Abstract: A current collector with improved flexibility and electrical conductivity includes at least one flexible leg coupled to a central portion of the current collector. The flexible leg extends substantially orthogonally to the central portion when a force is applied to the central portion. Specifically, the at least one flexible leg extends at least 16 percent of the outer width when a 1000 Newton loading is applied between the central portion and the outer portion.

Abstract: A lithium-ion battery cell includes an enclosure that includes a casing and a lid. The enclosure has an electrolyte fill hole disposed on a surface of the casing opposite the lid. An electrochemical cell is disposed within the enclosure. Additionally, a sealing patch is laser welded to the surface of the casing around the electrolyte fill hole, wherein the sealing patch is configured to seal the electrolyte fill hole.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a battery module that includes a stack of battery cells, where each battery cell has a terminal, and the terminal has a first alloy of a metal. The battery module has a bus bar that includes a body having a second alloy of the metal, nickel plating on at least a portion of the body, and an indentation disposed on the body, where a thickness of the nickel plating is between 0.2% and 20% of an overall thickness of the body, and a weld physically and electrically coupling the respective terminal to the bus bar. The indentation has a depth between 10% and 90% of the overall thickness, an area of the indentation is between 5% and 20% of an overall area of the body, and the nickel plating enables the weld to be stronger than a weld between the first and second alloys.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a battery module that includes a stack of battery cells disposed in a housing, where each battery cell of the stack of battery cells has a terminal, and a bus bar having a body and an indicator disposed on the body, where the bus bar is configured to couple a first terminal of a first battery cell of the stack of battery cells to a second terminal of a second battery cell of the stack of battery cells. The battery module also includes a sensing component disposed on the indicator and configured to monitor a condition of at least one battery cell of the stack of battery cells and a weld physically and electrically coupling the sensing component to the bus bar.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a battery module. The battery module includes a housing defined by one or more walls. A wall of the housing includes an opening configured to create a passageway between an interior of the housing and an exterior of the housing. The battery module includes a connector barrel disposed within the opening. The connector barrel is a hollow conduit with a first open end opposite a second open end, and the connector barrel is configured to receive a low voltage signal connector through the first open end and a vehicle control module connector through the second open end. An external surface of the connector barrel includes a pair of protrusions configured to enable intimate contact between the wall of the housing and the connector barrel.

Abstract: A battery module includes a housing having an opening and an electrochemical cell disposed in the housing. The electrochemical cell includes a first cell surface having electrode terminals and an second cell surface substantially opposite the first cell surface. The battery module also includes a heat sink integral with the housing and disposed substantially opposite the opening of the housing and a thermally conductive adhesive bonded to the second cell surface and a heat sink surface that is facing the second cell surface. The thermally conductive adhesive includes a bonding shear strength and bonding tensile strength between the electrochemical cell and the heat sink of between approximately 5 megaPascals (MPa) and 50 MPa.

Abstract: The present disclosure includes a battery module having a housing with a cell receptacle region defined by walls of the housing and configured to enable passage of electrochemical cells therethrough. The battery module also includes a bus bar carrier sealed in the cell receptacle region. The bus bar carrier includes a perimeter having flexible ribs extending along at least a majority of the perimeter and configured to enable intimate contact between the walls of the housing and the perimeter of the bus bar carrier.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a battery module having a housing with a first cover and a second cover. The battery module includes a plurality of lithium-ion (Li-ion) electrochemical cells disposed in the housing adjacent to the second cover. The battery module also includes a reinforcement column disposed within the housing that extends along a direction from the second cover to the first cover. The reinforcement column is positioned against the first cover and is coupled to a feature between the first and second covers, and the reinforcement column is configured to enhance a load bearing capacity of the battery module.

Abstract: The present disclosure includes a battery module that includes a housing having a stack of battery cells. Each battery cell of the stack of battery cells includes a terminal end having at least one cell terminal and a face oriented transverse to the terminal end. The battery module also includes adhesive tape disposed between a first face of a first battery cell of the stack of battery cells and a second face of a second battery cell of the stack of battery cells, and where the adhesive tape fixedly couples the first battery cell to the second battery cell, and where a first terminal end of the first battery cell is substantially aligned with a second terminal end of the second battery cell.

