature controlling system is used to circulate a temperature controlled liquid between the liquid temperature controlling system and a battery to produce a temperature controlled battery. The battery and the liquid temperature controlling system are detachably coupled at least while the temperature controlled liquid is circulated. The temperature controlled liquid is removed from the temperature controlled battery. The battery and the liquid temperature controlling system are decoupled after the temperature controlled liquid is removed. A charger is used to charge the temperature controlled battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2020
    Assignee: WISK AERO LLC
    Inventors: Thomas P. Muniz, John Melack
  • Publication number: 20200194852
    Abstract: A liquid temperature controlling system is used to circulate a temperature controlled liquid between the liquid temperature controlling system and a battery to produce a temperature controlled battery. The battery and the liquid temperature controlling system are detachably coupled at least while the temperature controlled liquid is circulated. The temperature controlled liquid is removed from the temperature controlled battery. The battery and the liquid temperature controlling system are decoupled after the temperature controlled liquid is removed. A charger is used to charge the temperature controlled battery.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2019
    Publication date: June 18, 2020
    Inventors: Thomas P. MUNIZ, John MELACK
  • Publication number: 20200185757
    Abstract: Battery assembly techniques and a corresponding system are disclosed. In various embodiments, the battery assembly techniques include compressing battery cells and inserting the battery cells in a can. Battery cells are stacked and then compressed using pneumatic cylinders that exert pressure on a first external layer of the stacked battery cells. A first portion of the stacked battery cells is released from the pneumatic cylinders while a second portion of the battery cells remains compressed. The first portion of the stacked battery cells is inserted in a can. In various embodiments, friction decreasing materials are added to the stacked battery cells to compress the stacked battery cells or ease insertion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 12, 2020
    Publication date: June 11, 2020
    Inventors: John MELACK, Thomas P. MUNIZ, Nihal MURTHY