Flexible battery pack

• US 9,343,716 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2011
• Issued: 05/17/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Rothkopf, Fletcher, Pakula, David A., Jarvis, Daniel W., Raff, John, Franklin, Jeremy C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Eggerding, Alix
• Application Number:
  US13/339,733
• Publication Number:
  US 20130171490A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,601 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/048 Encapsulation of modules
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0436 Small-sized flat cells or batteries for portable equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/425 Structural combination with electronic components, e.g. electronic circuits integrated to the outside of the casing printed circuits H05K1/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/613 Cooling or keeping cold
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/623 Portable devices, e.g. mobile telephones, cameras or pacemakers
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/647 Prismatic or flat cells, e.g. pouch cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/657 by electric or electromagnetic means
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6572 Peltier elements or thermoelectric devices
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/30 Batteries in portable systems, e.g. mobile phone, laptop
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/103 prismatic or rectangular H01M50/109, H01M50/11 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/209 adapted for prismatic or rectangular cells H01M50/216 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/46 of flat cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/50 Photovoltaic [PV] energy
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 70/30 Systems combining energy storage with energy generation of non-fossil origin
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/10 Methods of surface bonding and/or assembly therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1082 Partial cutting bonded sandwich [e.g., grooving or incising]

Abstract

Flexible battery packs for use in electronic devices are disclosed. In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the flexible battery pack may include a plurality of cells, such as galvanic or photovoltaic cells. The battery pack also may include a plurality of laminate layers coupled to the cells that include a top laminate layer and a bottom laminate layer. An adhesive may be used to couple the top and bottom laminate layers together such that each of the plurality of cells is isolated from each other. This arrangement may allow the battery to be shaped to fit a form factor of the electronic device. This arrangement also may allow one or more of the cells to be selectively removed from the plurality, which may be desirable from a manufacturing perspective.

Claims

1. A flexible battery pack comprising:

a plurality of cells;

a conductive layer electrically connecting two adjacent cells;

a plurality of laminate layers enclosing the cells, the laminate layers comprising a top laminate layer and a bottom laminate layer;

a to adhesive layer adjacent to the to laminate layer; and

a bottom adhesive layer adjacent to the bottom laminate layer;

wherein the to adhesive layer and the bottom adhesive layer couple

the top and bottom laminate layers such that each of the plurality of cells is isolated from each other; and

the conductive layer is positioned between the top adhesive layer and the bottom adhesive layer.

2. The flexible battery pack of claim 1, wherein the plurality of cells comprise first and second cells, and wherein the top and bottom laminate layers form first and second enclosures about the first and second cells, and wherein the first and second enclosures are not of the same size.

3. The flexible battery pack of claim 1, wherein the plurality of cells are arranged in an array and at least one cell within the array is missing.

4. The flexible battery pack of claim 3, wherein a thermoelectric cooler replaces the at least one cell within the array that is missing.

5. The flexible battery pack of claim 3, wherein a flash replaces the at least one cell within the array that is missing.

6. The flexible battery pack of claim 3, wherein a camera replaces the at least one cell within the array that is missing.

7. The flexible battery pack of claim 1, wherein at least one of the cells in the plurality has been severed from the plurality of cells.

8. The flexible battery pack of claim 3, wherein the array include cells in the horizontal and vertical directions.

9. The flexible battery pack of claim 8, wherein the cells are electrically connected in parallel.

10. A flexible battery pack comprising:

a group of cells;

a top and a bottom laminate layer enclosing the group of cells;

a first adhesive layer adjacent the top laminate layer;

a second adhesive layer adjacent the bottom laminate layer, the first and second adhesive layers surrounding each of the plurality of cells to define a group of enclosures;

a conductive layer electrically connected to an adjacent pairs of cells of the group of cells, the conductive layer positioned between the first adhesive layer and the second adhesive layer; and

an electronic component;

wherein

each of the group of cells is positioned in a separate enclosure of the group of enclosures; and

the electronic component is positioned in one of the group of enclosures.

11. The flexible battery pack of claim 10 wherein:

the plurality of cells are arranged in an array; and

at least one of the cells in the plurality has better electrical discharge characteristics than the rest of the cells in the plurality.

12. The flexible battery pack of claim 10 wherein the first and second adhesive layers define a hinge point between two adjacent enclosures, thereby allowing the battery pack to be folded at the hinge point.

13. The flexible battery pack of claim 10 wherein a least one of the laminate layers is a heat sink.

14. The flexible battery pack of claim 10 wherein the battery pack is flexible in at least two dimensions.

15. The flexible battery pack of claim 10 wherein the battery pack comprises a geometric pattern.

16. The flexible battery pack of claim 10, wherein said electronic component is a camera.

17. A flexible battery pack comprising:

a plurality of battery cells;

a flexible top laminate layer and a flexible bottom laminate layer surrounding the plurality of cells;

an adhesive layer disposed between the top laminate layer and the bottom laminate layer, the adhesive layer surrounding each of the plurality of battery cells; and

a conductive layer electrically connected to an adjacent pair of cells of the plurality of cells, the conductive layer positioned within the adhesive layer, wherein and

the top laminate layer and the bottom laminate layer are folded.

18. The flexible battery pack of claim 17 wherein the battery cells comprise galvanic cells or photovoltaic cells.