BUS BAR FOR BATTERY PACKS

• US 20140255748A1
• Filed: 03/11/2013
• Published: 09/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Atieva, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Atieva, Inc.
• Inventors: Jan, James, Biskup, Richard J., Tsai, Benson
• Granted Patent: US 9,966,584 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 429/120
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/04 Construction or manufacture in general H01M10/058, H01M10/12, H01M10/28, H01M10/38 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0422 Cells or battery with cylindrical casing
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/123 Cells or batteries with cylindrical casing
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/283 Cells or batteries with two cup-shaped or cylindrical collectors H01M10/281 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/613 Cooling or keeping cold
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/625 Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/643 Cylindrical cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6551 Surfaces specially adapted for heat dissipation or radiation, e.g. fins or coatings
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6561 Gases
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6567 Liquids
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/20 Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• 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 50/271 Lids or covers for the racks or secondary casings
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/507 comprising an arrangement of two or more busbars within a container structure, e.g. busbar modules
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/516 by welding, soldering or brazing
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/522 Inorganic material
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49108 Electric battery cell making

Abstract

A battery pack has bus bars at one end, freeing the other end of the battery pack for cooling or other arrangements. A plurality of battery cells has first terminals of the battery cells at first ends of the battery cells. Portions of second terminals of the battery cells are at the first ends of the battery cells. The first ends of the battery cells are in a coplanar arrangement. A plurality of bus bars is assembled proximate to the first ends of the battery cells. The bus bars are coupled to the first terminals and the second terminals of the battery cells at the first ends of the battery cells to place the battery cells in one of a series connection, a parallel connection or a series and parallel connection.

Claims

1. A battery pack comprising:

a plurality of battery cells having first terminals of the battery cells at first ends of the plurality of battery cells and portions of second terminals of the battery cells at the first ends of the plurality of battery cells, with the first ends of the plurality of battery cells being in a coplanar arrangement; and

a plurality of bus bars disposed proximate to the first ends of the plurality of battery cells and coupled to the first terminals and the portions of the second terminals of the plurality of battery cells to place the plurality of battery cells in one of a series connection, a parallel connection, or a series and parallel connection.

2. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of battery cells comprises:

a positive terminal as a first terminal; and

a cylindrical can as a second terminal.

3. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein the plurality of bus bars is arranged as co-planar interleaved fingers.

4. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein the plurality of bus bars comprises:

stacked parallel plates separated by insulator material.

5. The battery pack of claim 4, wherein multiple bus bars are disposed on one layer of the stacked parallel plates.

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

a heat sink coupled to second ends of the plurality of battery cells, the second ends opposing the first ends and the second ends having a co-planar arrangement, and wherein the plurality of battery cells are rechargeable battery cells.

7. A battery pack comprising:

a cell holder;

a plurality of bus bars positioned at a first end of the cell holder; and

a plurality of battery cells arranged in the cell holder with each of the plurality of battery cells having a first terminal proximate to the plurality of bus bars and a portion of a second terminal proximate to the plurality of bus bars, the first terminal and the portion of the second terminal electrically coupled to the plurality of bus bars at a first end of the battery cell such that the plurality of battery cells is in one of a parallel connection, a series connection, or a parallel and series connection.

8. The battery pack of claim 7, wherein the plurality of bus bars includes a first bus bar, an insulator layer and a second bus bar, in a stacked parallel arrangement.

9. The battery pack of claim 8, wherein the first bus bar includes an aperture, the insulator layer includes an aperture, and the second bus bar includes an aperture, the aperture of the first bus bar, the aperture of the insulator layer, and the aperture of the second bus bar are aligned with each other, wherein a wire passes through each aperture to couple the second bus bar to one or more of the first terminal or the portion of the second terminal, and wherein the aperture of the first bus bar and the aperture of the second bus bar are larger than the aperture of the insulator.

10. The battery pack of claim 7, wherein the plurality of bus bars includes a first bus bar having first fingers and a co-planar second bus bar having second fingers, with the first fingers and the second fingers being interleaved in a planar arrangement.

11. The battery pack of claim 7, wherein each wire electrically coupling the plurality of bus bars to the first terminal or the portion of the second terminal of the battery cells has a length less than a length of each battery cell.

12. The battery pack of claim 7, wherein the plurality of bus bars includes:

a first bus bar coupled to a first one of the first terminals;

a second bus bar coplanar with the first bus bar, the second bus bar coupled to a first one of the second terminals and a second one of the first terminals; and

a third bus bar coupled to a second one of the second terminals, the third bus bar disposed over an insulator layer, the insulator layer disposed over the first bus bar and the second bus bar, wherein the third bus bar is coupled to the second one of the second terminals by a wire extending through aligned apertures of the first bus bar, the insulator layer and the third bus bar.

13. The battery pack of claim 7, wherein the battery pack is integrated into a rechargeable vehicle.

14. The battery pack of claim 7, further comprising a heat sink attached to an opposed second end of the cell holder.

15. The battery pack of claim 7, wherein the plurality of battery cells includes a first group of battery cells that are coupled in parallel, and includes a second group of battery cells that are coupled in parallel, which is in series with the first group.

16. A method of assembling a battery pack, comprising:

arranging a plurality of battery cells so that first ends of the plurality of battery cells are coplanar, each of the plurality of battery cells having a first terminal at the first end of the battery cell and a portion of a second terminal of opposite polarity at the first end of the battery cell;

arranging a plurality of bus bars adjacent to the coplanar first ends of the plurality of battery cells; and

coupling the plurality of bus bars to the first terminals and the second terminals of the plurality of battery cells, at the first ends of the plurality of battery cells, so that the plurality of battery cells is coupled in one of a series connection, a parallel connection, or a series and parallel connection.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

attaching a heat sink to thermally couple with second ends on the plurality of battery cells; and

flowing air across a surface of the heat sink.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the coupling comprises:

coupling a first one of the bus bars to the second terminals of a first group of the battery cells, via first bond wires;

coupling a second one of the bus bars to the first terminals of the first group of the battery cells, via second bond wires;

coupling the second one of the bus bars to the second terminals of a second group of the battery cells, via third bond wires; and

coupling a third one of the bus bars to the first terminals of the second group of the battery cells, via fourth bond wires.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein each of the bond wires has a length that is less than a length of any of the plurality of battery cells.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

passing the first bond wires or the third bond wires through apertures of the second one of the bus bars.