Deformable busbar assembly and bus bar installation method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9281673-B2
Application number	US-201414244592-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 3, 2014
Priority date	Apr 3, 2014
Publication date	Mar 8, 2016
Grant date	Mar 8, 2016

Abstract

A bus bar assembly includes a deformable bus bar including a bus bar positive terminal flange, a bus bar negative terminal flange spaced-apart from the bus bar positive terminal flange and a flange connecting portion connecting the bus bar positive terminal flange and the bus bar negative terminal flange. A deformable bus bar frame includes a bus bar frame positive terminal flange carried by the bus bar positive terminal flange of the deformable bus bar and a bus bar frame negative terminal flange carried by the bus bar negative terminal flange of the deformable bus bar. A method of installing a deformable bus bar on positive and negative terminals of a battery cell is also disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A bus bar assembly comprising:
a deformable bus bar having a bus bar slot separating a bus bar positive terminal flange and a bus bar negative terminal flange allowing said two flanges moving independently against each other; and
a deformable bus bar frame having a bus bar frame flange connector connecting a bus bar frame positive terminal flange and a bus bar frame negative terminal flange of the bus bar frame.

2. The bus bar assembly of claim 1 further comprising a bus bar frame flange slot separating the bus bar frame positive terminal flange and the bus bar frame negative terminal flange at the bus bar frame flange connector of the bus bar frame.

3. The bus bar assembly of claim 1 further comprising a bus bar body, and wherein the bus bar positive terminal flange and the bus bar negative terminal flange extend from the bus bar body.

4. The bus bar assembly of claim 3 wherein the bus bar body is generally elongated.

5. The bus bar assembly of claim 4 wherein the bus bar body comprises a pair of longitudinal body edges and a pair of transverse body edges, and the bus bar positive terminal flange and the bus bar negative terminal flange extend from the bus bar body along one of the longitudinal body edges.

6. The bus bar assembly of claim 3 wherein the bus bar body is generally rectangular.

7. The bus bar assembly of claim 1 wherein the bus bar frame comprises plastic.

8. A bus bar assembly, comprising:
a deformable bus bar including:
a bus bar positive terminal flange;
a bus bar negative terminal flange spaced-apart from the bus bar positive terminal flange;
a flange connecting portion connecting the bus bar positive terminal flange and the bus bar negative terminal flange; and
a bus bar slot separating the bus bar positive terminal flange and the bus bar negative terminal flange at the flange connecting portion; and

a deformable bus bar frame including:
a bus bar frame positive terminal flange carried by the bus bar positive terminal flange of the deformable bus bar; and
a bus bar frame negative terminal flange carried by the bus bar negative terminal flange of the deformable bus bar.

9. The bus bar assembly of claim 8 further comprising a bus bar frame flange connector connecting the bus bar frame positive terminal flange and the bus bar frame negative terminal flange of the bus bar frame.

10. The bus bar assembly of claim 9 further comprising a bus bar frame flange slot separating the bus bar frame positive terminal flange and the bus bar frame negative terminal flange at the bus bar frame flange connector of the bus bar frame.

11. The bus bar assembly of claim 8 further comprising a bus bar body, and wherein the bus bar positive terminal flange and the bus bar negative terminal flange extend from the bus bar body.

12. The bus bar assembly of claim 11 wherein the bus bar body is generally elongated.

13. The bus bar assembly of claim 12 wherein the bus bar body comprises a pair of longitudinal body edges and a pair of transverse body edges, and the bus bar positive terminal flange and the bus bar negative terminal flange extend from the bus bar body along one of the longitudinal body edges.

14. The bus bar assembly of claim 11 wherein the bus bar body is generally rectangular.

15. The bus bar assembly of claim 8 wherein the bus bar frame comprises plastic.

16. A method of installing a deformable bus bar on positive and negative terminals of a battery cell, comprising:
placing spaced-apart bus bar positive and negative terminal flanges of a deformable bus bar on the positive and negative terminals, respectively, of the battery cell;
placing a bus bar frame on said deformable bus bar; and
applying pressure against one of the bus bar positive and negative terminal flanges of the deformable bus bar comprising applying pressure against said bus bar frame to deform the deformable bus bar until the one of the bus bar positive and negative terminal flanges contacts a corresponding one of the positive and negative terminals, respectively, of the battery cell.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein applying pressure against one of the bus bar positive and negative terminal flanges of the deformable bus bar comprises applying clamp pressure against one of the bus bar positive and negative terminal flanges of the deformable bus bar.

18. The method of claim 16 further comprising welding the bus bar positive and negative terminal flanges of the deformable bus bar to the positive and negative terminals, respectively, of the battery cell.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Chorian Steve F
• Callicoat Debbi
• Chesney David J
• Wardzala David
• Wang Yongcai
• Guo Yunan

Classifications

• Y10T29/49181

  by deforming · CPC title

• Y10S903/951

  Assembly or relative location of components · CPC title

• B23K2101/38

  Conductors · CPC title

• B23K20/002

  specially adapted for particular articles or work (B23K20/129 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B23K31/02 Primary

  relating to soldering or welding · CPC title