Battery cell cover including terminal short isolation feature

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019296321-A1
Application number	US-201815928738-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 22, 2018
Priority date	Mar 22, 2018
Publication date	Sep 26, 2019
Grant date	—

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 terminal cover for a battery module, comprising:
a substrate having a first surface and a second surface disposed substantially parallel to and offset from the first surface by a thickness, wherein the substrate is substantial planar 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 from the second terminal aperture a distance 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.

2 . The battery cell terminal cover of claim 1 , 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.

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

4 . The battery cell 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 . The battery cell terminal cover of claim 4 , wherein the plurality of busbar mount posts are integrally formed in the substrate, and wherein the substrate and the plurality of busbar mounts are made from a dielectric material.

6 . The battery cell terminal cover of claim 5 , 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.

7 . The battery cell terminal cover of claim 6 , 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.

8 . The battery cell terminal cover of claim 7 , 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 retaining protrusions is disposed in an area between immediately adjacent battery cells in the battery module.

9 . The battery cell terminal cover of claim 8 , wherein each of the plurality of 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.

10 . The battery cell terminal cover of claim 9 , 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 sidewalls 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.

11 . A battery module, comprising:
an array of battery cells arranged in adjacent spaced apart series-connected rows, the rows 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 for each battery cell in the array of 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 substantially parallel to and offset from the first surface by a thickness, wherein the substrate is substantial planar 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 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 from the second terminal aperture a distance 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.

12 . The battery module of claim 11 , wherein the battery cell terminal cover includes terminal access features, comprising the first terminal aperture, the second terminal aperture, and the protrusion, aligned with each battery cell in the array of battery cells.

13 . The battery module of claim 12 , further comprising:
a battery cell group interconnection busbar electrically interconnecting a group of battery cells in the array of battery cells, wherein the battery cell group interconnection busbar includes a substantially planar electrically-conductive strip in contact with the first surface and a plurality of positive terminal strips each including a first bent end extending from the first surface into the first terminal aperture toward the second surface, and wherein the first bent end is in contact with a positive terminal contact surface of a respective battery cell in the array of battery cells.

14 . The battery module of claim 13 , wherein the substantially planar electrically-conductive strip includes a plurality of negative terminal strips each including a second bent end extending from the first surface into the second terminal aperture toward the second surface, and wherein the second bent end is in contact with a negative terminal contact surface of a different respective battery cell in the array of battery cells.

15 . The battery module of claim 14 , wherein the protrusion of the terminal access features for each battery cell in the array of battery cells fits in an area between a positive terminal of the battery cell and a negative terminal of the battery cell blocking a path from the positive terminal of the battery cell to the negative terminal of the battery cell and isolating each of the plurality of negative terminal strips from moving into contact with any positive terminals for each battery cell in the array of battery cells.

16 . The battery module of claim 15 , further compr

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

• H01M2220/20

  Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane · 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