Patents by Inventor Xugang Zhang

Xugang Zhang 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: 20220109200
    Abstract: A battery system having a housing configured to receive a battery cell that is configured to generate thermal energy. The housing includes a first wall and a second wall, both of which are positioned proximate to the battery cell. The first wall and the second wall form in part a cell compartment. The battery system further includes a unitary heat sink having a first portion embedded into the first wall and a second portion embedded into the second wall.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2020
    Publication date: April 7, 2022
    Inventors: Kem M. Obasih, Richard M. DeKeuster, Daniel B. Le, Xugang Zhang, Christan Kuper, Nicholas E. Elison, Jason D. Fuhr
  • Publication number: 20220102795
    Abstract: A battery system includes an electrochemical cell. The electrochemical cell includes a cover having an opening. The electrochemical cell also includes an aluminum terminal pad disposed proximate an outer surface of the cover. The pad opening includes a tapered surface such that the pad opening has a larger cross-sectional width proximate an upper surface of the aluminum terminal pad than proximate a lower surface of the aluminum terminal pad opposite the upper surface and facing the outer surface of the cover. The electrochemical cell also includes a rivet having a body portion extending through the opening in the cover, a head portion disposed in the pad opening of the aluminum terminal pad, and a shoulder extending between the body portion and the head portion. The head portion includes an inverted cone shape corresponding with the tapered surface of the pad opening.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2021
    Publication date: March 31, 2022
    Inventors: Xugang Zhang, Jason D. Fuhr
  • Publication number: 20220085460
    Abstract: An electrical conduction assembly comprising a flexible layer, an interface being associated with and electrically coupled to a terminal of an external electrical element, and a circuit trace coupled to the flexible layer and to the interface. The circuit trace includes a fuse as part of the trace, and the fuse is associated with the interface. Also disclosed is a battery including the electrical conduction assembly. Further disclosed is a bus bar holder for a battery. The bus bar holder includes a lead-in structure coupled with a main body on a first side. The lead in structure includes a first lead-in wall to be disposed between a first plurality of battery cells and a second lead-in wall orthogonal to the first lead-in wall. The bus bar holder can also include a plurality of pockets, each or which includes a respective aperture and a respective recess.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2021
    Publication date: March 17, 2022
    Inventors: Fredrick C. Ellner, Abdel Al Fattah Islam Shafie, Rajesh Kumar, Nicholas E. Elison, Christopher M. Bonin, Jason D. Fuhr, Ken Nakayama, Xugang Zhang, Judson W. Riggins
  • Publication number: 20220059893
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a battery pack for a hybrid vehicle. The battery pack includes: multiple battery cells, a housing, a first end plate, a second end plate, a bearing plate and an upper cover, wherein the housing is provided with a bottom portion and side walls extending from the periphery of the bottom portion and forming an upper portion opening; the housing is configured for accommodating the multiple battery cells and the two end plates, when the multiple battery cells are sequentially arranged and mounted into the housing, the first end plate and the second end plate are located at two end sides of the sequentially arranged multiple battery cells to laterally fix the multiple battery cells; the bearing plate is mounted above the top portions of the multiple battery cells; and the upper cover is mounted above the housing to cover the upper portion opening of the housing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 3, 2021
    Publication date: February 24, 2022
    Inventors: Binbin Fan, Liang Cheng, Wei Qu, Peng Song, Yingyao Fu, Chang Liu, Jason Fuhr, Martin Wiegmann, Xugang Zhang, Jennifer L. Czarnecki
  • Patent number: 11245163
    Abstract: A prismatic lithium ion battery cell includes a packaging having a cover. A power assembly disposed within the packaging has a first (e.g., negative) side and a second (e.g., positive) side. A terminal pad is electrically coupled to the first side, while the cover is electrically coupled to the second side, of the power assembly. The cover includes a spiral disk feature disposed below the terminal pad and a reversal disk disposed below the spiral disk feature. The reversal disk is configured to deflect upwards to displace the spiral disk feature to contact the terminal pad in response to a pressure within the packaging being greater than a first predefined pressure threshold, forming an external short-circuit between the first and second sides of the power assembly. Subsequently, a portion of the power assembly fails in response to the external short-circuit and interrupts current flow within the power assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: CPS TECHNOLOGY HOLDINGS LLC
