Battery interconnects

• US 10,211,443 B2
• Filed: 10/07/2016
• Issued: 02/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cellink Corporation
• Original Assignee: Cellink Corporation
• Inventors: Coakley, Kevin Michael, Brown, Malcolm, Tsao, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Rodela, Eduardo A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rahim, Nilufa
• Application Number:
  US15/289,028
• Publication Number:
  US 20170077487A1
• Time in Patent Office: 865 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4257 Smart batteries, e.g. electronic circuits inside the housing of the cells or batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/482 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2200/103 Fuse
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/503 characterised by the shape of the interconnectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/522 Inorganic material
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/526 having a layered structure
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/581 in response to temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0265 characterized by the lay-out of or details of the printed conductors, e.g. reinforced conductors, redundant conductors, conductors having different cross-sections
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/118 specially for flexible printed circuits, e.g. using folded portions
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/189 characterised by the use of a flexible or folded printed circuit H05K3/326 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/0397 Tab
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/056 Folded around rigid support or component
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/09081 Tongue or tail integrated in planar structure, e.g. obtained by cutting from the planar structure
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10037 Printed or non-printed battery
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10181 Fuse
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/4092 Integral conductive tabs, i.e. conductive parts partly detached from the substrate
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

Provided are interconnects for interconnecting a set of battery cells, assemblies comprising these interconnects, methods of forming such interconnects, and methods of forming such assemblies. An interconnect includes a conductor comprising two portions electrically isolated from each other. At least one portion may include two contacts for connecting to battery cells and a fuse forming an electrical connection between these two contacts. The interconnect may also include an insulator adhered to the conductor and mechanically supporting the two portions of the conductor. The insulator may include an opening such that the fuse overlaps with this opening, and the opening does not interfere with operation of the fuse. In some embodiments, the fuse may not directly interface with any other structures. Furthermore, the interconnect may include a temporary substrate adhered to the insulator such that the insulator is disposed between the temporary substrate and the conductor.

Claims

1. An interconnect for interconnecting a set of battery cells, the interconnect comprising:

a conductor, comprising a first portion and a second portion, electrically isolated from the first portion,

wherein the first portion comprises a first contact, a second contact, and a fuse, the fuse forming electrical connection between the first contact and the second contact and being monolithic with the first contact and the second contact, and

wherein thicknesses of the first contact, the second contact, and the fuse are same;

a first insulator, adhered to the conductor and mechanically supporting the first portion and the second portion of the conductor relative to each other,

wherein the first insulator comprises a first opening such that the fuse fully overlaps with the first opening;

a second insulator, adhered to the conductor and mechanically supporting the first portion and the second portion of the conductor relative to each other,

wherein the second insulator comprises a second opening such that the fuse fully overlaps with the second opening, and

wherein the conductor is positioned between the first insulator and the second insulator; and

a heat sink, adhered and thermally coupled to the second insulator such that the second insulator is disposed between the heat sink and the conductor and the conductor is electrically insulated from the heat sink.

2. The interconnect of the claim 1, wherein the first contact partially overlaps with the first opening.

3. The interconnect of the claim 2, wherein a portion of the first contact adheres to and is supported by the first insulator.

4. The interconnect of the claim 1, wherein the first insulator comprises an additional first opening partially overlapping with the second contact.

5. The interconnect of the claim 4, wherein a portion of the second contact adheres to and is supported by the first insulator.

6. The interconnect of claim 1, wherein a cross-sectional profile of the fuse with a plane normal to a principal axis of the fuse is substantially rectangular.

7. The interconnect of claim 1, wherein surfaces and sidewalls of the fuse are exposed.

8. The interconnect of claim 1, wherein the conductor comprises aluminum.

9. The interconnect of claim 8, wherein the conductor comprises a surface coating overlapping with the first insulator.

10. The interconnect of claim 1, wherein a side of the conductor opposite of the first insulator is exposed.

11. The interconnect of claim 1, further comprising a temporary substrate adhered to the first insulator such that the first insulator is disposed between the temporary substrate and the conductor.

12. The interconnect of claim 11, wherein the temporary substrate is adhered to the first contact and the second contact of the conductor and mechanically supports the first contact and the second contact.

13. The interconnect of claim 11, wherein the temporary substrate comprises a first temporary substrate opening overlapping with the first contact, and a second temporary substrate opening, overlapping with the second contact.

14. The interconnect of claim 1, wherein the heat sink comprises a heat sink opening, overlapping with the first contact of the conductor and with the second opening of the second insulator.

15. The interconnect of claim 1, wherein the second insulator is a thermally conductive adhesive, having a thermal conductivity of at least about 0.1 W/mK.

16. The interconnect of claim 15, wherein the thermally conductive adhesive comprises thermally-conductive electrically-insulating inorganic particles.

17. The interconnect of claim 1, wherein the heat sink is a housing of a battery pack.

18. The interconnect of claim 1, wherein the heat sink comprises one of a heat transfer fluid or a phase change material.

19. The interconnect of claim 1, wherein:

the conductor comprises a base sublayer and a surface sublayer disposed on the base layer,

the base sublayer comprises aluminum, and

the surface sublayer comprises one of tin, lead, zinc, nickel, silver, palladium, platinum, gold, indium, tungsten, molybdenum, chrome, copper, and an alloy thereof.

20. An assembly comprising:

a set of battery cells; and

an interconnect comprising a conductor, a first insulator, a second insulator, and a heat sink, wherein;

the conductor comprising a first portion and a second portion, electrically isolated from the first portion,

the first portion comprises a first contact, a second contact, and a fuse, forming electrical connection between the first contact and the second contact, and monolithic with the first contact and the second contact, and

thicknesses of the first contact, the second contact, and the fuse are same,

the first contact is connected to a first terminal of a first battery of the set of battery cells,

the second contact is connected to a second terminal of a second battery of the set of battery cells,

the first insulator is adhered to the conductor and mechanically supporting the first portion and the second portion of the conductor, and

the first insulator comprises a first opening such that the fuse fully overlaps with the first opening,

the second insulator, adhered to the conductor and mechanically supporting the first portion and the second portion of the conductor,

the second insulator comprises a second opening such that the fuse fully overlaps with the second opening, and

the conductor is positioned between the first insulator and the second insulator; and

a heat sink, adhered and thermally coupled to the second insulator such that the second insulator is disposed between the heat sink and the conductor and the conductor is electrically insulated from the heat sink.