Battery architecture in an electronic device

• US 10,701,833 B2
• Filed: 09/21/2017
• Issued: 06/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Pakula, David A., Jarvis, Daniel W., Stephens, Gregory N., Spraggs, Ian A., Bertin, James A., Bennett, Eric M., Helmore, Simon C., Wah, Melissa A., Hill, Matthew D., Housour, Jon F., Fournier, Douglas G., Tomasetta, Christopher S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso, Edward
• Application Number:
  US15/712,068
• Publication Number:
  US 20180083322A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,013 Days
• Field of Search: 320107, 320112, 320114, 320115
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/302 Conductive
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2457/20 Displays, e.g. liquid crystal displays, plasma displays
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1637 Details related to the display arrangement, including those related to the mounting of the display in the housing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1643 the display being associated to a digitizer, e.g. laptops that can be used as penpads details related to the relative motion of the display enclosure with respect to the body enclosure, e.g. to move between laptop and tablet PC configuration G06F1/1615
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04112 Electrode mesh in capacitive digitiser: electrode for touch sensing is formed of a mesh of very fine, normally metallic, interconnected lines that are almost invisible to see. This provides a quite large but transparent electrode surface, without need for ITO or similar transparent conductive material
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/30 Batteries in portable systems, e.g. mobile phone, laptop
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/183 Sealing members
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/247 specially adapted for portable devices, e.g. mobile phones, computers, hand tools or pacemakers
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0216 Reduction of cross-talk, noise or electromagnetic interference grounding H05K1/0215
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/144 Stacked arrangements of planar printed circuit boards
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/148 Arrangements of two or more hingeably connected rigid printed circuit boards, i.e. connected by flexible means
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/042 Stacked spaced PCBs; Planar parts of folded flexible circuits having mounted components in between or spaced from each other
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10242 Metallic cylinders small solder preforms other than balls H05K2203/0415
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10257 Hollow pieces of metal, e.g. used in connection between component and PCB
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20481 characterised by the material composition exhibiting specific thermal properties
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20963 Heat transfer by conduction from internal heat source to heat radiating structure H05K7/20972 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 9/0033 disposed on both PCB faces
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

An electronic device having a battery assembly is disclosed. Unlike traditional battery assemblies that include rectilinear electrodes with two sides of equal length, the battery assemblies described herein may include electrodes having a shape/configuration resembling an L-shape electrode used to form chemical reactions in order to generate electrical energy. However, other shapes/configurations are possible. The shape/configuration of the housing of the battery assembly confirms to the shape/configuration of the electrodes. Further, in order to accommodate an internal component (such as a circuit board assembly), the shape of the battery assembly provides additional space in the electronic device. In order to form the electrodes, the electrodes may undergo a die cutting operation. Also, the housing may include a channel, or reduced dimension, that accommodates a flexible circuit in the electronic device that passes over the battery assembly at the channel.

Claims

1. A battery assembly for an electronic device, the battery assembly comprising:

a housing that defines an internal cavity and an exterior channel;

a single piece electrode disposed in the cavity, the single piece electrode comprising;

a first wall having a first dimension,

a second wall having a second dimension different from the first dimension, the second wall parallel to the first wall, and

a third wall that joins the first wall and the second wall, wherein the housing conforms to a peripheral shape of the single piece electrode; and

a circuit board positioned in the internal cavity at the exterior channel.

2. The battery assembly of claim 1, wherein:

the single piece electrode further comprises a fourth wall extending from one of the first wall and the second wall, the fourth wall parallel to the third wall,

the third wall having a third dimension, and

the fourth wall having a fourth dimension different from the third dimension.

3. The battery assembly of claim 2, wherein the first wall, the second wall, the third wall, and the fourth wall at least partially define the shape as an L-shape.

4. The battery assembly of claim 2, wherein the single piece electrode further comprises a fifth wall having a fifth dimension, the fifth wall parallel with respect to the third wall and the fourth wall.

5. The battery assembly of claim 1, wherein the single piece electrode is a first single piece electrode, and the battery assembly further comprises:

a second single piece electrode; and

a separator positioned between the first single piece electrode and the second single piece electrode, wherein the second single piece electrode and the separator have a size and shape corresponding to the peripheral shape of the first single piece electrode.

6. The battery assembly of claim 5, wherein

the first single piece electrode defines a first opening;

the second single piece electrode defines a second opening, the second opening aligned with the first opening; and

a third opening in the separator defines a third opening, the third opening aligned with the first opening and the second opening, and the first opening, second opening, and third opening in communication with one another.

7. An electronic device, comprising:

an enclosure defining an internal volume;

a battery assembly disposed in the internal volume, the battery assembly comprising;

a first edge, a second edge separate from the first edge, and a wall perpendicular to the first edge and the second edge;

the wall connecting the first edge to the second edge to define a channel;

an internal component disposed in the internal volume and at least partially in the channel.

8. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein the battery assembly further comprises an electrode, the electrode comprising:

a first rectangular portion symmetrically disposed about a first longitudinal axis; and

a second rectangular portion disposed about a second longitudinal axis that is perpendicular with respect to the first longitudinal axis.

9. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the first rectangular portion comprises a first wall parallel to the first longitudinal axis, the first wall having a first dimension, and wherein the second rectangular portion comprises a second wall parallel to the second longitudinal axis, the second wall having a second dimension less than the first dimension.

10. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the electrode further comprises a third rectangular portion that is parallel to the second rectangular portion and perpendicular to the first rectangular portion.

11. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein the battery assembly further comprises a battery assembly housing that defines an internal cavity;

and

a circuit board positioned in the internal cavity at a location corresponding to the channel.

12. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein:

the internal component is a first internal component, and the electronic device further comprises a second internal component; and

the battery assembly defines an opening and the second internal component is positioned in the opening.

13. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein the internal component comprises an audio module.

14. A method for assembling a battery assembly for an electronic device, the method comprising:

providing a housing that defines an internal cavity and an exterior channel;

cutting a single piece electrode to a shape that comprises;

a first wall having a first dimension,

a second wall having a second dimension that is different from the first dimension, the second wall being parallel to the first wall;

a third wall that joins the first wall and the second wall; and

inserting the single piece electrode and a circuit board into the internal cavity, wherein the housing conforms to a peripheral shape of the single piece electrode and the circuit board is positioned in the internal cavity at the exterior channel.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein providing the housing comprises forming the exterior channel in the housing.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein cutting the single piece electrode comprises die cutting the single piece electrode, wherein die cutting the single piece electrode comprises:

forming a first rectangular portion; and

forming a second rectangular portion that extends from, and is perpendicular to, the first rectangular portion.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising forming a through hole in the battery assembly, the through hole defined by an opening in the housing and an opening in the single piece electrode.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein cutting the single piece electrode comprises cutting a first single piece electrode, and wherein the method further comprises:

inserting a second single piece electrode into the internal cavity; and

inserting a separator into the internal cavity between the first single piece electrode and the second single piece electrode, the second single piece electrode and the separator comprise a size and shape corresponding to the peripheral shape of the first single piece electrode.