Battery cell interconnect system
AssigneeInterplex Industries, Inc.
InventorsCraig Kennedy, Vu Phan
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A battery module having a plurality of battery cells disposed in a housing and interconnected by upper and lower interconnect panels stamped from sheets of conductive metal. Each of the upper and lower interconnect panels have a plurality of contacts secured to terminals of the battery cells, respectively. The contacts are at least partially disposed in panel openings extending through the upper and lower interconnect panels. A carrier is provided and includes a lead frame molded into a body of thermoplastic resin. The lead frame connects a plurality of locations on the upper and lower interconnect panels to a monitoring module that measures physical properties at the locations.
Claims20
A battery module comprising:
- a housing having a cover attachable to a body;
- a plurality of battery cells disposed in the housing, each of the battery cells comprising a pair of terminals;
- an upper interconnect panel stamped from a sheet of conductive metal, the upper interconnect panel having a plurality of first panel openings extending therethrough and including a plurality of first contacts that are secured to the terminals of the battery cells, respectively, the first contacts being at least partially disposed in the first panel openings, respectively;
- a lower interconnect panel stamped from another sheet of conductive metal, the lower interconnect panel having a plurality of second panel openings extending therethrough and including a plurality of second contacts that are secured to the terminals of the battery cells, respectively, the second contacts being at least partially disposed in the second panel openings, respectively;
- a carrier comprising a lead frame molded into a body of thermoplastic resin, wherein the lead frame is connected to a plurality of locations on the upper and lower interconnect panels, and wherein at least an upper portion of the body of the carrier is disposed above the upper interconnect panel and at least a lower portion of the body of the carrier is disposed below the lower interconnect panel;
- and
- a monitoring module connected to the lead frame;
- and
- wherein the upper and lower interconnect panels are connected to the battery cells to form a circuit arrangement, and wherein the monitoring module is operable to measure electrical properties of the circuit arrangement.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.