# US 9,520,587 B2 · Bus bar assembly carrier

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- Number: US 9,520,587 B2
- Document ID: US9520587B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/501,906
- Filed: 2014-09-30
- Published: 2016-03-31
- Granted: 2016-12-13
- Earliest claimed: 2014-09-30
- Assignees: Johnson Controls Technology Company
- Applicants: Johnson Controls Technology Company
- Inventors: Richard M. DeKeuster; Robert J. Mack
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9520587B2

## CPC

- B60L 50/64: Constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles
- H01M 50/209: adapted for prismatic or rectangular cells (H01M50/216 takes precedence)
- H01M 50/249: specially adapted for aircraft or vehicles, e.g. cars or trains (constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles B60L50/64)
- H01M 50/264: for cells or batteries, e.g. straps, tie rods or peripheral frames
- H01M 50/507: comprising an arrangement of two or more busbars within a container structure, e.g. busbar modules
- H01M 50/516: by welding, soldering or brazing
- H01M 2220/20: Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
- Y02E 60/10: Energy storage using batteries
- Y02T 10/70: Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
- 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
- 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
- Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION

## Abstract

A battery module includes a housing having an opening and a plurality of electrochemical cells disposed in the housing. The plurality of electrochemical cells have electrode terminals. The battery module also includes a carrier defined by an outside boundary and coupled to the plurality of electrochemical cells. The outside boundary of the carrier and the housing are in a nested arrangement. The battery module also includes a bus bar assembly disposed on the carrier, the bus bar assembly includes bus bars that electrically couple the electrode terminal of one of the plurality of electrochemical cells to a respective electrode terminal of another one of the plurality of electrochemical cells.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A battery module comprising:
a housing having an opening;
a plurality of electrochemical cells disposed in the housing, wherein the plurality of electrochemical cells have electrode terminals;
a carrier defined by an outside boundary and coupled to the plurality of electrochemical cells, wherein the carrier comprises recesses having different orientations, and wherein the outside boundary of the carrier and the housing are in a nested arrangement; and
a bus bar assembly disposed on the carrier, the bus bar assembly comprising bus bars that electrically couple the electrode terminal of one of the plurality of electrochemical cells to a respective electrode terminal of another one of the plurality of electrochemical cells, and wherein the bus bars are positioned within the recesses of the carrier such that the different orientations of the recesses cause the bus bars to place the electrochemical cells in a predetermined electrical arrangement.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The battery module of claim 1, wherein the carrier comprises terminal openings corresponding to a position of the electrode terminals of the electrochemical cells in the battery module, wherein the terminal openings are configured to receive the electrode terminals such that the electrode terminals are in direct contact with the bus bars.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The battery module of claim 1, wherein the recesses each correspond to a position of at least one of the electrode terminals of the electrochemical cells in the battery module, and wherein an inner end face of each of the bus bars abuts a corresponding outer surface of one of the recesses.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The battery module of claim 3, wherein the recesses are disposed on a carrier outer surface.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The battery module of claim 3, wherein the recesses comprise terminal openings such that the electrode terminals protrude into the recesses.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The battery module of claim 1, wherein the carrier comprises one or more fasteners configured to mate with a corresponding housing recess disposed on a housing inner surface to enable a snap-fit connection and secure the carrier to the housing.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The battery module of claim 1, wherein the carrier comprises one or more additional recesses disposed on an outer periphery surface of the carrier and configured to mate with a corresponding fastener disposed on the housing to enable a snap-fit connection and secure the carrier to the housing.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The battery module of claim 1, wherein the carrier comprises a spring disposed on an inner surface of the carrier, and the spring is configured to exert a force against an electrochemical cell surface to retain the electrochemical cells in the housing.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The battery module of claim 1, wherein the carrier comprises one or more protrusions disposed on an outer surface of the carrier and configured to couple the carrier with a housing cover.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The battery module of claim 1, wherein an outer periphery of the carrier comprises a second dimension substantially equal to a first dimension corresponding to the opening of the housing.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The battery module of claim 1, wherein the carrier is configured to be toolessly and removably attached to the housing.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The battery module of claim 1, wherein the bus bar assembly comprises a flex circuit electrically coupled to the bus bars connecting the electrochemical cells in a predetermined electrical configuration.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The battery module of claim 1, wherein each of the bus bars comprises an inner end face, an outer end face, a first electrode opening, and a second electrode opening separate from the first electrode opening, and wherein the first and second electrode openings extend through the inner and the outer end faces and are sized to receive the electrode terminal of one of the plurality of electrochemical cells.

