Patent application number | Description | Published |
20130040176 | CURRENT COLLECTOR FOR AN ELECTROMECHANICAL CELL - A current collector with improved flexibility and electrical conductivity includes at least one flexible leg coupled to a central portion of the current collector. The flexible leg extends substantially orthogonally to the central portion when a force is applied to the central portion. Specifically, the at least one flexible leg extends at least 16 percent of the outer width when a 1000 Newton loading is applied between the central portion and the outer portion. | 02-14-2013 |
20130196197 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MANUFACTURING BATTERY CELLS - A system includes a battery cell having a packaging and a coil disposed within the packaging. The battery cell further includes a first terminal electrically coupled to a portion the coil and protruding through an opening in the packaging, wherein the first terminal is hermetically sealed at the opening in the packaging using a compressive force. | 08-01-2013 |
20130196201 | COVER FOR BATTERY CELL - A battery includes a cell element that is disposed in a housing, and the housing is sealed with a top cover made primarily of plastic. The top cover may include a layer of metallic foil, which may make the top cover more impermeable to moisture. The top cover may also include a vent, which may or may not utilize the metallic foil to determined the primary opening force of the vent. The top cover may also have one or more stiffening ribs that extend downwardly from a bottom portion of the top cover to contact the cell element, so as to limit movement of the cell element within the housing. In addition, the top cover may have one or more conductive terminals that are at least partially overmolded by the plastic of the top cover. | 08-01-2013 |
20140141317 | CELL TERMINAL SEAL SYSTEM AND METHOD - A battery module includes a hermetically sealed battery cell assembly. The battery cell assembly includes a housing and an electrochemical cell disposed in the housing. The battery cell assembly also includes a first battery terminal coupled to and extending away from the electrochemical cell and extending through a first opening in the housing. The first opening in the housing comprises a flange. The battery cell assembly further includes a sealing ring disposed around the flange to exert a compressive force for hermetically sealing the opening. | 05-22-2014 |
20140186669 | POLYMERIZED LITHIUM ION BATTERY CELLS AND MODULES WITH OVERMOLDED HEAT SINKS - A lithium ion (Li-ion) battery cell includes a prismatic housing that includes four sides formed by side walls coupled to and extending from a bottom portion of the housing. The housing is configured to receive and hold a prismatic Li-ion electrochemical cell element. The housing includes an electrically nonconductive polymeric (e.g., plastic) material. Additionally, a heat sink is overmolded by the polymeric material of the housing, such that the heat sink is retained in an outer portion of the sides of the housing and the heat sink is exposed along the bottom portion of the housing. | 07-03-2014 |
20140186683 | WELDING TECHNIQUES FOR POLYMERIZED LITHIUM ION BATTERY CELLS AND MODULES - A lithium ion (Li-ion) battery cell includes a housing. The housing includes side walls coupled to and extending from a first portion of the housing to form an opening in the housing opposite the first portion of the housing. The housing includes an electrically nonconductive polymeric (e.g., plastic) material. An electrochemical cell element is disposed in the housing and immersed in electrolyte that is also disposed in the housing. The Li-ion battery cell also includes a cover including an electrically nonconductive polymeric material. The cover is disposed over the opening in the housing and sealed to the housing via a seal. The seal is configured to resist or prevent ingress of moisture into the housing and to resist or prevent egress of the electrolyte from the housing. | 07-03-2014 |
20140186687 | POLYMERIZED LITHIUM ION BATTERY CELLS AND MODULES WITH THERMAL MANAGEMENT FEATURES - A lithium ion (Li-ion) battery module includes a container with one or more partitions that define compartments within the container. Each of the compartments is configured to receive and hold a prismatic Li-ion electrochemical cell element, and a cover is configured to be disposed over the container to close the compartments. The container includes a polymer blend including a base polymer and one or more additives blended into the base polymer. The base polymer is electrically nonconductive and the one or more additives are configured to increase a thermal conductivity of the container to promote transfer of heat generated from the electrochemical cell elements through the container. | 07-03-2014 |
20140186693 | POLYMERIZED LITHIUM ION BATTERY CELLS AND MODULES WITH PERMEABILITY MANAGEMENT FEATURES - A lithium ion (Li-ion) battery module includes a container with one or more partitions that define compartments within the container. Each of the compartments is configured to receive and hold a prismatic Li-ion electrochemical cell element and electrolyte. The Li-ion battery module also includes a cover configured to be disposed over the container to close the compartments. The container includes an electrically nonconductive polymeric material (e.g., plastic) with a nanomaterial applied to the polymeric material. The nanomaterial enhances the impermeability of the container to reduce ingress of moisture into the compartments and to reduce egress of the electrolyte from the compartments. | 07-03-2014 |
20140234676 | ELECTROCHEMICAL CELL HAVING A FIXED CELL ELEMENT - An electrochemical cell includes a cell element and a current collector disposed in a housing that includes a vent. The current collector includes an outer member and an inner member coupled together by one or more flexible arms. The outer member is coupled to the cell element and the inner member is coupled to the vent, such that the flexible arms allow axial movement of the inner member with respect to the outer member when the vent moves from an undeployed position to a deployed position. The housing may include a shoulder that holds the cell element in the housing. The electrochemical cell may also include a coil plate provided at an end of the cell element. The coil plate is coupled to an edge of at least one electrode of the cell element. The outer member of the current collector may be coupled to the coil plate and the inner member of the current collector may be coupled to the vent, such that when the vent moves from an undeployed position to a deployed position, the cell element remains substantially fixed within the housing. | 08-21-2014 |
20150072175 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR VENTING PRESSURIZED GAS FROM A BATTERY MODULE - Present embodiments are directed to a battery module including a venting assembly and a method of manufacturing the battery module. The venting assembly may, in certain embodiments, be designed to vent gases from a plurality of battery cells disposed in a housing of the battery module. Each of the plurality of battery cells may include a battery cell vent. The venting assembly may include a lid designed to be coupled to the housing and disposed over the battery cells in the housing. In some embodiments, the lid includes a vent chamber formed in the lid and designed to receive and direct gases vented from the plurality of battery cells away from the battery module. | 03-12-2015 |
20150072209 | BUS BAR LINK FOR BATTERY CELL INTERCONNECTIONS IN A BATTERY MODULE - A bus bar including a first end comprising a first material and a second end comprising a second material and a method of manufacture are provided. The first end is designed to be coupled to a terminal of a first battery cell of a battery module and includes a first collar disposed on the first end designed to receive and surround the terminal of the first battery cell of the battery module. The second end is designed to be coupled to a terminal of a second battery cell of the battery module and includes a second collar disposed on the second end designed to receive and surround the terminal of the second battery of the battery module. The first and second batteries of the battery module are adjacent to one another. Moreover, the bus bar includes a joint electrically and mechanically coupling the first end and the second end. | 03-12-2015 |