# US 12,015,174 B1 · Interface for a current collector and a busbar

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- Number: US 12,015,174 B1
- Document ID: US12015174B1
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B1
- Application number: 18/067,771
- Filed: 2022-12-19
- Published: 2024-06-20
- Granted: 2024-06-18
- Earliest claimed: 2022-12-19
- Assignees: Rivian IP Holdings, LLC
- Applicants: Rivian IP Holdings, LLC
- Inventors: Neil Patel; Tyler Jacobs; James Daisuke Spence; Karthik Gundappa Balte
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12015174B1

## CPC

- H01M 50/516: by welding, soldering or brazing
- B60L 50/64: Constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles
- H01M 50/204: Racks, modules or packs for multiple batteries or multiple cells
- H01M 50/503: characterised by the shape of the interconnectors
- H01M 50/505: comprising a single busbar
- H01M 50/507: comprising an arrangement of two or more busbars within a container structure, e.g. busbar modules
- H01M 50/522: Inorganic material
- H01M 2220/20: Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
- Y02E 60/10: Energy storage using 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

## Abstract

A battery module of a battery pack of an electric vehicle can include a current collector of a battery, a busbar of the battery and an interface component to electrically couple the current collector and the busbar. The interface component can be electrically coupled with the current collector or be an integral part of a metal layer of the current collector. The interface component can be curved about an edge of the busbar. The interface component can be coupled with the busbar via a first weld at a region of the busbar.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A system, comprising:
a current collector of a battery, the current collector comprising a plurality of layers;
a busbar of the battery; and
an interface disposed about an edge of the busbar, the interface comprising a portion of a layer of the plurality of layers of the current collector, wherein the portion of the layer of the interface protrudes past the plurality of layers and a surface of the busbar to couple with the busbar via a weld on the surface of the portion of the layer.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the portion of the layer comprises an electric conductor material and forms a tab protruding past an edge of a battery and the interface is in contact with the edge of the busbar.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the interface is welded onto the surface of the busbar abutting the edge.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the interface is positioned at least partially on the edge of the busbar, and the interface is configured to bend around at least a portion of the edge of the busbar.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, comprising:
the plurality of layers comprising the layer in electrical contact with a second layer configured to provide electrical contact with a plurality of battery cells, the plurality of layers comprising a third layer to cover the second layer, wherein the interface protrudes past the plurality of layers of the current collector to couple with the busbar;
a part of the interface bent over the edge of the busbar; and
a second part of the interface comprising the surface that is welded with the busbar.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, comprising:
the current collector configured to extend along a top surface of the battery;
the busbar configured to extend along a side surface of the battery; and
the interface configured to form a corner about the edge of the busbar, the interface integrated into the layer of a plurality of layers of the current collector of the battery.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, comprising:
a battery pack comprising the battery; and
a second battery of the battery pack comprising a second busbar of the second battery that is electrically coupled with the busbar of the battery,
wherein the second battery comprises a second interface of the second battery disposed about a second edge of the second busbar of the second battery, the interface of the second battery electrically coupled with a second current collector of the second battery and coupled with the second busbar of the second battery via a second weld between the second interface and the second busbar of the second battery.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, comprising:
a second current collector of the battery;
a second busbar of the battery; and
a second interface disposed about a second edge of the second busbar, the second interface electrically coupled with the second current collector and coupled with the second busbar via a second weld between the second interface and the second busbar.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the current collector is a negative current collector of the battery and the busbar is a negative busbar.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the interface comprises a sheet of electrical conductor material that is bent to form a corner, and wherein the interface electrically couples an end of the current collector with an end of the busbar.

### Claim 11

A method, comprising:
providing a current collector of a battery, the current collector comprising a plurality of layers;
providing a busbar of the battery; and
providing an interface disposed about an edge of the busbar, the interface comprising a portion of a layer of the plurality of layers of the current collector, wherein the portion of the layer of the interface protrudes past the plurality of layers and a surface of the busbar to couple with the busbar via a weld on the surface of the portion of the layer.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein the portion of the layer comprises an electric conductor material and forms a tab protruding past an edge of a battery and the interface is in contact with the edge of the busbar.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, comprising:
welding the interface on the surface of the busbar abutting the edge of the busbar.

### Claim 14 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein the interface is positioned at least partially on the edge of the busbar, and the interface is configured to bend around at least a portion of the edge of the busbar.

### Claim 15 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, comprising:
providing the plurality of layers comprising the layer in electrical contact with a second layer configured to provide electrical contact with a plurality of battery cells, the plurality of layers comprising a third layer to cover the second layer, the interface protruding from the current collector to couple with the busbar;
providing a part of the interface bent over the edge of the busbar; and
providing a second part of the interface comprising the surface that is welded with the busbar.

### Claim 16 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, comprising:
providing the current collector configured to extend along a top surface of the battery;
providing the busbar configured to extend along a side surface of the battery; and
providing the interface configured to form a corner about the edge of the busbar, the interface integrated into the layer of a plurality of layers of the current collector of the battery.

### Claim 17 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, comprising:
providing a battery pack comprising the battery; and
providing a second battery of the battery pack comprising a second busbar of the second battery that is electrically coupled with the busbar of the battery,
wherein the second battery comprises a second interface of the second battery disposed about a second edge of the second busbar of the second battery, the interface of the second battery electrically coupled with a second current collector of the second battery and coupled with the second busbar of the second battery via a second weld between the second interface and the second busbar of the second battery.

### Claim 18 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, comprising:
providing a second current collector of the battery;
providing a second busbar of the battery; and
providing a second interface disposed about a second edge of the second busbar, the second interface electrically coupled with the second current collector and coupled with the second busbar via a second weld between the second interface and the second busbar.

### Claim 19

An electric vehicle, comprising:
a current collector of a battery, the current collector comprising a plurality of layers;
a busbar of the battery; and
an interface disposed about an edge of the busbar, the interface comprising a portion of a layer of the plurality of layers of the current collector, wherein the portion of the layer of the interface protrudes past the plurality of layers and a surface of the busbar to couple with the busbar via a weld on the surface of the portion of the layer.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The electric vehicle of claim 19, wherein the portion of the layer comprises an electric conductor material and forms a tab protruding past an edge of a battery and the interface is in contact with the edge of the busbar.