### Claim 14

A battery module, comprising:
a housing having an opening;
a carrier nested within the housing and comprising:
an outer periphery corresponding to a dimension of the opening;
a plurality of terminal openings corresponding to a position of electrode terminals associated with a plurality of electrochemical cells disposed within the housing; and
springs disposed on an inner surface of the carrier, wherein the springs are configured to abut an electrochemical cell surface between the electrode terminals; and
a bus bar assembly coupled to an outer surface of the carrier substantially opposite the inner surface, wherein the bus bar assembly comprises bus bars configured to couple to the electrode terminals of one of the plurality of electrochemical cells with a respective electrode terminal of another one of the plurality of electrochemical cells such that the plurality of electrochemical cells are electrically coupled, the bus bars comprise a first electrode receptacle and a second electrode receptacle spaced apart from the first electrode receptacle, and wherein the first and second electrode receptacles are sized to receive the electrode terminal of one of the plurality of electrochemical cells.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The battery module of claim 14, wherein the carrier comprises recesses comprising the plurality of terminal openings, wherein the recesses are configured to receive the bus bars.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The battery module of claim 15, wherein the recesses are disposed on an outer surface of the carrier substantially opposite the inner surface.

### Claim 17 (depends on 14)

The battery module of claim 14, wherein the carrier comprises one or more fasteners disposed on the outer periphery, the fasteners are configured to mate with a corresponding housing recess to secure the carrier to the housing.

### Claim 18 (depends on 14)

The battery module of claim 14, wherein the carrier comprises one or more recesses disposed on the outer periphery and configured to mate with a corresponding fastener disposed on the housing to secure the carrier to the battery module housing.

### Claim 19 (depends on 14)

The battery module of claim 14, wherein the carrier comprises protrusions disposed on an outer surface of the carrier substantially opposite the inner surface, the protrusions are configured to couple the carrier to a housing cover sized to fit over the carrier when the carrier is in the housing.

### Claim 20 (depends on 14)

The system of claim 14, wherein the carrier is configured to be toolessly and removably attached to the housing.

### Claim 21

A battery module, comprising:
a housing having an opening;
a carrier disposed in the opening, wherein the carrier comprises:
fasteners on an outer periphery of the carrier configured to secure the carrier to the housing;
one or more vias corresponding to an anticipated position of electrochemical cell terminals associated with electrochemical cells disposed within the housing; and
bus bar recesses configured to accommodate bus bars configured to couple to the electrode terminals of one of the plurality of electrochemical cells with a respective electrode terminal of another one of the plurality of electrochemical cells such that the plurality of electrochemical cells are electrically coupled, wherein the bus bar recesses include a first recess and a second recess, wherein the first recess is angled with respect to the second recess to accommodate different bus bar configurations.

### Claim 22 (depends on 21)

The battery module of claim 21, comprising a bus bar assembly disposed on the carrier substantially opposite an inner surface of the carrier, wherein the bus bar assembly comprises the bus bars.

### Claim 23 (depends on 22)

The battery module of claim 22, wherein the bus bar assembly comprises a flex circuit electrically coupled to the bus bars connecting the electrochemical cells in a predetermined electrical configuration.

### Claim 24 (depends on 21)

The battery module of claim 21, wherein the bus bar recesses are disposed on an outer surface of the carrier substantially opposite its inner surface.

### Claim 25 (depends on 21)

The battery module of claim 21, wherein the carrier comprises protrusions disposed on an outer surface of the carrier substantially opposite the inner surface, wherein the protrusions are configured to couple the carrier with a housing cover.

### Claim 26 (depends on 21)

The battery module of claim 21, wherein the housing comprises recesses that mate with the fasteners to secure the carrier and the housing.

### Claim 27 (depends on 21)

The battery module of claim 21, wherein a first dimension of the opening is substantially equal to a second dimension of an outer periphery of the carrier.

### Claim 28 (depends on 21)

The battery module of claim 21, wherein the carrier is toolessly and removably coupled to the housing.

### Claim 29 (depends on 21)

The battery module of claim 21, wherein the carrier is configured to snap-fit into the housing.