Joint device

Abstract

An apparatus may include a plate coupleable with a non-conductive tab of a battery pack. The plate may form a conductive path between the tab and the battery pack.

Description

[0001] introduction

[0002] Various systems may include one or more connectors to facilitate coupling electrical components together. For example, a connector may be coupled to a housing of a battery pack. Summary of the invention

[0003] Typically, the electrical connector is connected to an electrical ground path. The systems and methods described herein can provide a ground path for one or more connectors of a battery pack in a vehicle. For example, a connector device may include a plate that can be coupled to one or more connectors of the battery pack. The plate can form a conductive path to provide a ground path between the connector and the battery pack. The battery pack can be grounded to another part of the vehicle (e.g., the chassis) to facilitate grounding the connector to the chassis of the vehicle. Even when the battery pack or other battery housing includes a non-conductive coating applied to a portion of the battery pack, the connector device can also facilitate providing a ground path for one or more connectors.

[0004] At least one aspect relates to a device. The device may include a plate that can be coupled to a non-conductive contact of a battery pack. The plate can form a conductive path between the contact and the battery pack.

[0005] At least one aspect relates to a battery pack. The battery pack may include a device. The device may include a plate that can be coupled to a non-conductive contact of the battery pack. The plate may form a conductive path between the contact and the battery pack.

[0006] At least one aspect relates to a method. The method may include coupling a plate to a non-conductive tab of a battery pack. The method may include forming a conductive path between the tab and the battery pack by the plate.

[0007] At least one aspect relates to an electric vehicle. The electric vehicle may include a battery pack. The battery pack may include a device. The device may include a plate that can be coupled to a non-conductive connector of the battery pack. The plate may form a conductive path between the connector and the battery pack.

[0008] These and other aspects and implementations are discussed in detail below. The foregoing information and the following detailed description include illustrative examples of various aspects and implementations, and provide an overview or framework for understanding the nature and characteristics of the protected aspects and implementations. The accompanying drawings provide illustration and further understanding of various aspects and implementations, and are incorporated into and constitute a part of this specification. The foregoing information and the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings include illustrative examples and should not be considered limiting. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] The drawings are not intended to be drawn to scale. Like reference numbers and names indicate similar elements in the various drawings. For clarity, not every component may be labeled in every drawing. In the drawings:

[0010] Figure 1 An exemplary electric vehicle is shown according to a particular implementation.

[0011] Figure 2 An exemplary battery pack according to a specific implementation is shown.

[0012] Figure 3 It shows the specific implementation Figure 2 An exemplary perspective view of a portion of a connector device of a battery pack.

[0013] Figure 4 It shows the specific implementation Figure 3 An exemplary perspective view of a portion of a connector device.

[0014] Figure 5 It shows that according to the specific implementation Figure 3 An exemplary perspective view of a connector device.

[0015] Figure 6 It shows the specific implementation Figure 3 An exemplary detail perspective view of a portion of a connector device.

[0016] Figure 7 A battery pack is shown in accordance with a specific implementation. Figure 3 An exemplary perspective view of a connector device.

[0017] Figure 8 It shows that according to the specific implementation Figure 2 An exemplary perspective view of a portion of a connector device of a battery pack.

[0018] Fig. 9 It shows the specific implementation Figure 8 An exemplary perspective cutaway view of a portion of a connector device.

[0019] Fig.10 It shows the specific implementation Figure 8 An exemplary perspective view of a portion of a connector device.

[0020] Fig.11 It shows the specific implementation Figure 8 An exemplary perspective view of a portion of a connector device.

[0021] Fig.12 It shows the specific implementation Figure 8 An exemplary detail perspective view of a portion of a connector device.

[0022] Fig.13 Exemplary illustrations of procedures according to specific implementations are shown.

[0023] Fig.14 Exemplary illustrations of procedures according to specific implementations are shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] The following is a more detailed description of various concepts and implementations related to methods, apparatus, and systems for a connector device that facilitates grounding a connector of a battery pack to another portion of a vehicle.The various concepts introduced above and discussed in greater detail below can be implemented in any of numerous ways.

[0025] The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for providing a ground path for one or more connectors of a battery pack in a vehicle. For example, a connector device may include a plate that can be coupled to one or more connectors of the battery pack. The plate can be coupled to a conductive path to provide a ground path between the connector and the battery pack. The battery pack can be grounded to another portion of the vehicle (e.g., a chassis) to facilitate grounding the connector to the chassis of the vehicle. The connector device can facilitate providing a ground path for one or more connectors even when the battery pack or other housing includes a non-conductive coating applied to a portion of the battery pack.

[0026] The disclosed solution has the technical advantage of providing a ground path for one or more connectors even when the battery pack has a non-conductive coating (e.g., E-coating) applied to the housing of the battery pack. For example, a battery pack housing for an electric vehicle may include an E-coated or powder-coated outer layer that results in electrical isolation (e.g., no ground path) between the housing and the connector coupled to the housing. The disclosed solution has the technical advantage of providing an electrical connection without interfering with the sealing of the connector. In addition, the disclosed solution can reduce or eliminate the need for pre-treatment or post-treatment of the housing to remove the coating. This can result in reduced process complexity while still providing a reliable solution.

