Battery assembly with snap-in arrays

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10497909-B2
Application number	US-201414477912-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 5, 2014
Priority date	Sep 5, 2014
Publication date	Dec 3, 2019
Grant date	Dec 3, 2019

Abstract

A traction battery assembly includes a tray and a pair of adjacent cell arrays disposed on the tray. Each array includes a plurality of stacked cells and a plurality of cell spacers interleaved with the cells. A portion of each of the spacers of one of the arrays is inserted into one of the spacers of the other of the arrays to form a plurality of end-to-end connected spacer pairs configured to secure the arrays together.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A traction battery assembly comprising:
a tray; and
a pair of adjacent cell arrays disposed on the tray, each array including a plurality of stacked cells and a plurality of cell spacers interleaved with the cells, and a portion of each of the spacers of one of the arrays being inserted into one of the spacers of the other of the arrays to form a plurality of end-to-end connected spacer pairs configured to secure the arrays together.

2. The traction battery assembly of claim 1 wherein each of the spacers includes a projection or a receptacle, and wherein the projection one of the spacers is received within the receptacle of an adjacent one of the spacers.

3. The traction battery of claim 1 wherein the tray further includes at least one standing wall having a plurality of receptacles in registration with the spacer pairs and wherein each of the spacer pairs further includes at least one projection configured to be received within one of the plurality of receptacles to secure the arrays to the tray.

4. The traction battery of claim 1 wherein the tray further includes at least one standing wall having a plurality of projections in registration with the spacer pairs and wherein each of the spacer pairs further includes a receptacle configured to receive one of the plurality of projections to secure the arrays to the tray.

5. The traction battery of claim 1 wherein each of the cell spacers define opposing pockets that are each configured to receive at least a portion of one of the cells.

6. The traction battery of claim 1 Wherein each of the plurality of spacer pairs further includes a first cell spacer having a male connection feature and a second cell spacer having a female connection feature configured to receive the male connection feature therein.

7. A vehicle comprising:
at least one electric machine configured to propel the vehicle; and
a traction battery assembly configured to power the at least one electric machine, the battery assembly including a tray and a pair of adjacent cell arrays disposed on the tray, each of the arrays having a plurality of stacked cells and a plurality of cell spacers interleaved with the cells, and a portion of each of the spacers of one of the arrays being inserted into one of the spacers of the other of the arrays to form a plurality of end-to-end connected spacer pairs configured secure the arrays together.

8. The traction battery assembly of claim 7 wherein each of the spacers includes a projection or a receptacle and wherein the projection one of the spacers is received within the receptacle of an adjacent one of the spacers.

9. The traction battery of claim 7 wherein each of the plurality of spacer pairs further includes a first cell spacer having a male connection feature and a second cell spacer having a female connection feature configured to receive the male connection feature therein.

10. The traction battery of claim 7 wherein the tray further includes at least one standing wall having a plurality of receptacles in registration with the spacer pairs and wherein each of the spacer pairs further includes at least one projection configured to be received within one of the plurality of receptacles to secure the arrays to the tray.

11. The traction battery assembly of claim 1 wherein each of the spacers in each of the cell arrays includes opposing major sides each disposed against a major side of a corresponding one of the cells and opposing ends extending between the major sides, wherein the portion of each of the spacers of the one of the arrays is located on one of the opposing ends of the spacer and is inserted into one of the opposing ends of one of the spacers of the other of the arrays to form the end-to-end connected spacer pairs.

12. The traction battery assembly of claim 11 further comprising a projection extending from one of the opposing ends of one of the arrays and disposed in a receptacle defined in one of the opposing ends of one of the spacers of the other of the arrays.

13. The traction battery assembly of claim 12 wherein the projection includes a barb and the receptacle includes a latching wall, and the projection is received in the receptacle so that the barb engages with the latching wall to impede removal of the projection from the receptacle.

14. The traction battery assembly of claim 1 wherein, for each of the cell arrays, one of the cell spacers includes a projection that is received in a receptacle of an adjacent spacer of the same array.

15. The traction battery assembly of claim 14 wherein the projection extends in a longitudinal direction of the array.

16. The traction battery assembly of claim 1 wherein each of the spacers includes a pocket recessed into the spacer and having a lower surface that engages with a bottom of one of the cells, an upper surface that engages with a top of the one of the cells, and an interior surface that engages with a major side of the one of the cells, and wherein the top defines a terminal slot that receives a terminal of the one of the cells.

17. A traction battery assembly comprising:
a tray including a wall; and
adjacent cell arrays disposed on the tray, each including stacked cells and spacers interleaved with the cells, wherein one of the spacers of one of the arrays has a first projection inserted into one of the spacers of the other of the arrays to form an end-to-end connected spacer pair that secures the arrays together and has a second projection received in the wall.

18. The traction battery of claim 17 wherein each of the spacers includes opposing major sides facing the cells and opposing ends extending between the major sides and wherein the first projection extends from one the opposing ends of the one of the spacers and the second projection extends from the other of the opposing ends of the one of the spacers.

19. The traction battery of claim 17 wherein the one of the spacers of one of the arrays further has a. third projection received in a receptacle of an adjacent spacer in the one of the arrays, wherein the first and second projections extend in a lateral direction of the array and the third projection extends in a longitudinal direction of the array.

20. The traction battery of claim 17 wherein the one of the spacers of the other of the arrays defines a receptacle including a latching wall, and the first projection includes a barb that engages with the latching wall to impede removal of the first projection from the receptacle.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Farha Eid

Classifications

• B60K6/28 Primary

  characterised by the electric energy storing means, e.g. batteries or capacitors · CPC title

• B60K6/52

  Driving a plurality of drive axles, e.g. four-wheel drive · CPC title

• Y10S903/907

  Electricity storage, e.g. battery, capacitor · CPC title

• H01M2220/20

  Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane · CPC title

• B60L50/66

  Arrangements of batteries · CPC title