# US 12,015,178 B2 · Battery cell, battery pack, and method of making the same incorporating features that accelerate heat dissipation, improve uniformity of heat distribution, and reduce size > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,015,178 B2 - Document ID: US12015178B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/459,224 - Filed: 2021-08-27 - Published: 2023-03-02 - Granted: 2024-06-18 - Earliest claimed: 2021-08-27 - Assignees: GM Global Technology Operations LLC - Applicants: GM Global Technology Operations LLC - Inventors: Yun Cai; Xingcheng Xiao; Bin Li - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12015178B2 ## CPC - H01M 50/581: in response to temperature - H01M 10/613: Cooling or keeping cold - H01M 10/625: Vehicles - H01M 10/647: Prismatic or flat cells, e.g. pouch cells - H01M 10/6551: Surfaces specially adapted for heat dissipation or radiation, e.g. fins or coatings - H01M 10/6554: Rods or plates - H01M 10/6555: arranged between the cells - H01M 10/6556: Solid parts with flow channel passages or pipes for heat exchange (closed pipes H01M10/6552) - H01M 50/105: Pouches or flexible bags - H01M 50/119: Metals - H01M 50/121: Organic material - H01M 50/124: having a layered structure - H01M 50/211: adapted for pouch cells - 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) - Y02E 60/10: Energy storage using batteries - H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION ## Abstract A battery cell includes an inner plastic layer, an outer plastic layer, and a middle metal layer. The inner and outer plastic layers extends along at least three of sides of the battery cell. The middle metal layer is disposed between the inner and outer plastic layers. The middle metal layer extends along the at least three sides of the battery cell and projects from at least a fourth side of the battery cell to form at least one heat dissipation tab. The at least one heat dissipation tab is configured to transfer heat to at least one cooling plate through thermal conduction. The fourth side of the battery cell connects two of the at least three sides to one another. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A battery cell comprising: an inner plastic layer extending along at least three of sides of the battery cell; an outer plastic layer extending along the at least three sides of the battery cell; and a middle metal layer that forms at least one heat dissipation tab, the middle metal layer disposed between the inner and outer plastic layers, the middle metal layer extending along the at least three sides of the battery cell and projecting from at least a fourth side of the battery cell, the at least one heat dissipation tab configured to transfer heat to at least one cooling plate through thermal conduction, the fourth side of the battery cell connecting two of the at least three sides to one another, wherein the inner and outer plastic layers are formed in discontinuous segments along a length of the middle metal layer such that portions of the middle metal layer are exposed, the inner plastic layer, the outer plastic layer, and the middle metal layer forming a tri-layer structure, the tri-layer structure being folded so that the inner plastic layer forms an inner layer of the battery cell and ends of the tri-layer structure are adjacent to one another, and wherein the at least one heat dissipation tab is bent in a direction perpendicular to side surfaces of the battery cell and parallel to the at least one cooling plate. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The battery cell of claim 1 wherein the inner plastic layer extends along the at least three sides of the battery cell and the fourth side of the battery cell. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The battery cell of claim 1 wherein the inner plastic layer extends along the at least three sides of the battery cell and does not extend along the fourth side of the battery cell. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The battery cell of claim 1 wherein the outer plastic layer extends along the at least three sides of the battery cell and at least partially along the fourth side of the battery cell. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The battery cell of claim 1 wherein the outer plastic layer also projects from the fourth side of the battery cell and encases a portion of the middle metal layer that forms the at least one heat dissipation tab. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The battery cell of claim 1 wherein the outer plastic layer extends along the at least three sides of the battery cell and does not extend along the fourth side of the battery cell. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The battery cell of claim 1 wherein: the inner and outer plastic layers extend along the at least three sides of the battery cell and do not extend along the fourth side of the battery cell; and the middle metal layer extends along at least three sides of the battery cell and the fourth side of the battery cell. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The battery cell of claim 1 wherein the middle metal layer projects from the fourth side of the battery cell and one of the at least three sides of the battery cell to form a pair of heat dissipation tabs configured to transfer heat to a pair of cooling plates through thermal conduction. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The battery cell of claim 1 wherein: the inner plastic layer is a polypropylene layer; the outer plastic layer is a layer made of nylon, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), or a combination of nylon and PET; and the middle metal layer is a layer made of aluminum, nickel, titanium, or stainless steel. ### Claim 10 A method of making a battery cell comprising: forming a metal layer; forming a first plastic layer on one side of the metal layer; forming a second plastic layer on the other side of the metal layer, the metal layer and the first and second plastic layers forming a tri-layer structure, wherein at least one of the first and second plastic layers is formed in discontinuous segments along a length of the metal layer such that portions of the metal layer are exposed and the metal layer forming at least one heat dissipation tab; cutting the tri-layer structure such that the exposed portions of the metal layer form opposite ends of the tri-layer structure; heating a portion of at least one of the first and second plastic layers to form a seal that seals an interior of the battery cell; folding the tri-layer structure so that the first plastic layer forms an inner layer of the battery cell and the ends of the tri-layer structure are adjacent to one another; and bending the at least one heat dissipation tab in a direction perpendicular to side surfaces of the battery cell. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 further comprising: heating portions of the first plastic layer adjacent to the ends to form the seal. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11 wherein the second plastic layer is formed in the discontinuous segments along the length of the metal layer. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 wherein both of the first and second plastic layers are formed in the discontinuous segments along the length of the metal layer. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 wherein the exposed portions of the metal layer do not extend across an entire width of the metal layer. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 wherein: the first plastic layer is a polypropylene layer; the second plastic layer is a layer made of nylon, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), or a combination of nylon and PET; and the metal layer is a layer made of aluminum, nickel, titanium, or stainless steel. ### Claim 16 A battery pack comprising: a first set of battery cells; a second set of battery cells; and a thermal resistant barrier disposed between the first and second sets of battery cells, the thermal resistant barrier including a polyurethane layer having a first surface and a second surface opposite of the first surface, the first surface of the polyurethane layer directly facing the first set of battery cells, the second surface of the polyurethane layer directly facing the second set of battery cells, wherein each battery cell of the first and second sets of battery cells includes: an inner plastic layer extending along at least three sides of the battery cell; an outer plastic layer extending along the at least three sides of the battery cell; and a middle metal layer that forms at least one heat dissipation tab, the middle metal layer disposed between the inner and outer plastic layers, the middle metal layer extending along the at least three sides of the battery cell and projecting from at least a fourth side of the battery cell, the at least one heat dissipation tab configured to transfer heat to at least one cooling plate through thermal conduction, the fourth side of the battery cell connecting two of the at least three sides to one another, wherein the inner and outer plastic layers are formed in discontinuous segments along a length of the middle metal layer such that portions of the middle metal layer are exposed, the inner plastic layer, the outer plastic layer, and the middle metal layer forming a tri-layer structure, the tri-layer structure being folded so that the inner plastic layer forms an inner layer of that battery cell and ends of the tri-layer structure are adjacent to one another, and wherein the at least one heat dissipation tab is bent in a direction perpendicular to side surfaces of the battery cell and parallel to the at least one cooling plate. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The battery pack of claim 16 wherein the thermal resistant barrier is free of any aluminum layer. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The battery pack of claim 16 wherein the thermal resistant barrier is free of any gel layer. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The battery pack of claim 16 further comprising a cooling plate of the at least one cooling plate, wherein an end of each battery cell of the first and second sets of battery cells is in contact with the cooling plate, and the thermal resistant barrier is spaced apart from the cooling plate.