Battery assembly and method of forming the same

Abstract

A battery assembly includes a first cell and a second cell adjacent the first cell. A first insulator and a second insulator extend over and encapsulate first electrode and second electrode. A shell extends over the first and second insulators thereby encapsulating the first and second insulators. A mechanical connection is defined between the first insulator of the fist cell and the second insulator of the second cell.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other advantages of the present invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of adjacent battery cells supported by a tray and interconnected with a tie nut or stud;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the vertical stack battery cell packaging embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a fragmental and cross sectional view of the adjacent battery cells showing the inventive mechanical connection defined by self-locating features presented between two adjacent battery cells;

FIG. 4 is a partial perspective and cross sectional view of the battery cells shown in FIG. 3 illustrating a boss and a seat of the inventive mechanical connection of each cell of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a vertical stack battery cell packaging embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an overlapping battery cell packaging embodiment of the present invention.

Claims

1. A battery assembly comprising: a first cell having a cell core encapsulated by a first shell;a second cell having a second cell core encapsulated by a second shell with said second cell positioned adjacent said first cell;a first insulator and a second insulator of said first cell and said second cell sandwiching said cell core and said second cell core therebetween with said first and second insulators being at least partially encapsulating by said first shell and said second shell; anda mechanical connection defined between said first cell and said second cell as said first insulator extends outwardly from and beyond said first shell to mechanically engage said second insulator of said second cell thereby preventing relative movement between said first cell and said second cell.

2. A battery assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said first cell and said second cell are stacked on top of one another.

3. A battery assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said first cell and said second cell are engaged in overlapping relationship.

4. A battery assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein each core of said first cell and said second cell is further defined by a first electrode and a second electrode of charge opposite from said first electrode and a separator layer positioned between said first and second electrodes with said first and second electrodes conducting electrolyte therebetween.

5. A battery assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein each of said first shell and said second shell terminates into a negative terminal and a positive terminal opposed said negative terminal with each of said positive and negative terminals defining at least one contact apertures defined therein.

6. A battery assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said mechanical connection is further defined by at least one boss integral with and extending outwardly from said first insulator of said first cell through said at least one contact aperture and beyond said first shell of said first cell.

7. A battery assembly as set forth in claim 6 wherein said mechanical connection is further defined by at least one seat defined by said second insulator of said second cell for mechanically engaging in a male-female fashion said at least one boss extending outwardly from said first insulator of said first cell thereby preventing relative movement between said first and second cells and provide structural integrity therebetween.

8. A battery assembly as set forth in claim 7 wherein said at least one boss present a circular configuration and said at least one seat present a circular configuration to complement with said at least one boss.

9. A battery assembly as set forth in claim 8 including a tray for engaging said first cell and said second cell and a pin extending from said tray through said at least one contact aperture of said first cell and said second cell.

10. A battery assembly as set forth in claim 9 wherein said first insulator and said second insulator are fabricated from a polymeric material.

11. A battery assembly comprising: a first cell having a cell core encapsulated by a first shell and a second cell having a second cell core encapsulated by a second shell with said second cell positioned adjacent said first cell and wherein each of said first cell and said second cell includes a first electrode and a second electrode of charge opposite from said first electrode and a separator layer positioned between said first and second electrodes with said first and second electrodes conducting electrolyte therebetween;each of said first shell and said second shell terminating into a negative terminal and a positive terminal opposed said negative terminal with each of said positive and negative terminals defining at least one contact apertures defined therein with said first cell and said second cell being at least stacked on top of one another and engaged in overlapping relationship;a first insulator and a second insulator of said first cell and said second cell sandwiching said cell core and said second cell core therebetween with said first and second insulators being at least partially encapsulating by said first shell and said second shell with said first insulator and said second insulator being fabricated from a polymeric material;a mechanical connection defined between said fist cell and said second cell as said first insulator extends outwardly from and beyond said first shell to mechanically engage said second insulator of said second cell thereby preventing relative movement between said first cell and said second cell;said mechanical connection is further defined by at least one boss integral with and extending outwardly from said first insulator of said first cell through said at least one contact aperture and beyond said first shell of said first cell to mechanically engage at least one seat defined by said second insulator of said second cell thereby preventing relative movement between said first and second cells and provide structural integrity therebetween;said at least one boss present a circular configuration and said at least one seat present a circular configuration to complement with said at least one boss; anda tray for engaging said first cell and said second cell and a pin extending from said tray through said at least one contact aperture of said first cell and said second cell.

12. A battery assembly having at least two cells each having a core of at least one positive electrode and at least one negative electrode, said battery assembly comprising: a first housing for encapsulating the negative and positive electrodes of one of the cells and a second housing for encapsulating the negative and positive electrodes of another cell;a first pair of insulators of said first housing and a second pair insulator of insulators of said second housing with said first and second pairs of insulators being at least partially encapsulating by said first and second housings; anda mechanical connection defined between said fist housing and said second housing as said first pair of insulator extends outwardly from and beyond said first housing to mechanically engage said second pair of insulator of said second housing thereby preventing relative movement between said first housing and said second housing.

13. A method of forming a battery assembly comprising the steps of: encapsulating a cell core by a first shell to form a first cell;encapsulating a second cell core by a second shell to form a second cell positioned adjacent the first cell;disposing a first insulator and a second insulator respectively between the cell core and the first shell of the first cell and between the second cell core and the second shell thereby sandwiching the cell core and the second cell core between the first insulator and the second insulator of the first cell and the second cell; andmechanically connecting the fist cell and the second cell by extending the first insulator beyond the first shell of the first cell and disposing the first insulator inside the second insulator of the second cell to prevent relative movement between the first cell and the second cell.

14. A method as set forth in claim 13 including the step of stacking the first cell and the second cell on top of one another.

15. A method as set forth in claim 13 including the step of overlapping the first cell and the second cell.

16. A method as set forth in claim 13 including the step of terminating each of the first shell and the second shell into a negative terminal and a positive terminal opposed the negative terminal with each of the positive and negative terminals.

17. A method as set forth in claim 16 including the step of forming at least one contact aperture defined in the negative terminal and the positive terminal.

18. A method as set forth in claim 17 wherein the step of mechanically connecting the fist cell and the second cell is further defined by integrally forming at least one boss from the first insulator and extending the at least one boss outwardly from the first insulator of the first cell through the at least one contact aperture and beyond the first shell of the first cell.

19. A method as set forth in claim 18 wherein the step of mechanically connecting the fist cell and the second cell is further defined by forming at least one seat defined by the second insulator of the second cell to mechanically engage the at least one seat with the at least one boss thereby preventing relative movement between the first and second cells and provide structural integrity therebetween.

20. A method as set forth in claim 13 including the step of forming a tray to engage the first cell and the second cell by a pin extending from the tray through the at least one contact aperture of the first cell and the second cell.

21. A method as set forth in claim 13 including the step of forming the first insulator and the second insulator from a polymeric material.