Patents by Inventor Tomoki TAMBO
Tomoki TAMBO 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: 20260163022Abstract: A terminal plate for fuel cell comprises: a plate body having a quadrilateral shape in a plan view and used for current collection; and a terminal provided at one side of the plate body, and including a joint part joined to the plate body and an output part joined to the plate body via the joint part. The joint part includes a first projection projecting in a first direction parallel to a direction in which the one side extends. The output part has a center in the first direction that is spaced apart from a center of the one side toward a second direction opposite to the first direction.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 4, 2025Publication date: June 11, 2026Applicants: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, AISIN TAKAOKA CO., LTD.Inventors: Katsuhiko KINOSHITA, Hiroya NAKAJI, Kazuya MURATA, Makoto TAKEDA, Tomoki TAMBO, Hideyuki ARAI, Masakazu SUZUKI, Yoshiya TANAKA
-
Patent number: 12482834Abstract: A fuel cell system includes: a first fuel cell; a second fuel cell; a cathode configured to receive a positive charge from the first fuel cell and the second fuel cell; an anode disposed apart from the cathode and configured to receive a negative charge from the first fuel cell and the second fuel cell; a manifold enclosing the anode and the cathode; coolant disposed within the manifold and surrounding the cathode and the anode; and a seal disposed between the cathode and the anode so as to prevent the coolant from leaking into the first fuel cell, wherein the cathode includes a seal portion disposed adjacent to the seal and a remaining portion separated from the seal by the seal portion, and wherein the remaining portion of the cathode is configured to be non-parallel with the anode so as to reduce shunt current at the seal portion.Type: GrantFiled: July 29, 2022Date of Patent: November 25, 2025Assignees: TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC., TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Tomoki Tambo, Ercan Dede, Yuqing Zhou
-
Patent number: 12278404Abstract: A bipolar plate for a fuel cell, a fuel cell, and a method of designing a bipolar plate for a fuel cell having a hybrid flow field structure that includes a plurality of parallel feed flow channels fluidically connected to an inlet bipolar plate region, a plurality of parallel exit flow channels fluidically connected to an outlet bipolar plate region, and an interwoven pattern formed by a plurality of simplified periodic array flow field structure generated based on flow patterns generated by homogenized anisotropic porous media optimization. The flow field structure enhances fuel cell performance by facilitating lower pressure drop via minimized fluid flow resistance, and removal of accumulated water in the oxygen channel and the gas diffusion layer (GDL) under the ribs of the bipolar plate.Type: GrantFiled: September 15, 2021Date of Patent: April 15, 2025Assignee: TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC.Inventors: Ercan M. Dede, Yuqing Zhou, Danny J. Lohan, Feng Zhou, Tomoki Tambo, Hiroshi Ukegawa
-
Patent number: 12100870Abstract: A bipolar plate for a fuel cell, a fuel cell, and a method of designing a bipolar plate for a fuel cell having a flow field structure that includes a plurality of Representative Elementary Volumes (REVs) generated based on flow patterns generated by homogenized anisotropic porous media optimization. The flow field structure enhances fuel cell performance by facilitating lower pressure drop via minimized fluid flow resistance, and removal of accumulated water in the oxygen channel and the gas diffusion layer (GDL) under the ribs of the bipolar plate.Type: GrantFiled: August 27, 2021Date of Patent: September 24, 2024Assignee: TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC.Inventors: Feng Zhou, Yuqing Zhou, Danny J. Lohan, Ercan M. Dede, Hiroshi Ukegawa, Tomoki Tambo
-
Publication number: 20240039016Abstract: A fuel cell system includes: a first fuel cell; a second fuel cell; a cathode configured to receive a positive charge from the first fuel cell and the second fuel cell; an anode disposed apart from the cathode and configured to receive a negative charge from the first fuel cell and the second fuel cell; a manifold enclosing the anode and the cathode; coolant disposed within the manifold and surrounding the cathode and the anode; and a seal disposed between the cathode and the anode so as to prevent the coolant from leaking into the first fuel cell, wherein the cathode includes a seal portion disposed adjacent to the seal and a remaining portion separated from the seal by the seal portion, and wherein the remaining portion of the cathode is configured to be non-parallel with the anode so as to reduce shunt current at the seal portion.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 29, 2022Publication date: February 1, 2024Applicants: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Tomoki Tambo, Ercan Dede, Yuqing Zhou
