Weldless surface mounted interconnect

• US 5,250,371 A
• Filed: 12/24/1991
• Issued: 10/05/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Amero, Willard F. Jr., Hackenberg, John H., Gyenes, Russell E., Kleinert, Raymond J. III
• Primary Examiner(s): KALAFUT, STEPHEN J
• Application Number:
  US07/812,925
• Time in Patent Office: 651 Days
• Field of Search: 429/99, 429/100, 455/343
• US Class Current: 429/99
• 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 50/50 Current conducting connections for cells or batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/325 by abutting or pinching, i.e. without alloying process; mechanical auxiliary parts therefor adaptations of leads inserted in holes for press-fit connections H05K3/308
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A weldless battery pack (10) comprises a housing (14) having a flexible circuit (16) inserted within the housing. The flexible circuit has at least one spring contact (20) integrally formed on the flexible circuit. Inside the housing is a plurality of cells (12) interconnected by at least one of the spring contacts (20) formed on the flexible circuit.

Claims

1. A weldless battery pack, comprising:

a housing;

an independent flexible circuit inserted into said housing;

at least one spring contact integrally formed on the flexible circuit; and

a plurality of cells within said housing so that at least two cells include a first end and a second end wherein the first end of one cell is connected to the second end of an adjacent cell by a spring means for reducing intermittency between said cells and said flexible circuit.

2. The weldless battery pack of claim 1, wherein said spring means comprises a popple contact having a flat portion coupled to the negative terminal of a cell and a domed portion coupled to the positive terminal of an adjacent cell.

3. The weldless battery pack of claim 1, wherein said spring means comprises a disc-shaped wedge spring having a cantilever member protruding from the base for placement between at least some of said plurality of cells.

4. The weldless battery pack of claim 1, wherein said at least one spring contact integrally formed on the flexible circuit is soldered to the flexible circuit.

5. A spring loaded battery assembly 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;

a flexible circuit for retaining and coupling said cell;

a spring contact integrally formed in on said flexible circuit and coupled to said cell for biasing said negative terminal towards a positive terminal of another cell.

a plurality of cells within said housing so that at least two cells include a first end and a second end wherein the first end of one cell is connected to the second end of an adjacent cell by a spring means for reducing intermittency between said cells and said flexible circuit.

6. The spring loaded battery assembly of claim 5, wherein said spring means comprises a popple contact having a flat portion coupled to the negative terminal of said cell and a domed portion coupled to the positive terminal of an adjacent cell.

7. The spring loaded battery assembly of claim 5, 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 flexible circuit.

8. The spring loaded battery assembly of claim 5, wherein the spring means comprises a disc-shaped wedge spring having a cantilever member protruding from the base for placement between at least some of said plurality of cells.

9. The spring loaded battery assembly of claim 5, wherein said spring contact is soldered to the flexible circuit.

10. A radio assembly having a weldless battery pack as a power source, comprising:

a radio;

a battery pack housing able to couple to said radio;

a flexible circuit inserted into said housing;

at least one spring contact integrally formed on the flexible circuit; and

a plurality of cells within said housing so that at least two cells include a first end and a second end wherein the first end of one cell is connected to the second end of an adjacent cell by a spring means for reducing intermittency between said cells and said flexible circuit.

11. The radio assembly of claim 10, wherein said spring means comprises a popple contact having a flat portion coupled to the negative terminal of a cell and a domed portion coupled to the positive terminal of an adjacent cell.

12. The radio assembly of claim 10, wherein said spring means comprises a disc-shaped wedge spring having a cantilever member protruding from the base for placement between at least some of said plurality of cells.

13. The radio assembly of claim 10, wherein said at least one spring contact integrally formed on the flexible circuit is soldered to the flexible circuit.