# US 10,312,558 B2 · Battery packaging and insert molding for electric vehicles > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,312,558 B2 - Document ID: US10312558B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/191,217 - Filed: 2016-06-23 - Published: 2017-07-06 - Granted: 2019-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2015-12-30 - Assignees: Thunder Power New Energy Vehicle Development Company Limited - Applicants: Thunder Power New Energy Vehicle Development Company Limited - Inventors: Yung-Kang Yang - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10312558B2 ## CPC - H01M 10/613: Cooling or keeping cold - B60L 50/64: Constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles - B60L 50/66: {Arrangements of batteries} - B60L 58/26: by cooling - H01M 10/0525: Rocking-chair batteries, i.e. batteries with lithium insertion or intercalation in both electrodes; Lithium-ion batteries - H01M 10/625: Vehicles - H01M 10/643: Cylindrical cells - H01M 10/6557: arranged between the cells - H01M 50/107: having curved cross-section, e.g. round or elliptic (H01M50/103, H01M50/109, H01M50/11 take precedence) - H01M 50/213: adapted for cells having curved cross-section, e.g. round or elliptic (H01M50/209, H01M50/216 take precedence) - H01M 50/227: Organic material - H01M 50/249: specially adapted for aircraft or vehicles, e.g. cars or trains (constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles B60L50/64) - H01M 2220/20: Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane - Y02E 60/10: Energy storage using batteries - Y02T 10/70: Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries - H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY - B60L: PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (arrangements or mounting of electrical propulsion units or of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion in vehicles B60K1/00, B60K6/20; arrangements or mounting of electrical gearing in vehicles B60K17/12, B60K17/14; preventing wheel slip by reducing power in rail vehicles B61C15/08; dynamo-electric machines H02K; control or regulation of electric motors H02P); SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (electric coupling devices combined with mechanical couplings of vehicles B60D1/64; electric heating for vehicles B60H1/00); ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL (control or regulation of electric motors H02P); MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION ## Abstract A battery pack for an electric vehicle may include a plurality of battery cells arranged in on or more rows, a coolant loop, and a molded insert that encompasses the plurality of cells and the coolant loop such that the plurality of cells and the coolant loop are fixed relative to each other. The molded insert may cover a large portion of the coolant loop and/or the individual battery cells of the battery pack. An injection mold can be used as a fixture to hold the individual battery cells in place relative to the coolant loop, and the molded insert can be injected around the battery and coolant loop assembly. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A battery pack for an electric vehicle, the battery pack comprising: a plurality of battery cells arranged in on or more rows; a coolant loop; and a molded insert that encompasses the plurality of cells and the coolant loop such that the plurality of cells and the coolant loop are fixed relative to each other, wherein the molded insert comprises a single injection-molded piece that that is injected around the plurality of battery cells to encase the coolant loop. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The battery pack of claim 1, wherein the molded insert is injection molded around the plurality of battery cells and the coolant loop using an injection mold. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The battery pack of claim 2, wherein the injection mold comprises holes for the coolant loop to exit the injection mold. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The battery pack of claim 2, wherein the molded insert requires less than 10 minutes to solidify after the molded insert is injection molded. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The battery pack of claim 1, wherein the molded insert is comprised of one or more plastics or epoxies. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The battery pack of claim 1, wherein the molded insert fills a gap between the coolant loop and the plurality of battery cells. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The battery pack of claim 1, wherein the molded insert leaves tops and bottoms of the plurality of battery cells exposed. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The battery pack of claim 1, wherein the molded insert fills gaps between the plurality of battery cells. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The battery pack of claim 1, wherein a top of the molded insert is level with a top of the plurality of battery cells. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The battery pack of claim 1, wherein a top of the molded insert stops at least 5 mm below a top of the plurality of battery cells. ### Claim 11 A method of manufacturing a battery pack for an electric vehicle, the method comprising: providing an injection mold; placing a plurality of battery cells in the injection mold arranged in one or more rows; routing a coolant loop around the one or more rows of the plurality of battery cells in the injection mold; and injection molding a molded insert that encompasses the plurality of cells and the coolant loop such that the plurality of cells and the coolant loop are fixed relative to each other, wherein the molded insert comprises a single injection-molded piece that that is injected around the plurality of battery cells to encase the coolant loop. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the coolant loop is routed out of the injection mold. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the injection mold comprises holes for the coolant loop to exit the injection mold. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the molded insert requires less than 10 minutes to solidify after the molded insert is injection molded. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the molded insert is comprised of one or more plastics or epoxies. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the molded insert fills a gap between the coolant loop and the plurality of battery cells. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the molded insert leaves tops and bottoms of the plurality of battery cells exposed. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the molded insert fills gaps between the plurality of battery cells. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein a top of the molded insert is level with a top of the plurality of battery cells. ### Claim 20 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein a top of the molded insert stops at least 3 mm below a top of the plurality of battery cells.