Electrical busbar and method of fabricating the same

Abstract

To provide a busbar for use in mechanically and electrically connecting components in a device.SOLUTION: A busbar 1000 includes a plurality of conductors arranged to provide two opposed end portions 1700 and an intermediate portion 1200, where each of the conductors has a plurality of intermediate extents that traverse the intermediate portion. The intermediate portion includes an unfused segment 1520 where none of the intermediate extents of the conductors are fused together to form a single consolidated conductor, and a fused segment 1220. The fused segment includes: a partial solidification zone in which a majority of the intermediate extents of the conductors are fused together to form a partially solidified region that provides a single consolidated conductor; a full solidification zone in which all of the intermediate extents of the conductors are fused together to form a fully solidified region 1690 that provides a single consolidated conductor; and an unsolidified region 1670 in which all of the intermediate extents of the conductors are not fused together.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 41-42

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to electrical connectors, and more particularly to busbars for use in electrical signal and power distribution systems such as those found in automotive, military, marine, and aerospace applications. The busbar of the present invention is characterized by at least one fused segment having a solidified region and one potential unfused segment, and the busbar enables formation in a complex geometric configuration required for electrical signal and power distribution systems. Cross - Reference to Related Applications

[0002] This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 897,962, filed on September 9, 2019; U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 988,972, filed on March 13, 2020; and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 051,639, filed on July 14, 2020, all of which provisional applications are incorporated herein by reference and form a part of this specification.

Background Art

[0003] Over the past several decades, in fields such as automotive, military, marine, and aerospace, the number of electronic devices, components, and systems has increased dramatically and is expected to continue to increase in the future. The performance of devices, components, and systems is both an industry performance standard and a requirement for productivity and reliability. As an example, in the automotive field, automobiles, as well as other on - road and off - road vehicles such as pickup trucks, commercial trucks, semi - trucks, motorcycles, all - terrain vehicles, and sports utility vehicles (collectively referred to as "automobiles" hereinafter) have experienced a dramatic increase in the number and complexity of electronic devices, components, and systems. Electronic devices are used for performance improvement, safety function management, exhaust gas control, and providing a comfortable ride for vehicle occupants and users. In automobiles, many electronic components and devices are used for important signal connections such as automotive airbags, batteries, battery power packs, and advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS).

[0004] However, automobiles are in a harsh usage environment caused by vibrations, heat, and moisture, etc., and in all of these, the performance, reliability, and operating life of electronic devices and the connectors for installing them may be limited. The same problems also apply to the fields of military ships and aircraft. For example, heat, vibration, and moisture can all lead to premature wear and eventual failure of the connectors and / or the devices themselves. In fact, the loosening of connectors in assembly plants and at the site has become one of the biggest failure modes for automobiles. Considering that the total annual amount of warranties by automobile manufacturers and regular suppliers is estimated to be between $50 billion and $150 billion worldwide, the big failure modes in automobiles are associated with huge amounts of money.

[0005] Based on such a harsh electrical environment, a great deal of time, cost, and labor have been spent to develop power distribution assemblies that meet all the needs of these markets. Many of the conventional power distribution assemblies used custom-made busbars that were costly to manufacture and install. By using custom-made busbars, any change to a power distribution system may require a change in the configuration of one or more busbars. These changes not only take a long time to develop but also further increase labor and installation costs. Once the configuration of these custom-made busbars is finalized and the busbars are manufactured, installers usually couple the busbars to power sources, power distribution components, or other devices using a combination of conventional fasteners (e.g., elongated fasteners, washers, nuts, and / or studs). During this process, due to the protective gear that installers may need to wear to protect themselves, it becomes extremely difficult to install the busbars in the application with these conventional fasteners. Finally, even after the conventional busbars are properly installed in the application, they are prone to a high breakage rate due to their complex geometric configurations. Therefore, there is an unmet need for an improved busbar that is boltless, suitable for modularity, requires complex shapes, and is suitable for use in power distribution systems typically found in automotive, military, marine, and aerospace applications.

