# US 11,909,061 B2 · Modular approach for advanced battery modules having different electrical characteristics > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,909,061 B2 - Document ID: US11909061B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/089,540 - Filed: 2020-11-04 - Published: 2021-02-25 - Granted: 2024-02-20 - Earliest claimed: 2014-09-30 - Assignees: CPS Technology Holdings LLC - Applicants: CPS Technology Holdings LLC - Inventors: Richard M. DeKeuster; Robert J. Mack; Stephen D. Cash - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11909061B2 ## CPC - H01M 50/267: having means for adapting to batteries or cells of different types or different sizes - H01M 4/485: of mixed oxides or hydroxides for inserting or intercalating light metals, e.g. LiTi2O4 or LiTi2OxFy (H01M4/505, H01M4/525 take precedence) - H01M 4/505: of mixed oxides or hydroxides containing manganese for inserting or intercalating light metals, e.g. LiMn2O4 or LiMn2OxFy - H01M 4/525: of mixed oxides or hydroxides containing iron, cobalt or nickel for inserting or intercalating light metals, e.g. LiNiO2, LiCoO2 or LiCoOxFy - H01M 10/0525: Rocking-chair batteries, i.e. batteries with lithium insertion or intercalation in both electrodes; Lithium-ion batteries - H01M 10/425: {Structural combination with electronic components, e.g. electronic circuits integrated to the outside of the casing (printed circuits H05K1/00)} - H01M 50/271: Lids or covers for the racks or secondary casings - B60L 50/64: Constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles - H01M 10/613: Cooling or keeping cold - H01M 10/625: Vehicles - H01M 10/6563: with forced flow, e.g. by blowers - H01M 50/209: adapted for prismatic or rectangular cells (H01M50/216 takes precedence) - 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 - 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 Present embodiments include a series of lithium battery modules having a plurality of electrochemical cells having different electrical characteristics such as voltages and/or capacities. The battery modules are each constructed using components, architectures, production methods, among other things, in common with each other. The lithium ion battery modules may include a first battery module type having a first capacity and a first voltage, a second battery module type having a second capacity and a second voltage, and, in some embodiments, additional battery module types (e.g., a third battery module type having a third capacity and a third voltage) having different voltages and/or capacities. The lithium ion battery modules may all have the same footprint. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of manufacturing lithium ion battery modules, the method comprising: providing a first battery module subassembly on a first manufacturing path, the first battery module subassembly including a first housing having a first dimension, a second dimension, and a third dimension; providing a second battery module subassembly on a second manufacturing path different from the first manufacturing path, the second battery module subassembly including a second housing having the first dimension, the second dimension, and a fourth dimension different than the third dimension; converging the first manufacturing path and the second manufacturing path to a battery cell positioning region that includes a common battery cell source; at the battery cell positioning region, placing a first plurality of battery cells from the common battery cell source in the first battery module subassembly, and placing a second plurality of battery cells from the common battery cell source in the second battery module subassembly, wherein a number of the second plurality of battery cells is different from a number of the first plurality of battery cells; diverging the first manufacturing path from the second manufacturing path after the battery cell positioning region; at a first component integration region in the first manufacturing path, the first component integration region having a first component source, assembling a first component of the first component source with the first battery module subassembly; at a second component integration region in the second manufacturing path, the second component integration region having a second component source different from the first component source, assembling a second component of the second component source with the second battery module subassembly; and concluding the first manufacturing path and the second manufacturing path to result in a first battery module and a second battery module. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of manufacturing lithium ion battery modules of claim 1, wherein the first component integration region and the second component integration region are after diverging the first manufacturing path from the second manufacturing path after the battery cell positioning region. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of manufacturing lithium ion battery modules of claim 1, wherein the first component includes a first version of a component, and wherein the second component includes a second version of the component. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of manufacturing lithium ion battery modules of claim 1, while the first manufacturing path and the second manufacturing path are converged, at a third component integration region in the converged path, the first component integration region having a third component source, assembling a third component of the third component source with the first battery module subassembly, and assembling the third component of the third component source with the second battery module subassembly. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of manufacturing lithium ion battery modules of claim 1, wherein the battery cell positioning region includes an automated system that positions battery cells in the first housing and the second housing in a particular manner. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of manufacturing lithium ion battery modules of claim 1, wherein the first battery module is a first voltage battery module and the second battery module is a second voltage battery module different than the first voltage battery module. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of manufacturing lithium ion battery modules of claim 6, wherein a voltage of the first voltage battery module is 12 volts, and a voltage of the second battery module is a multiple of 12 volts. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of manufacturing lithium ion battery modules of claim 1, wherein the first battery module is a first capacity battery module and the second battery module is a second capacity battery module different than the first capacity battery module. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of manufacturing lithium ion battery modules of claim 8, wherein the second capacity is a multiple of the first capacity. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of manufacturing lithium ion battery modules of claim 1, wherein the first dimension is a length, the second dimension is a width, and the third dimension and the fourth dimension are a first height and a second height, respectively. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of manufacturing lithium ion battery modules of claim 1, wherein providing the first battery module subassembly on a first manufacturing path includes, providing a third component from a shared component source, at a first molding region in the first manufacturing path, molding the first housing with the third component, and wherein providing the second battery module subassembly on a second manufacturing path includes, providing a fourth component from the shared component source, the fourth component being the same as the third component, and at a second molding region in the second manufacturing path, molding the second housing with the fourth component.