    Inventor: Xugang Zhang
  • Patent number: 11233289
    Abstract: A battery system includes an electrochemical cell. The electrochemical cell includes a cover having an opening therein. The electrochemical cell also includes an aluminum terminal pad disposed proximate an outer surface of the cover, and having a pad opening aligned with the opening in the cover. The pad opening includes a tapered surface such that the pad opening has a larger cross-sectional width proximate an upper surface of the aluminum terminal pad than proximate a lower surface of the aluminum terminal pad opposite the upper surface and facing the outer surface of the cover. The electrochemical cell also includes a rivet having a body portion extending through the opening in the cover, a head portion disposed in the pad opening of the aluminum terminal pad, and a shoulder extending between the body portion and the head portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2022
    Assignee: CPS TECHNOLOGY HOLDINGS LLC
    Inventors: Xugang Zhang, Jason D. Fuhr
  • Patent number: 11177525
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a battery pack for a hybrid vehicle. The battery pack includes: multiple battery cells, a housing, a first end plate, a second end plate, a bearing plate and an upper cover, wherein the housing is provided with a bottom portion and side walls extending from the periphery of the bottom portion and forming an upper portion opening; the housing is configured for accommodating the multiple battery cells and the two end plates, when the multiple battery cells are sequentially arranged and mounted into the housing, the first end plate and the second end plate are located at two end sides of the sequentially arranged multiple battery cells to laterally fix the multiple battery cells; the bearing plate is mounted above the top portions of the multiple battery cells; and the upper cover is mounted above the housing to cover the upper portion opening of the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: CPS Technology Holdings LLC
    Inventors: Binbin Fan, Liang Cheng, Wei Qu, Peng Song, Yingyao Fu, Chang Liu, Jason D. Fuhr, Martin Wiegmann, Xugang Zhang, Jennifer L. Czarnecki
  • Patent number: 11063326
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a battery module having a housing and a stack of battery cells disposed in a receptacle area of the housing, where each battery cell has a top having a battery cell terminal and a bottom, where the top of the battery cells face outwardly away from the receptacle area. The battery module includes an integrated sensing and bus bar subassembly positioned against the stack of battery cells and has a carrier, a bus bar integrated onto the carrier, and a biasing member integrated onto the carrier. The bus bar electrically couples battery cells in an electrical arrangement, and the biasing member is between the top of each battery cell and the carrier, where the biasing member has a first material, more compliant than a second material of the carrier, and the biasing member biases the stack of battery cells inwardly toward the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: CPS Technology Holdings LL
    Inventors: Robert J. Mack, Richard M. DeKeuster, Jennifer L. Czarnecki, Ken Nakayama, Matthew R. Tyler, Christopher M. Bonin, Xugang Zhang, Dale B. Trester, Jason D. Fuhr
  • Patent number: 10938017
    Abstract: A battery module includes plurality of prismatic battery cells. Each prismatic battery cell includes a casing housing electrochemically active components and a cover assembly. The cover assembly includes a cover, a terminal protruding through the cover, a current collector electrically coupled to the terminal, and an overcharge protection assembly between the terminal and current collector. The overcharge protection assembly includes a spiral disk and a vent disk physically and electrically coupled, wherein the vent disk is between the spiral disk and the terminal and includes a concave structure forming a cavity between the vent disk and the terminal. The vent disk is configured to deform into the cavity and break when a pressure within the casing exceeds a threshold value. The spiral disk is configured to apply a shearing force to the vent disk when the vent disk deforms to facilitate the breakage to interrupt electrical current flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: CPS TECHNOLOGY HOLDINGS LLC
    Inventor: Xugang Zhang
  • Publication number: 20200358072
    Abstract: A lithium-ion battery cell includes a casing, a first terminal pad having a first polarity and positioned proximate the casing, a second terminal pad having a second polarity opposite to the first polarity and positioned proximate the casing, and a reversal device formed into the casing and responsive to an increase in internal pressure within the casing so as to cause a short circuit between the first terminal pad and the second terminal pad when the internal pressure reaches a threshold. The reversal device has a folded configuration and an unfolded configuration, and is configured to transition from the folded configuration to the unfolded configuration in response to an increase in the internal pressure from below the threshold to the threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 20, 2018
