# US 2023/0058367 A1 · Electrical busbar and method of fabricating the same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2023/0058367 A1 - Document ID: US20230058367A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/699,033 - Filed: 2022-03-18 - Published: 2023-02-23 - Earliest claimed: 2021-08-18 - Assignees: Royal Precision Products, LLC - Applicants: Royal Precision Products, LLC - Inventors: James Dawson; Jason Degen; Neal Devine - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20230058367A1 ## CPC - H01B 5/02: Single bars, rods, wires, or strips - B32B 15/043: {of metal (B32B15/01 takes precedence)} - H01B 7/0823: {Parallel wires, incorporated in a flat insulating profile} - H01M 50/298: characterised by the wiring of battery packs - H01M 50/502: Interconnectors for connecting terminals of adjacent batteries; Interconnectors for connecting cells outside a battery casing - B32B 2457/00: Electrical equipment - H01M 2220/20: Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane - H02G 5/005: {Laminated bus-bars} - H01B: CABLES; CONDUCTORS; INSULATORS; SELECTION OF MATERIALS FOR THEIR CONDUCTIVE, INSULATING OR DIELECTRIC PROPERTIES (selection for magnetic properties H01F1/00; waveguides H01P {; printed circuits H05K}) - B32B: LAYERED PRODUCTS, i.e. PRODUCTS BUILT-UP OF STRATA OF FLAT OR NON-FLAT, e.g. CELLULAR OR HONEYCOMB, FORM - H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY - H02G: INSTALLATION OF ELECTRIC CABLES OR LINES, OR OF COMBINED OPTICAL AND ELECTRIC CABLES OR LINES ## Abstract The invention generally provides a busbar for use in mechanically and electrically connecting components in a device. The busbar includes a plurality of conductors arranged to provide two opposed end portions and an intermediate portion, wherein each of the conductors has a plurality of intermediate extents that traverse the intermediate portion. The intermediate portion including: (A) an unfused segment where no intermediate extents of the conductors are fused together to form a single consolidated conductor, and (B) a fused segment that includes (i) a limited solidification zone where a majority of the intermediate extents of the conductors are fused together to form a laterally solidified region that provides a single consolidated conductor, (ii) a partial solidification zone where a majority of the intermediate extents of the conductors are fused together to form a vertical solidified region that provides a single consolidated conductor, and (iii) an unsolidified region where all of the intermediate extents of the conductors are not fused together. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A busbar for electrically connecting components in a device, the busbar comprising: a plurality of conductors arranged to provide two opposed end portions and an intermediate portion extending between said opposed end portions, wherein each conductor in the plurality of conductors traverses the intermediate portion; and wherein the intermediate portion includes: an unfused segment where no conductors are fused together, and a fused segment that includes both (i) a fully solidified edge region where all conductors are fused together at their side edges, (ii) an unsolidified region where none of the conductors are fused together, and (iii) a partial solidification zone where a majority of the intermediate extents of the conductors are fused together to form a partially solidified region that provides a single consolidated conductor. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The busbar of claim 1, wherein the plurality of conductors are arranged in a vertical stack having an uppermost conductor and a lowermost conductor that define a fused segment height extending there between, and wherein the fully solidified side edge region extends between the uppermost conductor and the lowermost conductor and is formed using an edge weldment process. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The busbar of claim 1, wherein the fused segment of the intermediate portion has a length, a width and a height that collectively define a fused segment volume; and wherein the unsolidified region occupies a majority of the fused segment volume and the fully solidified side edge region occupies a minority of the fused segment volume. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The busbar of claim 1, wherein the intermediate portion of the busbar has a stiffness and the fully solidified side edge region occupies a first volume; and wherein increasing the volume of the fully solidified side edge region increases the stiffness of the intermediate portion of the busbar. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The busbar of claim 1, wherein the fused segment is a first fused segment, the fully solidified side edge region is a first fully solidified side edge region, and the unsolidified region is a first unsolidified region; and wherein the intermediate portion further comprises a second fused segment that includes (i) a second fully solidified side edge region where all conductors are fused together, and (ii) a second unsolidified region where all conductors are not fused together. