# US 9,437,860 B2 · Traction battery assembly having snap-in bus bar module > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,437,860 B2 - Document ID: US9437860B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/548,923 - Filed: 2014-11-20 - Published: 2016-05-26 - Granted: 2016-09-06 - Earliest claimed: 2014-11-20 - Assignees: Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Applicants: Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Inventors: Eid Farha - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9437860B2 ## CPC - H01M 50/517: by fixing means, e.g. screws, rivets or bolts - H01M 50/503: characterised by the shape of the interconnectors - H01M 50/507: comprising an arrangement of two or more busbars within a container structure, e.g. busbar modules - H01M 50/55: on the same side of the cell - H01M 50/553: Terminals adapted for prismatic, pouch or rectangular cells - H01M 2220/20: Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane - Y02E 60/10: Energy storage using batteries - Y02P 70/50: Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product - Y02T 10/70: Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries - Y02T 10/7072: Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors - Y02T 90/12: Electric charging stations - H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION - Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION ## Abstract A traction battery includes a cell having a terminal defining a surface with a top and at least one sidewall. The traction battery also includes a busbar having an interior defining a top engaging with the top of the terminal, and at least one side surface engaging with the sidewall. One of the side surface and the sidewall includes a projection and the other of the side surface and the sidewall includes a receptacle for receiving the projection. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A traction battery comprising: a cell including a cylindrical terminal having a top and at least one exterior sidewall; and a busbar including an interior that receives and circumscribes the cylindrical terminal, wherein the exterior sidewall defines a snapping ring projecting outwardly from the sidewall, and a side surface of the interior defines a receptacle for receiving the snapping ring to create a snap fit. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The traction battery of claim 1 further comprising: an additional cell including an additional terminal defining an additional surface having a top and at least one sidewall, wherein the busbar further includes an additional interior defining a top engaging with the top of the additional terminal and at least one side surface engaging with the sidewall of the additional terminal, wherein one of the side surface of the additional interior and the sidewall of the additional terminal includes a projection and the other of the side surface of the additional interior and the sidewall of the additional terminal includes a receptacle for receiving the projection. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The traction battery of claim 2 further comprising a busbar module spanning between the cells and housing the busbar and terminals. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The traction battery of claim 3 wherein the busbar module further comprises a top and a pair of walls extending from the top along two opposing sides of the top, wherein the top of the busbar module is adjacent to a top of the interior and each of the walls is adjacent to a side surface of the interior. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The traction battery of claim 3 further comprising dielectric adhesive disposed between the busbar module and the busbar to attach the busbar to the busbar module. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The traction battery of claim 1 further comprising: an additional cell including an additional cylindrical terminal having a top and at least one sidewall; and the busbar further includes an additional interior that receives and circumscribes the additional cylindrical terminal, wherein the sidewall of the additional terminal defines a snapping ring projecting outwardly from the sidewall, and a side surface of the additional interior defines a receptacle for receiving the snapping ring of the additional terminal to create a snap fit. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The traction battery of claim 1 wherein the interior is a circular cylinder and further includes a groove configured to receive the snapping ring. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The traction battery of claim 1 wherein the terminal has a prismatic shape and the at least one sidewall further includes a pair of opposing sidewalls cooperating with a top of the terminal to define a first surface, and wherein the at least one side surface of the busbar further includes a pair of opposing side surfaces cooperating with a top of the interior to define a second surface conforming in shape with the first surface, wherein each of the side surfaces engages with one of the sidewalls. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The traction battery of claim 8 wherein each of the sidewalls includes a snapping ring and each of the side surfaces includes a receptacle for receiving one of the projections to create a snap fit. ### Claim 10 A traction battery assembly comprising: a cell including a terminal having a base attached to the cell and a stud distal to the cell, the base having a larger footprint than the stud; and a busbar defining an interior having an upper portion conforming in shape to the stud and a lower portion conforming in shape to the base, the busbar being received over the terminal with the upper portion receiving the stud and the lower portion receiving the base, wherein one of the upper portion and the stud includes a projection and the other of the upper portion and the stud includes a receptacle for receiving the projection to create a snap fit between the stud and upper portion. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The traction battery assembly of claim 10 wherein the stud is a circular cylinder and includes an annular snapping ring disposed around a periphery of the stud. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The traction battery assembly of claim 11 wherein the interior of the busbar is a circular cylinder and further includes a groove configured to receive the annular snapping ring. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The traction battery assembly of claim 10 wherein one of the base and the lower portion includes a projection and the other of the base and the lower portion includes a receptacle for receiving the projection to create a snap fit between the lower portion and the base. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The traction battery assembly of claim 10 wherein the base is prismatic and the stud is a circular cylinder. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The traction battery assembly of claim 10 further comprising a busbar module covering the busbar and the terminal, the busbar module including a main portion disposed over the lower portion of the busbar and the base, and a pocket disposed over the upper portion of the busbar and the stud. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The traction battery assembly of claim 15 further comprising dielectric adhesive disposed between the busbar module and the busbar to attach the busbar to the busbar module. ### Claim 17 A traction battery assembly comprising: an array of cells including a plurality of terminals arranged in a row and extending along a length of the array, each of the terminals being attached to one of the cells and defining a first shape; at least one busbar including a pair of terminal portions that each define a second shape conforming to the first shape, wherein one of the terminal portions is received on one of the terminals and the other of the terminal portions is received on an adjacent terminal to electrically connect two of the cells, wherein one of the terminals and the terminal portions further includes a projection and the other of the terminals and the terminal portions further includes a receptacle for receiving the projection to form a snap fit; and a busbar module (BBM) extending along the length of the row and disposed over the row, the BBM including busbar receiving portions aligned with the terminals, each of the busbar receiving portions defining a third shape conforming to the first and second shapes, wherein the at least one busbar is received within one of the busbar receiving portions. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The traction battery assembly of claim 17 wherein each of the terminals further includes a base attached to the cells and a stud distal to the base and wherein each of the terminal portions further includes an upper portion engaging the stud and a lower portion engaging the base, and wherein each of the busbar receiving portions further includes a main portion engaging the lower portion, and a pocket extending from the main portion and receiving one of the upper portions and studs therein. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The traction battery assembly of claim 18 wherein the stud is a circular cylinder, wherein the upper portion is a circular cylinder, and wherein the pocket is a circular cylinder.