Methods of welding battery terminals
AssigneeA123 Systems, Inc.
InventorsShazad M. BUTT, Jonathan E. HOSTLER, Mujeeb IJAZ
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of manufacturing a battery including: supplying a busbar having a U-shaped portion defining a channel and characterized by a bend corner at one end of the U-shaped portion, wherein the busbar has a reduced-reflectivity treatment at least in the vicinity of the bend corner; positioning a single battery terminal in the channel formed by the U-shaped portion so that the top end of the terminal is proximate to the bend corner; directing a laser beam at the bend corner of the U-shaped portion; and with the laser beam, melting the busbar at the bend corner and forming a metallurgical bond between the busbar and the top end of the single terminal.
Claims36
A method of manufacturing a battery comprising:
- supplying a busbar having a U-shaped portion defining a channel and characterized by a bend corner at one end of the U-shaped portion, said busbar also having a reduced reflectivity treatment at least in the vicinity of the bend corner;
- positioning a single battery terminal in the channel formed by the U-shaped portion so that the top end of the terminal is proximate to the bend corner;
- directing a laser beam at the bend corner of the U-shaped portion;
- and
- with the laser beam, melting the busbar at the bend corner and forming a metallurgical bond between the busbar and the top end of the single terminal.
A battery comprising:
- a battery cell having a voltage terminal;
- a busbar having a U-shaped portion defining a channel and characterized by a bend corner at one end of the U-shaped portion, said busbar also having a reduced reflectivity treatment at least in the vicinity of the bend corner, wherein the voltage terminal extends into the channel formed by the U-shaped portion and has a top end that is proximate to the bend corner;
- and
- a metallurgical junction formed between the top end of the terminal and the busbar inside the channel at the bend corner.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.