Apparatus comprising battery cells and a method of assembling

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10770693-B2
Application number	US-201615766300-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 26, 2016
Priority date	Oct 14, 2015
Publication date	Sep 8, 2020
Grant date	Sep 8, 2020

Abstract

An apparatus (101, 101B, 101C, 101D, 101E), an electrical system (706), a vehicle (701) and a method (800) are disclosed. The apparatus (101) comprises a plurality of battery cells (102), each of the battery cells (102) comprising a layer of positive electrode material (103), a layer of electrolyte material (104) and a layer of negative electrode material (105). The apparatus also comprises a container means for containing battery cells (106, 106B, 106D, 6E) formed of an electrically conductive material and having a plurality of cavities (107). Each of the cavities contains at least a respective one of the battery cells (102), and the container means (106, 106B, 106D, 106E) is in direct contact with at least one of the positive electrode material (103) and the electrolyte material (104) of each battery cell (102) or alternatively at least one of the negative electrode material (105) and the electrolyte material (104) of each battery cell (102).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a plurality of battery cells, each of the battery cells comprising a layer of positive electrode material, a layer of electrolyte material and a layer of negative electrode material; and
a container for the battery cells, the container formed of an electrically conductive material and having a plurality of cavities, each cavity containing at least one of the battery cells,
wherein the container is in direct contact with at least one of the layer of positive electrode material and the layer of electrolyte material of each battery cell, or alternatively the container is in direct contact with at least one of the layer of negative electrode material and the layer of electrolyte material of each battery cell,
wherein each cavity has a first end closed by a combination of an insulating element and an electrical connector, the insulating element providing electrical insulation between the electrical connector and the container, and
wherein the insulating element comprises a single insulating element that extends over one or more of the cavities.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the container defines a passageway for enabling a flow of a cooling fluid through the container.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the cavities are defined by interior wall surfaces of the container, optionally wherein the interior wall surfaces are cylindrical.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein each of the battery cells comprises a coiled structure.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the electrically conductive material comprises a metal or metal alloy.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the metal or metal alloy comprises aluminium or aluminium alloy.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the electrical connector comprises a connector plate extending over one or more of the plurality of the cavities.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the connector plate comprises a plate defining apertures that are aligned with the cavities, and each aperture is closed by a lid.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein each battery cell has an electrical conductor connected to the layer of positive electrode material of the battery cell and to the lid closing the respective aperture.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the layer of positive electrode material has a tab and the electrical conductor is connected to the tab.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein each of the cavities has a second end closed by an electrically conducting end wall that is electrically connected to the container.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the layer of negative electrode material of one of the battery cells in a first one of the cavities has a tab connected to the electrically conducting end wall that closes the first one of the cavities.

13. The apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein a single electrically conductive element provides the electrically conducting end wall of the plurality of the cavities.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein the container comprises a body having a first face and an adjacent second face extending at an angle to the first face, and the single electrically conductive element has a first portion extending across the first face and a second portion extending past the second face away from the container.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the container is a first container of a plurality of containers, each of the plurality of containers defining a plurality of cavities containing battery cells, and the second portion of the single electrically conducting element provides electrical connection between the battery cells of the first container and battery cells of a second container.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the second portion of the single electrically conducting element provides electrical connection between the layers of negative electrode material of the battery cells of the first container and the layers of positive electrode material of the battery cells of a second container.

17. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the container is a first container of a plurality of containers, each of the plurality of containers defining a plurality of cavities containing battery cells, the layers of negative electrode material of the first container being electrically connected to the layers of positive electrode material of a second container, and wherein the plurality of containers are located within an insulating case.

18. A vehicle or an electrical system of a vehicle comprising the apparatus of claim 1 .

19. A method of assembling a plurality of battery cells, the method comprising:
positioning each one of the battery cells within a respective one of a plurality of cavities defined in a body formed of an electrically conductive material, wherein positioning each one of the battery cells within a respective one of the plurality of cavities comprises placing at least one of positive electrode material and electrolyte material of each battery cell in direct contact with the body or alternatively placing at least one of negative electrode material and electrolyte material of each battery cell in direct contact with the body;
positioning an insulating element at a first end of the cavities; and
positioning an electrical connector over the insulating element to close a first end of the cavities, wherein said positioning the insulating element comprises positioning a single insulating element over a plurality of the cavities.

20. The method according to claim 19 , wherein the method comprises forming an electrical connection between the positive electrode material of a battery cell and a respective lid, or forming an electrical connection between the negative electrode material of one of the battery cells in a first one of the cavities and an electrically conductive end wall closing a second end of the first one of the cavities.

Assignees

• Jaguar Land Rover Ltd

Inventors

• Nicholls Stephen

Classifications

• H01M10/6557 Primary

  arranged between the cells · CPC title

• H01M50/516

  by welding, soldering or brazing · CPC title

• H01M50/591

  Covers · CPC title

• H01M50/503

  characterised by the shape of the interconnectors · CPC title

• H01M50/50 Primary

  Current conducting connections for cells or batteries · CPC title