Patents
US 12618346 B2: Thermal storage materials and applications thereof
- Granted
- 2026-05-05
- Filed
- 2020-05-04 application 17608534
- Type
- Utility · 8 claims
- Elsewhere
- Google Patents ↗ · USPTO patent document ↗ · USPTO Patent Center record ↗
Abstract
The present invention relates to automotive products, as well as uses thereof, which can facilitate warming of engine oil in an energy efficient and, therefore, more environmentally friendly manner. More specifically, a fluid reservoir is disclosed that includes a double walled vessel that defines a fluid containing compartment and has a self-contained region that shares a wall with the fluid containing compartment. A composition in the self-contained region at least partially covers the shared wall surface, and one or more light sources are positioned in the self-contained region to induce a phase change in the composition. The composition includes a phase-change material (PCM) and a molecular switch material. This fluid reservoir can be used to heat oil in an engine or oil pan.
Source: PTBLXML, file of 2026-05-05 (ipgb20260505.xml).
Assignees
| Assignee | Type | Place | Also on furp.org | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BRANDEIS UNIVERSITY 165 patents | US company or organization | Waltham, MA | Brandeis University College or university EXACT high confidence: identical full name and state BRANDEIS UNIVERSITY Federal lobbying client EXACT high confidence: identical full name and state BRANDEIS UNIVERSITY Nonprofit EXACT high confidence: identical full name and state BRANDEIS UNIVERSITY INC. State business registration FUZZY medium confidence: same name (legal endings aside) and state | PTBLXML, file of 2026-05-05 |
Inventors
| Inventor | Place | Patents | Person page | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ggoch Ddeul Han | Waltham, MA | 6 | PTBLXML, file of 2026-05-05 | |
| Michael A. Gerkman | Waltham, MA | PTBLXML, file of 2026-05-05 |
CPC categories
| Subclass | Category | First group | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| F01M | Lubricating of machines or engines in general; lubricating internal combustion engines; crankcase ventilating | F01M11/0004 | PTBLXML, file of 2026-05-05 |
| C08F | Macromolecular compounds obtained by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds | C08F4/04 | PTBLXML, file of 2026-05-05 |
| C09K | Materials for miscellaneous applications, not provided for elsewhere | C09K5/063 | PTBLXML, file of 2026-05-05 |
Cooperative Patent Classification, as currently assigned (one row per subclass).
Assignments and security interests
| Recorded | What | From | To | Reel/frame | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-02-18 | Assignment Assignment of assignor's interest | HAN, GGOCH DDEUL signed 2022-01-28 GERKMAN, MIHAEL A. signed 2022-02-17 | BRANDEIS UNIVERSITY WALTHAM, MA | 59051/84 | PASDL, file of 2026-10-15 |
Documents recorded with the USPTO Assignment Recordation Branch that list this patent. A security interest is a lender’s claim on the patent as collateral; a release ends it.
USPTO bulk data: PatentsView granted patents, disambiguated (PVGPATDIS) for patents, assignees, inventors, places and CPC categories; the USPTO Patent Assignment Dataset (ECORSEXC) for assignments and security interests. Patents filed in the last 20 years. No claims or full text. Links to other records are by name (and state): EXACT means the identical full name and state; FUZZY means a looser name match, with the confidence shown.