Abstract: The present disclosure includes a battery module having a housing with a first end (having a cell receptacle region) and a second end opposite to the first end. The battery module includes a stack of electrochemical cells inserted through the cell receptacle region of the housing, disposed between the first end and the second end of the housing, and having terminal ends of all the electrochemical cells of the stack aligned in a planar area. The battery module includes a bus bar carrier disposed over the stack of electrochemical cells and within the cell receptacle region of the housing. The bus bar carrier includes bus bars disposed thereon that interface with the terminal ends. The battery module includes a layer of thermal epoxy disposed between the second end of the housing and a bottom side of the stack of electrochemical cells.

Abstract: A lithium ion (Li-ion) battery cell includes a prismatic housing that includes four sides formed by side walls coupled to and extending from a bottom portion of the housing. The housing is configured to receive and hold a prismatic Li-ion electrochemical cell element. The housing includes an electrically nonconductive polymeric (e.g., plastic) material. Additionally, a heat sink is overmolded by the polymeric material of the housing, such that the heat sink is retained in an outer portion of the sides of the housing and the heat sink is exposed along the bottom portion of the housing.

Abstract: A lithium ion (Li-ion) battery module includes a container with one or more partitions that define compartments within the container. Each of the compartments is configured to receive and hold a prismatic Li-ion electrochemical cell element and electrolyte. The Li-ion battery module also includes a cover configured to be disposed over the container to close the compartments. The container includes an electrically nonconductive polymeric material (e.g., plastic) with a nanomaterial applied to the polymeric material. The nanomaterial enhances the impermeability of the container to reduce ingress of moisture into the compartments and to reduce egress of the electrolyte from the compartments.

Abstract: The present disclosure includes a battery module having a vent path with an exit port. The battery module also includes a vent pad disposed within the vent path and blocking at least a portion of the exit port, coupled to a boundary surface of the exit port via an adhesive layer between the vent pad and the boundary surface, and configured to enable venting through the exit port by separating from the boundary surface along the adhesive layer in response to a pressure against the vent pad exceeding a venting pressure threshold of the battery module.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to washers for lithium ion battery cell terminals. A lithium ion battery module includes a housing, a first battery cell disposed in the housing and having a cell terminal protruding from a surface of a casing of the first battery cell, where the cell terminal is configured to enable electrical connection to the battery cell, and a washer stack disposed about the cell terminal. The washer stack has an electrically insulative washer and an electrically conductive washer. The electrically conductive washer is disposed adjacent to the electrically insulative washer such that the electrically insulative washer is positioned between the electrically conductive washer and the surface of the casing, and the electrically conductive washer is configured to enable electrical connection to the cell terminal.

Abstract: A lithium ion battery cell includes a prismatic casing enclosing active components of the lithium ion battery cell. The lithium ion battery cell also includes a terminal having a terminal post extending through an opening in the casing and electrically connected to the active components; a primary sealing component configured to seal a first portion of the terminal post against the casing; and a secondary seal disposed around a second portion of the terminal post and against the primary sealing component. The secondary seal is formed from a curable adhesive resin and is configured to resist egress of the electrolyte out of the lithium ion battery cell and is configured to resist ingress of moisture into the lithium ion battery cell.

Abstract: A lithium ion battery module includes a battery cell stack disposed within a housing of the battery module. The stack includes a first battery cell, a second battery cell positioned adjacent to the first battery cell, and a battery cell separator fitted over the first battery cell. The battery cell separator includes a plurality of walls formed from a continuous material and defining a pocket in which the first battery cell is disposed. The plurality of walls is configured to electrically insulate the first cell from the second cell. The separator also includes a projection extending from a wall of the plurality of walls, the projection is positioned between a terminal of the first battery cell and a terminal of the second battery cell and is configured to electrically insulate the terminals from one another.

Abstract: The present disclosure includes a battery module having a group of electrically interconnected electrochemical cells, a battery module terminal configured to be coupled to a load for powering the load, and an electrical path extending between the group of electrically interconnected electrochemical cells and the battery module terminal, where the electrical path includes a bus bar bridge. The battery module also includes a housing, where the group of electrically interconnected electrochemical cells is disposed within the housing, and the housing includes a pair of extensions positioned along sides of the bus bar bridge and configured to retain the bus bar bridge and to block movement of the bus bar bridge in at least one direction.