Shielding receptable for battery cells

• US 9,583,803 B2
• Filed: 07/03/2014
• Issued: 02/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PNC Bank National Association (The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Enovate Medical, LLC (Enovate Medical Holdings, LLC)
• Inventors: Moody, Joseph, Miller, David R., Kilbourne, Allen, Waid, Gordon, Yang, Kou, Mason, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Boateng, Alexis A
• Application Number:
  US14/323,589
• Publication Number:
  US 20150364799A1
• Time in Patent Office: 971 Days
• Field of Search: 320/134, 320/108, 320/107, 320/101, 320/112, 320/128, 320/120, 307/66, 429/120, 429/163, 429/144, 429/156, 429/99, 429/82, 429/100, 429/146, 429/145, 429/149
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0015 characterised by features of the telemetry system
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 3/12 operating with electromagnetic waves operating with millimetre waves G01V8/005
• 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 10/46 Accumulators structurally combined with charging apparatus circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/482 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2010/4278 Systems for data transfer from batteries, e.g. transfer of battery parameters to a controller, data transferred between battery controller and main controller
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/30 Batteries in portable systems, e.g. mobile phone, laptop
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/24 adapted for protecting batteries from their environment, e.g. from corrosion thermal insulation H01M10/658
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/342 Non-re-sealable arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/23 The load being a medical device, a medical implant, or a life supporting device
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/402 the two or more transmitting or the two or more receiving devices being integrated in the same unit, e.g. power mats with several coils or antennas with several sub-antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/50 using additional energy repeaters between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/80 involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0044 specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries H02J7/0045 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0049 Detection of fully charged condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/26 using coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A thermally shielded receptacle for a rechargeable battery. The thermally shielded receptacle can include a material having a heat deflection rate of greater than 50 degrees Celsius to contain a catastrophic runaway of one or more of a plurality of individual battery cells. The thermally shielded receptacle can include material sized and shaped to receive the plurality of individual battery cells and separate each of the plurality of individual battery cells from adjacent individual battery cells.

Claims

1. A battery pack for a battery, the battery pack comprising:

a battery pack housing with an inner cavity;

a battery bay located within the inner cavity;

a shielding receptacle located within the battery bay that is sized and shaped to receive a plurality of individual battery cells and separate each of the plurality of individual battery cells from adjacent individual battery cells, wherein the shielding receptacle consists essentially of a material having a heat deflection rate of greater than 50 degrees Celsius; and

a Kevlar disc located within the inner cavity to dissipate heat caused by a catastrophic runaway of the one or more of the plurality of individual battery cells.

2. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein the battery pack housing or the shielding receptacle further comprises:

a one-way perforated label or a pressure release valve to release pressure caused by the catastrophic runaway of the one or more of the plurality of individual battery cells,

wherein

the one-way perforated label or the pressure release valve is configured to release pressure from the shielding receptacle or from the inner cavity of the battery pack housing when the pressure exceeds a selected threshold.

3. The battery pack of claim 1, further comprising a temperature sensor configured to:

monitor an internal temperature of the battery pack, an internal temperature of the shielding receptacle, or a temperature of one or more battery cells of the plurality of individual battery cells; and

provide an indication of an increase in the internal temperature of the battery pack, an internal temperature of the shielding receptacle, or a temperature of one or more battery cells of the plurality of individual battery cells when the increase exceeds a selected threshold.

4. The battery pack of claim 1, further comprising:

a thermal runaway detector to detect a thermal runaway of one or more battery cells of the plurality of individual battery cells; and

a current interrupt device (CID), a chemical fuse, or polymeric positive temperature coefficient (PPTC) device to interrupt a current provided to the one or more battery cells of the plurality of individual battery cells.

12. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein the battery pack housing is comprised of an anti-bacterial material to decrease or eliminate a growth or adhesion of pathogens on the battery pack housing.

13. The battery pack of claim 12, wherein the anti-bacterial material is chemically resistant.

14. The battery pack of claim 13, wherein the anti-bacterial material is a polycarbonate plastic with a silver anti-bacterial additive.

5. A battery pack for a rechargeable battery, comprising:

a battery pack housing with an inner cavity;

a battery cell shielding receptacle located within the inner cavity of the battery pack housing that is sized and shaped to receive a plurality of individual battery cells and separate each of the plurality of individual battery cells from adjacent individual battery cells, the battery cell shielding receptacle comprising a material having a heat deflection rate of greater than 50 degrees Celsius to contain a catastrophic runaway of one or more of the plurality of individual battery cells;

wherein the battery pack housing or components in the battery pack housing are hermetically sealed to be liquid proof and dust proof or sealed to be substantially liquid proof and dust proof; and

wherein the hermetically sealed battery pack further comprises a pressure seal configured to release pressure from the battery pack housing when the pressure exceeds a selected threshold.

6. The battery pack of claim 5, wherein the battery pack housing is comprised of an anti-bacterial material to decrease or eliminate a growth or adhesion of pathogens on the battery pack housing.

7. The battery pack of claim 6, wherein the anti-bacterial material is chemically resistant.

8. The battery pack of claim 5, wherein the battery cell shielding receptacle further comprises a swelling cavity or recess configured to receive a portion of one or more battery cells of the plurality of individual battery cells as the one or more battery cells expand or swell.

9. The battery pack of claim 5, wherein the battery cell shielding receptacle further comprises a flexible material configured to expand as one or more battery cells of the plurality of individual battery cells expands or swells.

15. The battery pack of claim 7, wherein the anti-bacterial material is a polycarbonate plastic with a silver anti-bacterial additive.

10. A thermally shielded receptacle for a rechargeable battery, the thermally shielded receptacle comprising:

a material having a heat deflection rate of greater than 50 degrees Celsius to contain a catastrophic runaway of one or more of a plurality of individual battery cells;

wherein

the thermally shielded receptacle is sized and shaped to receive the plurality of individual battery cells and separate each of the plurality of individual battery cells from adjacent individual battery cells, and

the thermally shielded receptacle includes a cavity or recess configured to receive a portion of one or more battery cells of the plurality of individual battery cells as the one or more battery cells expand or swell.

11. A thermally shielded receptacle for a rechargeable battery, the thermally shielded receptacle comprising:

a material having a heat deflection rate of greater than 50 degrees Celsius to contain a catastrophic runaway of one or more of a plurality of individual battery cells, the material being flexible and configured to expand as one or more battery cells of the plurality of individual battery cells expands or swells;

wherein

the thermally shielded receptacle is sized and shaped to receive the plurality of individual battery cells and separate each of the plurality of individual battery cells from adjacent individual battery cells.

16. A shielding receptacle for use with a plurality of battery cells, comprising:

a first shielding receptacle section that includes a plurality of first cell pockets that open towards a first face of the first shielding receptacle section; and

a second shielding receptacle section that includes a plurality of second cell pockets that open towards a second face of the second shielding receptacle section, each of the plurality of second cell pockets corresponding to one of the plurality of first cell pockets;

wherein

each of the plurality of first cell pockets and corresponding one of the plurality of second cell pockets define a shielding compartment configured to receive a battery cell when the first face of the first shielding receptacle section is coupled to the second face of the second shielding receptacle section.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein;

the plurality of first cell pockets are aligned in a plurality of rows wherein adjacent rows of the plurality of first cell pockets are aligned such that the plurality of first cell pockets in adjacent rows are offset from each other; and

the plurality of second cell pockets are aligned in a plurality of rows wherein adjacent rows of the plurality of second cell pockets are aligned such that the plurality of second cell pockets in adjacent rows are offset from each other.