[0006] The description provided in the Background section should not be assumed to be prior art merely because it is mentioned or associated in the Background section. The Background section may contain information that describes one or more aspects of the subject technology.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0007] The present disclosure relates to a bus bar comprising at least one fused, more rigid segment and one unfused flexible segment that enables the bus bar to be formed in a complex geometric shape in a three-dimensional Cartesian X, Y, and Z coordinate system. The fused segments of the bus bar include at least one region of a partially solidified or fully solidified conductor, thereby increasing the rigidity of the fused segments of the bus bar. The unfused segments of the bus bar include regions of non-solidified conductor rather than regions of partially solidified or fully solidified conductor, whereby the unfused segments are flexible and can be bent in the in-plane X-Y direction or the out-of-plane Z direction.

[0008] Accordingly, the bus bar of the present invention can be installed in electrical signal and power distribution systems that require complex geometric configurations. These electrical signal and power distribution systems are prevalent in automotive, military, marine, and aerospace applications and have industry performance standards and production and reliability requirements, and the bus bar of the present invention can meet these requirements due to its unique characteristics.

[0009] Other aspects and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals refer to like structures throughout.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] The drawings, which are not to scale, illustrate, by way of example, one or more embodiments in accordance with the present teachings. Like reference numerals in the drawings refer to the same or similar elements.

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【Figure FIG. 58 is a second end view of the bus bar of FIG. 56.

[0082] ​ FIG. 59 is a first side view of the bus bar of FIG. 56.

[0083] ​ FIG. 60 is a second side view of the bus bar of FIG. 56.

[0084] ​ FIG. 61 is a top view of the bus bar of FIG. 56.

[0085] ​ FIG. 62 is a bottom view of the bus bar of FIG. 56.

[0086] ​ FIG. 63A is a perspective view of a housing for an electrical connector assembly having an internal spring component prior to being coupled to the bus bar.

[0087] ​ FIG. 63B is a bottom view of the housing shown in FIG. 68A.

[0088] ​ FIG. 64 is a perspective view of the bus bar of the present invention, the insulator surrounding the bus bar and the bus bar having two electrical connector assemblies partially surrounded by the housing.

[0089] ​ Figure 65 is a top view of the bus bar of Figure 64.

[0090] ​ Figure 66 is a cross-sectional view of the bus bar of the present invention of Figure 65 along line 66-66 of Figure 65, showing the partially solidified region and the non-solidified region of the fused segment of the bus bar.

[0091] ​ Figure 67 shows two end portion configurations of a bus bar that can be used when joining two bus bars together in an "interleaved" configuration.

[0092] ​ Figure 68 shows two end portion configurations of a bus bar that can be used when joining two bus bars together in an "offset stack" configuration.

[0093] ​ Figure 69 shows a laser welder for welding the end portions of two bus bars in a joining region. ​ Figure 70 shows a laser welder for welding the end portions of two bus bars in a joining region.

[0094] ​ Figure 71 shows two bus bars joined together in a joining region, each bus bar including both a fused segment and a non-fused segment.

[0095] ​ Figure 72 shows a top view of the bus bar shown in Figure 54, the bus bars being joined together using "densification" welding and "butt" welding.

[0096] ​ Figure 73 is a perspective view of a resistance welder.

[0097] ​FIG. 74 is a cross-sectional view of the bus bar of the resistance welder of FIG. 73 and its surroundings, when the welder is set to the prototype production mode.

[0098] ​ FIG. 75 is a cross-sectional view of the bus bar of the resistance welder of FIG. 73 and its surroundings, when the welder is set to the mass production mode.

[0099] ​ FIG. 76 is an exemplary embodiment of the electrode roller installed in the welder when the welder of FIG. 73 is in the mass production mode. ​ FIG. 77 is an exemplary embodiment of the electrode roller installed in the welder when the welder of FIG. 73 is in the mass production mode. ​ FIG. 78 is an exemplary embodiment of the electrode roller installed in the welder when the welder of FIG. 73 is in the mass production mode.

[0100] ​ FIG. 79 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the bus bar of the present invention extending between opposing electrical connector assemblies of the insulator.

[0101] ​ FIG. 80 is a perspective view of a third embodiment of the bus bar of the present invention extending between opposing electrical connector assemblies of the insulator.

