Free floating battery cell assembly techniques for lithium ion battery module
AssigneeJohnson Controls Technology Company
InventorsRichard M. DeKeuster, Robert J. Mack, Jennifer L. Czarnecki
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Present embodiments include a lithium ion battery module having a lineup of prismatic lithium ion battery cells positioned within a cell receptacle area of a housing of the lithium ion battery module. The prismatic battery cells of the lineup are spaced apart from one another in a spaced arrangement by fixed protrusions extending from internal surfaces of the housing forming the cell receptacle area, and the fixed protrusions extend inwardly to form a plurality of discontinuous slots across a width of the cell receptacle area.
Claims20
A method of manufacturing a lithium ion battery module, comprising:
- engaging, with a capture mechanism of a pick and place system, a prismatic battery cell of an assembled group of prismatic battery cells having dimensions within manufacturing tolerances of prismatic battery cell dimensions;
- removing the prismatic battery cell from the group of prismatic battery cells;
- positioning a housing in an orientation and position to receive the prismatic battery cell using an actuation mechanism of an indexing system;
- and
- placing the prismatic battery cell into the housing using a control system having control logic that does not determine a size of the prismatic battery cell, wherein the control system is configured to control the indexing system and the pick and place system.
A lithium ion battery module system, comprising:
- a battery module housing;
- a plurality of prismatic battery cells positioned within the battery module housing in a floating arrangement, wherein each prismatic battery cell of the plurality of prismatic battery cells comprises cell terminals positioned at a first casing portion, a second casing portion positioned opposite the first casing portion, first and second sides extending between the first and second casing portions, and first and second faces connecting the first and second sides, the first and second faces being opposite one another, wherein a thickness of each prismatic battery cell is defined by a distance between the first and second faces;
- and
- wherein each prismatic battery cell of the plurality of prismatic battery cells is substantially non-swellable and comprises a respective state of charge, and wherein the respective states of charge vary by at least 20% and the respective thicknesses vary by no more than 5% across the plurality of prismatic battery cells.
A lithium ion battery module manufacturing system, comprising a controller comprising a memory and a processor, wherein the controller is configured to control a pick and place system and an indexing of the manufacturing system to cause the manufacturing system to:
- engage, with a capture mechanism of the pick and place system, a prismatic battery cell of an assembled group of prismatic battery cells having dimensions within manufacturing tolerances of prismatic battery cell dimensions;
- remove the prismatic battery cell from the group of prismatic battery cells;
- position a housing in an orientation and position to receive the prismatic battery cell using an actuation mechanism of an indexing system;
- and
- place the prismatic battery cell into the housing, wherein the controller does not determine a size of the prismatic battery cell.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.