Free floating battery cell assembly techniques for lithium ion battery module

• US 10,020,534 B2
• Filed: 08/04/2015
• Issued: 07/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CPS Technology Holdings, LLC
• Original Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: DeKeuster, Richard M., Mack, Robert J., Czarnecki, Jennifer L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rhee, Jane
• Application Number:
  US14/818,262
• Publication Number:
  US 20160093845A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,071 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/64 Constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/66 Arrangements of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0525 Rocking-chair batteries, i.e. batteries with lithium insertion or intercalation in both electrodes; Lithium-ion batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/20 Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/1391 of electrodes based on mixed oxides or hydroxides, or on mixtures of oxides or hydroxides, e.g. LiCoOx
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/485 of mixed oxides or hydroxides for inserting or intercalating light metals, e.g. LiTi2O4 or LiTi2OxFy H01M4/505, H01M4/525 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/505 of mixed oxides or hydroxides containing manganese for inserting or intercalating light metals, e.g. LiMn2O4 or LiMn2OxFy
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/525 of mixed oxides or hydroxides containing iron, cobalt or nickel for inserting or intercalating light metals, e.g. LiNiO2, LiCoO2 or LiCoOxFy
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/103 prismatic or rectangular H01M50/109, H01M50/11 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/209 adapted for prismatic or rectangular cells H01M50/216 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/244 Secondary casings; Racks; Suspension devices; Carrying devices; Holders characterised by their mounting method
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/289 characterised by spacing elements or positioning means within frames, racks or packs spacing elements inside cells other than separators, membranes or diaphragms H01M50/471
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

Present embodiments include a lithium ion battery module having a lineup of prismatic lithium ion battery cells positioned within a cell receptacle area of a housing of the lithium ion battery module. The prismatic battery cells of the lineup are spaced apart from one another in a spaced arrangement by fixed protrusions extending from internal surfaces of the housing forming the cell receptacle area, and the fixed protrusions extend inwardly to form a plurality of discontinuous slots across a width of the cell receptacle area.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a lithium ion battery module, comprising:

placing a plurality of prismatic battery cells in a battery module housing using a manufacturing system comprising a control system with control logic configured to control an indexing system and a positioning system, wherein the manufacturing system performs an indexing process, wherein the indexing process comprises;

positioning the battery module housing to receive a first prismatic battery cell of the plurality of prismatic battery cells using an actuation mechanism of the indexing system;

placing the first prismatic battery cell into the housing using the placement system;

moving the battery module housing a distance, using the actuation mechanism, to position the battery module to receive a second prismatic battery cell of the plurality of prismatic battery cells, wherein the distance corresponds to an indexed position for each prismatic battery cell of the plurality of prismatic battery cells; and

placing the second prismatic battery cell into the housing using the placement system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein placing the first prismatic battery cell into the housing using the placement system comprises placing the first prismatic battery cell in combination with a spacer into the housing using the placement system.

3. The method of claim 1, comprising moving the battery module housing by an additional distance, using the actuation mechanism, to position the battery module housing to receive a spacer proximate the first prismatic battery cell, and placing the spacer into the battery module housing proximate to the first prismatic battery cell.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein placing the first prismatic battery cell into the housing using the placement system comprises using the control system to cause the placement system to pick the first prismatic battery cell from a group of prismatic battery cells, the group of prismatic battery cells all being within a manufacturing tolerance of standardized dimensions for the prismatic battery cells.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the control system having the control logic causes the placement system to pick the first prismatic battery cell from the group of prismatic battery cells without determining a degree of variability within the manufacturing tolerance for the first prismatic battery cell.

6. The method of claim 1, comprising indexing, with the indexing system, respective positions of slots of the battery module housing, the slots each corresponding to a respective position for a single prismatic battery cell of the plurality of prismatic battery cells.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the slots are discontinuous slots formed by fixed protrusions in the battery module housing.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein positioning the battery module housing to receive the first prismatic battery cell comprises arranging a base of the battery module housing and a top portion of the battery module housing positioned opposite the base such that they are both substantially perpendicular with gravity.

9. A manufacturing system comprising a control system with control logic configured to control an indexing system and a positioning system, wherein the manufacturing system performs an indexing process, wherein the indexing process comprises:

positioning the battery module housing to receive a first prismatic battery cell of the plurality of prismatic battery cells using an actuation mechanism of the indexing system;

placing the first prismatic battery cell into the housing using the placement system;

moving the battery module housing a distance, using the actuation mechanism, to position the battery module to receive a second prismatic battery cell of the plurality of prismatic battery cells, wherein the distance corresponds to an indexed position for each prismatic battery cell of the plurality of prismatic battery cells; and

placing the second prismatic battery cell into the housing using the placement system.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the indexing process performed by the manufacturing system comprises placing the first prismatic battery cell into the housing using the placement system comprises placing the first prismatic battery cell in combination with a spacer into the housing using the placement system.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the indexing process performed by the manufacturing system comprises moving the battery module housing by an additional distance, using the actuation mechanism, to position the battery module housing to receive a spacer proximate the first prismatic battery cell, and placing the spacer into the battery module housing proximate to the first prismatic battery cell.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the control system is configured to cause the placement system to pick the first prismatic battery cell from a group of prismatic battery cells, the group of prismatic battery cells all being within a manufacturing tolerance of standardized dimensions for the prismatic battery cells.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the control system having the control logic causes the placement system to pick the first prismatic battery cell from the group of prismatic battery cells without determining a degree of variability within the manufacturing tolerance for the first prismatic battery cell.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the indexing system is configured to index respective positions of slots of the battery module housing, the slots each corresponding to a respective position for a single prismatic battery cell of the plurality of prismatic battery cells.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the indexing process performed by the manufacturing system comprises positioning the battery module housing to receive the first prismatic battery cell comprises arranging a base of the battery module housing and a top portion of the battery module housing positioned opposite the base such that they are both substantially perpendicular with gravity.