-
Publication number: 20240006623Abstract: A surface-treated titanium material for a fuel cell separator, including a titanium substrate having a passive film on a surface of the titanium substrate and a surface layer formed on the titanium substrate. The surface layer includes a titanium oxide layer and carbon particles, the carbon particles are dispersed in an inside of the titanium oxide layer, and a total film thickness of the titanium oxide layer and the passive film is 25 nm or more.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 19, 2021Publication date: January 4, 2024Applicants: Kabushiki Kaisha Kobe Seiko Sho (Kobe Steel, Ltd.), TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Toshiki SATO, Jun SUZUKI, Kotaro IKEDA, Yusuke WATANABE, Takuya ITAKURA, Tomoki TAMBO
-
Publication number: 20230082620Abstract: A bipolar plate for a fuel cell, a fuel cell, and a method of designing a bipolar plate for a fuel cell having a hybrid flow field structure that includes a plurality of parallel feed flow channels fluidically connected to an inlet bipolar plate region, a plurality of parallel exit flow channels fluidically connected to an outlet bipolar plate region, and an interwoven pattern formed by a plurality of simplified periodic array flow field structure generated based on flow patterns generated by homogenized anisotropic porous media optimization. The flow field structure enhances fuel cell performance by facilitating lower pressure drop via minimized fluid flow resistance, and removal of accumulated water in the oxygen channel and the gas diffusion layer (GDL) under the ribs of the bipolar plate.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 15, 2021Publication date: March 16, 2023Applicant: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, IncInventors: Ercan M. Dede, Yuqing Zhou, Danny J. Lohan, Feng Zhou, Tomoki Tambo, Hiroshi Ukegawa
-
Publication number: 20230065250Abstract: A bipolar plate for a fuel cell, a fuel cell, and a method of designing a bipolar plate for a fuel cell having a flow field structure that includes a plurality of Representative Elementary Volumes (REVs) generated based on flow patterns generated by homogenized anisotropic porous media optimization. The flow field structure enhances fuel cell performance by facilitating lower pressure drop via minimized fluid flow resistance, and removal of accumulated water in the oxygen channel and the gas diffusion layer (GDL) under the ribs of the bipolar plate.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 27, 2021Publication date: March 2, 2023Applicant: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.Inventors: Feng Zhou, Yuqing Zhou, Danny J. Lohan, Ercan M. Dede, Hiroshi Ukegawa, Tomoki Tambo
-
Patent number: 10730379Abstract: There is provided a fuel cell vehicle, including a high voltage system disposed in a front compartment of the vehicle, and a first protruding portion that protrudes in a left-right direction of the vehicle toward a vehicle body of the vehicle further than a portion of the high voltage system that is closest to the vehicle body, and is fixed to the high voltage system, in which, when the vehicle is placed on a horizontal plane, the first protruding portion is arranged such that a position of a first most-protruded portion of the first protruding portion that protrudes most toward the vehicle body in a height direction is located at the same position or higher than a center of gravity of the high voltage system.Type: GrantFiled: April 16, 2018Date of Patent: August 4, 2020Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Tomoki Tambo, Hirofumi Kanazawa, Tadashi Akiyama
-
Publication number: 20180297461Abstract: There is provided a fuel cell vehicle, including a high voltage system disposed in a front compartment of the vehicle, and a first protruding portion that protrudes in a left-right direction of the vehicle toward a vehicle body of the vehicle further than a portion of the high voltage system that is closest to the vehicle body, and is fixed to the high voltage system, in which, when the vehicle is placed on a horizontal plane, the first protruding portion is arranged such that a position of a first most-protruded portion of the first protruding portion that protrudes most toward the vehicle body in a height direction is located at the same position or higher than a center of gravity of the high voltage system.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 16, 2018Publication date: October 18, 2018Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Tomoki TAMBO, Hirofumi Kanazawa, Tadashi Akiyama