[0027] Figure 1An exemplary cross-sectional view 100 of an electric vehicle 105 with at least one battery pack 110 installed is depicted. The electric vehicle 105 may include an electric truck, an electric sport utility vehicle (SUV), an electric van, an electric car, an electric car, an electric motorcycle, an electric scooter, an electric passenger car, an electric passenger or commercial truck, a hybrid vehicle or other vehicle, such as a marine or air vehicle, an airplane, a helicopter, a submarine, a ship, or a drone, among other possibilities. The battery pack 110 may also be used as an energy storage system to power a building, such as a residential or commercial building. The electric vehicle 105 may be fully electric or partially electric (e.g., a plug-in hybrid), and further, the electric vehicle 105 may be fully autonomous, partially autonomous, or unmanned. The electric vehicle 105 may also be manually operated or non-autonomous. The electric vehicle 105, such as an electric truck or car, may include an onboard battery pack 110, a battery 115 or a battery module 115, or a battery cell 120 to power the electric vehicle. The electric vehicle 105 may include a chassis 125 (e.g., a frame, an internal frame, or a support structure). The chassis 125 may support various components of the electric vehicle 105. The chassis 125 may span a front portion 130 (e.g., a hood or lid portion), a body portion 135, and a rear portion 140 (e.g., a luggage compartment, a payload, or a trunk portion) of the electric vehicle 105. The battery pack 110 may be mounted or placed within the electric vehicle 105. For example, the battery pack 110 may be mounted within one or more of the front portion 130, the body portion 135, or the rear portion 140 on the chassis 125 of the electric vehicle 105. The battery pack 110 may include or be connected to at least one bus bar, such as a collector element. For example, the first bus bar 145 and the second bus bar 150 may include a conductive material to connect or otherwise electrically couple the battery 115, the battery module 115, or the battery cell 120 to other electrical components of the electric vehicle 105, thereby powering various systems or components of the electric vehicle 105.

[0028] Figure 2 An exemplary battery pack 110 is depicted. With particular reference to Figure 2, the battery pack 110 can provide power to the electric vehicle 105. The battery pack 110 may include any arrangement or network of electrical, electronic, mechanical, or electromechanical devices to power any type of vehicle, such as the electric vehicle 105. The battery pack 110 may include at least one housing 205. The housing 205 may include at least one battery module 115 or at least one battery cell 120, as well as other battery pack components. The battery module 115 may be or may include one or more groups of prismatic batteries, cylindrical batteries, pouch batteries, or other form factor battery cells 120. The housing 205 may include a shield on or below the bottom of the battery module 115 to protect the battery module 115 and / or the battery cell 120 from external conditions, for example, when the electric vehicle 105 is traveling on rough terrain (e.g., off-road sites, ditches, rocks, etc.). The battery pack 110 may include at least one cooling line 210 that may distribute fluid through the battery pack 110 as part of a heat / temperature control or heat exchange system that may also include at least one thermal component (e.g., cold plate) 215. The thermal component 215 may be located relative to the top submodule and the bottom submodule, such as between the top submodule and the bottom submodule, among other possibilities. The battery pack 110 may include any number of thermal components 215. For example, there may be one or more thermal components 215 per battery pack 110 or per battery module 115. The at least one cooling line 210 may be coupled to, partially coupled to, or independent of the thermal component 215.

[0029] The battery modules 115 may each include a plurality of battery cells 120. The battery modules 115 may be disposed within the housing 205 of the battery pack 110. For example, the battery modules 115 may include battery cells 120 that are cylindrical cells or prismatic cells. The battery modules 115 may operate as modular units of the battery cells 120. For example, the battery modules 115 may collect current or power from the battery cells 120 included in the battery modules 115, and may provide current or power as an output of the battery pack 110. The battery pack 110 may include any number of battery modules 115. For example, the battery pack may have one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, or other number of battery modules 115 disposed in the housing 205. It should also be noted that each battery module 115 may include a top submodule and a bottom submodule, and may have a thermal component 215 between the top submodule and the bottom submodule. The battery pack 110 may include or define a plurality of areas for positioning the battery modules 115 and / or the battery cells 120. The battery modules 115 may be square, rectangular, circular, triangular, symmetrical or asymmetrical. In some examples, the battery modules 115 may be of different shapes, such that some battery modules 115 are rectangular, while other battery modules 115 are square, as well as other possibilities. The battery module 115 may include or define a plurality of slots, holders or containers for a plurality of battery cells 120. It should be noted that the illustrations and descriptions herein are provided for exemplary purposes and should not be interpreted as limiting. For example, the battery cells 120 may be inserted into the battery pack 110 without a battery module. The battery cells 120 may be arranged in the battery pack 110 in a unit-to-group configuration without a module, as well as other possibilities. The battery cells 120 have a variety of form factors, shapes or sizes. For example, the battery cells 120 may have a cylindrical, rectangular, square, cubic, flat, pouch-shaped, elongated or prismatic form factor.

