System and method for clamping interconnection of battery cells

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10096806-B2
Application number	US-201313954825-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 30, 2013
Priority date	Jul 30, 2013
Publication date	Oct 9, 2018
Grant date	Oct 9, 2018

Abstract

A battery module includes a power assembly including a first battery cell and a second battery cell in a stacked orientation relative to each other, wherein the first battery cell comprises a first tab electrode extending therefrom, and wherein the second battery cell comprises a second tab electrode extending therefrom. The battery module also includes an interconnect assembly configured to facilitate electrically coupling the first tab electrode with the second tab electrode with the first and second battery cells in the stacked orientation. The interconnect assembly includes a coupling structure about which the first and second tab electrodes at least partially conform. In addition, the interconnect assembly includes a clamp disposed about the coupling structure and the first and second tab electrodes such that the first and second tab electrodes are secured in electrical communication.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A battery module, comprising:
a power assembly comprising a first battery cell and a second battery cell in a stacked orientation relative to each other, wherein the first battery cell comprises a first tab electrode extending therefrom, and wherein the second battery cell comprises a second tab electrode extending therefrom; and
an interconnect assembly configured to facilitate electrically coupling the first tab electrode with the second tab electrode with the first and second battery cells in the stacked orientation, wherein the interconnect assembly comprises:
a coupling structure about which the first and second tab electrodes at least partially conform, wherein the coupling structure comprises a substantially rounded outer portion; and
a clamp disposed about the coupling structure and the first and second tab electrodes, wherein the clamp comprises a spring element with curved portions configured to be disposed around the substantially rounded outer portion of the coupling structure to apply a clamping force to the coupling structure and to the first and second tab electrodes such that the first and second tab electrodes are secured in electrical communication.

2. The battery module of claim 1 , wherein the clamp comprises wings extending away from the coupling structure to facilitate removal of the clamp from the coupling structure and the first and second tab electrodes.

3. The battery module of claim 1 , wherein the clamp is configured to provide the clamping force without an application of a force onto the clamp from another component of the battery module.

4. The battery module of claim 1 , wherein the clamp is secured about the coupling structure without the use of a fastening element that is separate from the clamp and the coupling structure.

5. The battery module of claim 1 , wherein the coupling structure comprises a substantially cylindrical bar.

6. The battery module of claim 1 , wherein the coupling structure comprises a clamp structure that is complementary with respect to the clamp and configured to receive the clamp.

7. The battery module of claim 1 , wherein the coupling structure, the clamp, or both are electrically conductive.

8. The battery module of claim 1 , wherein the coupling structure is nonconductive and the first and second tab electrodes are in electrical communication via direct contact or via the clamp.

9. The battery module of claim 1 , wherein the interconnect assembly comprises:
a cell interconnect board having a plurality of substantially parallel coupling structures disposed as rungs between two frame pieces, the substantially parallel coupling structures each being at least partially rounded and configured to abut or receive corresponding tab electrodes from two battery cells; and
a plurality of clamps having curved portions configured to be disposed about the substantially parallel coupling structures and the corresponding tab electrodes to secure the corresponding tab electrodes in engagement with the respective coupling structures.

10. The battery module of claim 9 , comprising two cell interconnect boards disposed on opposite sides of a stack of battery cells, wherein the two cell interconnect boards and the plurality of clamps are configured to couple pairs of tab electrodes of the stack of battery cells such that the stack of battery cells are electrically coupled in series or parallel.

11. A battery cell interconnect assembly for use in a battery module, comprising:
a coupling structure configured to receive a first tab electrode and a second tab electrode in a conforming orientation with respect to the coupling structure, wherein the coupling structure comprises a substantially rounded outer portion, and wherein the first tab electrode extends from a first battery cell of the battery module and the second tab electrode extends from a second battery cell of the battery module; and
a clamp configured to be disposed about the coupling structure and the first and second tab electrodes, wherein the clamp comprises a spring element with curved portions configured to be disposed around the substantially rounded outer portion of the coupling structure to apply a clamping force to the coupling structure and to the first and second tab electrodes to respectively secure the first and second tab electrodes between the coupling structure and the clamp.

12. The battery cell interconnect assembly of claim 11 , wherein the clamp comprises wings extending away from the coupling structure to facilitate removal of the clamp from the coupling structure and the first and second tab electrodes.

13. The battery cell interconnect assembly of claim 11 , wherein the clamp is configured to secure the tab electrodes between the coupling structure and the clamp without the use of a fastening element to couple the clamp with the coupling structure.

14. The battery cell interconnect assembly of claim 11 , wherein the coupling structure comprises a substantially cylindrical bar.

15. The battery cell interconnect assembly of claim 14 , wherein the substantially cylindrical bar is hollow.

16. The battery cell interconnect assembly of claim 11 , wherein the coupling structure comprises a clamp structure configured to receive the clamp.

17. The battery cell interconnect assembly of claim 11 , wherein the coupling structure and the clamp each comprise complementary mating features for aligning and securing the clamp around the coupling structure.

18. The battery cell interconnect assembly of claim 17 , wherein the clamp comprises a detent, and the coupling structure comprises a complementary indentation configured to receive the detent of the clamp to secure the clamp in position about the coupling structure.

19. A battery cell interconnection device, comprising:
a clamp configured to be disposed about a coupling structure in a battery module to facilitate electrically coupling two tab electrodes of separate battery cells disposed between the clamp and the coupling structure, wherein the clamp comprises:
a shaped spring element with a uniform cross section extending in a longitudinal direction of the clamp, wherein a shape of the uniform cross section comprises:
curved portions that partially trace a circle;
a detent disposed between the curved portions along the uniform cross section of the shaped spring element and extending toward a center of the circle traced by the curved portions; and
wings extending from distal ends of the curved portions and angled away from the center of the circle traced by the curved portions.

20. The battery cell interconnection device of claim 19 , wherein the clamp is configured to be disposed along an entire length of the coupling structure of the battery module.

21. The battery cell interconnection device of claim 19 , wherein the clamp is configured to apply a clamping force, via the curved portions of the clamp, to the coupling structure and to the two tab electrodes to secure the two tab electrodes between the clamp and the coupling structure.

22. The battery cell interconnection device of claim 19 , wherein the detent is configured to be captured in a complementary indentation of the coupling structure to secure the clamp in position about the coupling structure.

23. The battery cell interconnection device of claim 19 , wherein the curved portions of the clamp are configured to abut respective ones of the two tab electrodes disposed between the clamp and the coupling struct

Assignees

• Johnson Controls Tech Co

Inventors

• Pinon James
• Niedzwiecki Mark
• Malcolm Robert G
• Wyatt Perry M
• Nguyen Thanh T

Classifications

• H01M50/517 Primary

  by fixing means, e.g. screws, rivets or bolts · CPC title

• H01M50/503

  characterised by the shape of the interconnectors · CPC title

• H01M50/211

  adapted for pouch cells · CPC title

• H01M2/206

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01M2/1077 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic