Battery housing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10505162-B2
Application number	US-201715726329-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 5, 2017
Priority date	Oct 5, 2017
Publication date	Dec 10, 2019
Grant date	Dec 10, 2019

Abstract

A battery housing can include a first chamber configured to receive a first electrode material, the first chamber bounded at least in part by a first inflatable casing. The battery housing can include a second chamber configured to receive a second electrode material, the second chamber bounded at least in part by a second inflatable casing. An ionically conductive partition can be disposed between the first and second chambers. A first electrical contact can be coupled to or formed with the first inflatable casing. A second electrical contact can be coupled to or formed with the second inflatable casing. The first inflatable casing can be configured to inflate in response to an injection of the first electrode material into the first chamber. The second inflatable casing can be configured to inflate in response to an injection of the second electrode material into the second chamber.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A battery housing comprising:
a first chamber configured to receive a first electrode material, the first chamber bounded at least in part by a first inflatable casing;
a second chamber configured to receive a second electrode material, the second chamber bounded at least in part by a second casing;
an ionically conductive partition disposed between the first and second chambers;
a first electrical contact coupled to or formed with the first inflatable casing, the first electrical contact extending through a first wall of the first inflatable casing; and
a second electrical contact coupled to or formed with the second casing, the second electrical contact extending through a second wall of the second casing,
wherein the first inflatable casing is configured to inflate in response to an injection of the first electrode material into the first chamber.

2. The battery housing of claim 1 , wherein the second casing is inflatable, the second casing is configured to inflate in response to an injection of the second electrode material into the second chamber.

3. The battery housing of claim 1 , wherein the first electrode material comprises an anode material and the second electrode material comprises a cathode material.

4. The battery housing of claim 1 , wherein the first inflatable casings comprise polyimide and the ionically conductive partition comprises Polyvinylidene Fluoride (PVDF).

5. The battery housing of claim 1 , wherein the first inflatable casing and the second casing includes corresponding first and second current collectors.

6. The battery housing of claim 1 , the ionically conductive partition comprises a third chamber, the third chamber configured to receive an electrolyte material.

7. The battery housing of claim 1 , further comprising a first reservoir and a second reservoir configured to store inactive electrode materials therein.

8. The battery housing of claim 7 , wherein amounts of the first electrode material and the second electrode material that are active and inactive are controlled by a control unit during use of the battery housing.

9. The battery housing of claim 1 , further comprising a third chamber adjacent to and separated from the second chamber, and a fourth chamber adjacent to and separated from the third chamber by a third ionically conductive partition.

10. The battery housing of claim 9 , wherein the third chamber is separated from the second chamber by a second ionically conductive partition or a non-conductive partition for a parallel connection.

11. The battery housing of claim 9 , wherein the third inflatable casing is separated from the second chamber by the non-conductive partition for a serial connection.

12. The battery housing of claim 1 , wherein the first inflatable casing remains inflatable after the injection of the first electrode material.

13. The battery housing of claim 1 , wherein the first inflatable casing comprises a bellows-like shape.

14. The battery housing of claim 1 , wherein the first inflatable casing has varying flexibility or inflatability such that the inflatable casing is configured to inflate in a predefined shape in response to the injection of the first electrode material into the first chamber.

15. A method for manufacturing a battery having a first chamber bounded at least in part by a first casing, a second chamber bounded at least in part by a second casing, an ionically conductive partition disposed between the first and second chambers, a first electrical contact coupled to or formed with the first casing, and a second electrical contact coupled to or formed with the second casing, wherein the first electrical contact extends through a first wall of the first casing and the second electrical contact extends through a second wall of the second casing, the method comprising:
injecting a first electrode material into the first chamber to inflate the first chamber; and
disposing a second electrode material into the second chamber.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the injecting the first electrode material comprises injecting an anode material.

17. The method of claim 15 , further comprising, before disposing the first electrode material and disposing the second electrode material, positioning the first and second chambers within an outer casing defined by an electronic device.

18. A battery assembly comprising:
an outer casing; and
a battery disposed in the outer casing, the battery comprising a battery housing comprising a first chamber and a second chamber separated by an ionically conductive partition, the first chamber bounded at least in part by a first inflated casing and the second chamber bounded at least in part by a second casing,
wherein a first electrode material is disposed in the first chamber and a second electrode material is disposed in the second chamber,
wherein a size and a shape of the first chamber is defined at least in part by a corresponding size and shape of the outer casing, and
wherein the first inflated casing is configured to be inflated in response to an injection of the first electrode material into the first chamber.

19. The battery assembly of claim 18 , further comprising first electrical contact coupled to or formed with the first inflated casing, the first electrical contact extending through a first wall of the first inflated casing to provide electrical communication with the first electrode material, and a second electrical contact coupled to or formed with the second casing, the second electrical contact extending through a second wall of the second casing to provide electrical communication with the second electrode material.

20. An electronic system comprising the battery assembly of claim 18 , wherein the battery assembly is disposed about a periphery of the electronic system.

Assignees

• Analog Devices Inc

Inventors

• Jiang Yingqi
• Yang Kuang

Classifications

• H01M2220/30

  Batteries in portable systems, e.g. mobile phone, laptop · CPC title

• H01M2/1027 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01M2/0217

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01M2/30

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01M2/1673

  Electricity · mapped topic