Biasing features for a battery module

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016197331-A1
Application number	US-201514675618-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 31, 2015
Priority date	Jan 5, 2015
Publication date	Jul 7, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a battery module having a housing and a stack of battery cells disposed in a receptacle area of the housing, where each battery cell has a top having a battery cell terminal and a bottom, where the top of the battery cells face outwardly away from the receptacle area. The battery module includes an integrated sensing and bus bar subassembly positioned against the stack of battery cells and has a carrier, a bus bar integrated onto the carrier, and a biasing member integrated onto the carrier. The bus bar electrically couples battery cells in an electrical arrangement, and the biasing member is between the top of each battery cell and the carrier, where the biasing member has a first material, more compliant than a second material of the carrier, and the biasing member biases the stack of battery cells inwardly toward the housing.

First claim

1 . A battery module, comprising:
a housing; a stack of battery cells disposed in a receptacle area of the housing, each battery cell of the battery cell stack having a top comprising a battery cell terminal and a bottom opposite the top, wherein the stack of battery cells is positioned such that the top of each battery cell faces outwardly away from the receptacle area; and an integrated sensing and bus bar subassembly positioned against the stack of battery cells, wherein the integrated sensing and bus bar subassembly comprises a carrier, a bus bar integrated onto the carrier, and a biasing member integrated onto the carrier; wherein, the bus bar is configured to electrically couple battery cells of the stack of battery cells in an electrical arrangement; and wherein the biasing member is positioned between the top of each battery cell of the stack of battery cells and the carrier, wherein the biasing member comprises a first material that is more compliant than a second material of the carrier, and the biasing member biases the stack of battery cells inwardly toward the housing.

2 . The battery module of claim 1 , wherein the biasing member is integrated onto the carrier via a friction fit in which a projection of the carrier is positioned within a corresponding recess of the biasing member.

3 . The battery module of claim 2 , wherein the projection comprises a cutout configured to accommodate a battery cell sleeve disposed about one battery cell of the stack of battery cells.

4 . The battery module of claim 3 , wherein the cutout comprises a depth and a width corresponding to an increased height and an increased width of the battery cell caused by the battery cell sleeve.

5 . The battery module of claim 3 , wherein the stack of battery cells comprises a first battery cell, a second battery cell having the battery cell sleeve, and a third battery cell, the second battery cell is positioned between the first battery cell and the third battery cell, and the cutout is in a position on the projection corresponding to the second battery cell.

6 . The battery module of claim 2 , wherein the projection comprises a lip configured to secure the biasing member on the projection.

7 . The battery module of claim 1 , wherein the biasing member is integrated onto the carrier via overmolding.

8 . The battery module of claim 1 , wherein the biasing member is integrated onto the carrier via a recess disposed on the carrier and configured to receive the biasing member.

9 . The battery module of claim 1 , wherein the biasing member is integrated onto the carrier via an adhesive.

10 . The battery module of claim 1 , comprising a thermal transfer layer disposed between an interior surface of the housing and the bottom of the battery cells of the stack of battery cells, wherein the thermal transfer layer is configured to facilitate thermal transfer from the stack of battery cells to a thermal management feature disposed on an exterior surface of the housing, and the thermal transfer layer comprises a compliant material.

11 . The battery module of claim 10 , wherein the thermal management feature comprises a heat sink, a heat fin, or another device configured to receive thermal energy.

12 . The battery module of claim 1 , comprising an additional biasing member, wherein the biasing member and the additional biasing member are configured to abut the top of each battery cell such that a vent of each battery cell is positioned between the biasing member and the additional biasing member.

13 . The battery module of claim 1 , wherein the biasing member comprises a Shore A Hardness value of between 40 and 60.

14 . The battery module of claim 1 , wherein the biasing member comprises an elastomer, a polyolefin, a mixture of an elastomer and another polymer, a polyester, or any combination thereof.

15 . The battery module of claim 14 , wherein the biasing member further comprises a filler material configured to provide structural reinforcement.

16 . The battery module of claim 1 , wherein the battery module does not comprise an actuatable compression mechanism.

17 . A lithium-ion battery module, comprising:
a housing; a stack of prismatic battery cells disposed in a receptacle area of the housing, each prismatic battery cell of the stack of prismatic battery cells having a top comprising a battery cell terminal and a bottom opposite the top, wherein the stack of prismatic battery cells is positioned such that the top of each prismatic battery cell faces outwardly away from the receptacle area; a thermal transfer layer positioned adjacent to the bottom of the prismatic battery cells within the housing and configured to facilitate thermal transfer from the prismatic battery cells; and an integrated sensing and bus bar subassembly positioned against the stack of prismatic battery cells and within the housing, wherein the integrated sensing and bus bar subassembly comprises a carrier, a bus bar integrated onto the carrier, a first biasing member integrated onto the carrier, and a second biasing member integrated onto the carrier; wherein the bus bar is configured to electrically couple prismatic battery cells of the stack of prismatic battery cells in an electrical arrangement; and wherein the first and second biasing members are positioned between the top of each prismatic battery cell of the stack of prismatic battery cells and the carrier, the first and second biasing members each comprise a strip having a first material more compliant than a second material of the carrier, the first and second biasing members bias the stack of prismatic battery cells inwardly toward the housing, and a cell vent of each prismatic battery cell of the stack of prismatic battery cells is positioned between the first and second biasing members.

18 . The lithium-ion battery module of claim 17 , wherein the first and second biasing members are integrated onto the carrier via friction fits in which a first projection of the carrier is positioned within a first recess of the first biasing member and a second projection of the carrier is positioned within a second recess of the second biasing member.

19 . The lithium-ion battery module of claim 17 , wherein the thermal transfer layer comprises a compliant material and is configured to facilitate thermal transfer from the stack of prismatic battery cells to a thermal management feature disposed on an exterior surface of the housing, and wherein the thermal management feature comprises a heat sink, a heat fin, or another device configured to receive thermal energy.

20 . The lithium-ion battery module of claim 17 , wherein one or more of the first and second biasing members comprise an elastomer, a polyolefin, a mixture of an elastomer and another polymer, a polyester, or any combination thereof.

21 . An integrated voltage sensing and bus bar subassembly for a lithium-ion battery module, comprising:
a carrier; a bus bar integrated onto the carrier and configured to electrically couple battery cells of a stack of battery cells in an electrical arrangement; and a first biasing member and a second biasing member integrated onto the carrier via friction fits in which a first projection of the carrier is positioned within a first recess of the first biasing member and a second projection of the carrier is positioned within a second recess of the second biasing member, wherein the first and second biasing members are configured to be positioned between a surface of each battery cell o

Assignees

• Johnson Controls Tech Co

Inventors

• Mack Robert J
• Dekeuster Richard M
• Czarnecki Jennifer L
• Nakayama Ken
• Tyler Matthew R
• Bonin Christopher M
• Zhang Xugang
• Trester Dale B
• Fuhr Jason D

Classifications

• H01M10/052 Primary

  Li-accumulators · CPC title

• H01M10/482

  for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially · CPC title

• H01M50/524

  Organic material · CPC title

• H01M50/503

  characterised by the shape of the interconnectors · CPC title

• H01M50/209

  adapted for prismatic or rectangular cells (H01M50/216 takes precedence) · CPC title