BATTERY ARCHITECTURE IN AN ELECTRONIC DEVICE

• US 20180083322A1
• Filed: 09/21/2017
• Published: 03/22/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: PAKULA, David A., JARVIS, Daniel W., STEPHENS, Gregory N., SPRAGGS, Ian A., BERTIN, James A., BENNETT, Eric M., HELMORE, Simon C., WAH, Melissa A., HILL, Matthew D., HOUSOUR, Jon F., FOURNIER, Douglas G., TOMASETTA, Christopher S.
• Granted Patent: US 10,701,833 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/302 Conductive
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2457/20 Displays, e.g. liquid crystal displays, plasma displays
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1637 Details related to the display arrangement, including those related to the mounting of the display in the housing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1643 the display being associated to a digitizer, e.g. laptops that can be used as penpads details related to the relative motion of the display enclosure with respect to the body enclosure, e.g. to move between laptop and tablet PC configuration G06F1/1615
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04112 Electrode mesh in capacitive digitiser: electrode for touch sensing is formed of a mesh of very fine, normally metallic, interconnected lines that are almost invisible to see. This provides a quite large but transparent electrode surface, without need for ITO or similar transparent conductive material
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/30 Batteries in portable systems, e.g. mobile phone, laptop
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/183 Sealing members
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/247 specially adapted for portable devices, e.g. mobile phones, computers, hand tools or pacemakers
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0216 Reduction of cross-talk, noise or electromagnetic interference grounding H05K1/0215
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/144 Stacked arrangements of planar printed circuit boards
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/148 Arrangements of two or more hingeably connected rigid printed circuit boards, i.e. connected by flexible means
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/042 Stacked spaced PCBs; Planar parts of folded flexible circuits having mounted components in between or spaced from each other
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10242 Metallic cylinders small solder preforms other than balls H05K2203/0415
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10257 Hollow pieces of metal, e.g. used in connection between component and PCB
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20481 characterised by the material composition exhibiting specific thermal properties
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20963 Heat transfer by conduction from internal heat source to heat radiating structure H05K7/20972 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 9/0033 disposed on both PCB faces
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

An electronic device having a battery assembly is disclosed. Unlike traditional battery assemblies that include rectilinear electrodes with two sides of equal length, the battery assemblies described herein may include electrodes having a shape/configuration resembling an L-shape electrode used to form chemical reactions in order to generate electrical energy. However, other shapes/configurations are possible. The shape/configuration of the housing of the battery assembly confirms to the shape/configuration of the electrodes. Further, in order to accommodate an internal component (such as a circuit board assembly), the shape of the battery assembly provides additional space in the electronic device. In order to form the electrodes, the electrodes may undergo a die cutting operation. Also, the housing may include a channel, or reduced dimension, that accommodates a flexible circuit in the electronic device that passes over the battery assembly at the channel.

Claims

1. A battery assembly for an electronic device, the battery assembly comprising:

a housing that defines a cavity; and

a single piece electrode disposed in the cavity, the single piece electrode having a shape that includes;

a first wall characterized as having a first dimension,

a second wall characterized as having a second dimension that is different than the first dimension, the second wall being parallel to the first wall, and

a third wall that joins together the first wall and the second wall, wherein the housing conforms to the shape of the single piece electrode.

2. The battery assembly of claim 1, wherein:

the single piece electrode further comprises a fourth wall extending from one of the first wall and the second wall, the fourth wall being parallel to the third wall,

the third wall characterized as having a third dimension, and

the fourth wall characterized as having a fourth dimension different than the third dimension.

3. The battery assembly of claim 2, wherein the first wall, the second wall, the third wall, and the fourth wall combine to at least partially define the shape as an L-shape.

4. The battery assembly of claim 2, wherein the single piece electrode further comprises a fifth wall characterized as having a fifth dimension, the fifth wall parallel with respect to the third wall and the fourth wall.

5. The battery assembly of claim 1, wherein the single piece electrode is a first single piece electrode, and wherein the battery assembly further comprises:

a second single piece electrode; and

a separator positioned between the first single piece electrode and the second single piece electrode, wherein the second single piece electrode and the separator have a size and shape in accordance with the shape of the first single piece electrode.

6. The battery assembly of claim 5, further comprising a through hole formed in the housing, the through hole defined by:

a first opening in the first single piece electrode;

a second opening in the second single piece electrode, the second opening aligned with the first opening; and

a third opening in the separator, the third opening aligned with the first opening and the second opening.

7. The battery assembly of claim 1, further comprising:

a channel formed in the housing; and

a circuit board positioned in the cavity in a location corresponding to the channel.

8. An electronic device, comprising:

an enclosure defining an internal volume;

a battery assembly disposed in the internal volume, the battery assembly comprising;

a first edge,

a second edge separate from the first edge, and

a channel;

a circuit board assembly at least partially positioned between the first edge and the second edge;

an internal component; and

a flexible circuit electrically coupled to the circuit board assembly, the flexible circuit passing over the battery assembly along the channel and connecting to the internal component such that the internal component is electrically coupled with the circuit board assembly.

9. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the battery assembly further comprises an electrode that includes:

a first rectangular portion symmetrically disposed about a first longitudinal axis; and

a second rectangular portion disposed about a second longitudinal axis that is perpendicular with respect to the first longitudinal axis.

10. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the first rectangular portion includes a first wall parallel to the first longitudinal axis, the first wall having a first dimension, and wherein the second rectangular portion includes a second wall parallel to the second longitudinal axis, the second wall having a second dimension less than the first dimension.

11. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the electrode further comprises a third rectangular portion that is parallel with respect to the second rectangular portion and perpendicular with respect to the first rectangular portion.

12. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the battery assembly further comprises a circuit board positioned in a location corresponding to the channel.

13. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the internal component is a first internal component, and wherein the electronic device further comprises a second internal component disposed within the internal volume, wherein a portion of the battery assembly elevates over the second internal component to cover the second internal component.

14. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the internal component is a first internal component, and wherein the electronic device further comprises a second internal component, wherein the battery assembly includes an opening, and wherein the second internal component is positioned in the opening.

15. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the internal component comprises an audio module.

16. A method for assembling a battery assembly for an electronic device, the method comprising:

providing a housing that defines a cavity;

cutting a single piece electrode to a shape that includes;

a first wall having a first dimension,

a second wall having a second dimension that is different than the first dimension, the second wall being parallel to the first wall, and

a third wall that joins together the first wall and the second wall; and

inserting the single piece electrode into the cavity, wherein the housing conforms to the shape of the single piece electrode.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein providing the housing comprises forming a channel in the housing.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein cutting the single piece electrode comprises die cutting the single piece electrode, wherein die cutting the single piece electrode comprises:

forming a first rectangular portion; and

forming a second rectangular portion that extends from, and is perpendicular to, the first rectangular portion.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising forming a through hole in the battery assembly, the through hole defined by an opening in the housing and an opening in the single piece electrode.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein cutting the single piece electrode cutting a first single piece electrode, and wherein the method further comprises:

inserting a second single piece electrode into the cavity; and

inserting a separator into the cavity between the first single piece electrode and the second single piece electrode, wherein the second single piece electrode and the separator include a size and shape in accordance with the shape of the first single piece electrode.