Tesla Motors, Inc.

Dorian Watkins West

Scott Ira Kohn

Weston Arthur Hermann

Eugene Michael Berdichevsky

Paul Bryan Kreiner

Ernest Matthew Villanueva

Jonathan Hall

William Vucich Beecher

Kevin Ray Anderson

Dustin Grace

Peter How

Brian Charles Hewett

Angus Rittenburg

Paul Baron Guerra

Mark Goldman

Daniel Nicholas Brncic

Christopher John Stoffel

Noel Jason Mendez

Ganesh Ramanarayan Singh

Adam Horton

Woodruff Phillips

Morgan Daniel Adis

A method of managing leakage of liquid inside a battery system comprises: containing leaking liquid in a non-liquid sensitive region of the battery system so as to protect internal electrical components of the battery system from coming in contact with the leaking liquid; and in direct response to the leakage, expunging the leaking liquid from the battery system. A drain device includes: a body with a port therethrough, the body configured to be positioned in a wall of a container; means for opening the port in response to a first liquid contacting the drain device on an inside of the container; and means for resisting ingress into the container by a second liquid that contacts the drain device on an outside of the container.

Self-activated draining system

A method and apparatus for simplifying battery pack assembly that allows inspection of the cell-to-housing bonding region is provided. In particular, a battery pack housing member is provided that includes an interior surface that partially defines the interior region of the battery pack and that includes a plurality of cell mounting wells and an exterior surface that includes a plurality of bonding wells. Adhesive introduced into the bonding wells forms a mechanical bond between an exterior surface of a cell introduced into an adjacent cell mounting well and the housing member.

Method and apparatus for the external application of a battery pack adhesive

One embodiment includes a bottom clamshell and a top clamshell sandwiching a first battery and a second battery, with a fill port extending from a top surface of the top clamshell through to the bottom surface of the top clamshell and to a space between the first and second batteries. The embodiment includes a protrusion coupled to the top clamshell proximate to the fill port and extending into the space, wherein the protrusion at least partially occludes a direct path through the fill port to the space.

Method and apparatus for battery potting

A method and apparatus is provided for determining when a battery, or one or more batteries within a battery pack, undergoes an undesired thermal event such as thermal runaway. The system uses an optical fiber mounted in close proximity to, or in contact with, an external surface of the battery or batteries to be monitored. A source of light is optically coupled to the input facet of the optical fiber and a detector optically coupled to the output facet of the optical fiber. Battery health is determined by monitoring the light transmitted through the optical fiber.

Battery thermal event detection system using an optical fiber

A method and apparatus is provided for determining when a battery, or one or more batteries within a battery pack, undergoes an undesired thermal event such as thermal runaway. The system uses a conductive member mounted in close proximity to, or in contact with, an external surface of the battery or batteries to be monitored. A resistance measuring system such as a continuity-tester or an ohmmeter is coupled to the conductive member, the resistance measuring system outputting a first signal when the temperature corresponding to the battery or batteries is within a prescribed temperature range and a second signal when the temperature exceeds a predetermined temperature that falls outside of the prescribed temperature range.

Battery thermal event detection system using a thermally interruptible electrical conductor

A system and method interconnects battery packs using a flexible bus bar to prevent vibration from breaking or damaging the connections therebetween.

System and method for interconnection of battery packs

Method for interconnection of battery packs and battery assembly containing interconnected battery packs

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Menlo Park, CA, United States of America

Dorian Watkins West