[0030] Figure 3An exemplary perspective view of a portion of a device 220 according to an exemplary embodiment is shown. The device 220 may be a connector device 220 (e.g., a connector device). For example, the connector device 220 may be or include one or more connectors 305 (e.g., connectors, plugs, or sockets) capable of coupling one or more components (e.g., cables, busbars, or other components) to a high voltage (“HV”) or high electrical interference system. The connector device 220 may facilitate coupling one or more electrical components of the vehicle 105 (e.g., a drive unit, inverter, motor, air conditioning unit, heater, AC charger, or other electrical components) to one or more components of the battery pack 110 (e.g., a battery management system (“BMS”), battery cells, or another component) such that electrical current or signals may flow between the components of the battery pack 110 and one or more electrical components of the vehicle 105 disposed outside of the battery pack housing 205. For example, the connector device 220 may be coupled to a portion of the housing 205 of the battery pack 110 such that at least a portion of the connector device 220 is exposed to an area external to the battery pack housing 205, such as at least Figure 2 shown.

[0031] The connector device 220 may include or may be coupled to one or more portions within the interior of the battery pack housing 205 (e.g., the connector device 220 may extend within an interior portion of the battery pack housing 205). The connector device 220 may be coupled to various other systems or devices. For example, the connector device 220 may couple one or more electrical components to an inverter, a compressor (e.g., an alternating current "AC" compressor), a heater, or another device. For example, the connector device 220 may be coupled to any device that uses a shielded cable or housing (e.g., a cable enclosed by one or more insulating layers, a component with a Faraday shield, a component with a coated exterior (e.g., a non-conductive coating), or another component). The connector device 220 may be coupled to a front wall of the battery pack 110 (e.g., a wall closest to the front 130 of the vehicle 105).

[0032] In particular, Figure 3A perspective view of a connector 305 of a device 220 is shown. The connector 305 may include one or more non-metallic materials that form the connector 305. For example, the connector 305 may be formed of one or more materials, including but not limited to plastics (e.g., polyamide, nylon, polyamide 66 ("PA66"), polymers, polybutylene terephthalate ("PBT"), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene ("ABS"), polycarbonate ("PC"), polyethylene ("PE"), polypropylene ("PP"), polyethylene terephthalate ("PETE"), polyvinyl chloride ("PVC"), or other plastics) or other non-metallic materials. The connector 305 may be formed in a variety of ways, including but not limited to molding (e.g., injection molding, compression molding, or other forms of molding), extrusion, subtractive manufacturing, additive manufacturing (e.g., 3D printing), or other types of manufacturing. The connector 305 may be or may include at least one exterior layer (e.g., a layer exposed to an exterior portion of the battery pack housing 205) that is at least partially formed of a non-conductive material. At least a portion of the outer layer may include a conductive material, as described herein.

[0033] The connector 305 may include one or more metallic materials or other at least partially conductive materials. For example, the connector 305 may include at least one spring feature 310. The spring feature 310 may be or may include one or more conductive materials that at least partially protrude or bias outward from the connector 305. The spring feature 310 may be formed integrally with the connector 305, or the spring feature 310 may be formed independently and coupled to the connector 305 in various ways (e.g., via welding, fasteners, adhesives, etc.). The connector 305 may include a plurality of spring features 310 (e.g., two features 310, three features 310, four features 310, five features 310, six features 310, or more features 310). The spring feature 310 may not have a spring-like effect (e.g., a biasing effect), or the spring feature 310 may be biased outward from the connector 305. For example, the spring feature 310 may include a stamped shield that may pop out of the connector 305. As described herein, spring feature 310 may contact a portion of the plate to couple with and form a conductive pathway to facilitate grounding connector 305 to another portion of vehicle 105 .

[0034] The connector 305 may include at least one aperture 315 (e.g., a hole, slot, opening, or other component) that may receive a fastener. For example, the connector 305 may include one or more through holes (apertures 315). The connector 305 may include any number of through holes. For example, the connector 305 may include four through holes. The connector 305 may include four through holes, each of which is positioned along the top surface of the connector 305. At least one through hole (e.g., aperture 315) may receive a fastener. For example, each through hole may receive a fastener. The fastener may facilitate coupling the connector 305 to a portion of the battery pack 110.

[0035] The joint 305 may include at least one compression limiter. The compression limiter may be or may include one or more materials coupled to or integrally formed with the joint 305 to facilitate strengthening the joint 305. For example, the compression limiter may include at least one material extending within a portion of the through hole (e.g., the orifice 315) to support the geometry of the through hole. The compression limiter may facilitate receiving a load (e.g., a compressive load) applied to one or more portions of the device 220 (such as the joint 305) to support the structural integrity of the joint 305. For example, the compression limiter may include at least one material surrounding a portion of the inner diameter of the orifice 315 of the joint 305. For example, the compression limiter may include a material surrounding the entire inner diameter of the orifice 315. The compression limiter may include one or more portions that may receive, abut, contact, or otherwise be positioned near one or more fasteners. The compression limiter may surround a portion of the through hole so that the compression limiter facilitates maintaining the structural integrity of the through hole when a compressive load (e.g., by a fastener) is applied to the through hole.

