Patents by Inventor Yoshitaka WATAHIKI

Yoshitaka WATAHIKI 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).

  • Patent number: 11749871
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a battery module having more improved safety than the conventional battery pack and capable of protecting the battery cells more reliably. The current value at which a cell blocking portion CB inside each of a plurality of battery cells BC interrupts a current path inside the battery cell BC is larger than the current value at which the module fuse MF connected in series to the module terminals MT and the plurality of battery cells BC blows out.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: VEHICLE ENERGY JAPAN INC.
    Inventors: Kazunori Ojima, Sadayuki Aoki, Osamu Kubota, Yoshitaka Watahiki
  • Patent number: 11699832
    Abstract: To prevent an increase in the electrical resistance between a terminal for external connection and a cell terminal of a battery cell of a battery cell group. A battery module 100 includes a battery cell group 10, a pair of end plates 20, a bus bar 30, and a fastening member 40. The end plate 20 includes a recess 21 adapted to partially house the fastening member 40 in a mutually movable manner in one direction (X-direction) corresponding to the stacked direction of the plurality of battery cells 1. The battery module 100 also has a gap S between an inner side wall 21a of the recess 21 and the fastening member 40 in the one direction (X-direction).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2023
    Assignee: VEHICLE ENERGY JAPAN INC.
    Inventors: Osamu Kubota, Kazunori Ojima, Yoshitaka Watahiki, Takashi Suzuki
  • Patent number: 11552371
    Abstract: Provided is a battery module that prevents a new current path that may be formed due to molten metal resulting from a molten and cut fuse, and has better safety than conventional battery modules. A battery module includes: module terminals; a battery cell group including a plurality of battery cells; and a plurality of bus bars connecting the plurality of battery cells of this battery cell group and connecting this battery cell group with the module terminals. At least one of the plurality of bus bars has a fuse. The battery module has a space that is located below the fuse and that allows the molten fuse to fall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: VEHICLE ENERGY JAPAN INC.
    Inventors: Yoshitaka Watahiki, Takayuki Suzuki
  • Publication number: 20220294073
    Abstract: Provided is a battery module capable of suppressing failures in accurate detection of the state of battery cells due to the effects of unwanted radiation from the battery cells. A battery module 30 includes a plurality of battery cells 20 that are stacked and disposed and a wiring member 50 to detect the state of the plurality of battery cells 20. In the wiring member 50, an insulating base material 52, a wiring layer 53 disposed on one surface 52a side of the base material 52 and including a plurality of detection lines 53a to detect the state of the plurality of battery cells 20, and a ground layer 55 disposed in a position corresponding to at least the wiring layer 53, on the other surface 52b side of the base material 52 are stacked.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2020
    Publication date: September 15, 2022
    Inventors: Kazunori OJIMA, Sadayuki AOKI, Osamu KUBOTA, Yoshitaka WATAHIKI
  • Publication number: 20210408641
    Abstract: Provided is a battery module capable of improving the safety as compared with the conventional one. The battery module includes a plurality of battery cells, and busbars 10 connecting to external terminals of the battery cells. The busbars 10 include a busbar, the busbar has a pair of terminal portions 11 and 12, a current-carrying portion 13 connecting the pair of terminal portions 11 and 12, and a fuse 14 placed at the current-carrying portion 13. The current-carrying portion 13 surrounds the fuse 14.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2019
    Publication date: December 30, 2021
    Inventors: Yoshitaka WATAHIKI, Sadayuki AOKI, Kazunori OJIMA, Osamu KUBOTA
  • Publication number: 20210218082
    Abstract: Provided is a battery pack capable of preventing a damage to the insulation layer on the bottom face of each of battery cells and improving the cooling performance for the battery cells as compared with the conventional configuration. A battery pack includes a plurality of battery cells 10, a plurality of cell holders 20, a plurality of plates 30, an insulation layer 40 on the entire bottom face 10b of each battery cell 10, a heat-transfer sheet 50, and a cooler 60 to cool the battery cells 10 via the heat-transfer sheet 50. The lower end 30b of each plate 30 protrudes downward from the lower face 40b of each insulation layer 40. The cell holder 20 has supports that support the side faces of the battery cell 10 and an opening 22 that exposes the entire lower face 40b of the insulation layer 40 to the heat-transfer sheet 50.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2019
    Publication date: July 15, 2021
    Applicant: Vehicle Energy Japan Inc.
    Inventors: Osamu KUBOTA, Sadayuki AOKI, Kazunori OJIMA, Yoshitaka WATAHIKI, Akira IRIE, Tatsuo SUGAWARA
  • Publication number: 20210210826
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a battery module having more improved safety than the conventional battery pack and capable of protecting the battery cells more reliably. The current value at which a cell blocking portion CB inside each of a plurality of battery cells BC interrupts a current path inside the battery cell BC is larger than the current value at which the module fuse MF connected in series to the module terminals MT and the plurality of battery cells BC blows out.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 1, 2019
    Publication date: July 8, 2021
    Applicant: VEHICLE ENERGY JAPAN INC.
    Inventors: Kazunori OJIMA, Sadayuki AOKI, Osamu KUBOTA, Yoshitaka WATAHIKI
  • Publication number: 20210159572
    Abstract: To prevent an increase in the electrical resistance between a terminal for external connection and a cell terminal of a battery cell of a battery cell group. A battery module 100 includes a battery cell group 10, a pair of end plates 20, a bus bar 30, and a fastening member 40. The end plate 20 includes a recess 21 adapted to partially house the fastening member 40 in a mutually movable manner in one direction (X-direction) corresponding to the stacked direction of the plurality of battery cells 1. The battery module 100 also has a gap S between an inner side wall 21a of the recess 21 and the fastening member 40 in the one direction (X-direction).
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2018
    Publication date: May 27, 2021
    Applicant: VEHICLE ENERGY JAPAN INC.
    Inventors: Osamu KUBOTA, Kazunori OJIMA, Yoshitaka WATAHIKI, Takashi SUZUKI
  • Publication number: 20200321589
    Abstract: Provided is a battery module that prevents a new current path that may be formed due to molten metal resulting from a molten and cut fuse, and has better safety than conventional battery modules. A battery module includes: module terminals; a battery cell group including a plurality of battery cells; and a plurality of bus bars connecting the plurality of battery cells of this battery cell group and connecting this battery cell group with the module terminals. At least one of the plurality of bus bars has a fuse. The battery module has a space that is located below the fuse and that allows the molten fuse to fall.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 1, 2018
    Publication date: October 8, 2020
    Applicant: VEHICLE ENERGY JAPAN INC.
    Inventors: Yoshitaka WATAHIKI, Takayuki SUZUKI