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The busbar of claim 5, wherein the first fused segment is configured to have a first in-plane bend radius and the second fused segment is configured to have a second in-plane bend radius, wherein the first in-plane bend radius is less than the second in-plane bend radius. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The busbar of claim 1, wherein the fully solidified side edge region is formed by an application of a laser to peripheral edges of the plurality of conductors of the intermediate portion of the busbar. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The busbar of claim 1, wherein the intermediate portion includes an interior weld boundary located between the fully solidified side edge region and the unsolidified region; and wherein a width that extends between a peripheral edge of the plurality of conductors of the intermediate portion and the interior weld boundary is less than 5 mm. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The busbar of claim 1, wherein the intermediate portion includes an interior weld boundary located between the fully solidified side edge region and the unsolidified region; and wherein a width that extends between a peripheral edge of the plurality of conductors of the intermediate portion and the interior weld boundary varies along the length of the busbar. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The busbar of claim 1, wherein the intermediate portion of the busbar includes an upper edge and a lower edge; and wherein said upper and lower edges are rounded-off by an application of a laser to peripheral edges of the plurality of conductors of the intermediate portion of the busbar. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The busbar of claim 1, wherein the fully solidified side edge region prevents the plurality of conductors from delaminating from one another when the intermediate portion of the busbar is bent in-plane. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The busbar of claim 1, wherein the conductors in at least one of the end portions are fused together to form a single consolidated conductor. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The busbar of claim 1, wherein the end portions are fused together by an application of a laser to both (a) an upper surface of an uppermost conductor of the end portion of the busbar, and (b) a lower surface of a lowermost conductor of the end portion of the busbar. ### Claim 14 A busbar for electrically connecting components in a device, the busbar comprising: a plurality of conductors arranged: (i) to provide two opposed end portions and an intermediate portion, wherein each conductor in the plurality of conductors extends between the two opposed end portions and across the intermediate portion, and (ii) in a vertical stack with an uppermost conductor and a lowermost conductor; wherein each end portion includes a fully solidified region where all conductors positioned between the uppermost conductor and the lowermost conductor are fused together; and wherein the intermediate portion includes an unfused segment where no conductors are fused together, and a partial solidification zone where a majority of the intermediate extents of the conductors are fused together to form a partially solidified region that provides a single consolidated conductor. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The busbar of claim 14, wherein the fully solidified region is formed by an application of a laser to both (a) an upper surface of the uppermost conductor of the end portion of the busbar, and (b) a lower surface of the lowermost conductor of the end portion of the busbar. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The busbar of claim 14, wherein the fully solidified region is formed by an application of a laser, wherein the laser follows a combined pattern that includes a top fusion pattern and a bottom fusion pattern. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The busbar of claim 14, wherein each end portion further includes a fully solidified side edge region where all conductors are fused together; and wherein the fully solidified side edge region is formed by an application of a laser to peripheral edges of the plurality of conductors of each end portion of the busbar. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The busbar of claim 14, wherein the intermediate portion further includes a fused segment having (i) a fully solidified edge region where all conductors are fused together at their side edges, and (ii) an unsolidified region where none of the conductors are fused together, and wherein the fully solidified edge region extends between the uppermost conductor and the lowermost conductor. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The busbar of claim 18, wherein the intermediate portion includes an interior weld boundary located between the fully solidified edge region and the unsolidified region; and wherein a width that extends between a peripheral edge of the plurality of conductors of the intermediate portion of the busbar and the interior weld boundary is less than 5 mm. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The busbar of claim 18, wherein the fully solidified side edge region prevents the plurality of conductors from delaminating from one another when the intermediate portion of the busbar is bent in-plane.