Patents by Inventor Yusuke KURUMA

Yusuke KURUMA 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: 20240120607
    Abstract: Each cell forming a battery stack has a discharge valve configured to discharge gas in the inside to the outside when an internal pressure increases. A case houses the battery stack. A plate member is provided between each discharge valve and an upper case. The plate member is arranged to overlap with each discharge valve when the battery stack and the plate member are planarly viewed from above.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2023
    Publication date: April 11, 2024
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yusuke KURUMA, Shigeyuki INOUE
  • Patent number: 11888175
    Abstract: Each cell forming a battery stack has a discharge valve configured to discharge gas in the inside to the outside when an internal pressure increases. A case houses the battery stack. A plate member is provided between each discharge valve and an upper case. The plate member is arranged to overlap with each discharge valve when the battery stack and the plate member are planarly viewed from above.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yusuke Kuruma, Shigeyuki Inoue
  • Publication number: 20220166111
    Abstract: A battery module includes: a plurality of secondary batteries arranged side by side in one direction; a bus bar via which secondary batteries adjacent to each other in the one direction from among the secondary batteries are electrically connected to each other; and a voltage detecting terminal connected to the bus bar. Each of the secondary batteries includes a pair of external terminals. The bus bar includes connecting portions connected to corresponding external terminals, and a protrusion portion protruding upward from the connecting portions. The voltage detection terminal is connected to the protrusion portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 22, 2021
    Publication date: May 26, 2022
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takuya Toyoda, Masaki Shimada, Shuta Ito, Yusuke Kuruma
  • Patent number: 11239508
    Abstract: A battery pack includes: a cell stack; a first duct and a second duct configured to feed cooling air toward the cell stack; and a housing case. The first duct and the second duct extend in a first direction and are spaced apart from each other in a second direction, the first direction being parallel to a front-back direction of a vehicle in a mounted state in which the battery pack is mounted on the vehicle, the second direction being parallel to a width direction of the vehicle in the mounted state. The first duct is arranged on an outer side of the cell stack on one side in the second direction, and the second duct is arranged on an outer side of the cell stack on the other side in the second direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazuma Asakura, Shigeyuki Inoue, Hirotaka Watanabe, Yasuyuki Takei, Yusuke Kuruma
  • Publication number: 20190348654
    Abstract: Each cell forming a battery stack has a discharge valve configured to discharge gas in the inside to the outside when an internal pressure increases. A case houses the battery stack. A plate member is provided between each discharge valve and an upper case. The plate member is arranged to overlap with each discharge valve when the battery stack and the plate member are planarly viewed from above.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2019
    Publication date: November 14, 2019
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yusuke KURUMA, Shigeyuki INOUE
  • Publication number: 20190305390
    Abstract: A battery pack includes: a cell stack; a first duct and a second duct configured to feed cooling air toward the cell stack; and a housing case. The first duct and the second duct extend in a first direction and are spaced apart from each other in a second direction, the first direction being parallel to a front-back direction of a vehicle in a mounted state in which the battery pack is mounted on the vehicle, the second direction being parallel to a width direction of the vehicle in the mounted state. The first duct is arranged on an outer side of the cell stack on one side in the second direction, and the second duct is arranged on an outer side of the cell stack on the other side in the second direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2019
    Publication date: October 3, 2019
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazuma ASAKURA, Shigeyuki INOUE, Hirotaka WATANABE, Yasuyuki TAKEI, Yusuke KURUMA
  • Publication number: 20190280264
    Abstract: A short circuit of a terminal provided on an end plate is suppressed. A terminal for electrically connecting adjacent battery modules is provided on an end plate. The end plate has a plate main body and a projection. The projection is formed of an upper surface of the end plate which projects from the plate main body to be away from cells in a width direction which is the stack direction of the cells. In plan view of the battery module, the terminal is disposed in a range in which the projection is provided in the front-rear direction orthogonal to the width direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2019
    Publication date: September 12, 2019
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yusuke KURUMA
  • Patent number: 10179514
    Abstract: In a case where an external charging start time is set in an external charging timer when a charging plug is connected to a charging connector, a charging controller is configured to perform standby setting of external charging before the external charging start time and transits to a pause state. The charging controller is intermittently activated during a timer charging setting period from a pause period start time when transition is made to the pause state to the external charging start time, and when a battery temperature at the time of activation of the charging controller is equal to or lower than a predetermined temperature, execute a temperature increase mode in which a heater is operated to increase the temperature of a main battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2019
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takashi Murata, Yusuke Kuruma
  • Patent number: 9987932
    Abstract: A battery system includes: a power detector that detects output power from an external power source; a charging mechanism that charges a main battery by external power; a temperature raising mechanism that raises a temperature of the main battery to a temperature not lower than a reference temperature; and a controller that controls the charging mechanism and the temperature raising mechanism, wherein when the detected output power is lower than a reference power, the controller prohibits a temperature raising process with an SOC of the main battery lower than a charge reference value and performs a charging process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takashi Murata, Yusuke Kuruma
  • Patent number: 9937817
    Abstract: A vehicle includes an electrical storage device, an auxiliary load, a charger configured to charge the electrical storage device with power supplied from a power supply outside the vehicle, and an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit is configured to create an actuation schedule of the auxiliary load during charging of the electrical storage device, before initiation of the charging. The electronic control unit is configured to learn charging power of the electrical storage device for each actuation pattern of the auxiliary load during the charging. The electronic control unit is configured to estimate a required time period for the charging based on a learned value of the charging power, an execution time period of each of the actuation patterns, and a total charging power amount of the electrical storage device. The electronic control unit sets initiation time of the charging in accordance with the estimated required time period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yamato Niwa, Tomokazu Masuda, Yoshihiro Nomura, Kiyohito Machida, Yusuke Kuruma
