Method and apparatus for the external application of battery pack encapsulant

• US 20100136413A1
• Filed: 12/02/2008
• Published: 06/03/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tesla Inc.
• Original Assignee: Tesla Motors Incorporated (Tesla Inc.)
• Inventors: Jacobs, Alexander Thomas, Kohn, Scott Ira, Villanueva, Ernest Matthew, Zhou, Peng, Hermann, Weston Arthur, Mendez, Noel Jason
• Granted Patent: US 8,216,502 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 429/149
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/213 adapted for cells having curved cross-section, e.g. round or elliptic H01M50/209, H01M50/216 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/244 Secondary casings; Racks; Suspension devices; Carrying devices; Holders characterised by their mounting method
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A method and apparatus for simplifying battery pack encapsulation is provided. The battery pack includes a pair of complementary housing members with each housing member including a plurality of cell contraints into which the ends of corresponding battery cells are inserted during assembly. One or both housing members also include at least one, and preferably a plurality, of raised encapsulant injection ports. The raised encapsulant injection ports are designed to extend above the surface of the respective housing members and beyond the injected encapsulation material, thus ensuring that the ports remain open after encapsulation material injection.

Claims

1. A battery pack, comprising:

a first housing member having a first housing member interior surface defining an interior region of said battery pack, wherein said first housing member interior surface includes a first plurality of cell mounting wells, wherein each cell mounting well of said first plurality of cell mounting wells is adapted to receive a first end of a corresponding battery cell, wherein said first housing member interior surface further includes at least one first housing member raised encapsulant injection port, wherein said at least one first housing member raised encapsulant injection port includes an extended portion that extends above said first housing member interior surface and further into said interior region of said battery pack;

a second housing member complementary to said first housing member and having a second housing member interior surface that further defines said interior region of said battery pack, wherein said second housing member interior surface includes a second plurality of cell mounting wells, wherein each cell mounting well of said second plurality of cell mounting wells is adapted to receive a second end of said corresponding battery cell, wherein said second housing member interior surface further includes at least one second housing member raised encapsulant injection port, wherein said at least one second housing member raised encapsulant injection port includes an extended portion that extends above said second housing member interior surface and further into said interior region of said battery pack; and

a plurality of battery cells, wherein each battery cell of said plurality of battery cells includes said first end for insertion into each cell mounting well of said first plurality of cell mounting wells, and wherein each battery cell of said plurality of battery cells includes said second end for insertion into each cell mounting well of said second plurality of cell mounting wells.

2. The battery pack of claim 1, further comprising:

a first layer of encapsulation material surrounding the perimeter of said first end of each battery cell, wherein an end section of said extended portion of said at least one first housing member raised encapsulant injection port extends beyond said first layer of encapsulation material, and wherein said at least one first housing member raised encapsulant injection port remains open after inclusion of said first layer of encapsulation material within said battery pack; and

a second layer of encapsulation material surrounding the perimeter of said second end of each battery cell, wherein an end section of said extended portion of said at least one second housing member raised encapsulant injection port extends beyond said second layer of encapsulation material, and wherein said at least one second housing member raised encapsulant injection port remains open after inclusion of said second layer of encapsulation material within said battery pack.

3. The battery pack of claim 2, wherein said first layer of encapsulation material covers said first housing member interior surface, and wherein said second layer of encapsulation material covers said second housing member interior surface.

4. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein said first housing member interior surface is chamfered at the intersection of each of said first plurality of cell mounting wells and said first housing member interior surface, and wherein said second housing member interior surface is chamfered at the intersection of each of said second plurality of cell mounting wells and said second housing member interior surface.

5. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein each of said first plurality of cell mounting wells further comprises at least one through hole.

6. The battery pack of claim 5, wherein each of said second plurality of cell mounting wells further comprises at least one through hole.

7. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein said first and second housing members further comprise at least one latching mechanism, wherein said at least one latching mechanism secures said first housing member to said second housing member.

8. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein a gap is present between said first housing member and said second housing member.

9. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein said first housing member is bonded to said second housing member.

10. A battery pack, comprising:

a first housing member having a first housing member interior surface defining an interior region of said battery pack, said first housing member interior surface comprising a first plurality of cell constraints, wherein each cell constraint of said first plurality of cell constraints is adapted to receive a first end of at least one corresponding battery cell, said first housing member interior surface further comprising a plurality of first housing member raised encapsulant injection ports, wherein each of said plurality of first housing member raised encapsulant injection ports includes an extended portion that extends above said first housing member interior surface and further into said interior region of said battery pack;

a second housing member complementary to said first housing member and having a second housing member interior surface that further defines said interior region of said battery pack, said second housing member interior surface comprising a second plurality of cell constraints, wherein each cell constraint of said second plurality of cell constraints is adapted to receive a second end of said at least one corresponding battery cell;

a plurality of battery cells constrained by said first plurality of cell constraints and by said second plurality of cell constraints;

a first layer of encapsulation material surrounding the perimeter of said first end of each battery cell, wherein an end section of said extended portion of each of said plurality of first housing member raised encapsulant injection ports extends beyond said first layer of encapsulation material, and wherein each of said plurality of first housing member raised encapsulant injection ports remains open after inclusion of said first layer of encapsulation material; and

a second layer of encapsulation material surrounding the perimeter of said second end of each battery cell.

