Battery Pack Including Fluid Resistant Over Mold

• US 20140356651A1
• Filed: 02/07/2013
• Published: 12/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: A123 Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: A123 Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Ciaccio, Michael P.
• Granted Patent: US 10,263,300 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 429/7
• 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 10/482 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/625 Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/63 Control systems charging or discharging in response to temperature H01M10/44 , H01M10/443; measurement of temperature H01M10/48 , H01M10/486
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/647 Prismatic or flat cells, e.g. pouch cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6554 Rods or plates
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6568 characterised by flow circuits, e.g. loops, located externally to the cells or cell casings
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/667 the system being an electronic component, e.g. a CPU, an inverter or a capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2010/4271 Battery management systems including electronic circuits, e.g. control of current or voltage to keep battery in healthy state, cell balancing
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2200/103 Fuse
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/20 Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/211 adapted for pouch cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/24 adapted for protecting batteries from their environment, e.g. from corrosion thermal insulation H01M10/658
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/284 with incorporated circuit boards, e.g. printed circuit boards [PCB]
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/296 characterised by terminals of battery packs terminals of batteries H01M50/543
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/298 characterised by the wiring of battery packs
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/569 Constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals battery terminal connectors with integrated measuring arrangements G01R31/364
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A battery pack for supplying energy to propel a vehicle is disclosed. In one example, a battery pack includes a thermoplastic over mold for providing resistance to liquid is disclosed. The battery pack may have increased resistance to battery pack degradation.

Claims

1. A battery pack, comprising:

a plurality of non-aqueous electrolyte battery cells;

a liquid cooling circuit including a liquid heat transfer medium, the liquid cooling circuit in thermal communication with at least one of the plurality of non-aqueous electrolyte battery cells;

electrical circuitry in electrical communication with the plurality of non-aqueous electrolyte battery cells; and

a fluid resistant over mold encapsulating at least a portion of the electrical circuitry away from the liquid heat transfer medium.

2. The battery pack of claim 1, where the fluid resistant over mold encapsulates a charge monitor and balancing board.

3. The battery pack of claim 1, where the electrical circuitry includes fuses.

4. The battery pack of claim 1, where the fluid resistant over mold encapsulates at least a portion of a plurality of conductors extending between at least two battery cells and a charge monitor and balancing board.

5. The battery pack of claim 1, where the fluid resistant over mold is comprised of a thermoplastic.

6. The battery pack of claim 4, where the fluid resistant over mold is applied via a low pressure injection mold.

7. The battery pack of claim 1, where at least a portion of the liquid heat transfer medium is comprised of water.

8. A battery pack, comprising:

a plurality of non-aqueous electrolyte battery cells;

a liquid cooling circuit including a liquid heat transfer medium, the liquid cooling circuit in thermal communication with at least one of the plurality of non-aqueous electrolyte battery cells;

a group of conductors in electrical communication with the plurality of non-aqueous electrolyte battery cells and a printed circuit board; and

a fluid resistant over mold covering at least a portion of the group of conductors, the fluid resistant over mold positioned between the group of conductors and the liquid heat transfer medium.

9. The battery pack of claim 8, where the group of conductors are bundled into a wiring harness, and where the fluid resistant over mold covers at least a portion of the wiring harness.

10. The battery pack of claim 9, where conductors within the group of conductors are positioned with respect to other conductors within the group of conductors so that less than a threshold voltage exists between adjacent conductors.

11. The battery pack of claim 10, where the fluid resistant over mold provides a threshold distance between adjacent conductors.

12. The battery pack of claim 8, where the group of conductors are arranged on at least one printed circuit board.

13. The battery pack of claim 12, where the group of conductors are arranged on two or more printed circuit boards and where the fluid resistant over mold extends between the two or more printed circuit boards.

14. The battery pack of claim 8, where the printed circuit board is charge monitor and balancing board.

15. The battery pack of claim 14, where at least a portion of the charge monitor and balancing board is covered by the fluid resistant over mold.

16. The battery pack of claim 15, where an input connector and an output connector of the charge monitor and balancing board are covered by the fluid resistant over mold.

17. A battery pack, comprising:

a plurality of non-aqueous electrolyte battery cells;

a liquid cooling circuit including a liquid heat transfer medium, the liquid cooling circuit in thermal communication with at least one of the plurality of non-aqueous electrolyte battery cells;

a group of conductors in electrical communication with the plurality of non-aqueous electrolyte battery cells and a printed circuit board; and

a fluid resistant over mold covering at least a portion of the group of conductors and maintaining positions of at least a portion of the group of conductors according to positions of at least a portion of the plurality of non-aqueous electrolyte battery cells.

18. The battery pack of claim 17, where the group of conductors are fused.

19. The battery pack of claim 17, where at least a portion of the group of conductors are battery cell voltage sense conductors, and where the fluid resistant over mold is an electrically insulating thermoplastic, where the electrically insulating thermoplastic is an electrostatic discharge insulator.

22. The battery pack of claim 17, further comprising a connector positioned between at least one of the group of conductors and the printed circuit board, and where the fluid resistant over mold covers the connector.

20-21. -21. (canceled)