Method of laser welding the housing of a rechargeable battery

• US 9,419,462 B2
• Filed: 08/14/2015
• Issued: 08/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stryker Corporation
• Original Assignee: Stryker Corporation
• Inventors: Sollanek, Jeff
• Primary Examiner(s): BOATENG, ALEXIS ASIEDUA
• Application Number:
  US14/826,753
• Publication Number:
  US 20150357613A1
• Time in Patent Office: 368 Days
• Field of Search: 320/107, 320/110, 320/111, 320/112, 320/113, 320/114, 320/115, 320/132, 320/137, 320/134, 320/135, 320/136
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/14 Surgical saws A61B17/1637 takes precedence; tooth saws A61C3/12 ; Accessories therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00734 battery operated
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/42 Methods or arrangements for servicing or maintenance of secondary cells or secondary half-cells H01M10/60 takes precedence
• 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 10/4257 Smart batteries, e.g. electronic circuits inside the housing of the cells or batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/44 Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/46 Accumulators structurally combined with charging apparatus circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/48 Accumulators combined with arrangements for measuring, testing or indicating the condition of cells, e.g. the level or density of the electrolyte constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals, H01M50/569
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2010/4271 Battery management systems including electronic circuits, e.g. control of current or voltage to keep battery in healthy state, cell balancing
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2200/00 Safety devices for primary or secondary batteries
• 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 50/574 Devices or arrangements for the interruption of current
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2207/10 Control circuit supply, e.g. means for supplying power to the control circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/22 The load being a portable electronic device
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00036 Charger exchanging data with battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00047 with provisions for charging different types of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0045 concerning the insertion or the connection of the batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00714 in response to battery charging or discharging current
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007194 of the battery
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4911 : including sealing

Abstract

A rechargeable battery including a housing formed from two components formed from polyphenysulfone plastic. One housing component has a lip that is located inwardly of the other housing component. The housing components are further formed so that photonic energy at a select wavelength passes through the outer component and is absorbed by the lip of the second component. Once a rechargeable cell is placed in in one of the housing components, the housing components are placed together so the lip of the second component abuts an inner surface of the first component. Photonic energy at the select wavelength is directed to the joint between the components. The photonic energy passes through the first component and heats the lip of the second component. The heat causes the lip to melt. The melting plastic forms a hermetic weld between the housing components.

Claims

1. A method of assembling a rechargeable battery, said method including the step of:

providing a first housing component, the first housing component formed from a polyphenysulfone plastic that does not appreciably interfere with the transmission of photonic energy at a select wavelength and that is formed to have an outer surface, an edge around the outer surface and an inner face that extends from the edge and is located inwardly from the outer surface;

providing a second housing component, the second housing component formed from a polyphenysulfone plastic that absorbs photonic energy emitted at the select wavelength and that is formed to have an outer surface and a lip that extends outwardly from and is located inwardly of the outer surface of the second housing component and wherein the first and second housing components are collectively shaped so that when the housing components are placed together;

the lip of the second housing component abuts the inner face of the first housing component; and

adjacent where the lip and the inner face of the first housing component abut there is a void, the void being located inwardly of the outer surfaces of the housing components;

placing at least one rechargeable cell in one of the housing components and connecting the cell to terminals mounted to one of the housing components;

placing the housing components together so the lip of the second housing component abuts the inner face of the first housing component;

directing photonic energy at the select wavelength towards the outer surface of the first housing component so that the photonic energy passes through the first housing component and is absorbed by the lip of the second housing component, so that;

the photonic energy heats the lip so as to cause the melting of the lip and the transfer of thermal energy to the first housing component so as to form a weld joint along the interface between where the lip of the second housing component abuts the inner face of the first housing component; and

flash formed by said welding flows into the void between the first and second housing components.

2. The method of assembling a rechargeable battery of claim 1, further including the step of placing a pressure on the housing components so that, during said welding step, the inner surface of the first housing component and the lip of the second housing component are pressed together.

3. The method of assembling a rechargeable battery of claim 2, wherein said step of placing a pressure on the housing components is performed simultaneously with said step of directing photonic energy at the first housing component.

4. The method of assembling a rechargeable battery of claim 1, wherein:

in said step of providing the first housing component, the first housing component that is provided is further shaped so that the inner face is tapered; and

in said step of providing the second housing component, the second housing component that is provided is further shaped so that the lip has a face surface that has a taper complementary to the taper of the inner face of the first housing component so that, as a result of said step of placing the housing components together, the tapered face surface of the lip of the second housing component abuts the tapered inner face of the first housing component.

5. The method of assembling a rechargeable battery of claim 4, wherein, simultaneously with said step of directing the photonic energy towards the outer surface of the first housing component, placing a pressure on one of the housing components so that the tapered inner face of the first housing component and the tapered face surface of the lip of the second housing component are pressed together.

6. The method of assembling a rechargeable battery of claim 1, further including the step of, prior to said step of placing the housing components together, placing a microcontroller that is powered by and connected to said at least one rechargeable cell in one of the housing components.

7. The method of assembling a rechargeable battery of claim 1, wherein:

in said steps of providing the first housing component and the second housing component;

one of the first or second housing components is provided with a reveal that is spaced from where the weld joint between the housing components is formed and that is directed to an adjacent surface of the other one of the second or first housing components;

the housing components are collectively shaped so that, as a result of performing said step of placing the housing components together, the housing component on which the reveal is not formed is spaced away from the reveal; and

during said formation of the weld joint, the housing components are urged together and the abutment of the housing components is stopped by the abutment of the housing component that is not formed with the reveal against the reveal.

