Methods and apparatus to increase stacking pressure in battery cells

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12482891-B2
Application number	US-202217706245-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 28, 2022
Priority date	Mar 28, 2022
Publication date	Nov 25, 2025
Grant date	Nov 25, 2025

Abstract

Methods, apparatus, systems, and articles of manufacture to increase stacking pressure in battery cells are disclosed. A disclosed battery includes an anode layer and a cathode layer stacked with the anode layer. The disclosed battery further includes a tension bearing structure to extend through at least one of the anode layer or the cathode layer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A battery comprising:
an anode layer; a cathode layer stacked with the anode layer; an anode current collector adjacent the anode layer, the anode layer between the cathode layer and the anode current collector; a cathode current collector adjacent the cathode layer, the cathode layer between the anode layer and the cathode current collector; and a tension bearing structure to extend through at least one of the anode layer or the cathode layer, the tension bearing structure to extend through at least one of the anode current collector or the cathode current collector.

2 . The battery of claim 1 , including a sensor to detect at least one of conductivity, resistance, or impedance between the anode layer and the anode current collector.

3 . The battery of claim 1 , wherein a first end of the tension bearing structure is coupled to the anode current collector, and a second end of the tension bearing structure is coupled to the cathode current collector.

4 . The battery of claim 1 , wherein an end of the tension bearing structure includes a flange that extends away from a main body of the tension bearing structure, an inner surface of the flange to interface with an outer surface of the at least one of the anode current collector or the cathode current collector.

5 . The battery of claim 1 , wherein the tension bearing structure is a first tension bearing structure, the battery including:
a second tension bearing structure that extends through the at least one of the anode layer or the cathode layer and extends through the at least one of the anode current collector or the cathode current collector; and a cross-support structure extending between and coupled to a first end of the first tension bearing structure and a second end of the second tension bearing structure, the cross-support structure to extend across an outer surface of the at least one of the anode current collector or the cathode current collector.

6 . A battery comprising:
an anode layer; a cathode layer stacked with the anode layer; a tension bearing structure to extend through at least one of the anode layer or the cathode layer; and a separator between the anode layer and the cathode layer, the tension bearing structure to extend through the separator, an exterior surface of a first portion of the tension bearing structure is electrically insulative, an exterior surface of a second portion of the tension bearing structure is electrically conductive, the first portion to span across the separator, the second portion at an end of the tension bearing structure.

7 . The battery of claim 6 , wherein the tension bearing structure includes a main body and a metal cap, the main body corresponding to the first portion, the metal cap corresponding to the second portion.

8 . A battery comprising:
an anode layer; a cathode layer stacked with the anode layer; and a tension bearing structure to extend through at least one of the anode layer or the cathode layer, the tension bearing structure including an electrically conductive core and an electrically insulative exterior surface.

9 . A battery comprising:
an anode layer; a cathode layer stacked with the anode layer; and a tension bearing structure to extend through at least one of the anode layer or the cathode layer, the tension bearing structure being ionically conductive.

10 . A battery comprising:
an anode layer; a cathode layer stacked with the anode layer; and a tension bearing structure to extend through at least one of the anode layer or the cathode layer, the tension bearing structure including a ceramic material.

11 . A battery comprising:
an anode layer; a cathode layer stacked with the anode layer; and a tension bearing structure to extend through at least one of the anode layer or the cathode layer, the tension bearing structure including an elastic material.

12 . A battery comprising:
an anode layer; a cathode layer stacked with the anode layer; a housing to enclose the anode layer and the cathode layer; and a tension bearing structure to extend through at least one of the anode layer or the cathode layer, an end of the tension bearing structure affixed to a wall of the housing.

13 . A battery comprising:
an anode layer; a cathode layer stacked with the anode layer; and a tension bearing structure to extend through at least one of the anode layer or the cathode layer, wherein the tension bearing structure is not directly affixed to the anode layer and is not directly affixed to the cathode layer.

14 . A battery comprising:
a first anode layer; a cathode layer stacked with the first anode layer; a second anode layer stacked with the first anode layer and the cathode layer; and a tension bearing structure to extend through both the first anode layer and the second anode layer.

15 . The battery of claim 6 , wherein a base material for the anode layer includes at least one of silicon or lithium.

16 . A battery comprising:
a battery cell stack including an anode, a separator, and a cathode, the separator between the anode and the cathode; a package to enclose the battery cell stack; and means for applying a pressure on the battery cell stack, the pressure applying means to extend through the anode, the separator, and the cathode.

17 . The battery of claim 16 , wherein the battery cell stack includes multiple layers of the anode and multiple layers of the cathode, the pressure applying means to extend through the multiple layers of the anode and through the multiple layers of the cathode.

18 . The battery of claim 16 , wherein the battery cell stack includes a first current collector at a first side of the battery cell stack and a second current collector at a second side of the battery cell stack, the first side adjacent a first wall of the package, the second side adjacent a second wall of the package, the pressure applying means to extend through the first current collector and the second current collector.

19 . The battery of claim 18 , wherein the pressure applying means is directly affixed to at least one of the first current collector or the first wall of the package, and the pressure applying means is directly affixed to at least one of the second current collector or the second wall of the package.

20 . A method comprising:
providing a battery cell stack for a battery; providing a tension bearing structure through the battery cell stack, the tension bearing structure to extend transverse to layers in the battery cell stack; positioning the battery cell stack in an external package; and coupling an end of the tension bearing structure to a wall of the external package.

21 . The method of claim 20 , including coupling an end of the tension bearing structure to an outermost layer in the battery cell stack.

22 . A method comprising:
providing a battery cell stack for a battery; laser drilling a hole through the battery cell stack; and providing a tension bearing structure through the battery cell stack, the tension bearing structure to extend transverse to layers in the battery cell stack, the tension bearing structure positioned within the hole.

23 . The battery of claim 6 , wherein the tension bearing structure is at least one of (i) spring-shaped, (ii) accordion-shaped, (iii) an elongate pillar, or (iv) a sheet.

24 . The battery of claim 6 , wherein the tension bearing structure has a

Assignees

• Intel Corp

Inventors

• Matsumura Naoki
• Erike Eric
• Paavola Juha

Classifications

• H01M10/48

  Accumulators combined with arrangements for measuring, testing or indicating the condition of cells, e.g. the level or density of the electrolyte (constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals, H01M50/569) · CPC title

• H01M10/058

  Construction or manufacture · CPC title

• Y02P70/50

  Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product · CPC title

• Y02E60/10

  Energy storage using batteries · CPC title

• H01M50/486

  Organic material · CPC title