BATTERY PACK ASSEMBLY USING CLAD ELECTRICAL CONNECTIONS

• US 20110293994A1
• Filed: 04/20/2011
• Published: 12/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Casoli, Daniel J.
• Application Number:
  US13/090,685
• Publication Number:
  US 20110293994A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 429/158
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/534 characterised by the material of the leads or tabs
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/536 characterised by the method of fixing the leads to the electrodes, e.g. by welding
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/54 Connection of several leads or tabs of plate-like electrode stacks, e.g. electrode pole straps or bridges
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A battery pack assembly includes a first battery cell having a first electrical connection tab formed of a first material, a second battery cell having a first electrical connection tab formed of a second material, and a metal clad connection terminal having a first surface formed of the first material and a second surface formed of the second material, wherein the first electrical connection tab of the first battery cell is electrically connected to the first surface of the metal clad connection terminal, and the first electrical connection tab of the second battery cell is electrically connected to the second surface of the metal clad connection terminal.

Claims

1. A battery pack assembly comprising:

a first battery cell having a first electrical connection tab formed from a first material;

a second battery cell having a first electrical connection tab formed from a second material; and

a metal clad connection terminal having a first portion formed from the first material and a second portion formed from the second material, wherein the first electrical connection tab of the first battery cell is electrically connected to the first portion of the metal clad connection terminal, and the first electrical connection tab of the second battery cell is electrically connected to the second portion of the metal clad connection terminal.

2. The battery pack assembly of claim 1, wherein the first portion of the metal clad connection terminal is removably electrically and mechanically interconnected to the second portion of the metal clad connection terminal by one of a compression joint, a clip joint, and a male-female joint.

3. The battery pack assembly according to claim 1, wherein the first material is aluminum.

4. The battery pack assembly according to claim 1, wherein the second material is copper.

5. The battery pack assembly according to claim 1, wherein the first portion of the metal clad connection terminal is coupled to the first electrical connection tab using an aggressive joining process.

6. The battery pack assembly according to claim 1, wherein the second portion of the metal clad connection terminal is releasably coupled to the second electrical connection tab using compression joining.

7. The battery pack assembly according to claim 1, wherein each of the electrical connection tabs extends outwardly from a surface of the respective one of the battery cells.

8. The battery pack assembly according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first electrical connection tab and the second electrical connection tab includes a bent or angled portion.

14. The battery pack assembly according to claim 8, wherein at least one of the first electrical connection tab and the second electrical connection tab includes a bent or angled portion.

9. A battery pack assembly comprising:

a plurality of battery cells arranged in a stacked configuration, each of the battery cells including a first electrical connection tab formed from a first material and a second electrical connection tab formed from a second material;

a first metal clad connection terminal having a first portion formed from the first material and a second portion formed from the second material, wherein the first electrical connection tab of a first one of the battery cells is electrically connected to the first portion of the first metal clad connection terminal, and the second electrical connection tab of a second one of the battery cells is electrically connected to the second portion of the first metal clad connection terminal; and

a second metal clad connection terminal having a first portion formed from the first material and a second portion formed from the second material, wherein the first electrical connection tab of the second one of the battery cells is electrically connected to the first portion of the second metal clad connection terminal, and the second electrical connection tab of a third one of the battery cells is electrically connected to the second portion of the second metal clad connection terminal to electrically connect the battery cells in a series configuration.

10. The battery pack assembly of claim 9, wherein the battery cells are arranged in an alternating configuration to substantially align the first electrical connection tab of one of the battery cells with the second electrical connection tab of an adjacent one of the battery cells.

11. The battery pack assembly of claim 9, wherein the first portion of the metal clad connection terminal is removably electrically and mechanically interconnected to the second portion of the metal clad connection terminal by one of a compression joint, a clip joint, and a male-female joint.

12. The battery pack assembly according to claim 9, wherein the first portion of the metal clad connection terminal is coupled to the first electrical connection tab using an aggressive joining process.

13. The battery pack assembly according to claim 9, wherein the second portion of the metal clad connection terminal is releasably coupled to the second electrical connection tab using compression joining.

15. A battery pack assembly, comprising:

a first battery cell having a first electrical connection tab formed of a first material;

a second battery cell having a first electrical connection tab formed of a second material; and

a metal clad connection terminal having a first portion formed of the first material and a second portion formed of the second material, the second portion including a female recess to receive at least a part of the first portion therein, wherein the first electrical connection tab of the first battery cell is electrically connected to the first portion of the metal clad connection terminal, and the first electrical connection tab of the second battery cell is electrically connected to the second portion of the metal clad connection terminal.

16. The battery pack assembly of claim 15, wherein the first electrical connection tab extends outwardly from a surface of the first battery cell and the second electrical connection tab extends outwardly from a surface of the second battery cell.

17. The battery pack assembly of claim 15, wherein the battery cells are arranged in an alternating configuration to substantially align the first electrical connection tab of the first battery cell with the second electrical connection tab of the second battery cell.

18. The battery pack assembly according to claim 15, wherein the first portion of the metal clad connection terminal is coupled to the first electrical connection tab using an aggressive joining process.

19. The battery pack assembly according to claim 15, wherein the second portion of the metal clad connection terminal is releasably coupled to the second electrical connection tab using compression joining.

20. The battery pack assembly according to claim 15, wherein at least one of the first electrical connection tab and the second electrical connection tab includes a bent or angled portion.