Flexible printed circuit as high voltage interconnect in battery modules

An energy storage module, comprising:

• a matrix of energy storage elements orderly arranged and secured into a plurality of N number of rows and M number of columns, N greater than or equal to M, each energy storage element of said matrix including a surface face defining both a positive terminal and a negative terminal;
• and
• a flexible printed circuit having one or more flexible conductive layers disposed between alternating flexible insulating layers, each said layer having a thickness less than 0.1 mm, each said conductive layer defining a flexible interconnect pattern, said interconnect patterns collectively including a plurality of bulk conductor regions, each bulk conductor region disposed parallel to said rows and associated with a set of energy storage elements, with each bulk conductor region including a plurality of positive terminal contacts joined to said positive terminals of said associated set of energy storage elements using a mechanical joint and a plurality of negative terminal contacts joined to said negative terminals of said associated set of energy storage elements using said mechanical joint;
• wherein said interconnect patterns collectively couple said plurality of energy storage elements into a single electrical module including both parallel-connected and series-connected sub-divisions of said plurality of energy storage elements.

An energy storage module, comprising:

• a matrix of energy storage elements orderly arranged and secured into a plurality of N number of rows and M number of columns, N greater than or equal to M, each energy storage element of said matrix including a surface face defining both a positive terminal and a negative terminal;
• and
• a flexible printed circuit having a first region including a flexible conductive layer disposed between a pair of flexible insulating layers and a second region including a plurality of conductive layers disposed between alternating flexible insulating layers, each said conductive layer defining a flexible interconnect pattern, said interconnect pattern of said first region providing terminal connection structures including a plurality of positive terminal contacts joined to said positive terminals of said associated set of energy storage elements using a mechanical joint and a plurality of negative terminal contacts joined to said negative terminals of said associated set of energy storage elements using said mechanical joint, and said interconnect patterns of said second region collectively including a plurality of bulk conductor regions, each bulk conductor region disposed parallel to said rows and associated with a set of energy storage elements, with each bulk conductor region electrically communicated to said first region;
• wherein said interconnect patterns collectively couple said plurality of energy storage elements into a single electrical module including both parallel-connected and series-connected sub-divisions of said plurality of energy storage elements.

An energy storage module, comprising:

• a matrix of energy storage elements orderly arranged and secured into a plurality of N number of rows and M number of columns, N greater than or equal to M, each energy storage element of said matrix including a first surface face defining a positive terminal and second surface face defining a negative terminal;
• and
• a pair of flexible printed circuits, each flexible printed circuit having a flexible conductive layer disposed between a pair of flexible insulating layers, each said layer having a thickness less than 0.1 mm, said conductive layer defining a flexible interconnect pattern, said interconnect pattern including a plurality of bulk conductor regions, each bulk conductor region disposed parallel to said rows and associated with a set of energy storage elements, with each bulk conductor region including a plurality of terminal contacts;
• wherein said terminals of said associated set of energy storage elements are electrically communicated to one of said flexible printed circuits using a plurality of mechanical joints between said terminals and said terminal contacts.