    Publication date: November 12, 2020
    Inventor: Xugang Zhang
  • Patent number: 10833376
    Abstract: A battery module includes a housing. The battery module also includes a cell stack disposed in the housing and including a battery cell. The battery module also includes a force gauge in mechanical communication with the cell stack and configured to measure a force generated by a swelling of the cell stack. The battery module also includes a control module configured to receive data indicative of the force and to estimate a remaining usable life of the battery module based on the data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2020
    Assignee: CPS Technology Holdings LLC
    Inventors: Frederic C. Bonhomme, Xugang Zhang, David R. Boone
  • Publication number: 20200295325
    Abstract: A battery module includes a housing having an opening and an electrochemical cell disposed in the housing. The electrochemical cell includes a first cell surface having electrode terminals and an second cell surface substantially opposite the first cell surface. The battery module also includes a heat sink integral with the housing and a thermally conductive adhesive bonded to the second cell surface and a heat sink surface that is facing the second cell surface. The thermally conductive adhesive can include a bonding shear strength and bonding tensile strength between the electrochemical cell and the heat sink of between approximately 5 megaPascals (MPa) and 50 MPa.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 28, 2020
    Publication date: September 17, 2020
    Inventors: Matthew R. Tyler, Xugang Zhang
  • Publication number: 20200280046
    Abstract: An overcharge protection device cover assembly for use with a battery cell housing. The battery cell housing has a first terminal and a second terminal, the overcharge protection device cover assembly including a first terminal pad having a first length. The first terminal pad is contactable with the first terminal of the battery cell housing. The assembly also includes a second terminal pad having a second length that is greater than the first length. The second terminal pad is contactable with the second terminal of the battery cell housing. A reversal device of the assembly is deflectable toward the first and second terminal pads. A conductive element of the assembly is positioned between the reversal device and the first and second terminal pads.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 20, 2018
    Publication date: September 3, 2020
    Inventors: Xugang Zhang, Jason D, Fuhr
  • Patent number: 10763488
    Abstract: The present disclosure includes a lithium-ion battery module that has a housing and a plurality of lithium-ion battery cells disposed in the housing. Each of the plurality of lithium-ion battery cells includes a first terminal with a first polarity, a second terminal with a second polarity opposite to the first polarity, an overcharge protection assembly, and a casing electrically coupled to the first terminal such that the casing has the first polarity, where the casing has an electrically conductive material. The lithium-ion battery module also includes a vent of the overcharge protection assembly electrically coupled to the casing and a conductive component of the overcharge protection assembly electrically coupled to the second terminal, and the vent is configured to contact the conductive component to cause a short circuit and to vent a gas from the casing into the housing when a pressure in the casing reaches a threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: CPS Technology Holdings LLC
    Inventors: Xugang Zhang, Jason D. Fuhr, Peter A. Selthafner, David R. Boone
  • Patent number: 10700317
    Abstract: A battery module includes a housing having an opening and an electrochemical cell disposed in the housing. The electrochemical cell includes a first cell surface having electrode terminals and an second cell surface substantially opposite the first cell surface. The battery module also includes a heat sink integral with the housing and disposed substantially opposite the opening of the housing and a thermally conductive adhesive bonded to the second cell surface and a heat sink surface that is facing the second cell surface. The thermally conductive adhesive includes a bonding shear strength and bonding tensile strength between the electrochemical cell and the heat sink of between approximately 5 megaPascals (MPa) and 50 MPa.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2020
    Assignee: CPS Technology Holdings, LLC
    Inventors: Matthew R. Tyler, Xugang Zhang
  • Publication number: 20200185694
