Battery architecture in an electronic device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10701833-B2
Application number	US-201715712068-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 21, 2017
Priority date	Sep 22, 2016
Publication date	Jun 30, 2020
Grant date	Jun 30, 2020

Abstract

An electronic device having a battery assembly is disclosed. Unlike traditional battery assemblies that include rectilinear electrodes with two sides of equal length, the battery assemblies described herein may include electrodes having a shape/configuration resembling an L-shape electrode used to form chemical reactions in order to generate electrical energy. However, other shapes/configurations are possible. The shape/configuration of the housing of the battery assembly confirms to the shape/configuration of the electrodes. Further, in order to accommodate an internal component (such as a circuit board assembly), the shape of the battery assembly provides additional space in the electronic device. In order to form the electrodes, the electrodes may undergo a die cutting operation. Also, the housing may include a channel, or reduced dimension, that accommodates a flexible circuit in the electronic device that passes over the battery assembly at the channel.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A battery assembly for an electronic device, the battery assembly comprising:
a housing that defines an internal cavity and an exterior channel;
a single piece electrode disposed in the cavity, the single piece electrode comprising:
a first wall having a first dimension,
a second wall having a second dimension different from the first dimension, the second wall parallel to the first wall, and
a third wall that joins the first wall and the second wall, wherein the housing conforms to a peripheral shape of the single piece electrode; and

a circuit board positioned in the internal cavity at the exterior channel.

2. The battery assembly of claim 1 , wherein:
the single piece electrode further comprises a fourth wall extending from one of the first wall and the second wall, the fourth wall parallel to the third wall,
the third wall having a third dimension, and
the fourth wall having a fourth dimension different from the third dimension.

3. The battery assembly of claim 2 , wherein the first wall, the second wall, the third wall, and the fourth wall at least partially define the shape as an L-shape.

4. The battery assembly of claim 2 , wherein the single piece electrode further comprises a fifth wall having a fifth dimension, the fifth wall parallel with respect to the third wall and the fourth wall.

5. The battery assembly of claim 1 , wherein the single piece electrode is a first single piece electrode, and the battery assembly further comprises:
a second single piece electrode; and
a separator positioned between the first single piece electrode and the second single piece electrode, wherein the second single piece electrode and the separator have a size and shape corresponding to the peripheral shape of the first single piece electrode.

6. The battery assembly of claim 5 , wherein
the first single piece electrode defines a first opening;
the second single piece electrode defines a second opening, the second opening aligned with the first opening; and
a third opening in the separator defines a third opening, the third opening aligned with the first opening and the second opening, and the first opening, second opening, and third opening in communication with one another.

7. An electronic device, comprising:
an enclosure defining an internal volume;
a battery assembly disposed in the internal volume, the battery assembly comprising:
a first edge, a second edge separate from the first edge, and a wall perpendicular to the first edge and the second edge;
the wall connecting the first edge to the second edge to define a channel;

an internal component disposed in the internal volume and at least partially in the channel.

8. The electronic device of claim 7 , wherein the battery assembly further comprises an electrode, the electrode comprising:
a first rectangular portion symmetrically disposed about a first longitudinal axis; and
a second rectangular portion disposed about a second longitudinal axis that is perpendicular with respect to the first longitudinal axis.

9. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the first rectangular portion comprises a first wall parallel to the first longitudinal axis, the first wall having a first dimension, and wherein the second rectangular portion comprises a second wall parallel to the second longitudinal axis, the second wall having a second dimension less than the first dimension.

10. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the electrode further comprises a third rectangular portion that is parallel to the second rectangular portion and perpendicular to the first rectangular portion.

11. The electronic device of claim 7 , wherein the battery assembly further comprises a battery assembly housing that defines an internal cavity; and
a circuit board positioned in the internal cavity at a location corresponding to the channel.

12. The electronic device of claim 7 , wherein:
the internal component is a first internal component, and the electronic device further comprises a second internal component; and
the battery assembly defines an opening and the second internal component is positioned in the opening.

13. The electronic device of claim 7 , wherein the internal component comprises an audio module.

14. A method for assembling a battery assembly for an electronic device, the method comprising:
providing a housing that defines an internal cavity and an exterior channel;
cutting a single piece electrode to a shape that comprises:
a first wall having a first dimension,
a second wall having a second dimension that is different from the first dimension, the second wall being parallel to the first wall;
a third wall that joins the first wall and the second wall; and

inserting the single piece electrode and a circuit board into the internal cavity, wherein the housing conforms to a peripheral shape of the single piece electrode and the circuit board is positioned in the internal cavity at the exterior channel.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein providing the housing comprises forming the exterior channel in the housing.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein cutting the single piece electrode comprises die cutting the single piece electrode, wherein die cutting the single piece electrode comprises:
forming a first rectangular portion; and
forming a second rectangular portion that extends from, and is perpendicular to, the first rectangular portion.

17. The method of claim 14 , further comprising forming a through hole in the battery assembly, the through hole defined by an opening in the housing and an opening in the single piece electrode.

18. The method of claim 14 , wherein cutting the single piece electrode comprises cutting a first single piece electrode, and wherein the method further comprises:
inserting a second single piece electrode into the internal cavity; and
inserting a separator into the internal cavity between the first single piece electrode and the second single piece electrode, the second single piece electrode and the separator comprise a size and shape corresponding to the peripheral shape of the first single piece electrode.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Pakula David A
• Jarvis Daniel W
• Stephens Gregory N
• Spraggs Ian A
• Bertin James A
• Bennett Eric M
• Helmore Simon C
• Wah Melissa A
• Hill Matthew D
• Housour Jon F
• Fournier Douglas G
• Tomasetta Christopher S

Classifications

• H02J7/70

  characterised by the mechanical construction · CPC title

• H01M50/247

  specially adapted for portable devices, e.g. mobile phones, computers, hand tools or pacemakers · CPC title

• H01M50/183

  Sealing members · CPC title

• G06F1/1643

  the display being associated to a digitizer, e.g. laptops that can be used as penpads (details related to the relative motion of the display enclosure with respect to the body enclosure, e.g. to move between laptop and tablet PC configuration G06F1/1615) · CPC title

• G06F3/0412

  Digitisers structurally integrated in a display · CPC title