Portable computer battery structures

• US 8,506,322 B2
• Filed: 04/27/2012
• Issued: 08/13/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Spare, Bradley L., Hillman, Michael D., Coish, Robert L., Ligtenberg, Chris
• Primary Examiner(s): Paumen, Gary F.
• Application Number:
  US13/458,581
• Publication Number:
  US 20120214035A1
• Time in Patent Office: 473 Days
• Field of Search: 439/500, 439/660, 439/504
• US Class Current: 439/500
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/224 Metals
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/233 characterised by physical properties of casings or racks, e.g. dimensions
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/247 specially adapted for portable devices, e.g. mobile phones, computers, hand tools or pacemakers
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/291 characterised by their shape
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/298 characterised by the wiring of battery packs
• 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: H01M 6/42 Grouping of primary cells into batteries H01M6/40 takes precedence

Abstract

Portable computer battery structures are provided. The portable computer battery structures may include a battery with a metal enclosure and a battery cable with a floating end. The battery may have six cells. Three pairs of parallel-connected cells may be connected together in series. The six cells may be substantially planar in shape. The battery may have a connector with at least five conductive pins and six recesses. The battery cable may have a cable with at least five conductive pins that mate with the five pins of the battery'"'"'s connector and with six support pins that slide into the six recesses of the battery'"'"'s connector. The batter connector may be formed on a printed circuit board substrate that folds over on itself.

Claims

1. A laptop computer battery connector structure comprising:

a rigid flex substrate in a battery; and

a battery connector mounted to the rigid flex substrate.

2. The laptop computer battery connector structure defined in claim 1 wherein the laptop computer battery connector structure is in the battery, wherein the battery is for a laptop computer, wherein the battery connector electrically connects the battery to the laptop computer, wherein the battery connector is substantially rectangular and has a length, and wherein the battery connector comprises:

at least five conductive contacts formed along the length of the battery connector that are configured to receive corresponding conductive pins from an external connector, wherein the battery connector is configured to form six recesses that surround corresponding support pins in the external connector when the external connector is coupled to the battery connector.

3. The laptop computer battery connector structure defined in claim 2 wherein each of the five conductive contacts is located between a respective pair of the six recesses and wherein the battery connector further comprises a grounding contact that is formed along an outside edge of one of the two recesses and that is not between any two of the five conductive contacts.

4. The laptop computer battery connector structure defined in claim 2 wherein each of the five conductive contacts is located between a respective pair of the six recesses and wherein the battery connector further comprises a conductive contact that is formed along an outside edge of one of the recesses that is not between any two of the five conductive contacts.

5. The laptop computer battery connector structure defined in claim 2, wherein the battery produces a ground signal from battery cells that each produce a voltage, a first intermediate power supply voltage at the voltage of one battery cell, a second intermediate power supply voltage at the voltage of two battery cells connected in series, and a power supply voltage from three battery cells connected together in series and wherein the five conductive contacts are configured to receive the ground signal, the first intermediate power supply voltage, the second intermediate power supply voltage, the power supply voltage, and data signals.

6. The laptop computer battery connector structure defined in claim 1 wherein the battery connector comprises:

at least five conductive contacts that are configured to receive corresponding conductive pins from an external connector.

7. The laptop computer battery connector structure defined in claim 6, wherein the laptop computer battery connector structure is in the battery, wherein the battery includes battery cells that each produce a voltage, wherein the battery produces, from the battery cells, a ground signal, a first power supply voltage, a second power supply voltage, and a third power supply voltage, wherein the third power supply voltage is greater than the second power supply voltage, wherein the second power supply voltage is greater than the first power supply voltage, and wherein the five conductive contacts are configured to convey the ground signal, the first power supply voltage, the second power supply voltage, and the third power supply voltage, and data signals.

8. The laptop computer battery connector structure defined in claim 1 wherein the rigid flex substrate comprises at least two rigid printed circuit board layers and at least one flex circuit layer sandwiched between the two rigid printed circuit board layers.

9. The laptop computer battery connector structure defined in claim 1 wherein the rigid flex substrate comprises:

a first portion including a flex circuit layer;

a second portion including at least first and second rigid printed circuit board layers and the flex circuit layer, wherein the flex circuit layer extends into the second portion between the first and second rigid printed circuit board layers; and

a third portion including at least third and fourth rigid printed circuit board layers and the flex circuit layer, wherein the flex circuit layer extends into the third portion between the third and fourth rigid printed circuit board layers.

10. A battery connector structure comprising:

a first conductive contact that conveys a ground signal generated by a battery that includes a plurality of battery cells that each produce a voltage;

a second conductive contact that conveys a first intermediate power supply voltage, generated by the battery, at the voltage of one battery cell;

a third conductive contact that conveys a second intermediate power supply voltage, generated by the battery, at the voltage of two battery cells connected in series;

a fourth conductive contact that conveys data signals; and

a fifth conductive contact that conveys a power supply voltage from three battery cells connected together in series.

11. The battery connector structure defined in claim 10 wherein the battery connector structure comprises a battery connector structure in a cable coupled between circuitry in a laptop computer and a battery in the laptop computer.

12. The battery connector structure defined in claim 10 further comprising:

a sixth conductive contact operable as a grounding contact.

13. The battery connector structure defined in claim 10 further comprising:

a first support pin between the first and second conductive contacts;

a second support pin between the second and third conductive contacts;

a third support pin between the third and fourth conductive contacts; and

a fourth support pin between the fourth and fifth conductive contacts.

14. The battery connector structure defined in claim 13 further comprising:

sixth and seventh conductive contacts operable as grounding contacts;

a fifth support pin between the first and sixth conductive contacts; and

a sixth support pin between the fifth and seventh conductive contacts.

15. The battery connector structure defined in claim 14 wherein the first, second, third, and fourth support pins are each the same size.

16. The battery connector structure defined in claim 15 wherein the fifth and sixth support pins are each the same size and wherein the fifth and sixth support pins are larger than the first, second, third, and fourth support pins.

17. A battery comprising:

a rigid flex substrate; and

a battery connector mounted to the rigid flex substrate, wherein the battery connector comprises at least five conductive contacts that are configured to receive corresponding conductive pins from an external connector and that are configured to convey different signals.

18. The battery defined in claim 17 wherein a first one of the five conductive contacts is configured to convey data signals and wherein the battery connector structure is in a battery for a portable computer.

19. The battery defined in claim 18 wherein the battery comprises at least three battery cells connected together.

20. The battery defined in claim 19 wherein the battery is operable to produce, from the battery cells, a ground signal, a first intermediate power supply voltage at the voltage of one battery cell, a second intermediate power supply voltage at the voltage of two battery cells connected in series, and a power supply voltage from three battery cells connected together in series.

21. The battery defined in claim 20 wherein a second one of the five conductive contacts is configured to convey the ground signal, wherein a third one of the five conductive contacts is configured to convey the first intermediate power supply voltage, wherein a fourth one of the five conductive contacts is configured to convey the second intermediate power supply voltage, and wherein a fifth one of the five conductive contacts is configured to convey the power supply voltage from the three battery cells connected together in series.

22. The battery defined in claim 17 wherein the rigid flex substrate comprises at least two rigid printed circuit board layers and at least one flex circuit layer between the two rigid printed circuit board layers.