Electrified vehicle battery packs with polymer-based enclosures

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022017031-A1
Application number	US-202117376380-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 15, 2021
Priority date	Jul 16, 2020
Publication date	Jan 20, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

Battery pack designs for use in electrified vehicles may include a polymer-based enclosure having features for sealing external joints, retaining components inside the battery pack, securing electrical and coolant lines to the polymer-based enclosure, etc. The proposed designs reduce the number of overall parts in assembly, such as fasteners and brackets, and simplify the overall battery pack manufacturing and assembly processes.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A battery pack, comprising:
an enclosure assembly including a tray, a mid-tray, and a cover, wherein the mid-tray is secured to the tray at a tongue and groove connection; and at least one of a tape seal or a liquid seal applied at an external seam associated with the tongue and groove connection.

2 . The battery pack as recited in claim 1 , wherein the tape seal is secured to an exterior surface of the mid-tray and to an exterior surface of the tray and extends across the exterior seam.

3 . The battery pack as recited in claim 2 , wherein the tape seal is secured in place with an adhesive.

4 . The battery pack as recited in claim 1 , wherein the liquid seal is positioned between a lip of the tray and a lip of the mid-tray.

5 . The battery pack as recited in claim 1 , wherein both the tape seal and the liquid seal are applied at the external seam.

6 . The battery pack as recited in claim 1 , wherein the tongue and groove connection includes a tongue that protrudes upwardly from a lip of the tray and a groove formed in a lower surface of the mid-tray, and further wherein the tongue is received within the groove.

7 . A battery pack, comprising:
an electrical subassembly; a foam shell disposed around the electrical subassembly to establish a foamed electrical subassembly; and a battery array connected to the foamed electrical subassembly.

8 . The battery pack as recited in claim 7 , wherein the foamed electrical subassembly and the battery array are housed within a polymer-based enclosure assembly.

9 . The battery pack as recited in claim 7 , wherein the electrical subassembly includes one or more wiring harnesses, one or more wiring looms, and one or more I/O connectors.

10 . The battery pack as recited in claim 7 , wherein the foam shell substantially fills all gaps between adjacent components of the electrical subassembly.

11 . The battery pack as recited in claim 7 , wherein the foamed electrical subassembly is positioned over top of the battery array.

12 . The battery pack as recited in claim 11 , wherein the foamed electrical subassembly is connected to and positioned over top of a second battery array.

13 . A battery pack, comprising:
a polymer-based enclosure; a connector secured to the polymer-based enclosure, wherein the connector includes a connector body and a weld flange that circumscribes the connector body; and an electrical or coolant line secured to the connector body.

14 . The battery pack as recited in claim 13 , wherein an interference contact bead of the weld flange is received within a multi-level groove formed in the polymer-based enclosure.

15 . The battery pack as recited in claim 14 , wherein the interference contact bead is received in abutting contact with a sub-flush center portion of the multi-level groove.

16 . The battery pack as recited in claim 15 , wherein the sub-flush center portion protrudes outwardly from a floor of the multi-level groove, and further wherein a sub-flush pocket of the multi-level groove extends to the floor at each side of the sub-flush center portion.

17 . The battery pack as recited in claim 14 , wherein the weld flange includes a contact surface that is located outboard of the interference contact bead and is positioned in contact with an exterior wall of the polymer-based enclosure.

18 . The battery pack as recited in claim 13 , wherein the connector includes a gripping flange that extends outwardly from the weld flange and establishes a surface area for holding the connector.

19 . The battery pack as recited in claim 18 , comprising a second gripping flange provided at an interior surface of an exterior wall of the polymer-based enclosure.

20 . The battery pack as recited in claim 13 , wherein the connector is comprised of a thermoplastic material that is weldable to the polymer-based enclosure.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Smith Thomas Edward
• Maguire Patrick Daniel
• Perumalla Kanchana
• Eftekhari Mohammadreza
• Paramasivam Saravanan
• Boileau James Maurice

Classifications

• Y02T10/70

  Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries · CPC title

• Y02E60/10

  Energy storage using batteries · CPC title

• H01M50/227

  Organic material · CPC title

• H01M50/249

  specially adapted for aircraft or vehicles, e.g. cars or trains (constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles B60L50/64) · CPC title

• H01M50/298

  characterised by the wiring of battery packs · CPC title