High voltage battery pack and methods of manufacture

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10547183-B2
Application number	US-201815988652-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 24, 2018
Priority date	Jun 15, 2017
Publication date	Jan 28, 2020
Grant date	Jan 28, 2020

Abstract

A high voltage battery pack includes a set of battery bricks, wherein the battery bricks each have a positive and a negative terminal. Each battery brick is connected in series or in parallel to an adjacent battery brick to generate a total voltage of the battery pack. A battery pack lower assembly holds the battery bricks. A battery pack upper assembly includes a battery pack upper housing and a circuit board connected to the battery pack upper housing, the circuit board having brick connectors attached thereto. The brick connectors are positioned to come into physical contact with the positive and negative terminals of the battery bricks to generate the total voltage of the battery pack, and the battery pack upper housing defines a physical separation distance between the brick connectors and an exterior of the battery pack upper housing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A high voltage battery pack, comprising:
a set of battery bricks, wherein the battery bricks each have a positive and a negative terminal and each is connected in series or in parallel to an adjacent battery brick to generate a total voltage of the battery pack;
a battery pack lower assembly within which the battery bricks are attached; and
a battery pack upper assembly, the battery pack upper assembly comprising:
a battery pack upper housing; and
a circuit board connected to the battery pack upper housing, the circuit board having brick connectors attached thereto, the brick connectors positioned to come into physical contact with the positive and negative terminals of the battery bricks to generate the total voltage of the battery pack;

wherein the battery pack upper housing defines a physical separation distance between the brick connectors and an exterior of the battery pack upper housing, wherein the physical separation distance is within a range of 25 millimeters to 125 millimeters.

2. The battery pack of claim 1 wherein the battery pack upper housing comprises a top, an upper housing sidewall extending downward from the top and generally perpendicular to the top, and an upper housing flange extending outward from the upper housing sidewall and generally perpendicular to the upper housing sidewall.

3. The battery pack of claim 2 wherein the physical separation distance is provided between the brick connectors and a lowermost portion of the upper housing sidewall, from which the upper housing flange extends.

4. The battery pack of claim 3 wherein the physical separation distance is selected to ensure operator safety during assembly of the battery pack.

5. The battery pack of claim 3 wherein the physical separation distance is selected to be sufficiently large that it prevents an operator from having physical contact with the brick connectors when the battery bricks come into physical contact with the brick connectors.

6. The battery pack of claim 3 wherein the physical separation distance is at least 75 millimeters.

7. The battery pack of claim 1 wherein the voltage generated by each battery brick is roughly 28.8 volts.

8. The battery pack of claim 7 wherein the total voltage of the battery pack is roughly 288 volts.

9. The battery pack of claim 1 wherein each battery brick comprises a set of battery cells.

10. The battery pack of claim 9 wherein the battery cells are lithium ion batteries.

11. A method of assembling a high voltage battery pack having a set of battery bricks connected in series or in parallel to generate a total voltage of the battery pack, the method comprising:
assembling the set of battery bricks to a battery pack lower housing to form a battery pack lower assembly;
assembling a circuit board having brick connectors attached thereto to a battery pack upper housing to form a battery pack upper assembly; and
joining the battery pack lower assembly to the battery pack upper assembly such that when the battery bricks come into physical contact with the brick connectors, the total voltage of the battery pack is generated;
wherein the battery pack upper housing defines a physical separation distance such that when the battery pack upper housing is placed on the battery bricks, an operator is prevented from making physical contact with the brick connectors at or after the brick connectors have come into physical contact with the battery bricks to generate the total voltage of the battery pack.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising forming the battery pack upper housing with a top, an upper housing sidewall extending downward from the top and generally perpendicular to the top, and an upper housing flange extending outward from the upper housing sidewall and generally perpendicular to the upper housing sidewall.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the physical separation distance is provided between the brick connectors and a lowermost portion of the upper housing sidewall, from which the upper housing flange extends.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the physical separation distance is selected to ensure operator safety during assembly of the battery pack.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the physical separation distance is selected to be sufficiently large that it prevents an operator from having physical contact with the brick connectors when the battery bricks come into physical contact with the brick connectors.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein the physical separation distance is at least 75 millimeters.

17. The method of claim 11 wherein the voltage generated by each battery brick is roughly 28.8 volts.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the total voltage of the battery pack is roughly 288 volts.

19. The method of claim 11 further comprising assembling a set of battery cells to form each battery brick.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein each battery cell is a lithium ion battery.

Assignees

• Ge Aviat Systems Ltd

Inventors

• Halsey Colin John

Classifications

• H02J7/751

  concerning the insertion or the connection of the batteries · CPC title

• H02J7/60

  including safety or protection arrangements · CPC title

• H02J7/50

  acting upon multiple batteries simultaneously or sequentially · CPC title

• B64D31/14

  Transmitting means between initiating means and power plants · CPC title

• H01M10/0525

  Rocking-chair batteries, i.e. batteries with lithium insertion or intercalation in both electrodes; Lithium-ion batteries · CPC title