Battery array frame designs with standoff features for reducing thermal interface material usage
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorMicah Smith
Life of this patent
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Abstract
This disclosure details exemplary battery pack designs for use in electrified vehicles. An exemplary battery pack may include a heat exchanger plate and a battery array positioned against the heat exchanger plate. The battery array may include an array frame and a thermal fin held within the array frame. The array frame may additionally include a standoff for controlling a size of a gap extending between the thermal fin and the heat exchanger plate. By controlling this gap, the amount of thermal interface material (TIM) that must be utilized to fill the gap can be reduced.
Claims20
A battery pack, comprising:
- a heat exchanger plate;
- a battery array positioned against the heat exchanger plate, the battery array including an array frame and a thermal fin held within the array frame,
- wherein the array frame includes a pair of mounting feet,
- wherein the pair of mounting feet is an integral feature of a plastic frame body of the array frame;
- a standoff of the array frame establishing a gap between the heat exchanger plate and the thermal fin,
- wherein the standoff is a separate feature of the array frame from the pair of mounting feet;
- and
- a thermal interface material disposed within the gap.
A method, comprising:
- positioning a battery array against a heat exchanger plate of a battery pack, wherein the battery array includes an array frame having a pair of mounting feet and a thermal fin held within the array frame,
- wherein the pair of mounting feet is an integral feature of a plastic frame body of the array frame;
- spacing the heat exchanger plate at a fixed distance from the thermal fin with a standoff of the array frame,
- wherein the standoff is received in direct contact with the heat exchanger plate and is a separate feature of the array frame from the pair of mounting feet;
- and
- filling a gap between the thermal fin and the heat exchanger plate with a thermal interface material.
A battery pack, comprising:
- an enclosure assembly;
- a heat exchanger plate positioned against a portion of the enclosure assembly,
- wherein the heat exchanger plate includes a plate body and a coolant circuit inside the plate body;
- a battery array positioned against the heat exchanger plate at a position inside the enclosure assembly,
- wherein the battery array includes a plastic array frame, a thermal fin held within the plastic array frame, and a battery cell received within a pocket of the plastic array frame,
- wherein the plastic array frame includes a pair of mounting feet,
- wherein the pair of mounting feet is an integral feature of a plastic frame body of the plastic array frame;
- a standoff of the array frame establishing a gap extending between the heat exchanger plate and the thermal fin,
- wherein the standoff is a separate feature of the plastic array frame from the pair of mounting feet,
- wherein the standoff is an integral feature of the plastic frame body of the plastic array frame and is received in direct contact with the heat exchanger plate;
- and
- a thermal interface material positioned within the gap.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.