# US 10,770,693 B2 · Apparatus comprising battery cells and a method of assembling > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,770,693 B2 - Document ID: US10770693B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/766,300 - Filed: 2016-09-26 - Published: 2018-10-18 - Granted: 2020-09-08 - Earliest claimed: 2015-10-14 - Assignees: Jaguar Land Rover Limited - Applicants: Jaguar Land Rover Limited - Inventors: Stephen Nicholls - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10770693B2 ## CPC - H01M 10/6557: arranged between the cells - B60L 50/64: Constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles - H01M 10/04: Construction or manufacture in general (H01M10/058, H01M10/12, H01M10/28, H01M10/38 take precedence) - H01M 10/0431: {Cells with wound or folded electrodes (H01M10/045 takes precedence)} - H01M 10/613: Cooling or keeping cold - H01M 10/625: Vehicles - H01M 50/112: Monobloc comprising multiple compartments - H01M 50/119: Metals - H01M 50/147: Lids or covers - 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 50/50: Current conducting connections for cells or batteries - H01M 50/503: characterised by the shape of the interconnectors - H01M 50/51: Connection only in series - H01M 50/516: by welding, soldering or brazing - H01M 50/529: Intercell connections through partitions, e.g. in a battery casing - H01M 50/536: characterised by the method of fixing the leads to the electrodes, e.g. by welding - H01M 50/591: Covers - H01M 2220/20: Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane - Y02E 60/10: Energy storage using batteries - Y02P 70/50: Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product - 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 - Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION ## Abstract An apparatus (101, 101B, 101C, 101D, 101E), an electrical system (706), a vehicle (701) and a method (800) are disclosed. The apparatus (101) comprises a plurality of battery cells (102), each of the battery cells (102) comprising a layer of positive electrode material (103), a layer of electrolyte material (104) and a layer of negative electrode material (105). The apparatus also comprises a container means for containing battery cells (106, 106B, 106D, 6E) formed of an electrically conductive material and having a plurality of cavities (107). Each of the cavities contains at least a respective one of the battery cells (102), and the container means (106, 106B, 106D, 106E) is in direct contact with at least one of the positive electrode material (103) and the electrolyte material (104) of each battery cell (102) or alternatively at least one of the negative electrode material (105) and the electrolyte material (104) of each battery cell (102). ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus comprising: a plurality of battery cells, each of the battery cells comprising a layer of positive electrode material, a layer of electrolyte material and a layer of negative electrode material; and a container for the battery cells, the container formed of an electrically conductive material and having a plurality of cavities, each cavity containing at least one of the battery cells, wherein the container is in direct contact with at least one of the layer of positive electrode material and the layer of electrolyte material of each battery cell, or alternatively the container is in direct contact with at least one of the layer of negative electrode material and the layer of electrolyte material of each battery cell, wherein each cavity has a first end closed by a combination of an insulating element and an electrical connector, the insulating element providing electrical insulation between the electrical connector and the container, and wherein the insulating element comprises a single insulating element that extends over one or more of the cavities. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the container defines a passageway for enabling a flow of a cooling fluid through the container. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cavities are defined by interior wall surfaces of the container, optionally wherein the interior wall surfaces are cylindrical. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the battery cells comprises a coiled structure. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the electrically conductive material comprises a metal or metal alloy. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the metal or metal alloy comprises aluminium or aluminium alloy. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the electrical connector comprises a connector plate extending over one or more of the plurality of the cavities. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the connector plate comprises a plate defining apertures that are aligned with the cavities, and each aperture is closed by a lid. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein each battery cell has an electrical conductor connected to the layer of positive electrode material of the battery cell and to the lid closing the respective aperture. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the layer of positive electrode material has a tab and the electrical conductor is connected to the tab. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the cavities has a second end closed by an electrically conducting end wall that is electrically connected to the container. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the layer of negative electrode material of one of the battery cells in a first one of the cavities has a tab connected to the electrically conducting end wall that closes the first one of the cavities. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein a single electrically conductive element provides the electrically conducting end wall of the plurality of the cavities. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the container comprises a body having a first face and an adjacent second face extending at an angle to the first face, and the single electrically conductive element has a first portion extending across the first face and a second portion extending past the second face away from the container. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the container is a first container of a plurality of containers, each of the plurality of containers defining a plurality of cavities containing battery cells, and the second portion of the single electrically conducting element provides electrical connection between the battery cells of the first container and battery cells of a second container. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the second portion of the single electrically conducting element provides electrical connection between the layers of negative electrode material of the battery cells of the first container and the layers of positive electrode material of the battery cells of a second container. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the container is a first container of a plurality of containers, each of the plurality of containers defining a plurality of cavities containing battery cells, the layers of negative electrode material of the first container being electrically connected to the layers of positive electrode material of a second container, and wherein the plurality of containers are located within an insulating case. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) A vehicle or an electrical system of a vehicle comprising the apparatus of claim 1. ### Claim 19 A method of assembling a plurality of battery cells, the method comprising: positioning each one of the battery cells within a respective one of a plurality of cavities defined in a body formed of an electrically conductive material, wherein positioning each one of the battery cells within a respective one of the plurality of cavities comprises placing at least one of positive electrode material and electrolyte material of each battery cell in direct contact with the body or alternatively placing at least one of negative electrode material and electrolyte material of each battery cell in direct contact with the body; positioning an insulating element at a first end of the cavities; and positioning an electrical connector over the insulating element to close a first end of the cavities, wherein said positioning the insulating element comprises positioning a single insulating element over a plurality of the cavities. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method according to claim 19, wherein the method comprises forming an electrical connection between the positive electrode material of a battery cell and a respective lid, or forming an electrical connection between the negative electrode material of one of the battery cells in a first one of the cavities and an electrically conductive end wall closing a second end of the first one of the cavities.