# US 2024/0204366 A1 · Traction battery assembly having busbar module > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2024/0204366 A1 - Document ID: US20240204366A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 18/085,135 - Filed: 2022-12-20 - Published: 2024-06-20 - Earliest claimed: 2022-12-20 - Assignees: Ford Motor Company - Applicants: Ford Motor Company - Inventors: Paul John Bojanowski; Brian Utley; Michael Orr - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20240204366A1 ## CPC - H01M 50/516: by welding, soldering or brazing - B60L 50/64: Constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles - H01M 50/204: Racks, modules or packs for multiple batteries or multiple cells - H01M 50/209: adapted for prismatic or rectangular cells (H01M50/216 takes precedence) - H01M 50/503: characterised by the shape of the interconnectors - H01M 50/505: comprising a single busbar - H01M 50/507: comprising an arrangement of two or more busbars within a container structure, e.g. busbar modules - H01M 50/522: Inorganic material - H01M 50/552: characterised by their shape - H01M 2220/20: Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane - Y02E 60/10: Energy storage using batteries - H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY - B60L: PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (arrangements or mounting of electrical propulsion units or of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion in vehicles B60K1/00, B60K6/20; arrangements or mounting of electrical gearing in vehicles B60K17/12, B60K17/14; preventing wheel slip by reducing power in rail vehicles B61C15/08; dynamo-electric machines H02K; control or regulation of electric motors H02P); SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (electric coupling devices combined with mechanical couplings of vehicles B60D1/64; electric heating for vehicles B60H1/00); ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL (control or regulation of electric motors H02P); MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION ## Abstract A traction battery includes a stack of cells each having two terminals. Sets of terminals are connected to busbars to electrically connect the battery cells. The busbars have a base, a set of connecting portions, and a set of stiffeners. The terminals have protruding portions and receding portions. As the busbar is positioned with respect to the battery stack, the connecting portions guide the receding portions into position by deflecting the protruding portions. The receding portions are then welded to the connecting portions. The deflected protruding portion forces the parts to be welded together, eliminating a need for clamping during the welding process. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A traction battery comprising: a stack of battery cells, wherein each of the battery cells includes a terminal having a projecting portion extending from a body of the battery cell and a flat receding portion disposed at a first acute angle on a distal end of the projecting portion; and a busbar including a base and a plurality of flat connecting portions extending at a second acute angle from the base; wherein each flat receding portion is welded to a corresponding flat connecting portion. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The traction battery of claim 1 wherein the busbar further includes a plurality of stiffeners each extending between the base and a distal end of one of the connecting portions. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The traction battery of claim 2 wherein the busbar defines a first set of windows at first sides of the stiffeners and the connecting portions. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The traction battery of claim 3 wherein the busbar defines a second set of windows at second sides of the stiffeners and the connecting portions. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The traction battery of claim 2 wherein a thickness of the connecting portions is less than one half of a thickness of the base and less than one half of a thickness of the stiffeners. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The traction battery of claim 1 wherein a sum of the first acute angle and the second acute angle is less than 90 degrees. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The traction battery of claim 1 wherein each projecting portion is deflected by a separating force between the corresponding receding portion and the corresponding connecting portion. ### Claim 8 A method of assembling a traction battery comprising: bringing a busbar and a stack of battery cells together, the busbar including a base and a plurality of flat connecting portions extending at a second acute angle from the base, each battery cell of the stack of battery cells including a terminal having a projecting portion extending from a body of the battery cell and a flat receding portion disposed at a first acute angle on a distal end of the projecting portion, such that separating forces between the flat connecting portions and the flat receding portion deflect the corresponding projecting portions; and welding each connecting portion to a corresponding receding portion. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8 wherein the busbar further includes a plurality of stiffeners each extending between the base and a distal end of one of the connecting portions. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9 further comprising: stamping a sheet metal blank, the sheet metal blank defining a plurality of windows, to form the connecting portions and the stiffeners between pairs of windows. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 wherein stamping the sheet metal blank reduces a thickness of the connecting portions to less than one half of a thickness of the base. ### Claim 12 A traction battery comprising: a stack of battery cells, wherein each of the battery cells includes a terminal having a projecting portion extending from a body of the battery cell and a flat receding portion disposed at an acute angle on a distal end of the projecting portion; and a busbar having a central region defining a plurality of corrugations, each corrugation including a flat connecting portion, and two side regions each connected to the central region between adjacent connecting portions; wherein each flat receding portion is welded to a corresponding flat connecting portion. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The traction battery of claim 12 wherein each corrugation further includes a stiffener. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The traction battery of claim 13 wherein a thickness of the connecting portion is less than one half of a thickness of the stiffener. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The traction battery of claim 12 wherein the busbar defines two sets of windows between respective side regions and the central region. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The traction battery of claim 12 wherein a thickness of the connecting portion is less than one half of a thickness the side regions. ### Claim 17 (depends on 12) The traction battery of claim 12 wherein each projecting portion is deflected by a separating force between the corresponding receding portion and the corresponding connecting portion.