Electrical feedthroughs for battery housings

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10777786-B2
Application number	US-201916723174-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 20, 2019
Priority date	Sep 30, 2015
Publication date	Sep 15, 2020
Grant date	Sep 15, 2020

Abstract

Electrical feedthroughs for battery housings are presented. The electrical feedthroughs include a connector, a ceramic insulator, and a terminal. A first seal couples the connector to the ceramic insulator via a first braze alloy. A second seal couples the ceramic insulator to the terminal via a second braze alloy. The electrical feedthroughs can also include a spacer. A first seal couples the connector to the ceramic insulator; a second seal couples the ceramic insulator to the spacer; and the third seal couples the spacer to the terminal. The first seal, the second seal, and the third seal include, respectively, a first braze alloy, a second braze alloy, and a third braze alloy.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electrical feedthrough comprising:
a ceramic insulator;
a connector for coupling the ceramic insulator to a housing;
wherein the connector comprises a cylindrical body with a central opening for receiving the ceramic insulator, the connector further comprising a lip surrounding the cylindrical body, the lip comprising an inner surface for bonding to the housing;
wherein the housing has a thickness that is less than a thickness of the connector;

a terminal disposed within the ceramic insulator;
a spacer disposed between the ceramic insulator and the terminal;
a first seal coupling the ceramic insulator to the connector, the first seal formed from a first braze alloy capable of bonding the ceramic insulator and the connector;
a second seal coupling the ceramic insulator to the spacer, the second seal formed from a second braze alloy capable of bonding the ceramic insulator and the spacer; and
a third seal coupling the terminal to the spacer, the third seal formed from a third braze alloy capable of bonding the terminal and the spacer.

2. The electrical feedthrough of claim 1 , wherein the connector is formed of an iron-cobalt-nickel alloy.

3. The electrical feedthrough of claim 1 , wherein the terminal comprises an aluminum alloy.

4. The electrical feedthrough of claim 1 , wherein the spacer comprises an iron-cobalt-nickel alloy.

5. The electrical feedthrough of claim 1 , wherein the first braze alloy, the second braze alloy, and the third braze alloy comprise a gold alloy having alloying elements not exceeding 50 weight percent in total.

6. The electrical feedthrough of claim 1 , wherein the connector, the terminal, the spacer, or combinations thereof, have at least corresponding portions that are coated with a nickel layer.

7. The electrical feedthrough of claim 6 , wherein a gold layer is disposed over the nickel layer or portions thereof.

8. The electrical feedthrough of claim 1 , wherein the terminal is electrically connected to a battery.

9. A battery comprising:
a set of layers comprising a cathode layer, an anode layer, and a separator layer disposed between the cathode layer and the anode layer;
an enclosure enclosing the set of layers;
a feedthrough comprising:
a ceramic insulator;
a connector for coupling the ceramic insulator to a housing;
wherein the connector comprises a cylindrical body with a central opening for receiving the ceramic insulator, the connector further comprising a lip surrounding the cylindrical body, the lip comprising an inner surface for bonding to the housing;
wherein the housing has a thickness that is less than a thickness of the connector;

a terminal disposed within the ceramic insulator;
a spacer disposed between the ceramic insulator and the terminal;
a first seal coupling the ceramic insulator to the connector, the first seal formed from a first braze alloy capable of bonding the ceramic insulator and the connector;
a second seal coupling the ceramic insulator to the spacer, the second seal formed from a second braze alloy capable of bonding the ceramic insulator and the spacer; and
a third seal coupling the terminal to the spacer, the third seal formed from a third braze alloy capable of bonding the terminal and the spacer.

10. The battery of claim 9 , wherein the connector is formed of an iron-cobalt-nickel alloy.

11. The battery of claim 9 , wherein the terminal comprises an aluminum alloy.

12. The battery of claim 9 , wherein the spacer comprises an iron-cobalt-nickel alloy.

13. The battery of claim 9 , wherein the first braze alloy, the second braze alloy, and the third braze alloy comprise a gold alloy having alloying elements not exceeding 50 weight percent in total.

14. The battery of claim 9 , wherein the connector, the terminal, the spacer, or combinations thereof, have at least corresponding portions that are coated with a nickel layer.

15. The battery of claim 14 , wherein a gold layer is disposed over the nickel layer or portions thereof.

16. A method for manufacturing a feedthrough, the method comprising:
coupling a ceramic insulator to a housing using a connector, wherein the connector comprises a cylindrical body with a central opening for receiving the ceramic insulator, the connector further comprising a lip surrounding the cylindrical body, the lip comprising an inner surface for bonding to the housing, wherein the housing has a thickness that is less than a thickness of the connector;
disposing a terminal within the ceramic insulator;
disposing a spacer between the ceramic insulator and the terminal;
coupling the ceramic insulator to the connector using a first seal, the first seal formed from a first braze alloy capable of bonding the ceramic insulator and the connector;
coupling the ceramic insulator to the spacer using a second seal, the second seal formed from a second braze alloy capable of bonding the ceramic insulator and the spacer; and
coupling the terminal to the spacer using a third seal, the third seal formed from a third braze alloy capable of bonding the terminal and the spacer.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the connector is formed of an iron-cobalt-nickel alloy.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the terminal comprises an aluminum alloy.

19. The method of claim 16 , wherein the spacer comprises an iron-cobalt-nickel alloy.

20. The method of claim 16 , wherein the first braze alloy, the second braze alloy, and the third braze alloy comprise a gold alloy having alloying elements not exceeding 50 weight percent in total.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Hyung Yooeup
• Santini Victor W

Classifications

• H01M50/566

  by welding, soldering or brazing · CPC title

• H01M50/552

  characterised by their shape · CPC title

• H01M50/562

  characterised by the material · CPC title

• Y02E60/10

  Energy storage using batteries · CPC title

• H01M50/186 Primary

  characterised by the disposition of the sealing members · CPC title