[0036] The compression limiter can include one or more conductive materials. For example, the compression limiter can be formed from one or more metals (e.g., steel, aluminum, brass, or other metals). The compression limiter can include a conductive material such that a conductive path can be formed with one or more portions of the compression limiter. For example, the compression limiter can include one or more materials that allow a path for current to flow when in contact with another conductive material. For example, the compression limiter can include one or more metals coupled to one or more plastic portions of the connector 305.

[0037] Figure 4 An exemplary perspective view of a portion of device 220 is shown. For example, Figure 4A perspective view of plate 405 is shown. Plate 405 can be coupled to connector 305 of battery pack 110, or to another housing. Plate 405 can be coupled to connector 305 and battery pack 110 and form a conductive path therebetween (e.g., protrusion 425 or piercing element 430 as described herein). For example, plate 405 can be or include one or more conductive materials. For example, plate 405 can be made of one or more metals (e.g., aluminum, steel, etc.). Plate 405 can include at least one slot 410 (e.g., a hole, an orifice, etc.) that can at least partially receive connector 305. For example, as Figure 5 As shown, the plate 405 may be coupled with one or more joints 305 (eg, two joints 305 , three joints 305 , or more joints 305 ).

[0038] The plate 405 may include at least one aperture 415 (e.g., a hole, an opening, etc.) that may receive a fastener to facilitate coupling the connector 305 to the plate 405. For example, one or more apertures 415 of the plate 405 may be aligned with at least one aperture 415 of the connector 305 to receive a fastener extending through the connector 305 and coupling the connector 305 to the plate 405. The plate 405 may include at least one gasket 420. For example, each slot 410 may include a gasket 420 (e.g., a die cut gasket) that at least partially surrounds the slot 410 and facilitates sealing the connector 305 to the housing 205 of the battery pack 110. The gasket 420 may include an adhesive backing to facilitate forming a seal between the connector 305 and the housing 205 of the battery pack 110. For example, the gasket 420 may be positioned to be coupled between the joint 305 or plate and the battery pack 110 such that the gasket 420 at least partially engages the battery pack housing 205 (e.g., when a fastener extending through the apertures 315, 415 is connected to the battery pack 110 and facilitates compression of the gasket 420 between the plate 405 and the battery pack 110). The plate 405 may include at least one gasket 420 positioned at or near the sealing location of each respective joint 305.

[0039] Plate 405 may include at least one conductive feature that facilitates coupling of connector 305. For example, plate 405 may include at least one protrusion 425 at or near slot 410. Protrusion 425 may be formed of at least one conductive material (e.g., a metal such as aluminum or steel). Protrusion 425 may be integrally formed with plate 405, or protrusion 425 may be connected to plate 405 in various ways (e.g., welding, adhesive, etc.). Protrusion 425 may extend from the surface of plate 405. For example, protrusion 425 may extend from plate 405 to engage (e.g., contact) at least a portion of at least one spring feature 310 of connector 305 to form a conductive path between spring feature 310 and plate 405 (e.g., via contact between spring feature 310 and protrusion 425). For example, protrusion 425 may establish an electrical connection with spring feature 310 so that current may flow between spring feature 310 and protrusion 425.

[0040] The plate 405 may include at least one piercing element 430 that at least partially extends beyond the non-conductive coating of the battery pack 110. For example, the piercing element 430 may facilitate at least partially piercing (e.g., cutting, breaking through, puncturing) at least a portion of the coating of the housing 205 of the battery pack 110. The piercing element 430 may be a protrusion or extension of the plate 405 that at least partially extends away from the surface of the plate 405. For example, the piercing element 430 may be formed by cutting away at least a portion of the material of the plate 405 and bending a portion of the plate 405 away from the plate 405. The one or more piercing elements 430 may each extend away from the plate 405 in the same direction, or the piercing elements 430 may extend in opposite directions. The piercing element 430 may include at least one sharp edge (e.g., a pointed edge, a triangular edge, a toothed edge, a toothed edge, a serrated edge, etc.). The sharp edge of the piercing element 430 may facilitate piercing at least a portion of the battery pack 110, as described herein. The plate 405 may include any number of piercing elements 430. For example, plate 405 may include one piercing element 430 , two piercing elements 430 (eg, one positioned proximate each joint 305 ), or more or fewer piercing elements 430 .

[0041] Figure 6 An exemplary perspective view of the plate 405 and the joint 305 is shown, and Figure 7Plate 405 and tab 305 are shown coupled to battery pack housing 205. For example, plate 405 may be coupled to battery pack housing 205 via one or more fasteners 605. Fastener 605 may extend at least partially through tab 305 (e.g., via aperture 315), through plate 405 (e.g., via aperture 415), and into a portion of battery pack 110. At least one fastener 605 may contact a compression limiter coupled to aperture 315 of tab 305. For example, fastener 605 may facilitate forming a conductive path between the compression limiter and battery pack 110 (e.g., fastener 605 may be a cutting fastener that contacts at least a portion of the compression limiter and cuts into a portion of battery pack 110).