8. The method of assembling a rechargeable battery of claim 1, wherein, as a result of said step of directing photonic energy towards the outer surface of the first housing component, the weld joint that forms between the housing components is a hermetic weld joint.

9. The method of assembling a rechargeable battery of claim 1, wherein, in said step of providing the second housing component, the second housing component that is provided contains a dye, the dye being formed from material that absorbs photonic energy emitted at the select wavelength.

10. The method of assembling a rechargeable battery of claim 1, wherein:

in said step of providing the first housing component, the first housing component that is provided contains a dye that is opaque at visible wavelengths and that is transparent at the select wavelength; and

in said step of providing the second housing component, the second housing component that is provided contains a dye, the dye being formed material that is opaque at visible wavelengths and that absorbs photonic energy emitted at the select wavelength.

11. The method of assembling a battery of claim 1, wherein, in said step of providing the first housing component, the first housing component is formed from a polyphenysulfone plastic that does not appreciably interfere with the transmission of photonic energy having a wavelength that is at least one of 808 nanometers or 980 nanometers.

12. A rechargeable battery manufactured according to the steps of:

providing a first housing component, the first housing component formed from a polyphenysulfone plastic that does not appreciably interfere with the transmission of photonic energy at a select wavelength and that is formed to have an outer surface, an edge around the outer surface and an inner face that extends from the edge and that is located inwardly from the outer surface;

providing a second housing component, the second housing component formed from a polyphenysulfone plastic that absorbs photonic energy emitted at the select wavelength and that is formed to have an outer surface and a lip that extends outwardly from and is located inwardly of the outer surface of the second housing component and wherein the first and second housing components are collectively shaped so that when the housing components are placed together;

the lip of the second housing component abuts the inner face of the first housing component;

placing at least one rechargeable cell in one of the housing components and connecting the cell to terminal components mounted to one of the housing components;

placing the housing components together so the lip of the second housing component abuts the inner face of the first housing component so that the first housing component surrounds the lip of the second housing component; and

directing photonic energy at the select wavelength towards the outer surface of the first housing component so that the photonic energy passes through the first housing component and is absorbed by the lip of the second housing component, so that the photonic energy heats the lip so as to cause the melting of the lip and the transfer of the thermal energy to the first housing component so as to form a weld joint along the interface between where the lip of the second housing component abuts the inner face of the first housing component so that the weld joint forms a hermetic seal between the housing components and the weld joint is located inwardly of the outer surfaces of the housing components.

13. The rechargeable battery of claim 12, further including the step of placing a pressure on the housing components so that the inner face of the first housing component and the lip of the second housing component are pressed together.

14. The rechargeable battery of claim 13, wherein said step of placing a pressure on the housing components, is performed simultaneously with said step of directing the photonic energy at the first housing component.

15. The rechargeable battery of claim 12, wherein:

in said step of providing the first housing component, the first housing component that is provided is further shaped so that the inner face is tapered; and

in said step of providing the second housing component, the second housing component that is provided is further shaped so that lip has a face surface that has a taper complementary to the taper of the inner face of the first housing component so that, as a result of said step of placing the housing components together, the tapered face surface of the lip of the second housing component abuts the tapered inner face of the first housing component.

16. The rechargeable battery of claim 15, wherein, simultaneously with said step of directing the photonic energy towards the outer surface of the first housing component, placing a pressure on one of the housing components so that tapered inner face of the first housing component and the tapered face surface of the lip of the second housing component are pressed together.

17. The rechargeable battery of claim 12, further including the step of, prior to said step of placing the housing components together, placing a microcontroller that is powered by and connected to said at least one rechargeable cell in one of the housing components.

18. The rechargeable battery of claim 12, wherein:

in said steps of providing the first housing component and the second housing component;

one of the first or second housing components is provided with a reveal that is spaced from where the weld joint between the housing components is formed and that is directed to an adjacent surface of the other one of the second or first housing components;

the housing components are collectively shaped so that, as a result of performing said step of placing the housing components together, the housing component on which the reveal is not formed is spaced away from the reveal; and

during said formation of the weld joint, the housing components are urged together and the abutment of the housing components is stopped by the abutment of the housing component that is not formed with the reveal against the reveal.

19. The rechargeable battery of claim 12, wherein in said step of providing the second housing component, the second housing component that is provided contains a dye, the dye being formed from material that absorbs photonic energy emitted at the select wavelength.

20. The rechargeable battery of claim 12, wherein in said step of providing the first housing component, the first housing component is formed from a polyphenysulfone plastic that does not appreciably interfere with the transmission of photonic energy having a wavelength that is at least one of 808 nanometers or 980 nanometers.

21. The rechargeable battery of claim 12, wherein:

in said step of providing the first housing component, the first housing component that is provided contains a dye that is opaque at visible wavelengths and that is transparent at the select wavelength; and

in said step of providing the second housing component, the second housing component that is provided contains a dye, the dye being formed material that is opaque at visible wavelengths and that absorbs photonic energy emitted at the select wavelength.

22. The rechargeable battery of claim 12, wherein:

in said steps of providing the first and second housing components, first and second housing components are provided that are collectively shaped so that when so that when the housing components are placed together;

the lip of the second housing component abuts the inner face of the first housing component and adjacent where the lip and the inner face of the first housing component abut there is a void, the void being located inwardly of the outer surfaces of the housing components; and

during said step of directing the photonic energy at the first housing component, flash formed by the formation of the weld joint flows into the void between the first and second housing components.

23. The rechargeable battery of claim 21, further including the step of, prior to said step of placing the housing components together, placing a microcontroller that is powered by and connected to said at least one rechargeable cell in one of the housing components.