Battery module with a flexible bus

#The present disclosure relates to a battery pack and more particularly to a flexible bus for the battery pack.

#A battery cell has been proposed as a clean, efficient and environmentally responsible power source for electric vehicles and various other applications. One type of battery cell is known as the lithium-ion battery. The lithium-ion battery is rechargeable and can be formed into a wide variety of shapes and sizes so as to efficiently fill available space in electric vehicles. For example, the battery cell may be in the form of a prismatic pouch.

#A plurality of the battery cells can be provided in a battery pack to provide an amount of power sufficient to operate electric vehicles. Typically, the battery cells are selectively interconnected in series or parallel through use of an interconnect board. The interconnect board is oftentimes is integrated into an enclosure of the battery pack, resulting in exposure to environmental conditions. In addition, because the interconnect board is configured to be integrated into the enclosure of the battery pack, a different bus is required for each battery pack design. Fuses and various electrical and electromechanical devices such as bypass, equalization, and communication devices, for example, may also be mounted to the interconnect board. The many different electrical interfaces along the bus can result in power losses due to electrical resistance at the individual connections. The large number of electrical interfaces along the bus also increases a likelihood of undesirable battery pack performance, and contributes to a manufacturing complexity of the known battery pack.

#The above, as well as other advantages of the present disclosure, will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, particularly when considered in the light of the drawings described herein.

#FIG. 1 is a fragmentary, front elevational view of a battery module provided with a flexible bus according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, with four battery cells shown in electrical communication; and

#FIG. 2 is a bottom perspective view of the battery module illustrated in FIG. 1, with four battery cells shown in electrical communication and in a partially folded position.

#The following detailed description and appended drawings describe and illustrate various embodiments of the invention. The description and drawings serve to enable one skilled in the art to make and use the invention, and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention in any manner.

#With reference to FIGS. 1-2, a battery module 10 with a flexible bus 11 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. It is contemplated in the present disclosure that the flexible bus 11 can be used with any battery module 10 and battery pack design as desired. The battery module 10 includes a plurality of battery cells 12. Adjacent ones of the battery cells 12 are coupled together by a hinge 14. As a non-limiting example, the hinge 14 is a living hinge formed by a flexible material disposed along opposing edges of the adjacent ones of the battery cells 12 on opposite sides of the battery cells 12. Depending on the needs of a given application, the battery cells 12 may be connected in series or parallel. In applications that require a higher voltage, the battery cells 12 may be connected in series, whereas in applications that require a lower voltage, the battery cells 12 may be connected in parallel.

#The battery cells 12 shown are prismatic pouch battery cells. As a nonlimiting example, the battery cells 12 may be a prismatic pouch lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery cell. It should be appreciated that other battery cells 12, employing a different structure and a different electrochemistry, may also be used within the scope of the present invention. Although only four battery cells 12 are shown in FIGS. 1-2, it should be understood that additional like battery cells 12 may be disposed in a linear array to form the battery module 10 of the present disclosure.