FLEXIBLE BATTERY PACK

• US 20130171490A1
• Filed: 12/29/2011
• Published: 07/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Rothkopf, Fletcher, Pakula, David A., Jarvis, Daniel W., Raff, John, Franklin, Jeremy C.
• Granted Patent: US 9,343,716 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 429/120
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/048 Encapsulation of modules
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0436 Small-sized flat cells or batteries for portable equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/425 Structural combination with electronic components, e.g. electronic circuits integrated to the outside of the casing printed circuits H05K1/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/613 Cooling or keeping cold
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/623 Portable devices, e.g. mobile telephones, cameras or pacemakers
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/647 Prismatic or flat cells, e.g. pouch cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/657 by electric or electromagnetic means
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6572 Peltier elements or thermoelectric devices
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/30 Batteries in portable systems, e.g. mobile phone, laptop
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/103 prismatic or rectangular H01M50/109, H01M50/11 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/209 adapted for prismatic or rectangular cells H01M50/216 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/46 of flat cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/50 Photovoltaic [PV] energy
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 70/30 Systems combining energy storage with energy generation of non-fossil origin
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/10 Methods of surface bonding and/or assembly therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1082 Partial cutting bonded sandwich [e.g., grooving or incising]

Abstract

Flexible battery packs for use in electronic devices are disclosed. In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the flexible battery pack may include a plurality of cells, such as galvanic or photovoltaic cells. The battery pack also may include a plurality of laminate layers coupled to the cells that include a top laminate layer and a bottom laminate layer. An adhesive may be used to couple the top and bottom laminate layers together such that each of the plurality of cells is isolated from each other. This arrangement may allow the battery to be shaped to fit a form factor of the electronic device. This arrangement also may allow one or more of the cells to be selectively removed from the plurality, which may be desirable from a manufacturing perspective.

Claims

1. A flexible battery pack comprising:

a plurality of cells;

a plurality of laminate layers coupled to the cells comprising a top laminate layer and a bottom laminate layer; and

an adhesive coupling the top and bottom laminate layers such that each of the plurality of cells is isolated from each other.

2. The flexible battery pack of claim 1, wherein the plurality of cells comprise first and second cells, and wherein the top and bottom laminate layers form first and second enclosures about the first and second cells, and wherein the first and second enclosures are not of the same size.

3. The flexible battery pack of claim 1, wherein the plurality of cells are arranged in an array and at least one cell within the array is missing.

4. The flexible battery pack of claim 3, wherein a thermoelectric cooler replaces the at least one cell within the array that is missing.

5. The flexible battery pack of claim 3, wherein a flash replaces the at least one cell within the array that is missing.

6. The flexible battery pack of claim 3, wherein a camera replaces the at least one cell within the array that is missing.

7. The flexible battery pack of claim 1, wherein at least one of the cells in the plurality has been severed from the plurality of cells.

8. The flexible battery pack of claim 3, wherein the array include cells in the horizontal and vertical directions.

9. The flexible battery pack of claim 8, wherein the cells are electrically connected in parallel.

10. A method of forming a flexible battery pack, the method comprising the acts of:

disposing a plurality of cells on a bottom layer;

disposing an adhesive in an area between each of the cells in the plurality; and

disposing a top layer over the plurality of cells, wherein the cells are arranged in an array and at least one cell in the plurality is missing.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein at least two cells within the plurality share a seal point.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the cells are electrically connected in series.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein at least one of the cells in the plurality has been severed from the array.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the at least one missing cell is replaced with a thermoelectric cooler.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the adhesive sandwiches at least one electrical connection.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the battery pack is flexible in at least two dimensions.

17. An electronic device, comprising:

a user input device; and

a battery coupled to the input device, wherein the battery includes a plurality of cells that are substantially isolated from each other and one or more of the plurality of cells share an adhesive joint.

18. The electronic device of claim 17, wherein the plurality of cells are photovoltaic cells.

19. The electronic device of claim 17, wherein the plurality of cells are arranged in an array and at least one of the cells in the plurality is selected so that it has better electrical discharge characteristics than the rest of the cells in the plurality.

20. The electronic device of claim 19, wherein the plurality of cells includes at least one missing cell that is replaced with a camera.