11. The battery pack of claim 10, said second housing member interior surface further comprising a plurality of second housing member raised encapsulant injection ports, wherein each of said plurality of second housing member raised encapsulant injection ports includes an extended portion that extends beyond said second housing member interior surface and further into said interior region of said battery pack, wherein an end section of said extended portion of each of said plurality of second housing member raised encapsulant injection ports extends above said second layer of encapsulation material, and wherein each of said plurality of second housing member raised encapsulant injection ports remains open after inclusion of said second layer of encapsulation material.

12. The battery pack of claim 11, wherein said first layer of encapsulation material covers said first housing member interior surface, and wherein said second layer of encapsulation material covers said second housing member interior surface.

13. The battery pack of claim 10, wherein said first plurality of cell constraints is comprised of a first plurality of cell mounting wells, and wherein said second plurality of cell constraints is comprised of a second plurality of cell mounting wells.

14. The battery pack of claim 13, wherein said first housing member interior surface is chamfered at the intersection of each of said first plurality of cell mounting wells and said first housing member interior surface, and wherein said second housing member interior surface is chamfered at the intersection of each of said second plurality of cell mounting wells and said second housing member interior surface.

15. The battery pack of claim 10, wherein said first and second housing members further comprise at least one latching mechanism, wherein said at least one latching mechanism secures said first housing member to said second housing member.

16. The battery pack of claim 10, wherein a gap is present between said first housing member and said second housing member.

17. A method of manufacturing a battery pack, the method comprising the steps of:

inserting a first end of each of a plurality of battery cells into a corresponding cell constraint of a first plurality of cell constraints located on an interior surface of a first housing member;

inserting a second end of each of said plurality of battery cells into a corresponding cell constraint of a second plurality of cell constraints located on an interior surface of a second housing member, wherein said first housing member, said second housing member and said plurality of battery cells comprise a battery pack assembly;

injecting a first quantity of encapsulation material through a first plurality of raised encapsulant injection ports within said interior surface of said second housing member, wherein said first quantity of encapsulation material surrounds said first end of each of said plurality of battery cells, wherein said first quantity of encapsulation material surrounds a first section of a second plurality of raised encapsulant injection ports within said interior surface of said first housing member, and wherein said first quantity of encapsulation materials does not contact a second section of said second plurality of raised encapsulant injection ports within said interior surface of said first housing member, wherein said second section of said second plurality of raised encapsulant injection ports extends further from said interior surface of said first housing member than does said first section of said second plurality of raised encapsulant injection ports;

rotating said battery pack assembly; and

injecting a second quantity of encapsulation material through said second plurality of raised encapsulant injection ports within said interior surface of said first housing member, wherein said second quantity of encapsulation material surrounds said second end of each of said plurality of battery cells, wherein said second quantity of encapsulation material surrounds a first section of said first plurality of raised encapsulant injection ports within said interior surface of said second housing member, and wherein said second quantity of encapsulation materials does not contact a second section of said first plurality of raised encapsulant injection ports within said interior surface of said second housing member, wherein said second section of said first plurality of raised encapsulant injection ports extends further from said interior surface of said second housing member than does said first section of said first plurality of raised encapsulant injection ports.

18. The battery pack of claim 17, wherein said first plurality of cell constraints is comprised of a first plurality of cell mounting wells, and wherein said second plurality of cell constraints is comprised of a second plurality of cell mounting wells.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of coupling said first housing member to said second housing member prior to said step of injecting said first quantity of encapsulation material.

20. A method of manufacturing a battery pack, the method comprising the steps of:

inserting a first end of each of a plurality of battery cells into a first plurality of cell constraints located on an interior surface of a first housing member;

adding a first quantity of encapsulation material into said first housing member, wherein said first quantity of encapsulation material covers said interior surface of said first housing member and surrounds said first end of each of said plurality of battery cells, wherein said first quantity of encapsulation material surrounds a first section of a plurality of raised encapsulant injection ports within said interior surface of said first housing member, and wherein said first quantity of encapsulation materials does not contact a second section of said plurality of raised encapsulant injection ports within said interior surface of said first housing member, wherein said second section of said plurality of raised encapsulant injection ports extends further from said interior surface of said first housing member than does said first section of said plurality of raised encapsulant injection ports;

inserting a second end of each of said plurality of battery cells into a second plurality of cell constraints located on an interior surface of a second housing member, wherein said first housing member, said second housing member and said plurality of battery cells comprise a battery pack assembly;

rotating said battery pack assembly; and

injecting a second quantity of encapsulation material through said plurality of raised encapsulant injection ports within said interior surface of said first housing member, wherein said second quantity of encapsulation material surrounds said second end of each of said plurality of battery cells.

21. The battery pack of claim 20, wherein said first plurality of cell constraints is comprised of a first plurality of cell mounting wells, and wherein said second plurality of cell constraints is comprised of a second plurality of cell mounting wells.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising the step of coupling said first housing member to said second housing member prior to said rotating step.