[0102] ​ FIG. 81 is a perspective view of a fourth embodiment of the bus bar of the present invention extending between opposing electrical connector assemblies of the insulator.

[0103] ​ FIG. 82 is a perspective view of a fifth embodiment of the bus bar of the present invention extending between opposing bolt and nut connectors of the insulator.

[0104] ​ FIG. 83 is a perspective view of a battery pack installed within a skateboard of a vehicle, the battery pack including a plurality of bus bars of the present invention electrically and mechanically connected to modules within the battery pack.

[0105] ​ FIG. 84 is a perspective view of a vehicle having a battery pack including a plurality of bus bars of the present invention electrically and mechanically connected to modules within the battery pack. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0106] In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth by way of example in order to provide a thorough understanding of the relevant teachings. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present teachings may be practiced without such specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures, components, and / or electronic circuits have been described at a relatively high level of generality, without detail, in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring aspects of the present teachings.

[0107] This disclosure includes many different forms of embodiments. However, in the drawings, it is understood that the disclosed methods and systems are considered as examples of the principles, and it is not intended to limit the broad aspects of the disclosed general concept to the illustrated embodiments. Specific embodiments are shown and will be described in detail herein. As implemented, the disclosed methods and systems can have other different configurations, and some details can all be changed without departing from the scope of the disclosed methods and systems. For example, one or more of the following embodiments can be combined in part or in whole in a consistent manner with the disclosed methods and systems. Therefore, one or more steps from the flowcharts or components in the figures can be selectively omitted and / or combined to be consistent with the disclosed methods and systems. In addition, the steps included in the flowcharts can be executed in a different order. In other words, it is not necessary to strictly follow the order of the steps described below, and instead, they can be executed even if the order of the steps is different. Therefore, the drawings, flowcharts, and detailed descriptions should be regarded as essentially exemplary and not restrictive or limiting. 1) Definitions

[0108] Throughout this specification, the following terms appear and are defined as follows. The term "partially solidified zone" is the area of the fusion segment in the middle part of the busbar, and the zone extends from the lowermost conductor in the fusion segment to the uppermost conductor in the fusion segment. For example, in FIG. 39, the zone 1660 of the busbar 1000 extending between the upper surface 1000a and the bottom surface 1000b that has undergone a partial penetration welding process is shown.

[0109] The term "partially cured region" means the range within the partially cured zone of the bus bar that has undergone a partial penetration welding process. This process combines or fuses a portion, but not all, of the intermediate range of conductors contained within the partially cured zone to form a partially cured region that provides a single connected conductor. Examples of the partially cured region 1650 are shown in FIGS. 38, 39, and 45. In the partially cured region 1650, a greater amount (e.g., about 70%) of the conductors 1090 located within the partially cured zone 1660 are combined into a single connected conductor, and a lesser amount (e.g., about 30%) of the conductors located within the partially cured zone 1660 and beyond the partially cured region 1650 remain as individual conductors 1090, meaning they are not combined or fused to the single combined conductor.

[0110] The term "uncured region" means the range of the bus bar within which none of the conductors contained therein have undergone a welding process that combines or fuses them. Thus, all of the conductors located within the uncured region remain as individual conductors. For example, FIG. 39 shows two partially cured regions 1650 adjacent to each other within the fusion segment 1220 of the intermediate portion 1200 of the bus bar 1000 of the present invention, with an uncured region 1670 therebetween.

[0111] The term "fully cured region" means the range of the bus bar that has undergone a full penetration welding process to combine or fuse all of the conductors contained within that range into a single connected conductor. For example, FIG. 43 shows one fully cured region 1690 separated by an uncured region 1670 within the fusion segment 1220 of the intermediate portion 1200 of the bus bar 1000 of the present invention.

[0112] The term "fusion segment" refers to the extent of the bus bar that encompasses at least one partially solidified region, fully solidified region, or both. A fusion segment may also include non-solidified regions. For example, FIG. 39 shows a non-solidified region 1670 and a partially solidified region 1650, and FIG. 43 shows a non-solidified region 1670 that surrounds a fully solidified region 1690, both within the fusion segment 1220 of the intermediate portion 1200 of the bus bar 1000 of the present invention.

