Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Yongcai Wang

Yunan Guo

Ahteram Khan

Rajaram Subramanian

Micah Smith

Patrick Daniel Maguire

Brian Utley

George Albert Garfinkel

Jingmei Shen

LeeAnn Wang

Saravanan Paramasivam

Bhaskara Rao Boddakayala

Debbi Callicoat

James Lawrence Swoish

John Jardine

Anil Reddy Pullalarevu

Steve F Chorian

Chung-hsing Kuo

David James Chesney

Pax Daniel Maguire

Michael Luchtman

Che-Chun Chang

Melissa Kathryn Christensen

Ying Zhao

Guangyao Li

David Wardzala

A battery pack includes an enclosure assembly, a battery assembly housed within the enclosure assembly, a mounting structure secured to the enclosure assembly, and a mounting clamp that includes a first section mounted to the mounting structure and a second section contacting the battery assembly.

Mounting clamps for securing groupings of battery cells

A traction battery assembly according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, a tray, at least one battery module, a lid secured to the tray to provide an enclosure having an interior that houses the at least one battery module, the lid having a lid aperture, and a reinforcement member is secured directly to the lid. The reinforcement member has a reinforcement member aperture. A fastener extends through the lid aperture and the reinforcement member aperture. The fastener is secured to a structure within the interior. The reinforcement member is secured directly to the lid separately from the fastener.

Traction battery enclosure reinforcement assembly and reinforcing method

A traction battery pack venting system includes a plurality of battery arrays within a traction battery pack. The battery arrays each have a plurality of individual battery cells. The system further includes a divider system that provides a plurality of vented gas receiving compartments. Each of the vented gas receiving compartments are separate and distinct from the other vented gas receiving compartments within the plurality of vented gas receiving compartments. Each of the vented gas receiving compartments are associated with one of the battery arrays. Each of the vented gas receiving compartments can be associated with a manifold. The vent gas produced from thermal runaway can be discharged to the vented gas receiving compartments, directed to a manifold, and discharge to the external atmosphere.

Traction battery pack venting system and venting method

This disclosure relates to a battery assembly for an electrified vehicle and a corresponding method. An exemplary battery assembly includes a battery cell including a terminal, a busbar, and at least one first weld bead securing the busbar to the terminal. The at least one first weld bead is substantially Z-shaped.

Battery assembly joint with Z-shaped weld bead

This disclosure relates to a motor vehicle including a bolt configured to increase the ease of releasing a connection between a battery and a vehicle frame, and a corresponding method. An example vehicle includes a frame, a battery mounted to the frame, and a fastener forming a connection of the battery to the frame. A section of the fastener is configured to increase the ease of releasing the connection.

Vehicle including fastener configured to increase ease of releasing connection between battery and frame

A battery module according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, an array of battery cells, a compression structure including a first wall and a second wall, at least one conduit configured to convey fluid adjacent the array, and a tension member connected to the first wall and the second wall. The tension member is adjacent the at least one conduit. This disclosure also relates to an electrified vehicle and a method.

Battery module with tension member resisting deflection

An exemplary attachment method includes, among other things, to electrically couple a first battery cell to a busbar, joining a terminal of the first battery cell to the busbar with a first weld. The method further includes, to electrically couple a second battery cell to the busbar, joining a terminal of the second battery cell to the terminal of the first battery cell with a second weld. An exemplary attachment assembly includes, among other things, a busbar, a first terminal of a first battery cell, and a second terminal of a second battery cell. The first terminal is electrically coupled to the busbar with a first weld that joins the first terminal to the busbar. The second terminal is electrically coupled to the busbar with a second weld that joins the second terminal to the first terminal.

Terminal and busbar attachment method and assembly

A busbar assembly includes, among other things, a busbar, a battery terminal, and a deformed area securing together the busbar and the battery terminal. A securing method includes, among other things, positioning a first portion of an attachment structure within an aperture, deforming a second portion of the attachment structure to provide a deformed area, and using the deformed area to secure a busbar relative to a battery terminal.

Electrified vehicle busbar secured using a deformed area of an attachment structure

A battery assembly includes a first battery cell including a first terminal, a bus bar connected to the first terminal, and a first weld bead for securing the bus bar to the first terminal. The first weld bead includes a first end portion extending continuously to a second end portion and configured such that the first end portion faces in a direction toward the second end portion.

Weld patterns for battery assembly joints

A vehicle traction battery cell retainer includes a sidewall defining a plurality of windows each surrounded by a window flange extending therefrom, a top channel extending from the sidewall and terminating in a top flange, and a bottom channel extending from the retainer sidewall, defining a plurality of air bypass windows, and terminating in a bottom flange, the top and bottom flanges arranged for interlocking with an adjacent retainer of the traction battery. A vehicle traction battery assembly includes first and second adjacent battery cell arrays each having associated first and second retainers having a sidewall defining air flow windows and integrated top and bottom channels formed of unitary construction with interlocking flanges to couple the first and second arrays.

Devices and methods for retaining battery cells of traction batteries

A battery array according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, a rail that supports a battery cell and a tie bracket connected to the rail and configured to limit travel of the rail.

Battery array rail assembly with tie bracket

A traction battery thermal plate assembly may include a structure having edge portions defining a cavity and configured to support a battery cell array. A flexible bladder may be disposed within the cavity between the structure and array. The flexible bladder may be configured to be filled with a fluid such that the bladder contacts the array to transfer heat between the array and fluid. The assembly may include a frame sized to receive the flexible bladder and configured to support the flexible bladder. An inlet port may be in fluid communication with the flexible bladder and a pump, and may be configured to deliver fluid to the flexible bladder at a pump output rate. The flexible bladder may include ribs defining channels therebetween. The channels may be configured to direct fluid flow along the at least one surface of the battery cell array.

Traction battery thermal plate with flexible bladder

A bus bar assembly includes a deformable bus bar including a bus bar positive terminal flange, a bus bar negative terminal flange spaced-apart from the bus bar positive terminal flange and a flange connecting portion connecting the bus bar positive terminal flange and the bus bar negative terminal flange. A deformable bus bar frame includes a bus bar frame positive terminal flange carried by the bus bar positive terminal flange of the deformable bus bar and a bus bar frame negative terminal flange carried by the bus bar negative terminal flange of the deformable bus bar. A method of installing a deformable bus bar on positive and negative terminals of a battery cell is also disclosed.

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Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America

Yongcai Wang