Battery box with a metal plastic laminate end

• US 6,337,154 B1
• Filed: 09/24/1999
• Issued: 01/08/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Electrovaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Electrofuel, Inc.
• Inventors: Dasgupta, Sankar, Jacobs, James K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kalafut, Stephen
• Assistant Examiner(s): TSANG FOSTER, SUSY N
• Application Number:
  US09/404,602
• Time in Patent Office: 837 Days
• Field of Search: 429/99, 429/127, 429/100, 429/152-154, 429/158-160, 429/162-163, 429/170-171, 429/175-176, 429/178-181, 429/185
• US Class Current: 429/175
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/052 Li-accumulators
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/103 prismatic or rectangular H01M50/109, H01M50/11 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/141 for protecting against humidity
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/55 on the same side of the cell
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/553 Terminals adapted for prismatic, pouch or rectangular cells
• 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

Abstract

A battery box sealable against moisture and oxygen ingress and liquid electrolyte egress. The battery box includes a first end, a second end opposite the first end, and sidewalls extending between the first and second ends to define a chamber for housing a number of rechargeable lithium battery cells. The first end and the sidewalls are metallic and have a substantially moisture and oxygen gas impervious joint between them. The second end is of a metal plastic laminate joinable to the sidewalls by a joining medium to form a substantially moisture and oxygen impervious joint therebetween. The second end has electrical connectors extending through it which enable substantially moisture and gas impervious connection to be made between current collectors of the lithium battery cells and the outside of the battery box.

Claims

1. A battery box sealable against moisture and oxygen ingress and liquid electrolyte egress, said battery box comprising:

a first end, a second end opposite said first end and side walls extending between said first and second ends to define a chamber for housing a plurality of lithium battery cells;

said first end and said side walls being metallic and having a substantially moisture and oxygen gas impervious, joint therebetween;

said second end being joinable to said side walls by a joining medium to form a substantially moisture and oxygen impervious joint therebetween;

said second end having electrical connectors extending therethrough which permit substantially moisture and oxygen gas impervious connection to be made between current collectors of said lithium battery cells and an outside of said battery box;

said second end further having a substantially moisture and oxygen impervious metallic inner foil layer laminated over a non-conductive, substantially rigid substrate, said inner foil layer covering substantially all of said substrate but having a plurality of discrete connector areas electrically isolated from the remainder of said inner foil layer by respective breaches in said inner foil layer;

an insulating coating extending over said inner foil layer leaving an exposed edge of foil extending about said second end for securement to said side walls;

said electrical connectors extending between said discrete connector areas and said outside of said battery box;

a substantially oxygen and moisture impervious overlay covering each said breach and having an opening therethrough extending about and spaced apart from said electrical connectors.

2. The battery box as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

said second end is manufactured from a foil/plastic/foil printed circuit board;

said insulating coating over said foil is a plastic laminate;

said breaches are etched out of said inner foil layer prior to application of said insulating coating;

said connectors are through plated openings;

said second end has an outer foil layer on an opposite side of substrate from said inner foil layer;

said outer foil layer is divided by gaps therein into a plurality of discrete conductor strips electrically isolated one from another, each said conductor strip electrically

communicating with a respective of said connectors and terminating in a respective battery terminal; and

,

said first and second ends are joinable to said side walls by soldering to form said substantially moisture and oxygen gas impervious joints therebetween.

3. The battery box as claimed in claim 2, further having a sealable port therethrough for evacuation of said battery box.

4. A rechargeable lithium battery comprising a plurality of rechargeable lithium battery cells hermetically sealed in the battery box as claimed in claims 1, 2 or 3.

5. The rechargeable lithium battery as claimed in claim 4 wherein each said rechargeable lithium battery cell comprises;

positive and negative electrodes, an electrolyte and positive and negative current collectors;

said rechargeable lithium battery cells are stacked in said battery box with an insulating medium between adjacent of said cell units and between said cell units and said battery box;

said current collectors are connected in series and to said connectors.

6. The rechargeable lithium battery as claimed in claim 5 wherein:

said electrolyte is a liquid;

each said rechargeable lithium battery cell is sealed in a non-conducting electrolyte impervious pouch;

respective leads extend from each said positive and negative current collector through said pouch in an electrolyte impervious manner.

7. The rechargeable lithium battery as claimed in claim 5 wherein said battery box is filled with a potting material.

8. The rechargeable lithium battery as claimed in claim 6 wherein said battery box is filled with a potting material.

9. The rechargeable lithium battery as claimed in claim 6 further having electronic circuitry inside of said box connected to said rechargeable lithium battery cells to monitor charging and discharging.