Electrical interconnects for battery cells

• US 10,640,876 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2017
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Robert, Brian Joseph, Boileau, James Maurice, Brackett, III, Thomas P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Amponsah, Osei K
• Application Number:
  US15/473,861
• Publication Number:
  US 20180287316A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 24/04 Impact or kinetic deposition of particles
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 24/087 Coating with metal alloys or metal elements only
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/211 adapted for pouch cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/503 characterised by the shape of the interconnectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/505 comprising a single busbar
• 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: H01M 50/564 characterised by their manufacturing process
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A battery pack includes a pouch cell having electrode tabs extending therefrom, each of the tabs defining a plurality of perforations, a busbar including a plurality of raised portions in contact with and protruding through the perforations, and an agglomeration of mechanically bound solid metal particles overlaying the raised portions to mechanically bind and electrically connect the tabs to the busbar.

Claims

1. A battery pack comprising:

a pouch cell having electrode tabs extending therefrom, at least one of the tabs defining at least one tab perforation and at least one tab raised portion;

a busbar including at least one busbar raised portion in contact with and protruding through the at least one tab perforation and at least one busbar perforation in contact with and coupled to the at least one tab raised portion; and

an agglomeration of mechanically bound solid metal particles overlaying the tab and busbar raised portions to mechanically bind and electrically connect the at least one of the tabs to the busbar.

2. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein the at least one tab perforation and the at least one busbar raised portion have a same shape.

3. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein the agglomeration forms a continuous strip.

4. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein the at least one busbar perforation and the at least one tab raised portion have a same shape.

5. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein one of or both the at least one tab or busbar raised portion includes an edge extending beyond a boundary of a corresponding perforation.

6. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein the tab or busbar includes a plurality of raised portions arranged in a regular pattern.

7. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein the agglomeration is free of voids, oxide inclusions, or both.

8. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein the at least one tab is L-shaped.

9. A battery pack comprising:

a pouch cell having electrode tabs extending therefrom, each of the tabs defining a plurality of tab raised portions and a plurality of tab perforations;

a busbar including a plurality of busbar perforations in contact with and coupled to the plurality of tab raised portions and a plurality of busbar raised portions in contact with and protruding through the plurality of tab perforations; and

an agglomeration of mechanically bound solid metal particles overlaying the raised portions to mechanically bind and electrically connect the tabs to the busbar.

10. The battery pack of claim 9, wherein each of the tab raised portions is in contact with one of the busbar perforations.

11. The battery pack of claim 9, wherein the agglomeration forms a continuous strip.

12. The battery pack of claim 9, wherein the tab or busbar perforations and the tab or busbar raised portions have a same shape.

13. The battery pack of claim 9, wherein each of the tab or busbar raised portions includes an edge extending beyond a boundary of a corresponding perforation.

14. The battery pack of claim 9, wherein the plurality of tab and/or busbar raised portions is arranged in a regular pattern.

15. The battery pack of claim 9, wherein the agglomeration is free of voids, oxide inclusions, or both.

16. The battery pack of claim 9, wherein each of the tabs is L-shaped.

17. A battery pack comprising:

a perforated busbar;

a pair of pouch cells, each having a tab extending therefrom, arranged adjacent to one another such that the tabs are aligned and interconnect, each of the tabs having raised portions protruding through one or more openings in the busbar and at least one of the tabs having one or more perforations corresponding to and in contact with the raised portions of the adjacent tab; and

an agglomeration of mechanically bound solid metal particles overlaying the raised portions to mechanically bind and electrically connect the tabs to the busbar.

18. The battery pack of claim 17, wherein the at least one of the tabs includes a plurality of perforations configured to house protrusions of an adjacent tab.

19. The battery pack of claim 17, wherein the agglomeration forms a continuous strip.

20. The battery pack of claim 17, wherein each of the raised portions includes an edge extending beyond a boundary of a corresponding one of the openings.