Electrical connector positioned in a battery pack
AssigneeGogoro Inc.
InventorTai-Tsun Liu
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Electrical connectors for electrically connecting individual portable electrical energy storage cells making up a plurality of portable electrical energy storage cells that are part of a portable electrical energy storage device for powering portable devices such as vehicles or consumer electronics include bands of reduced cross-sectional area. The electrical connectors include conductive bands that promote reliable attachment between the electrical connector and portable electrical energy storage cells and provide the ability to electrically isolate failing or damaged cells.
Claims20
A method of manufacturing an electrical connector, comprising:
- providing an electrically conductive substrate;
- and
- forming a plurality of integral electrically conductive tabs and a plurality of integral electrically conductive supports in the electrically conductive substrate, one of the plurality of integral electrically conductive supports extending from one of the integral electrically conductive tabs;
- wherein the one of the plurality of electrically conductive supports extends from the one of the integral electrically conductive tabs, the one of the plurality of electrically conductive supports having a cross-sectional area less than a cross-sectional area sufficient to open an electrical connection between the one of the integral electrically conductive tabs and the electrically conductive substrate if a current passing through the one of the plurality of electrically conductive supports exceeds a threshold level at which the one of the plurality of integral electrically conductive supports starts to fail.
A method of connecting a plurality of portable electrical energy storage cells of a portable electrical energy storage device, the method comprising:
- providing a plurality of integral electrically conductive tabs and a plurality of integral electrically conductive supports, wherein each of the plurality of integral electrically conductive supports extends from a corresponding one of the integral electrically conductive tabs, and wherein at least one of the integral electrically conductive supports includes an electrically conductive band having a cross-sectional area less than a cross-sectional area threshold, and wherein the cross-sectional area threshold is indicative of a threshold current, and wherein the at least one conductive support starts to fail if the threshold current passes through the at least one conductive support;
- heating at least one of the integral electrically conductive tabs;
- and
- thermally fusing the heated at least one integral electrically conductive tab to one of the plurality of portable electrical energy storage cells.
A method of manufacturing an electrical connector, comprising:
- forming an integral electrically conductive support in an electrically conductive frame;
- forming an integral electrically conductive tab extending from the integral electrically conductive support;
- and
- forming an electrically conductive band between the integral electrically conductive support and the integral electrically conductive tab by forming an opening in the integral electrically conductive support, the electrically conductive band having a cross-sectional area less than a cross-sectional area sufficient to open an electrical connection between the integral electrically conductive tab and the electrically conductive frame if a current passing through the electrically conductive band exceeds a threshold level at which the integral electrically conductive support starts to fail.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.