  • Publication number: 20180001774
    Abstract: In a case where an external charging start time is set in an external charging timer when a charging plug is connected to a charging connector, a charging controller is configured to perform standby setting of external charging before the external charging start time and transits to a pause state. The charging controller is intermittently activated during a timer charging setting period from a pause period start time when transition is made to the pause state to the external charging start time, and when a battery temperature at the time of activation of the charging controller is equal to or lower than a predetermined temperature, execute a temperature increase mode in which a heater is operated to increase the temperature of a main battery.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2017
    Publication date: January 4, 2018
    Inventors: Takashi Murata, Yusuke Kuruma
  • Publication number: 20170136900
    Abstract: A battery system includes: a power detector that detects output power from an external power source; a charging mechanism that charges a main battery by external power; a temperature raising mechanism that raises a temperature of the main battery to a temperature not lower than a reference temperature; and a controller that controls the charging mechanism and the temperature raising mechanism, wherein when the detected output power is lower than a reference power, the controller prohibits a temperature raising process with an SOC of the main battery lower than a charge reference value and performs a charging process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 17, 2016
    Publication date: May 18, 2017
    Inventors: Takashi Murata, Yusuke Kuruma
  • Patent number: 9640845
    Abstract: A temperature-raising device for an in-car battery includes: a battery temperature acquisition unit configured to acquire a temperature of a battery mounted in a vehicle; an environmental temperature acquisition unit configured to acquire an environmental temperature; a heater configured to raise the temperature of the battery; and a controller configured to i) turn ON or OFF the heater based on a result of a comparison between the battery temperature acquired by the battery temperature acquisition unit and a predetermined threshold, and ii) reduce the threshold in accordance with a reduction in the environmental temperature acquired by the environmental temperature acquisition unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yusuke Kuruma, Takashi Murata
  • Patent number: 9533585
    Abstract: A vehicle includes: an electric storage device; a first temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of the electric storage device; a second temperature sensor configured to detect an environmental temperature; a heater configured to warm the electric storage device; and a controller configured to control the heater. The controller is configured to: when end time of the external charging is set, calculate a remaining time period from current time to the end time; identify a temperature increasing time period that corresponds to the calculated remaining time period, the temperature of the electric storage device, and the environmental temperature by using a corresponding relationship among the remaining time period, the temperature of the electric storage device, the environmental temperature, and the temperature increasing time period; and start driving the heater such that the temperature of the electric storage device at the end time reaches the target temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takashi Murata, Yusuke Kuruma
  • Publication number: 20160347302
    Abstract: A vehicle includes an electrical storage device, an auxiliary load, a charger configured to charge the electrical storage device with power supplied from a power supply outside the vehicle, and an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit is configured to create an actuation schedule of the auxiliary load during charging of the electrical storage device, before initiation of the charging. The electronic control unit is configured to learn charging power of the electrical storage device for each actuation pattern of the auxiliary load during the charging. The electronic control unit is configured to estimate a required time period for the charging based on a learned value of the charging power, an execution time period of each of the actuation patterns, and a total charging power amount of the electrical storage device. The electronic control unit sets initiation time of the charging in accordance with the estimated required time period.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2016
    Publication date: December 1, 2016
    Inventors: Yamato Niwa, Tomokazu Masuda, Yoshihiro Nomura, Kiyohito Machida, Yusuke Kuruma
  • Patent number: 9499059
    Abstract: A vehicle includes: an electric storage device; a first temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of the electric storage device; a second temperature sensor configured to detect an environmental temperature; a heater configured to warm the electric storage device; and a controller configured to control the heater. The controller is configured to: when end time of the external charging is set, calculate a remaining time period from current time to the end time; identify a temperature increasing time period that corresponds to the calculated remaining time period, the temperature of the electric storage device, and the environmental temperature by using a corresponding relationship among the remaining time period, the temperature of the electric storage device, the environmental temperature, and the temperature increasing time period; and start driving the heater such that the temperature of the electric storage device at the end time reaches the target temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takashi Murata, Yusuke Kuruma
  • Publication number: 20160190661
    Abstract: A temperature-raising device for an in-car battery includes: a battery temperature acquisition unit configured to acquire a temperature of a battery mounted in a vehicle; an environmental temperature acquisition unit configured to acquire an environmental temperature; a heater configured to raise the temperature of the battery; and a controller configured to i) turn ON or OFF the heater based on a result of a comparison between the battery temperature acquired by the battery temperature acquisition unit and a predetermined threshold, and ii) reduce the threshold in accordance with a reduction in the environmental temperature acquired by the environmental temperature acquisition unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2015
    Publication date: June 30, 2016
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yusuke KURUMA, Takashi MURATA
  • Publication number: 20160059717
    Abstract: A vehicle includes: an electric storage device; a first temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of the electric storage device; a second temperature sensor configured to detect an environmental temperature; a heater configured to warm the electric storage device; and a controller configured to control the heater. The controller is configured to: when end time of the external charging is set, calculate a remaining time period from current time to the end time; identify a temperature increasing time period that corresponds to the calculated remaining time period, the temperature of the electric storage device, and the environmental temperature by using a corresponding relationship among the remaining time period, the temperature of the electric storage device, the environmental temperature, and the temperature increasing time period; and start driving the heater such that the temperature of the electric storage device at the end time reaches the target temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2015
    Publication date: March 3, 2016
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takashi MURATA, Yusuke KURUMA