[0042] The battery pack 110 may include at least a portion of the battery pack housing 205 (up to all) of the non-conductive coating. The non-conductive coating may be or include, for example, an E-coat, a powder coating, a paint, or other coating including at least one non-conductive material applied to the housing 205. The non-conductive coating may be of various thicknesses (e.g., a thickness between 5 microns and 100 microns). The non-conductive coating may be thicker or thinner. The piercing element 430 of the plate 405 may facilitate scraping, piercing, cutting off, or protruding through at least a portion of the non-conductive coating of the housing 205, so that the piercing element 430 may at least partially contact the conductive portion of the housing 205 (e.g., the wall of the housing 205 below one or more layers of the non-conductive coating). For example, the plate 405 or the connector 305 may be coupled to the front wall of the housing 205 of the battery pack 110 (e.g., coupled to the wall that is closest to the front 130 of the vehicle 105 relative to the rest of the housing 205). With this configuration, the connector 305 and the battery pack 110 can form a conductive (e.g., grounding) path (e.g., a path for current to flow between conductive materials). For example, the path can extend from at least one spring feature 310 of the connector 305 to at least one protrusion 425 of the plate 405 that contacts the at least one spring feature 310, to at least one piercing element 430, and to a conductive portion of the housing 205 of the battery pack 110 (e.g., beneath the non-conductive coating).

[0043] The housing 205 can be conductively connected (e.g., grounded) to another portion of the vehicle 105, such as the chassis 125, to continue the conductive path. In other words, the spring feature 310, the protrusion 425, and the piercing element 430 can facilitate grounding the connector 305 to the chassis 125 of the vehicle 105. One or more fasteners 605 extending through the connector 305 and the plate 405 can further facilitate the formation of a conductive path via contact between the fastener 605 and the compression limiter coupled to the connector 305 when the fastener 605 is connected to the housing 205 of the battery pack 110 (e.g., when the fastener 605 cuts off at least a portion of the coating of the battery pack 110). In some specific implementations, the plate 405 (e.g., the piercing element 430) or another portion of the device 220 can directly contact a portion of the chassis 125 of the vehicle 105 (e.g., with or without contacting the housing 205 of the battery pack 110).

[0044] Figure 8 and Fig. 9 A cross-sectional view of a connector device 220 according to an exemplary embodiment is shown. Plate 405 may be coupled to an outer portion of connector 305. For example, plate 405 may be a tab that at least partially surrounds connector 305 and protrudes toward connector 305. The plate 405 may at least partially receive connector 305. Plate 405 may include at least one portion of the connector 305 (e.g., spring feature 310) that is biased or protrudes toward at least a portion of the connector 305 to at least partially contact the spring feature 310. For example, plate 405 may include at least one spring feature 310 (e.g., at least partially made of conductive material) that contacts connector 305 to facilitate forming at least one conductive material of a conductive path. Plate 405 may be or may include an overmolded material of a busbar. For example, at least a portion of plate 405 may be or may include a sheet of conductive material.

[0045] The plate 405, which at least partially surrounds the joint 305 and at least partially protrudes toward the spring feature 310 and contacts the spring feature, can be coupled (e.g., contacted) with at least one conductive path (e.g., wire 805). For example, the wire 805 can be or include a wire, a cable, or other wire formed by a conductive material. The wire 805 can be coupled to the plate 405 in various ways, including but not limited to welding, fasteners, conductive adhesives, or other means. The tab (e.g., plate 405) can be coupled at least partially to one or more busbars. For example, the wire 805 can be a grounded neutral (GND) wire or an overmolded ground busbar connected to the joint 305.

[0046] Fig.10 and Fig.11 A perspective view of the connector device 220 from an interior portion of the housing 205 of the battery pack 110 is shown. Fig.12A detailed perspective view of the connector device 220 from the inner portion of the housing 205 is shown. As shown, the line 805 may be coupled to the fastener 1005 (e.g., via welding or other means) so that the line 805 at least partially contacts the fastener 1005. The fastener 1005 may be or include a cutting fastener (e.g., a screw), a bolt, a clip, a tab, a clamp, or other features that may be coupled to a portion of the battery pack 110. The fastener 1005 may include at least one conductive material. The fastener 1005 may include at least one sharp portion or end (e.g., a tip, a thread, etc.) that may extend through, cut off, or pierce the non-conductive coating of the housing 205 of the battery pack 110 to facilitate forming a conductive path. For example, the fastener 1005 may be a threaded formation or E-coating removal fastener. For example, the conductive path may extend from the connector 305 (e.g., a spring feature 310) to the plate 405, the line 805, the fastener 1005, the housing 205. As described herein, housing 205 may be grounded to a portion of vehicle 105 (e.g., chassis 125) such that plate 405 facilitates grounding connector 305 to chassis 125 of vehicle 105 and to battery pack 110 (e.g., providing a path for current to flow between conductive materials).

