Printed circuit board interconnect for cells in a battery system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9553343-B2
Application number	US-201313954765-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 30, 2013
Priority date	Jul 30, 2013
Publication date	Jan 24, 2017
Grant date	Jan 24, 2017

Abstract

A system includes a cell interconnect board including a printed circuit board (PCB) disposed proximate a power assembly having a plurality of pouch battery cells, including at least a first battery cell and a second battery cell in a stacked orientation relative to each other. The cell interconnect board includes an interconnect spanning a slot in the cell interconnect board and configured to receive a first tab electrode extending from the first battery cell and a second tab electrode extending from the second battery cell, such that the first and second tab electrodes are in contact with each other. The system also includes a sensor configured to measure a parameter associated with the power assembly.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A battery module, comprising:
a cell interconnect board comprising a printed circuit board (PCB) disposed proximate a power assembly having a plurality of pouch battery cells including at least a first pouch battery cell and a second pouch battery cell in a stacked orientation relative to each other;
a coupling structure disposed in a slot of the interconnect board, wherein the coupling structure defines an opening;
an interconnection device disposed in the opening of the coupling structure and configured to contact a first tab electrode extending from the first pouch battery cell and a second tab electrode extending from the second pouch battery cell, such that the first and second tab electrodes are disposed within the opening, are in electrical contact with each other, and are positioned between the coupling structure and the interconnection device; and
a sensor configured to measure a parameter associated with the power assembly.

2. The battery module of claim 1 , comprising a plurality of coupling structures defining a plurality of openings, and a plurality of substantially parallel interconnection devices spanning respective slots through the cell interconnect board, wherein each interconnection device of the plurality of substantially parallel interconnection devices is disposed within a corresponding opening of the plurality of openings and is configured to contact tab electrodes from two respective pouch battery cells of the plurality of pouch battery cells, such that the tab electrodes are disposed within the opening, are in electrical contact with each other, and are positioned between the interconnection device and a corresponding coupling structure of the plurality of coupling structures.

3. The battery module of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of substantially parallel interconnection devices are electrically conductive, and wherein the cell interconnect board comprises a terminal block, address voltage sense lines, and bus bars configured to electrically couple two or more of the plurality of substantially parallel interconnection devices with the terminal block, such that the terminal block receives a voltage from the plurality of pouch battery cells.

4. The battery module of claim 3 , wherein the address voltage sense lines are arranged such that the terminal block receives a voltage signal associated with a series combination of the plurality of pouch battery cells.

5. The battery module of claim 3 , wherein the bus bars are arranged such that the terminal block receives a voltage signal associated with a parallel combination of groups of pouch battery cells, wherein each group of pouch battery cells comprises two or more pouch battery cells of the plurality of pouch battery cells.

6. The battery module of claim 1 , wherein the interconnection device comprises an electrically conductive material.

7. The battery module of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is disposed adjacent to the interconnection device on the cell interconnect board.

8. The battery module of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is electrically coupled to the interconnection device.

9. The battery module of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is disposed on a first side of the cell interconnect board and the interconnection device is attached to a second side of the cell interconnect board opposite the first side.

10. The battery module of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is disposed on an interior-facing side of the cell interconnect board facing towards the power assembly.

11. The battery module of claim 1 , wherein the cell interconnect board comprises a first sensor disposed on a first side facing towards the power assembly and a second sensor disposed on the opposite side.

12. The battery module of claim 1 , wherein the cell interconnect board comprises a multilayer PCB, and the sensor is disposed within the multilayer PCB.

13. The battery module of claim 1 , wherein the sensor comprises a voltage sensor.

14. The battery module of claim 13 , wherein the cell interconnect board comprises a sensor pad configured to be electrically coupled with a portion of one of the first and second tab electrodes, wherein the voltage sensor is coupled to the sensor pad.

15. The battery module of claim 1 , wherein the sensor comprises a temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature associated with the first and second pouch battery cells.

16. The battery module of claim 1 , wherein the sensor comprises a pressure sensor.

17. The battery module of claim 1 , wherein the cell interconnect board comprises a terminal block electrically coupled to the sensor.

18. A battery module, comprising:
a cell interconnect board comprising a printed circuit board (PCB) disposed proximate a power assembly having a plurality of pouch battery cells disposed in a stacked orientation relative to each other;
a plurality of coupling structures disposed in slots of the cell interconnect board;
a plurality of openings, each opening being defined by a corresponding coupling structure of the plurality of coupling structures; and
a plurality of interconnects, wherein each interconnect of the plurality of interconnects is disposed in a corresponding opening of the plurality of openings, and is configured to contact two tab electrodes that extend from a respective pair of adjacent pouch battery cells, that are disposed within the corresponding opening, and that are positioned between the coupling structure and the interconnect.

19. The battery module of claim 18 , wherein the cell interconnect board electrically couples the plurality of pouch battery cells in series.

20. The battery module of claim 18 , wherein the cell interconnect board comprises a plurality of bus bars configured to electrically couple two or more groups of pouch battery cells in series, wherein each of the groups of pouch battery cells comprises two or more pouch battery cells of the plurality of pouch battery cells electrically coupled in parallel via the cell interconnect board and the bus bars.

21. The battery module of claim 18 , wherein the cell interconnect board comprises a terminal block configured to receive a voltage signal associated with a parallel combination of the groups of battery cells.

22. The battery module of claim 21 , wherein the cell interconnect board comprises a voltage sensor coupled to the terminal block to measure voltage drops across the parallel combination of the groups of battery cells.

23. The battery module of claim 18 , wherein the cell interconnect board comprises a sensor disposed adjacent to at least one interconnect of the plurality of interconnects.

24. The battery module of claim 23 , wherein the sensor is electrically coupled to the at least one interconnect.

25. The battery module of claim 23 , wherein the cell interconnect board comprises a multilayer PCB, and wherein the sensor is disposed within the multilayer PCB.

26. The battery module of claim 1 , wherein the opening defined by the coupling structure comprises a semi-circular or circular cross-section.

27. The battery module of claim 26 , wherein the interconnection device comprises a semi-circular or circular cross-section corresponding with the semi-circular or circular cross-section of the opening.

28. The battery module of claim 1 , wherein the interconnection device is retained within the opening such that the interconnection device

Assignees

• Johnson Controls Tech Co

Inventors

• Malcolm Robert G
• Wyatt Perry M
• Nguyen Thanh T
• Pinon James
• Joshi Ajinkya S

Classifications

• H01M10/482 Primary

  for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially · CPC title

• H01M50/503

  characterised by the shape of the interconnectors · CPC title

• H01M50/519

  comprising printed circuit boards [PCB] · CPC title

• H01M50/509

  characterised by the type of connection, e.g. mixed connections · CPC title

• H01M50/569

  Constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals (battery terminal connectors with integrated measuring arrangements G01R31/364) · CPC title