    Abstract: A prismatic lithium ion battery cell includes a packaging having a cover sealed to a can, wherein the cover includes a reversal disk. A conductive member is disposed above the reversal disk and a power assembly is disposed within the packaging. A first terminal pad and a second terminal pad are disposed above the conductive member and respectively coupled to the power assembly. The reversal disk is configured to deflect upwards and to displace the conductive member to contact the first and second terminal pads in response to a pressure within the packaging being greater than a first predefined pressure threshold and thereby form an external short-circuit between the first and second terminal pads via the conductive member. Subsequently, a portion of the power assembly fails in response to the external short-circuit and interrupts current flow between the first and second terminal pads.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 1, 2017
    Publication date: June 11, 2020
    Applicant: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventor: Xugang Zhang
  • Publication number: 20200083502
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a battery pack for a hybrid vehicle. The battery pack includes: multiple battery cells, a housing, a first end plate, a second end plate, a bearing plate and an upper cover, wherein the housing is provided with a bottom portion and side walls extending from the periphery of the bottom portion and forming an upper portion opening; the housing is configured for accommodating the multiple battery cells and the two end plates, when the multiple battery cells are sequentially arranged and mounted into the housing, the first end plate and the second end plate are located at two end sides of the sequentially arranged multiple battery cells to laterally fix the multiple battery cells; the bearing plate is mounted above the top portions of the multiple battery cells; and the upper cover is mounted above the housing to cover the upper portion opening of the housing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2017
    Publication date: March 12, 2020
    Applicants: CPS Technology Holdings LLC, Johnson Controls Advanced Power Solutions GmbH
    Inventors: Binbin FAN, Liang CHENG, Wei QU, Peng SONG, Yingyao FU, Chang LIU, Jason D. FUHR, Martin WIEGMANN, Xugang ZHANG, Jennifer L. CZARNECKI
  • Publication number: 20200035964
    Abstract: A battery system includes an electrochemical cell. The electrochemical cell includes a cover having an opening therein. The electrochemical cell also includes an aluminum terminal pad disposed proximate an outer surface of the cover, and having a pad opening aligned with the opening in the cover. The pad opening includes a tapered surface such that the pad opening has a larger cross-sectional width proximate an upper surface of the aluminum terminal pad than proximate a lower surface of the aluminum terminal pad opposite the upper surface and facing the outer surface of the cover. The electrochemical cell also includes a rivet having a body portion extending through the opening in the cover, a head portion disposed in the pad opening of the aluminum terminal pad, and a shoulder extending between the body portion and the head portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2017
    Publication date: January 30, 2020
    Inventors: Xugang Zhang, Jason D. Fuhr
  • Publication number: 20190393704
    Abstract: A prismatic lithium ion battery cell includes a packaging having a cover. The cover includes: a first spiral disk feature disposed below a first terminal pad; a second spiral disk feature disposed below a second terminal pad; a first reversal disk disposed below the first spiral disk feature; and a second reversal disk disposed below the second spiral disk feature. The first and second reversal disks are configured to deflect upwards to displace the first and second spiral disk features to contact the first and second terminal pads, respectively, in response to a pressure within the packaging being greater than a predefined pressure threshold and form an external short-circuit between the first and second terminal pads via the first and second spiral disk features. Subsequently, a portion of the power assembly fails in response to the external short-circuit and interrupts current flow between the first and second terminal pads.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 1, 2017
    Publication date: December 26, 2019
    Inventor: Xugang Zhang
  • Publication number: 20190334156
    Abstract: A battery module includes plurality of prismatic battery cells. Each prismatic battery cell includes a casing housing electrochemically active components and a cover assembly. The cover assembly includes a cover, a terminal protruding through the cover, a current collector electrically coupled to the terminal, and an overcharge protection assembly between the terminal and current collector. The overcharge protection assembly includes a spiral disk and a vent disk physically and electrically coupled, wherein the vent disk is between the spiral disk and the terminal and includes a concave structure forming a cavity between the vent disk and the terminal. The vent disk is configured to deform into the cavity and break when a pressure within the casing exceeds a threshold value. The spiral disk is configured to apply a shearing force to the vent disk when the vent disk deforms to facilitate the breakage to interrupt electrical current flow.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2017
    Publication date: October 31, 2019
    Inventor: Xugang Zhang