[0047] The device 220 may include various numbers of plates 405 or connectors 305. For example, at least Figure 7 As shown, the device 220 may include a board 405 coupled to a plurality of (eg, two) connectors 305. For example, the board 405 may be coupled to a first connector 305 and a second connector to couple the conductive path to both the first connector 305 and the second connector 305. Fig.12 As shown, the device 220 may include one or more plates 405, each plate coupled to a corresponding connector 305. For example, the device 220 may include a first plate 405 coupled to a first connector 305 or a second plate 405 coupled to a second connector 305. The first plate 405 may couple the first connector 305 to the first line 805, and the second plate 405 may couple the second connector 305 to the second line 805.

[0048] In some implementations, the plate 405 , the fastener 1005 , or another portion of the device 220 can directly contact a portion of the chassis 125 of the vehicle 105 (eg, with or without contacting the housing 205 of the battery pack 110 ).

[0049] Fig.13 An exemplary illustration of method 1300 is depicted. Method 1300 may include coupling plate 405 to connector 305, as depicted in act 1305. For example, plate 405 may receive and couple one or more connectors 305 via one or more apertures 415 and fasteners 605, such as at least Figures 3 to 7As another example, the plate 405 can be coupled to the joint 305 by at least partially surrounding the joint 305. As described herein, the plate 405 can include at least one feature that is biased or protrudes toward the spring feature 310 of the joint 305. For example, the plate 405 can include at least one protrusion 425 that contacts the spring feature 310 of the joint 305, such as at least Figures 3 to 7 As another example, the plate 405 may be or may include a tab that projects toward and contacts the at least one spring feature 310 of the connector 305, such as at least Figures 8 to 12 As depicted in .

[0050] Method 1300 may include coupling plate 405 to a conductive path to form a conductive path, as depicted in action 1310. For example, plate 405 may be coupled to at least one piercing element 430. Piercing element 430 may be coupled to plate 405 by welding, conductive adhesive, or fasteners, or piercing element 430 may be integrally formed with plate 405. Piercing element 430 may cut away a non-conductive coating of housing 205 of battery pack 110 to contact at least a portion of a conductive wall (e.g., front wall) of housing 205. For another example, plate 405 may be coupled to wire 805 (e.g., ground wire) formed of at least one conductive material. Wire 805 may contact at least a portion of fastener 1005 coupled to battery pack 110 to facilitate grounding connector 305 to battery pack 110.

[0051] Fig.14 An exemplary illustration of method 1400 is depicted. Method 1400 may include providing a connector device 220, as depicted in action 1405. Connector device 220 may include at least one connector 305. Connector 305 may be formed of at least one non-conductive material (e.g., plastic). Connector 305 may include one or more metallic materials or other at least partially conductive materials. For example, connector 305 may include at least one spring feature 310. Spring feature 310 may be or may include one or more conductive materials that at least partially protrude or bias outward from connector 305.

[0052] The connector device 220 may include at least one plate 405. The plate 405 may be or may include one or more conductive materials. For example, the plate 405 may be made of one or more metals (e.g., aluminum, steel, etc.). The plate 405 may include at least one slot 410 (e.g., a hole, an orifice, etc.) that may at least partially receive the connector 305, such as at least Figure 4 and Figure 5 The plate 405 may at least partially surround the connector 305 on the interior portion of the battery pack 110, such as at least Fig.11 and Fig.12 As depicted in .

[0053] The plate 405 may include at least one gasket 420. For example, each slot 410 may include a gasket 420 (e.g., a die cut gasket) that at least partially surrounds the slot 410 and facilitates sealing the joint 305 with the housing 205 of the battery pack 110. The gasket 420 may include an adhesive backing to facilitate forming a seal between the joint 305 and the housing 205 of the battery pack 110. For example, the gasket 420 may be positioned to be coupled between the joint 305 or plate and the battery pack 110 so that the gasket 420 at least partially engages the battery pack housing 205 (e.g., when a fastener extending through the apertures 315, 415 is connected to the battery pack 110 and facilitates compression of the gasket 420 between the plate 405 and the battery pack 110). The plate 405 may include at least one gasket 420 positioned at or near the sealing location of each respective joint 305.

[0054] Plate 405 may include at least one conductive feature that facilitates coupling of connector 305. For example, plate 405 may include at least one protrusion 425 at or near slot 410. Protrusion 425 may be formed of at least one conductive material (e.g., a metal such as aluminum or steel). Protrusion 425 may extend from plate 405 to engage (e.g., contact) at least a portion of at least one spring feature 310 of connector 305 to form a conductive path between spring feature 310 and plate 405 (e.g., via contact between spring feature 310 and protrusion 425). For example, protrusion 425 may establish an electrical connection with spring feature 310 so that current may flow between spring feature 310 and protrusion 425.

