BATTERY MODULE COMPOSED OF FLEXIBLE BATTERY CELLS AND CELL INTERCONNECT STRUCTURE THEREFOR

• US 20100216007A1
• Filed: 02/25/2010
• Published: 08/26/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Magna Electronics Incorporated (Magna International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Magna Electronics Incorporated (Magna International Incorporated)
• Inventors: DEAL, Larry L., KANE, James E., GRITZINGER, Ronald
• Granted Patent: US 8,361,644 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 429/153
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/052 Li-accumulators
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/613 Cooling or keeping cold
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/647 Prismatic or flat cells, e.g. pouch cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6555 arranged between the cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6556 Solid parts with flow channel passages or pipes for heat exchange closed pipes H01M10/6552
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6567 Liquids
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/209 adapted for prismatic or rectangular cells H01M50/216 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/258 Modular batteries; Casings provided with means for assembling
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/502 Interconnectors for connecting terminals of adjacent batteries; Interconnectors for connecting cells outside a battery casing
• 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: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

An interconnect device enables battery cells having terminals in the form of flexible tabs to be serially interconnected in a stack. The interconnect device comprises a relatively rigid substrate and at least two arrays of pins projecting from opposing first and second surfaces of the substrate. This enables the flexible tabs of the battery cell to be embedded in the pin arrays, providing a quick and easy means of fixing the tabs and enabling them to be interconnected to other cells in a stacked arrangement. A battery module formed from such a stack of cell assemblies is also disclosed.

Claims

5-1. A module according to claim 1, wherein the substrate of each interconnect sandwiches the fringe area of each cell packaging.

6-2. A module according to claim 5, wherein the substrate substantially surrounds the fringe area of the packaging.

11. A battery cell assembly, comprising:

a battery cell having positive and negative terminals and a flexible packaging, the packaging including a fringe area where the packaging is sealed, the fringe area having first and an opposing second sides, the positive and negative terminals being in the form of flexible tabs emanating from the fringe area between the first and second sides thereof; and

an interconnect device including a non-electrically conductive relatively rigid substrate disposed about the fringe area, the substrate incorporating a first conductive trace adjacent the first side of the flexible packaging and a second conductive trace adjacent the second side of the flexible packaging, wherein the first conductive trace terminates in a first array of pins projecting from the substrate away from the first side of the flexible packaging and the second conductive trace terminates in a second array of pins projecting from the substrate away from the second side of the flexible packaging, and wherein the substrate includes at least one opening for passage of the tabs therethrough;

wherein the positive tab is embedded in one of the first and second pin arrays and the negative tab is embedded in the other of the first and second pin arrays.

12. An assembly according to claim 11, wherein the substrate sandwiches the fringe area of the packaging.

13. An assembly according to claim 12, wherein the substrate substantially surrounds the fringe area of the packaging.

14. An assembly according to claim 11, wherein the positions of the pins in the first and second pin arrays are offset from one another.

15. An assembly according to claim 11, wherein the first conductive trace also terminates in a third array of pins projecting from the substrate away from the first side of the flexible packaging and the second conductive trace also terminates in a fourth array of pins projecting from the substrate away from the second side of the flexible packaging.