Adjustable battery stack and method of use in device enclosure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016285111-A1
Application number	US-201514669158-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 26, 2015
Priority date	Mar 26, 2015
Publication date	Sep 29, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An inert material is included in the electrode assembling of a battery having a thickness which compensates for a difference in dimension of the electrode assembly when thinner electrodes are used to construct a battery having reduced capacity, to thereby be accommodated in a battery case of uniform dimension regardless of the electrical characteristics of the battery.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of standardizing a battery encasement of at least two batteries having differing battery characteristic combinations comprised of current delivery capability, voltage delivery capability, and energy capacity, the batteries each having an electrode assembly comprising at least one anode and one cathode and a separator interposed therebetween, the method comprising:
providing first electrode assemblies having a first dimension corresponding to a first battery characteristic combination of energy capacity, current delivery capability, and voltage delivery capability; providing battery cases having a common configuration defining an electrode cavity for securely accommodating said first electrode assembly; providing second electrode assemblies having a second dimension, less by a given amount from said first dimension, corresponding to a second battery characteristic combination of energy capacity, current delivery capability, and voltage delivery capability, said second battery characteristic combination differing from said first battery characteristic combination; disposing individual ones of said first electrode assemblies respectively into said electrode cavities of individual ones of said battery cases to produce a first battery type; and disposing individual ones of said second electrode assemblies respectively into said electrode cavities of other individual ones of said battery cases and disposing an inert insert into said electrode cavities of said other individual ones of said battery cases to produce a second battery type, said inert spacer being dimensioned to compensate for said given amount to securely accommodate said second electrode assemblies in said electrode cavities of said other individual ones of said battery cases.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said disposing said inert spacer includes disposing said inert spacer in a bottom of said electrode cavity and disposing said second electrode assembly on top of said inert spacer.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein anodes and cathodes of the second electrode assembly are thinner than anodes and cathodes of the first electrode assembly.

4 . The method of claim 2 , wherein anodes and cathodes of the second electrode assembly are fewer in number than anodes and cathodes of the first electrode assembly.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said disposing said inert spacer includes disposing said second electrode assembly on a bottom of said battery case and disposing said inert spacer on top of said second electrode assembly.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein anodes and cathodes of the second electrode assembly are thinner than anodes and cathodes of the first electrode assembly.

7 . The method of claim 5 , wherein anodes and cathodes of the second electrode assembly are fewer in number than anodes and cathodes of the first electrode assembly.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:
said second electrode assembly has a first plate assembly and a second plate assembly, and said disposing said inert spacer includes disposing said first plate assembly on a bottom of said battery case, disposing said inert spacer on top of said first plate assembly, and disposing said second plate assembly on top of said inert spacer.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein anodes and cathodes of the second electrode assembly are thinner than anodes and cathodes of the first electrode assembly.

10 . The method of claim 8 , wherein anodes and cathodes of the second electrode assembly are fewer in number than anodes and cathodes of the first electrode assembly.

11 . A method of producing a product line, comprising:
producing electronics modules, respectively having power requirements differing from one another; producing a plurality of a common encasement having a battery compartment and an electronics compartment, the electronics compartment being configured to accept any of the electronics modules; providing electrode assemblies each comprising at least one pair of an anode and a cathode with a separator disposed therebetween, said electrode assemblies being respectively configured to match said differing power requirements of said electronics modules such that some of said electrode assemblies have dimensions differing from other ones of said electrode assemblies; inserting said electronics modules respectively into the electronics compartment of a corresponding number of said plurality of said common encasement; and for each of said corresponding number of said plurality of said common encasement, selecting one of said electrode assemblies to match a power requirement of said electronics module inserted in the common encasement, inserting the selected one of said electrode assemblies into said battery compartment, and if said selected one of the electrode assemblies occupies less space than provided by said battery compartment so as to leave an unoccupied volume in said battery compartment, inserting an inert insert into said unoccupied space so as to fill said unoccupied space to an extent necessary to prevent displacement of said stack.

12 . A method according to claim 11 , wherein said battery compartment is integral with said common encasement.

13 . A method according to claim 11 , wherein said battery compartment is separate from said common encasement and is a battery case adapted to fit inside said common encasement.

14 . A method according to claim 11 , wherein at least one of said electronics modules is a circuit board.

15 . A method according to claim 11 , wherein at least one of said electronics modules is a circuit board disposed in a housing.

16 . A method according to claim 11 , wherein said anodes and said cathodes of said electrode assemblies differ in size from each other.

17 . A method according to claim 11 , wherein said electrode assemblies have differing numbers of said anodes and said cathodes.

Assignees

• Medtronic Inc

Inventors

• Norton John D
• Schmidt Craig L

Classifications

• H01M6/42 Primary

  Grouping of primary cells into batteries (H01M6/40 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01M10/0436 Primary

  Small-sized flat cells or batteries for portable equipment · CPC title

• H01M6/425

  Multimode batteries, batteries with "reserve cells" · CPC title

• H01M10/0445

  Multimode batteries, e.g. containing auxiliary cells or electrodes switchable in parallel or series connections · CPC title

• H01M10/425

  Structural combination with electronic components, e.g. electronic circuits integrated to the outside of the casing (printed circuits H05K1/00) · CPC title