Modular design of a 48-volt li-ion battery for ease of assembly and disassembly

• US 10,454,077 B2
• Filed: 11/03/2015
• Issued: 10/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CPS Technology Holdings, LLC
• Original Assignee: CPS Technology Holdings, LLC
• Inventors: Sun, Qiong, Yu, George, Zhong, Xiaolong, Qu, Wei, Li, Rui, Song, Peng, Fan, Binbin, Yu, Yang
• Primary Examiner(s): Akram, Imran
• Application Number:
  US15/524,355
• Publication Number:
  US 20180277802A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,449 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/28 characterised by the electric energy storing means, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/547 Voltage
• 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: B60Y 2200/92 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2400/112 Batteries
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/16542 for batteries charge condition monitoring in G01R31/36
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/374 with means for correcting the measurement for temperature or ageing
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/382 Arrangements for monitoring battery or accumulator variables, e.g. SoC
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0422 Cells or battery with cylindrical casing
• 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 10/4207 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/425 Structural combination with electronic components, e.g. electronic circuits integrated to the outside of the casing printed circuits H05K1/00
• 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 10/486 for measuring temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/633 characterised by algorithms, flow charts, software details or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2010/4271 Battery management systems including electronic circuits, e.g. control of current or voltage to keep battery in healthy state, cell balancing
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/20 Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/296 characterised by terminals of battery packs terminals of batteries H01M50/543
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/505 : comprising a single busbar
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/51 : Connection only in series
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/48 : for electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0014 : Circuits for equalisation of charge between batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0016 : using shunting, discharge or bypass circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0029 : with safety or protection devices or circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00302 : Overcharge protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00306 : Overdischarge protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00308 : Overvoltage protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0031 : using battery or load disconnect circuits H02J9/002 takes precedence
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/907 : Electricity storage, e.g. battery, capacitor

Abstract

The present invention provides a battery that includes a plurality of serially connected battery cells. The battery includes an upper housing and a lower housing. The battery comprises: a wire harness assembly; a middle housing that includes a plurality of cell chambers for accommodating the top sections of the plurality of serially connected battery cells. The lower housing includes a plurality of cell chambers for accommodating the bottom sections of the plurality of serially connected battery cells 102; and the middle housing has a top surface for installing the wire harness assembly (1106) and the plurality of cell chambers beneath the top surface (1102) of the middle housing.

Claims

1. A battery including a plurality of serially connected battery cells, the battery comprising:

an upper housing;

a lower housing directly engaged with the upper housing;

a wire harness assembly; and

a middle housing that includes a plurality of top cell chambers, with each of the plurality of top cell chambers accommodating a top section of a corresponding one of the plurality of serially connected battery cells;

wherein the lower housing includes a plurality of bottom cell chambers, with each of the plurality of bottom cell chambers for accommodating a bottom section of a corresponding one of the plurality of serially connected battery cells;

wherein the middle housing has a top surface configured to allow installation of the wire harness assembly and the plurality of top cell chambers beneath the top surface of the middle housing and wherein the middle housing is contained within the upper housing and the lower housing;

wherein the wire harness assembly includes a bus-bar assembly and a voltage-sense-wire harness; and

wherein the bus-bar assembly and voltage-sense-wire harness are installed on the top surface of the middle housing.

2. The battery according to claim 1,

wherein each of the plurality of cell chambers has a pair of installation holes for accommodating a pair of positive terminal and negative terminals of the battery cell.

3. The battery according to claim 1, wherein the bus-bar assembly includes a plurality of bus bars connecting the positive terminals or the negative terminals of a pair of adjacent battery cells;

and

wherein the voltage-sense-wire harness includes a plurality of voltage sense wires for connecting the positive terminals.

4. The battery according to claim 3,

wherein each of the plurality of bus bars has a pair of installation holes connecting the positive terminals or the negative terminals of a pair of adjacent battery cells;

and

wherein each of the voltage sense wires has an installation hole on its distal end for connection with the positive terminals.

5. The battery according to claim 1,

wherein the middle housing has means for attaching at least one temperature sensor so that the at least one temperature sensor can contact one of the 13 battery cells to measure the operation (working) temperature of the battery cell.

6. The battery according to claim 1,

wherein each of the cell chambers has a plurality of position slabs, the plurality of position slabs forms a circular contour, which matches the external cylindrical shape of the battery cells, for positioning a respective cells into the desirable position in the assembling process of the battery.

7. The battery according to claim 1,

wherein, after of the plurality of the battery cells is installed into the plurality of the cell chambers of the lower housing, there are a plurality of rooms between the bottoms of the plurality the battery cells and the bottom surfaces of the plurality of the cell chambers.

8. The battery according to claim 7,

wherein each of the plurality of rooms has a through-hole on it;

and

wherein all of the plurality of rooms are fluidly-connected with each other via the through-hole to a channel leading to an outlet on the lower housing.

9. The battery according to claim 1,

wherein the lower housing has an internal housing;

wherein the middle housing has a first lateral side wall and a second lateral side wall with each of the first lateral side wall and the second lateral side wall having a plurality of ears;

wherein each of the plurality of ears has an open pocket; and

wherein the internal housing has a first lateral side wall and a second lateral side wall with each of the first lateral side wall and the second lateral side wall having a plurality of wings.

10. The battery according to claim 1, further comprising:

a PCB board that is installed on the top surface of the middle housing.

11. The battery according to claim 1, further comprising:

a connection housing that is attached onto the lateral side of the middle housing.

12. The battery according to claim 11, comprising:

a positive post that is connected to the wire harness assembly and attached onto the top surface of the middle housing; and

a negative post that is connected to the wire harness assembly and attached onto the top surface of the connection housing.

13. The battery according to claim 1,

wherein the top housing has 4 edges defining an opening of the top housing, each of the 4 edges having a plurality of clips;

and

wherein the lower housing has 4 edges defining an opening of the lower housing, each of the 4 edges having a taper flange.

14. The battery according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of top cell chambers is cylinder-shaped, and wherein each of the plurality of bottom cell chambers is cylinder-shaped.