Patents by Inventor Nicholas R. Bratton

Nicholas R. Bratton has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11862816
    Abstract: A battery pack includes battery cells and an interconnect board assembly (ICBA) having a dielectric ICB and parallel busbars. A cell tab protrudes from an edge of the cells and joined to the busbars. A dielectric ICB is connected to the busbars at one distal end of the busbars. The dielectric material of the ICB is overmolded onto another distal end such that the ICB wraps around the busbars to form overmolded ends. The overmolded ends are received within a pocket of a bracket to form direct parallel cooling paths to a heat sink. A method of manufacturing the battery pack includes arranging the busbars in parallel, overmolding dielectric material onto ends of the busbars to form overmolded ends, and attaching the busbars to a plastic ICB formed from the dielectric material. The ICBA is then attached to the bracket and cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Faruk A Sohag, Ethan T. Quy, Robert J. Schoenherr, Nicholas R. Bratton
  • Patent number: 11799149
    Abstract: An energy storage assembly includes a plurality of battery cells electrically connected to each other to form a battery pack in which the battery cells are grouped together to form a first stack of cells and a second stack of cells. The energy storage assembly also includes a first barrier disposed between the first stack of cells and the second stack of cells to reduce heat transfer between the first stack of cells and the second stack of cells. The energy storage assembly further includes a coolant plate disposed along the battery cells. The coolant plate defines a channel for guiding a fluid therethrough to thermally transfer heat away from the battery cells. The coolant plate defines a slot spaced from the channel, and the slot axially aligns with the first barrier to reduce heat transfer between the first stack of cells and the second stack of cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Karl C. Dorgan, Anil Yadav, Yangbing Zeng, Konrad M. Brown, Anandakrishnan S, Robert J. Schoenherr, Nicholas R. Bratton
  • Patent number: 11302996
    Abstract: Presented are integrated electrical interconnect board (ICB) assemblies for battery modules, rechargeable traction battery packs equipped with such ICB assemblies, and methods for making/using such ICB assemblies. A battery module for storing and supplying electrical energy includes multiple battery cells that are stacked in side-by-side facing relation with one another and each has a battery cell casing with an electrical terminal projecting therefrom. An electrically insulating module housing has a housing base that supports thereon the stacked battery cells. An integrated ICB assembly, which is attached to the module housing, includes a central cover in spaced facing relation to the housing base, endwalls projecting from the central cover, and multiple busbar connectors attached to the endwalls and electrically connected to the battery cells' electrical terminals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Brittany A. Castillo, Nicholas R. Bratton, Robert J. Heydel, Igor M. Kan
  • Publication number: 20220093989
    Abstract: A battery pack module includes a cooling plate having thermal breaks strategically aligned with respect to adjacent cell chambers to reduce thermal propagation from one cell chamber to an adjacent cell chamber via thermal conductance through the cooling plate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2020
    Publication date: March 24, 2022
    Inventors: Ethan T. Quy, Nicholas R. Bratton, Harikrishna Ketha
  • Publication number: 20220069380
    Abstract: An energy storage assembly includes a plurality of battery cells electrically connected to each other to form a battery pack in which the battery cells are grouped together to form a first stack of cells and a second stack of cells. The energy storage assembly also includes a first barrier disposed between the first stack of cells and the second stack of cells to reduce heat transfer between the first stack of cells and the second stack of cells. The energy storage assembly further includes a coolant plate disposed along the battery cells. The coolant plate defines a channel for guiding a fluid therethrough to thermally transfer heat away from the battery cells. The coolant plate defines a slot spaced from the channel, and the slot axially aligns with the first barrier to reduce heat transfer between the first stack of cells and the second stack of cells.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2020
    Publication date: March 3, 2022
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Karl C. Dorgan, Anil Yadav, Yangbing Zeng, Konrad M. Brown, Anandakrishnan S, Robert J. Schoenherr, Nicholas R. Bratton
  • Publication number: 20210408514
    Abstract: A battery pack includes battery cells and an interconnect board assembly (ICBA) having a dielectric ICB and parallel busbars. A cell tab protrudes from an edge of the cells and joined to the busbars. A dielectric ICB is connected to the busbars at one distal end of the busbars. The dielectric material of the ICB is overmolded onto another distal end such that the ICB wraps around the busbars to form overmolded ends. The overmolded ends are received within a pocket of a bracket to form direct parallel cooling paths to a heat sink. A method of manufacturing the battery pack includes arranging the busbars in parallel, overmolding dielectric material onto ends of the busbars to form overmolded ends, and attaching the busbars to a plastic ICB formed from the dielectric material. The ICBA is then attached to the bracket and cells.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2020
    Publication date: December 30, 2021
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Faruk A. Sohag, Ethan T. Quy, Robert J. Schoenherr, Nicholas R. Bratton
  • Publication number: 20210057708
    Abstract: Presented are integrated electrical interconnect board (ICB) assemblies for battery modules, rechargeable traction battery packs equipped with such ICB assemblies, and methods for making/using such ICB assemblies. A battery module for storing and supplying electrical energy includes multiple battery cells that are stacked in side-by-side facing relation with one another and each has a battery cell casing with an electrical terminal projecting therefrom. An electrically insulating module housing has a housing base that supports thereon the stacked battery cells. An integrated ICB assembly, which is attached to the module housing, includes a central cover in spaced facing relation to the housing base, endwalls projecting from the central cover, and multiple busbar connectors attached to the endwalls and electrically connected to the battery cells' electrical terminals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 19, 2019
    Publication date: February 25, 2021
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Brittany A. Castillo, Nicholas R. Bratton, Robert J. Heydel, Igor M. Kan