Battery cell cover including terminal short isolation feature

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10892465-B2
Application number	US-201815928738-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 22, 2018
Priority date	Mar 22, 2018
Publication date	Jan 12, 2021
Grant date	Jan 12, 2021

Abstract

A battery module cell cover is provided including a number of features configured to orient, capture, and isolate battery cell interconnections relative to battery cell locations in an array of battery cells. Isolation features may block a negative terminal battery cell interconnect from moving out of an orientation receptacle aligned with a negative terminal of a battery cell and into contact with a positive terminal of the battery cell, or vice versa. The battery module cell cover can include a number of structural connection features protruding from a planar surface into a battery cell containment cavity, between battery cell locations, that provide a number of surfaces for curing to structural adhesive of the battery module. These structural connection features, in conjunction with the structural adhesive, can assist in forming a unified strengthened structure of the battery module.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A battery cell array terminal cover, comprising:
a substrate having a first surface and a second surface disposed opposite to and offset from the first surface by a thickness, wherein the substrate extends planarly along a length and a width of the substrate; and
a plurality of terminal access receptacles arranged in an array of receptacle groups disposed in the substrate in a distribution pattern extending in a row along the length of the substrate, wherein each receptacle group of the array of receptacle groups comprises:
a first terminal aperture having a first opening size passing from the first surface to the second surface through the thickness of the substrate; the first terminal aperture providing an access opening to a first terminal contact surface of a battery cell in an array of battery cells in a battery module;
a second terminal aperture disposed adjacent to the first terminal aperture, the second terminal aperture having a second opening size smaller than the first opening size passing from the first surface to the second surface through the thickness of the substrate, the second terminal aperture providing an access opening to a second terminal contact surface of the battery cell in the array of battery cells in the battery module, wherein the first terminal aperture is separated a distance from the second terminal aperture by a bridging portion of the substrate formed in the thickness of the substrate and extending from an inner surface of the first terminal aperture to an inner surface of the second terminal aperture; and
a dielectric protrusion disposed on the bridging portion of the substrate and extending from the second surface of the substrate in a direction away from the substrate and toward the battery cell in the battery module, the dielectric protrusion extending beyond the first and second terminal contact surfaces wherein the dielectric protrusion fits in an area between a first terminal of the battery cell and a second terminal of the battery cell and blocks a path running from the first terminal contact surface to the second terminal contact surface.

2. The battery cell array terminal cover of claim 1 , wherein the dielectric protrusion extends into a recessed area of the battery cell disposed between a first terminal of the battery cell and a second terminal of the battery cell.

3. The battery cell array terminal cover of claim 2 , wherein the dielectric protrusion is disposed at a center of the bridging portion of the substrate.

4. The battery cell array terminal cover of claim 2 , further comprising:
a plurality of busbar mount posts disposed on the first surface of the substrate and extending a height distance in a direction away from the substrate, wherein the plurality of busbar mount posts are sized to engage with corresponding holes disposed in one or more cell-to-cell interconnection busbars of the battery module.

5. A battery cell terminal cover for a battery module, comprising:
a substrate having a first surface and a second surface disposed opposite to and offset from the first surface by a thickness, wherein the substrate extends planarly along a length and width of the battery module;
a first terminal aperture passing from the first surface to the second surface through the thickness of the substrate, the first terminal aperture providing an access opening to a first terminal contact surface of a battery cell in the battery module;
a second terminal aperture disposed adjacent to the first terminal aperture, the second terminal aperture passing from the first surface to the second surface through the thickness of the substrate; the second terminal aperture providing an access opening to a second terminal contact surface of the battery cell in the battery module, wherein the first terminal aperture is separated a distance from the second terminal aperture by a bridging portion of the substrate; and
a protrusion disposed on the bridging portion of the substrate and extending from the second surface of the substrate in a direction away from the substrate and toward the battery cell in the battery module, the protrusion extending beyond the first and second terminal contact surfaces, wherein the protrusion fits in an area between a first terminal of the battery cell and a second terminal of the battery cell blocking a path from the first terminal of the battery cell to the second terminal of the battery cell; and
a plurality of busbar mount posts disposed on the first surface of the substrate and extending a height distance in a direction away from the substrate, wherein the plurality of busbar mount posts are sized to engage with corresponding holes disposed in one or more cell-to-cell interconnection busbars of the battery module.

6. The battery cell terminal cover of claim 5 , wherein the plurality of busbar mount posts are integrally formed in the substrate, and wherein the substrate and the plurality of busbar mount posts are made from a dielectric material.

7. The battery cell terminal cover of claim 6 , wherein at least a portion of each of the plurality of busbar mount posts is structured to deform when subjected to a controlled application of heat and/or ultrasonic vibrations.

8. The battery cell terminal cover of claim 7 , wherein each of the plurality of busbar mount posts is shaped as a truncated cone tapering from a first cone diameter at the first surface to a second cone diameter at the height distance, and wherein the second cone diameter is less than the first cone diameter.

9. The battery cell terminal cover of claim 8 , further comprising:
a plurality of cover retaining protrusions disposed on the second surface of the substrate and extending a depth distance in a direction away from the substrate, wherein each of the plurality of cover retaining protrusions is disposed in an area between immediately adjacent battery cells in the battery module.

10. The battery cell terminal cover of claim 9 , wherein each of the plurality of cover retaining protrusions includes an X-shaped cross-sectional area tapering from a first cross-sectional area at the second surface to a smaller second cross-sectional area at the depth distance.

11. The battery cell terminal cover of claim 10 , wherein the substrate further comprises a plurality of sidewalls extending a distance from a periphery of the substrate in a direction away from the first surface, the substrate and the plurality of sidewalk defining a battery cell containment cavity, and wherein the depth distance of the plurality of cover retaining protrusions is less than the distance of the plurality of sidewalls.

12. A battery module, comprising:
an array of cylindrical battery cells arranged in adjacent spaced apart series-connected rows, the adjacent spaced apart series-connected rows being spaced apart along a length of the battery module running from a first end to an opposite second end of the battery module, wherein all positive terminals in the array of cylindrical battery cells are oriented facing a same direction; and
a battery cell terminal cover, comprising:
a substrate having a first surface and a second surface disposed opposite to and offset from the first surface by a thickness, wherein the substrate extends planarly along the length and a width of the battery module;
a first terminal aperture passing from the first surface to the second surface through the thickness of the substrate, the first terminal aperture providing an access opening to a first terminal contact surface of a first terminal of a cylindrical battery cell in the battery module;
a second terminal aperture disposed adjacent to the first terminal aperture, the second terminal

Assignees

• Nio Usa Inc

Inventors

• Newman Austin L
• Smith Alexander J

Classifications

• H01M50/24 Primary

  adapted for protecting batteries from their environment, e.g. from corrosion (thermal insulation H01M10/658) · CPC title

• H01M50/284

  with incorporated circuit boards, e.g. printed circuit boards [PCB] · CPC title

• H01M50/505

  comprising a single busbar · CPC title

• H01M50/278

  Organic material · CPC title

• H01M50/213 Primary

  adapted for cells having curved cross-section, e.g. round or elliptic (H01M50/209, H01M50/216 take precedence) · CPC title