[0055] The plate 405 may include at least one piercing element 430 that may facilitate at least partially piercing (e.g., cutting, breaking through, puncturing) at least a portion of the non-conductive coating of the housing 205 of the battery pack 110. The piercing element 430 may be a protrusion or extension of the plate 405 that extends at least partially away from the surface of the plate 405. The piercing element 430 may include at least one sharp edge (e.g., a pointed edge, a triangular edge, a toothed edge, a serrated edge, a sawtooth edge, etc.). The sharp edge of the piercing element 430 may facilitate piercing at least a portion of the battery pack 110. The device 220 may facilitate defining a conductive path between the connector 305 (e.g., through the spring feature 310), the plate 405 (e.g., through the protrusion 425 and the piercing element 430), and the battery pack 110 (e.g., by the piercing element 430 cutting away the non-conductive coating of the battery pack housing 205 and contacting at least a portion of the conductive material of the housing 205). The battery pack 110 may be conductively coupled to another portion of the vehicle 105 (eg, the chassis 125 ) such that the device 220 may facilitate grounding the joint 305 to the chassis 125 or another portion of the vehicle 105 .

[0056] The plate 405 at least partially surrounding the joint 305 and at least partially protruding toward and contacting the spring feature 310 can be coupled to (e.g., in contact with) at least one conductive path (e.g., wire 805), such as at least Figure 8 . For example, the conductor 805 can be or include a wire, a cable, or other wire formed of a conductive material. The wire 805 can be coupled to the board 405 in various ways, including but not limited to welding, fasteners, conductive adhesives, or other means. The board 405 can be at least partially coupled to one or more busbars. For example, the wire 805 can be a grounded neutral (GND) wire or an overmolded ground busbar connected to the connector 305.

[0057] Wire 805 may be coupled to fastener 1005 and at least partially contact the fastener. Fastener 1005 may be or include a cutting fastener (e.g., a screw), a bolt, a clip, a tab, a clamp, or other features that may be coupled to a portion of battery pack 110. Fastener 1005 may include at least one conductive material. Fastener 1005 may include at least one sharp portion or end (e.g., a tip, a thread, etc.) that may extend through, cut off, or pierce a non-conductive coating of the housing 205 of the battery pack 110 to facilitate forming a conductive path. For example, fastener 1005 may be a threaded forming or E-coating clear fastener. Device 220 may facilitate defining a conductive path between connector 305 and battery pack 110. For example, a conductive path may extend from connector 305 (e.g., spring feature 310) to plate 405, wire 805, fastener 1005, housing 205. As described herein, housing 205 may be grounded to a portion of vehicle 105 (e.g., chassis 125) such that plate 405 facilitates grounding connector 305 to chassis 125 of vehicle 105 and to battery pack 110 (e.g., providing a path for current to flow between conductive materials).

[0058] Although operations are depicted in a particular order in the drawings, these operations need not be performed in the particular order shown or in sequential order, and not all of the operations shown need be performed. The actions described herein may be performed in a different order.

[0059] Now that some exemplary implementations have been described, it is apparent that the foregoing is illustrative and not restrictive, and has been presented by way of example. Specifically, although many of the examples presented herein relate to specific combinations of method actions or system elements, these actions and these elements may be combined in other ways to achieve the same purpose. The actions, elements, and features discussed in conjunction with one implementation are not intended to be excluded from similar roles in other implementations.

[0060] The words and terms used herein are for descriptive purposes and should not be construed as limiting. The use of "including," "comprising," "having," "containing," "involving," "characterized by," and variations thereof herein is intended to encompass the items listed thereafter, their equivalents and additional items, and alternative implementations consisting solely of the items listed thereafter. In one implementation, the systems and methods described herein consist of one, each combination of more than one, or all of the elements, acts, or components described.

[0061] Any specific implementation or element or action of the system and method mentioned in the singular form herein may also include a specific implementation comprising a plurality of these elements, and any plural form of any specific implementation or element or action herein may also include a specific implementation comprising only a single element. Reference in the singular or plural form is not intended to limit the currently disclosed system or method, its parts, actions or elements to a single or multiple configurations. Reference to any action or element based on any information, action or element may include a specific implementation in which the action or element is based at least in part on any information, action or element.

[0062] Any implementation disclosed herein may be combined with any other implementation or embodiment, and references to "an implementation," "some implementations," "an implementation," etc. are not necessarily mutually exclusive, but are intended to indicate that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in conjunction with an implementation may be included in at least one implementation or embodiment. Such terms as used herein do not necessarily all refer to the same implementation. Any implementation may be combined, inclusively or exclusively, with any other implementation in any manner consistent with the aspects and implementations disclosed herein.

[0063] References to "or" may be interpreted as inclusive, such that any term described using "or" may indicate any of a single, more than one, and all of the terms. References to at least one of a conjunctive list of terms may be interpreted as inclusive OR to indicate any of a single, more than one, and all of the terms. For example, references to "at least one of 'A' and 'B'" may include only "A," only "B," and both "A" and "B." Such references used in conjunction with "including" or other open-ended terms may include additional items.

[0064] Where a technical feature in the drawings, detailed description or any claims is followed by a reference numeral, the reference numeral is included to enhance the intelligibility of the drawings, detailed description and claims. Therefore, the presence or absence of a reference numeral has no limiting effect on the scope of any claim element.

