Preconditioned bus bar interconnect system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9774024-B2
Application number	US-201514691932-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 21, 2015
Priority date	Apr 21, 2015
Publication date	Sep 26, 2017
Grant date	Sep 26, 2017

Abstract

A method is provided for interconnecting the batteries in a battery pack in a manner that is designed to minimize damage and contamination of the contact surfaces of the interconnect and the battery terminal, thereby minimizing connection resistance and increasing interconnect reliability.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of electrically interconnecting a plurality of batteries, said method comprising:
fabricating a bus bar, said bus bar comprising a plurality of interconnects configured to include at least two interconnects per battery of said plurality of batteries, said at least two interconnects per battery comprising a sacrificial interconnect and a primary interconnect, wherein said sacrificial interconnect is separate and distinct from said primary interconnect;
pre-shaping said sacrificial interconnect and said primary interconnect prior to connecting said at least two interconnects to a battery terminal of a corresponding battery of said plurality of batteries, wherein said step of pre-shaping creates a first separation distance between a sacrificial interconnect contact surface corresponding to said sacrificial interconnect and said battery terminal, and creates a second separation distance between a primary interconnect contact surface corresponding to said primary interconnect and said battery terminal, wherein said second separation distance is greater than said first separation distance;
contacting said sacrificial interconnect contact surface of said sacrificial interconnect to said battery terminal;
contacting said primary interconnect contact surface of said primary interconnect to said battery terminal, wherein said step of contacting said primary interconnect contact surface to said battery terminal is performed after completion of said step of contacting said sacrificial interconnect contact surface to said battery terminal; and
attaching said primary interconnect to said battery terminal, wherein said step of attaching forms an electrical connection between said primary interconnect and said battery terminal.

2. The method of claim 1 , said step of fabricating said bus bar further comprising fabricating said at least two interconnects such that said sacrificial interconnect is smaller than said primary interconnect.

3. The method of claim 1 , said at least two interconnects per battery further comprising a second primary interconnect, wherein prior to connecting said at least two interconnects to said battery terminal said second primary interconnect is shaped to create a third separation distance between a second primary interconnect contact surface and said battery terminal, wherein said third separation distance is greater than said first separation distance.

4. The method of claim 1 , said step of fabricating said bus bar further comprising fabricating said sacrificial interconnect as a first tab extending from an edge of said bus bar, and fabricating said primary interconnect as a second tab extending from said edge of said bus bar.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of attaching said primary interconnect to said battery terminal using a technique selected from the group consisting of laser welding, e-beam welding, resistance welding, ultrasonic welding thermocompression bonding and thermosonic bonding.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising the step of attaching said sacrificial interconnect to said battery terminal using a technique selected from the group consisting of laser welding, e-beam welding, resistance welding, ultrasonic welding thermocompression bonding and thermosonic bonding.

7. The method of claim 1 , said step of fabricating said bus bar further comprising fabricating said bus bar and said plurality of interconnects from a single piece of material.

8. The method of claim 1 , said step of contacting said sacrificial interconnect contact surface to said battery terminal further comprising applying a force on an upper surface of said sacrificial interconnect, wherein said step of applying said force causes said sacrificial interconnect contact surface to touch said battery terminal.

9. The method of claim 8 , said step of contacting said primary interconnect contact surface to said battery terminal further comprising applying a second force on an upper surface of said primary interconnect, wherein said step of applying said second force causes said primary interconnect contact surface to touch said battery terminal, and wherein said step of applying said second force is performed after completion of said step of applying said force on said upper surface of said sacrificial interconnect.

10. The method of claim 1 , said step of contacting said sacrificial interconnect contact surface to said battery terminal further comprising moving said bus bar to a first position relative to said plurality of batteries, wherein said step of moving said bus bar to said first position causes said sacrificial interconnect contact surface to touch said battery terminal.

11. The method of claim 10 , said step of contacting said primary interconnect contact surface to said battery terminal further comprising moving said bus bar to a second position relative to said plurality of batteries, wherein said step of moving said bus bar to said second position causes said primary interconnect contact surface to touch said battery terminal, and wherein said step of moving said bus bar to said second position is performed after completion of said step of moving said bus bar to said first position.

12. The method of claim 1 , said step of contacting said sacrificial interconnect contact surface to said battery terminal further comprising moving said plurality of batteries to a first position relative to said bus bar, wherein said step of moving said plurality of batteries to said first position causes said sacrificial interconnect contact surface to touch said battery terminal.

13. The method of claim 12 , said step of contacting said primary interconnect contact surface to said battery terminal further comprising moving said plurality of batteries to a second position relative to said bus bar, wherein said step of moving said plurality of batteries to said second position causes said primary interconnect contact surface to touch said battery terminal, and wherein said step of moving said plurality of batteries to said second position is performed after completion of said step of moving said plurality of batteries to said first position.

Assignees

• Atieva Inc

Inventors

• Eberhard Martin Forest

Classifications

• B23K26/22 Primary

  Spot welding · CPC title

• H01M50/516

  by welding, soldering or brazing · CPC title

• H01M50/505

  comprising a single busbar · CPC title

• H01M50/503

  characterised by the shape of the interconnectors · CPC title

• B23K20/023

  Thermo-compression bonding · CPC title