PORTABLE COMPUTER BATTERY STRUCTURES

• US 20100092845A1
• Filed: 12/19/2008
• Published: 04/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Spare, Bradley L., Ligtenberg, Chris, Coish, Robert L., Hillman, Michael D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,168,319 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 429/90
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/224 Metals
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/233 characterised by physical properties of casings or racks, e.g. dimensions
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/247 specially adapted for portable devices, e.g. mobile phones, computers, hand tools or pacemakers
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/291 characterised by their shape
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/298 characterised by the wiring of battery packs
• 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 6/42 Grouping of primary cells into batteries H01M6/40 takes precedence

Abstract

Portable computer battery structures are provided. The portable computer battery structures may include a battery with a metal enclosure and a battery cable with a floating end. The battery may have six cells. Three pairs of parallel-connected cells may be connected together in series. The six cells may be substantially planar in shape. The battery may have a connector with at least five conductive pins and six recesses. The battery cable may have a cable with at least five conductive pins that mate with the five pins of the battery'"'"'s connector and with six support pins that slide into the six recesses of the battery'"'"'s connector. The batter connector may be formed on a printed circuit board substrate that folds over on itself.

Claims

1. A laptop computer battery comprising:

a plurality of battery cells;

a battery connector;

wires that connect the battery cells to the battery connector; and

a sheet of metal wrapped around the plurality of battery cells and the wires to form a sleeve.

2. The laptop computer battery defined in claim wherein the sheet of metal has a bent portion forming a hem along an edge of the battery.

3. The laptop computer battery defined in claim 2 wherein the hem includes adhesive.

4. The laptop computer battery defined in claim further comprising a conductive bus that electrically connects at least some of the battery cells together and that is disposed along a side of the battery cells, wherein the sleeve comprises portions defining an opening through which the battery connector is accessed.

5. The laptop computer battery defined in claim wherein the battery cells comprise:

a first set of three planar battery cells; and

a second set of three planar battery cells, wherein the battery cells in the first set are positioned adjacent to each other along a horizontal direction, wherein the battery cells in the second set are positioned adjacent to each other along the horizontal direction, wherein each of the battery cells has a substantially square surface, and wherein the surfaces of the battery cells in the first set are aligned with the surfaces of the battery cells in the second set.

6. The laptop computer battery defined in claim 5 further comprising double sided tape between the first and second sets of battery cells.

7. The laptop computer battery defined in claim 5 further comprising a frame and an electrically insulating sheet, wherein the battery cells are mounted within the frame, wherein the electrically insulating sheet is wrapped around the frame and the battery cells, and wherein the sleeve encloses the electrically insulating sheet.

8. The laptop computer battery defined in claim further comprising a battery management unit.

9. The laptop computer battery defined in claim wherein the battery management unit comprises battery management circuitry on a battery management substrate and wherein the battery management substrate is folded back upon itself to form two substantially parallel layers.

10. The laptop computer battery defined in claim further comprising a thermistor that is connected to the battery management circuitry and that is thermally connected to at least one of the battery cells, wherein the battery management circuitry is configured to measure the resistance of the thermistor to determine the temperature of the battery cell.

11. A laptop computer battery connector structure comprising:

a rigid flex substrate; and

a battery connector mounted to the rigid flex substrate.

12. The laptop computer battery connector structure defined in claim 11 wherein the laptop computer battery connector structure is in a battery for a laptop computer, wherein the battery connector electrically connects the battery to the laptop computer, wherein the battery connector is substantially rectangular and has a length, and wherein the battery connector comprises:

at least five conductive contacts formed along the length of the battery connector that are configured to receive corresponding conductive pins from an external connector, wherein the battery connector is configured to form six recesses that surround corresponding support pins in the external connector when the external connector is coupled to the battery connector.

13. The laptop computer battery connector structure defined in claim 12 wherein each of the five conductive contacts is located between a respective pair of the six recesses and wherein the battery connector further comprises a grounding contact that is formed along an outside edge of one of the two recesses and that is not between any two of the five conductive contacts.

14. The laptop computer battery connector structure defined in claim 12 wherein each of the five conductive contacts is located between a respective pair of the six recesses and wherein the battery connector further comprises a conductive contact that is formed along an outside edge of one of the recesses that is not between any two of the five conductive contacts.

15. The laptop computer battery connector structure defined in claim 12, wherein the battery produces a ground signal from battery cells that each produce a voltage, a first intermediate power supply voltage at the voltage of one battery cell, a second intermediate power supply voltage at the voltage of two battery cells connected in series, and a power supply voltage from three battery cells connected together in series and wherein the five conductive contacts are configured to receive the ground signal, the first intermediate power supply voltage, the second intermediate power supply voltage, the power supply voltage, and data signals.

16. A battery in an electronic device comprising:

a plurality of battery cells;

a battery enclosure that encloses the battery cells;

a battery management circuit substrate, wherein the battery management circuit substrate is folded back upon itself to form two substantially parallel substrate layers; and

battery management circuitry on the two substantially parallel substrate layers.

17. The battery defined in claim 16 wherein the battery management circuit substrate comprises a rigid flex substrate that is folded back upon itself to form the two substantially parallel substrate layers.

18. The battery defined in claim 17 further comprising a ground spring and a battery connector, wherein the ground spring is mounted on a first one of the two substantially parallel substrate layers of the rigid flex substrate and wherein the battery connector is mounted on a second one of the two substantially parallel substrate layers of the rigid flex substrate.

19. The battery defined in claim 16 further comprising an insulating structure between the two substantially parallel substrate layers.

20. The battery defined in claim 16 further comprising an insulating sheet wrapped around the battery cells.

21. The battery defined in claim 16 further comprising a flame resistant fiber sheet wrapped around the battery cells.

22. The battery defined in claim 16 wherein the battery enclosure is formed from a layer of sheet metal, wherein the layer of sheet metal is folded back upon itself along a first edge, and wherein the layer of sheet metal has a hem along a second edge that is opposite the first edge.

23. The battery defined in claim 16 wherein the battery enclosure is formed from a layer of sheet metal, wherein the layer of sheet metal is folded back upon itself along a first edge, wherein the layer of sheet metal has a hem along a second edge that is opposite the first edge, and wherein the hem comprises a folded portion of the sheet metal and an adhesive.