[0065] Without departing substantially from the teachings and advantages of the subject matter disclosed herein, modifications may be made to the elements and actions, such as changes in size, dimensions, structure, shape and proportion, parameter values, mounting arrangements, use of materials, color, orientation of the various elements. For example, an element shown as being integrally formed may be composed of multiple parts or elements, the position of elements may be reversed or otherwise changed, and the nature or number or position of discrete elements may be changed or varied. Other substitutions, modifications, changes and omissions may also be made in the design, operating conditions and arrangement of the disclosed elements and operations without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0066] For example, the descriptions of positive and negative electrical properties may be reversed. Figures 3 to 7 Any component of the equipment shown may appear in Figures 8 to 12 Similarly, Figures 8 to 12 Any component of the equipment shown may appear in Figures 3 to 7 In the device shown in . An element described as a negative element may be configured as a positive element, and an element described as a positive element may be configured as a negative element. For example, an element described as having a first polarity may have a second polarity, and an element described as having a second polarity may have a first polarity. Further relative parallel, vertical, vertical or other positioning or orientation descriptions include changes within + / -10% or + / -10 degrees of pure vertical, parallel or vertical positioning. Unless otherwise expressly stated, references to "approximately", "substantially" or other degree terms include changes of + / -10% from a given measurement, unit or range. The connected elements may be electrically, mechanically or physically connected to each other directly or through an intermediate element. Therefore, the scope of the systems and methods described herein is indicated by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description, and changes falling within the meaning and scope of the equivalents of the claims are included therein.

Claims

1. A device comprising: a plate for coupling with a non-conductive connector of a battery pack; as well as The plate is used to form a conductive path between the connector and the battery pack.

2. The device according to claim 1, comprising: The plate includes a piercing element that at least partially protrudes from the plate; as well as The piercing element is adapted to extend at least partially beyond the non-conductive coating of the battery to form the conductive path.

3. The device according to claim 1, comprising: The conductive path includes a wire configured to be coupled to a fastener, the fastener being coupled to the battery pack; as well as The fastener is adapted to extend at least partially beyond the non-conductive coating of the battery pack.

4. The device according to claim 1, comprising: The connector includes a feature having at least one electrically conductive material; as well as The plate includes an aperture configured to receive the contact, and a protrusion for at least partially contacting the feature to facilitate forming the conductive path.

5. The device according to claim 1, comprising: The connector includes a feature having at least one electrically conductive material; as well as The plate is configured to at least partially contact the feature to facilitate forming the conductive path.

6. The device according to claim 1, comprising: The connector is used to connect with the front wall of the battery pack.

7. The device according to claim 1, comprising: The plate is used to connect with the second connector of the battery pack; as well as The plate is used to form the conductive path between the second terminal and the battery pack.

8. The device according to claim 1, comprising: a second plate for coupling to a second connector of the battery pack; as well as The second plate is used to form a conductive path between the second terminal and the battery pack.

9. A battery pack comprising: Device, the device comprising: a plate for coupling with a non-conductive connector of the battery pack; and The plate is used to form a conductive path between the connector and the battery pack.

10. The battery pack according to claim 9, comprising The plate comprises a piercing element which at least partially protrudes from the plate; and The piercing element is adapted to extend at least partially beyond the non-conductive coating of the battery to form the conductive path.

11. The battery pack according to claim 9, comprising: The conductive path includes a wire configured to be coupled to a fastener, the fastener being coupled to the battery pack; as well as The fastener is adapted to extend at least partially beyond the non-conductive coating of the battery pack.

12. The battery pack according to claim 9, comprising: The connector includes a feature having at least one electrically conductive material; as well as The plate includes an aperture configured to receive the contact, and a protrusion for at least partially contacting the feature to facilitate forming the conductive path.

13. The battery pack according to claim 9, comprising: The connector includes a feature having at least one electrically conductive material; as well as The plate is configured to at least partially contact the feature to facilitate forming the conductive path.

14. The battery pack according to claim 9, comprising: The connector is used to connect with the front wall of the battery pack.

15. The battery pack according to claim 9, comprising: The plate is used to connect with the second connector of the battery pack; as well as The plate is used to form the conductive path between the second terminal and the battery pack.

16. The battery pack according to claim 9, comprising: a second plate for coupling to a second connector of the battery pack; as well as The second plate is used to form a conductive path between the second terminal and the battery pack.

17. A method comprising: Connecting the plate to the non-conductive connector of the battery pack; as well as A conductive path between the tab and the battery pack is formed by the plate.

18. The method according to claim 17, comprising: The plate includes a piercing element that at least partially protrudes from the plate; as well as The piercing element is adapted to extend at least partially beyond the non-conductive coating of the battery to form the conductive path.

19. The method according to claim 17, comprising: The conductive path includes a wire configured to be coupled to a fastener, the fastener being coupled to the battery pack; as well as The fastener is adapted to extend at least partially beyond the non-conductive coating of the battery pack.

20. The method according to claim 17, comprising: The connector includes a feature having at least one electrically conductive material; as well as The plate is configured to at least partially contact the feature to facilitate forming the conductive path.

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