System and method of overmolded terminal posts of a battery module

• US 10,177,364 B2
• Filed: 05/18/2016
• Issued: 01/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CPS Technology Holdings, LLC
• Original Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: DeKeuster, Richard M., Dinkelman, John P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Barcena, Carlos
• Application Number:
  US15/158,321
• Publication Number:
  US 20170018755A1
• Time in Patent Office: 965 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/20 Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/176 for prismatic or rectangular cells H01M50/181 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/209 adapted for prismatic or rectangular cells H01M50/216 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/227 Organic material
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/296 characterised by terminals of battery packs terminals of batteries H01M50/543
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/507 comprising an arrangement of two or more busbars within a container structure, e.g. busbar modules
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/55 on the same side of the cell
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/553 Terminals adapted for prismatic, pouch or rectangular cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A battery module includes a terminal block assembly having an electrical assembly and a plastic base. The electrical assembly includes a terminal post and a bus bar coupled with the terminal post. A portion of the electrical assembly is overmolded by the plastic base, and the portion includes at least part of a terminal post base that extends outward from a central axis of a post portion of the terminal post. The battery module also includes a plastic housing having a receptacle configured to receive the plastic base of the terminal block assembly.

Claims

1. A battery module, comprising:

a terminal block assembly having an electrical assembly and a plastic base, wherein the electrical assembly comprises a terminal post and a bus bar coupled with the terminal post, and wherein at least a portion of the electrical assembly is overmolded by the plastic base; and

a plastic housing having a receptacle configured to receive the plastic base of the terminal block assembly;

wherein the plastic base comprises a lip configured to contact a surface of the plastic housing surrounding the receptacle of the plastic housing, and wherein the battery module comprises a weld between the lip of the plastic base and the surface of the plastic housing.

2. The battery module of claim 1, wherein the bus bar is not welded to the terminal post.

3. The battery module of claim 1, wherein the terminal post comprises a base and a post extending from the base, wherein the bus bar comprises an opening and one or more flaps surrounding the opening, wherein the post of the terminal post extends through the opening of the bus bar, and wherein the one or more flaps of the bus bar are folded or wrapped around the base of the terminal post to retain the base within a pocket of the bus bar.

4. The battery module of claim 3, wherein the pocket of the bus bar and the base of the terminal post comprise a first combined cross-sectional area, wherein the plastic base comprises a second cross-sectional area, and wherein the second-cross sectional area is between 100% and 300% the size of the first combined cross-sectional area.

5. The battery module of claim 1, wherein the plastic base comprises an opening and the bus bar comprises an extension configured to extend through the opening to access the receptacle of the plastic housing.

6. The battery module of claim 5, wherein the receptacle of the plastic housing comprises an additional opening configured to receive the extension of the bus bar such that the extension extends into an interior of the plastic housing.

7. The battery module of claim 6, wherein the additional opening in the receptacle is configured to be aligned with the opening in the plastic base.

8. The battery module of claim 6, wherein the additional opening in the receptacle is configured to be offset from the opening in the plastic base, and wherein the extension comprises a curvature to enable the extension to extend through both the additional opening in the receptacle and the opening in the plastic base.

9. The battery module of claim 1, wherein the plastic base comprises a first tapered surface, wherein the receptacle comprise a second tapered surface compatible with the first tapered surface, and wherein the plastic base is disposed within the receptacle such that the first tapered surface is immediately adjacent the second tapered surface.

10. The battery module of claim 1, wherein the terminal post comprises a base and a post integral with the base.

11. The battery module of claim 1, wherein the terminal post comprises a threaded post, a smooth post, or a flange.

12. The battery module of claim 1, wherein the bus bar is configured to either directly or indirectly electrically couple the terminal post with a group of interconnected electrochemical cells disposed in an interior of the plastic housing.

13. A terminal block assembly configured to be disposed within a receptacle of a plastic housing of a battery module, the terminal block assembly comprising:

a plastic base; and

an electrical assembly overmolded by the plastic base, wherein the electrical assembly comprises a bus bar and a major terminal, wherein the major terminal comprises a base retained within a pocket defined at least in part by flaps of the bus bar folded around a perimeter of the base, and wherein the bus bar is not welded to the major terminal.

14. The terminal block assembly of claim 13, wherein the major terminal comprises a post extending from, and integral with, the base of the major terminal, and wherein the post extends through an opening in the bus bar.

15. The terminal block assembly of claim 13, wherein the plastic base of the terminal block assembly comprises a lip configured to be welded to a surface of the plastic housing surrounding the receptacle of the plastic housing.

16. The terminal block assembly of claim 13, wherein the plastic base of the terminal block assembly comprises a tapered surface configured to correspond with an additional tapered surface of the receptacle.

17. The terminal block assembly of claim 13, wherein the pocket of the bus bar and the base of the major terminal comprise a first combined cross-sectional area, wherein the plastic base comprises a second cross-sectional area, and wherein the second-cross sectional area is between 100% and 300% the size of the first combined cross-sectional area.

18. The terminal block assembly of claim 13, wherein the plastic base comprises an opening and the bus bar comprises an extension configured to extend through the opening to facilitate access by the extension of the receptacle of the plastic housing.

19. A battery module, comprising:

a terminal post assembly having a plastic base and an electrical assembly, wherein the electrical assembly is at least partially overmolded by the plastic base, wherein the plastic base is configured to be received within a receptacle of a plastic housing, wherein the electrical assembly comprises a terminal post and a bus bar, wherein the bus bar retains a base of the terminal post within a pocket of the bus bar, wherein the bus bar receives a post of the terminal post through an opening in the bus bar, and wherein the bus bar is not welded to the terminal post;

wherein the plastic base comprises an opening and the bus bar comprises an extension configured to extend through the opening to access the receptacle of the plastic housing.

20. The battery module of claim 19, comprising the plastic housing and the receptacle of the plastic housing, wherein the receptacle is defined at least in part by a first tapered surface, wherein the plastic base comprises a second tapered surface, and wherein the plastic base is disposed within the receptacle such that the second tapered surface is disposed immediately adjacent to the first tapered surface.

21. The battery module of claim 20, wherein the receptacle comprises an additional opening configured to receive the extension such that the extension extends into an interior of the plastic housing.

22. The battery module of claim 21, comprising a plurality of interconnected electrochemical cells disposed within the interior of the plastic housing, wherein the extension is configured to be electrically coupled with the plurality of interconnected electrochemical cells.

23. The battery module of claim 20, wherein the plastic housing comprises a surface surrounding the receptacle, and wherein the plastic base comprises a lip configured to be welded to, or sealed against, the surface surrounding the receptacle.