Shock absorbing battery cell interconnect

• US 5,169,733 A
• Filed: 07/08/1991
• Issued: 12/08/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Aksoy, Adnan, Savovic, Niko M.
• Primary Examiner(s): KALAFUT, STEPHEN J
• Application Number:
  US07/726,499
• Time in Patent Office: 519 Days
• Field of Search: 429/65, 429/99, 429/157, 429/159
• US Class Current: 429/157
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/107 having curved cross-section, e.g. round or elliptic H01M50/103, H01M50/109, H01M50/11 take precedence
• 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 50/503 characterised by the shape of the interconnectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/51 Connection only in series
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/522 Inorganic material
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A shock absorbing battery pack (5) comprises a battery housing (15) having a plurality of cells within the housing. The cells each have a negative cell terminal (24) coupled to a can (20) and a positive cell terminal (22). Between the cell terminal resides a spring means (12) for providing shock absorption.

Claims

1. A shock absorbing battery pack, comprising:

a battery housing;

a plurality of cells, said cells each having a positive cell terminal and a negative cell terminal coupled to a can; and

a spring means between said cell terminals for providing shock absorption between cells, said spring means comprising a metallic snap fit cell clip having a first portion for snapping to the can of said cell, and a second portion being a spring for covering said negative terminal, said first and second portions being electrically coupled by a metallic stem.

2. The shock absorbing battery pack of claim 1, wherein said second portion comprises a popple contact having a flat portion coupled to the negative terminal of a cell and a domed portion coupled to the postive terminal of an adjacent cell.

3. A shock absorbing battery pack, comprising:

a battery housing;

a plurality of cells, said cells each having a positive cell terminal and a negative cell terminal coupled to a can; and

a spring means between said cell terminals for providing shock absorption between cells, wherein said spring means comprises a substantially L shaped metallic bracket having a first leaf spring on a horizontal member biased towards said cell can, a second leaf spring on a vertical member biased for coupling said negative terminal on said cell to a positive terminal on an adjacent cell, and a means for entrenching said bracket into said battery housing.

4. The shock absorbing battery pack of claim 3, wherein said means for entrenching comprises a protruding member for entrenching the bracket onto the housing.

5. A spring for reducing battery intercell contact intermittency, comprising:

a cell having a negative terminal and a positive terminal, said negative terminal being coupled to a cell can; and

a spring means coupled to said cell for biasing said negative terminal towards a positive terminal of another cell, wherein said spring means comprises a substantially L shaped metallic bracket having a first leaf spring on a horizontal member biased towards said cell can, a second leaf spring on a vertical member biased for coupling said negative terminal on said cell to a positive terminal on an adjacent cell, and a means for entrenching said bracket into said battery housing.

6. The spring of claim 5, wherein said second leaf spring comprises a popple contact having a flat portion coupled to the negative terminal of said cell and a domed portion coupled to the postive terminal of an adjacent cell.