[0113] The term "non-fusion segment" refers to the extent of the bus bar that does not encompass either a partially solidified region or a fully solidified region. Thus, a non-fusion segment includes only non-solidified regions. For example, FIGS. 38 and 42 show a non-solidified region 1670 within the non-fusion segment 1520 of the intermediate portion 1200 of the bus bar 1000 of the present invention.

[0114] The term "in-plane" refers to the X and Y directions in a three-dimensional Cartesian X, Y, and Z coordinate system, as shown in FIGS. 3A - 3B. The term "in-plane bending" is a type of bending of the bus bar that is oriented within the X - Y plane and transverse thereto, typically at right angles to the width of the bus bar. FIG. 1A shows a bus bar 10 having two exemplary in-plane bends 1750 within the fusion segment 1220 of the intermediate portion 1200 of the bus bar 1000 of the present invention.

[0115] The term "out-of-plane" refers to the Z direction in a three-dimensional Cartesian X, Y, and Z coordinate system, as shown in FIG. 3. The term "out-of-plane bending" is a type of bending of the bus bar that is oriented in the Z direction and at right angles to the XY plane. FIG. 1B shows a bus bar 20 having two out-of-plane bends 1760 in the Z direction.

[0116] The term "high power" shall mean a voltage of 20 volts to 600 volts regardless of current, or a voltage at any current of 80 amperes or more regardless of voltage.

[0117] The term "high current" shall mean a current of 80 amperes or more regardless of voltage.

[0118] The term "high voltage" shall mean a voltage of 20 volts to 600 volts regardless of current. 2) Overview of Conventional Busbars

[0119] A conventional rigid busbar 10 is shown in FIG. 1A, and a conventional flexible busbar 20 is shown in FIG. 1B. These conventional busbars 10, 20 are both troubled by a number of constraints. For example, the conventional rigid busbar 10 has (i) high manufacturing costs, (ii) cannot effectively consider manufacturing tolerances, and (iii) cannot properly expand and contract during the charging and discharging cycles of the battery. The conventional flexible busbar 20 addresses some of the problems associated with the conventional rigid busbar 10, but the flexible busbar 20 itself has significant constraints. For example, the conventional flexible busbar 20 (i) cannot be easily connected to other objects, (ii) can be expensive to fabricate, and (iii) cannot maintain an in-plane bent busbar without creating a large gap (e.g., delamination) between the conductors contained within the flexible busbar 20, resulting in a reduction in the flow of current within the busbar 20. To achieve an in-plane bending configuration using the flexible busbar 20, the flexible busbar 20 is folded (22) so that a first range of the busbar 20 overlaps a second range of the busbar 20 (see FIG. 1B). This folded configuration increases the height required by the busbar 20, and the folded shape limits the current of the busbar 20. Additionally, out-of-plane bending can also cause an increase in the resistance of the busbar 20, which can lead to hot spots in the insulator and failure of the busbar 20. Furthermore, the edges of the flexible busbar 20 can tear or wear the insulator, thereby leading to failure of the entire busbar 20. To address some of these problems, companies have attempted to join separate and different flexible busbars to separate and different rigid busbars. Combining these two separate and different types of busbars together is expensive, time-consuming, and their joint regions tend to have a very high failure rate, resulting in a significant amount of material being wasted in attempts to form these busbars.

[0120] In addition to these problems, the conventional bus bars 10, 20 connected to components using the conventional connector 24 also have many problems. For example, the conventional bus bars 10, 20, and connector 24 (i) take a long time to install, (ii) require a high level of skill and dexterity to perform the installation, (iii) have many safety concerns, (iv) if a conventional connector is dropped or misaligned in the pack during the installation process, the entire battery pack may need to be disassembled, (v) cope with a high failure rate, (vi) require multiple people to confirm that a single installation has been properly executed, and (vii) require a significant amount of space and weight. As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, when installer I works on an open battery pack, there are many safety concerns. To mitigate some of these concerns, installer I wears thick protective gloves 26 and uses a custom-designed tool 28. The custom-designed tool 28 is expensive to obtain, and by wearing thick protective gloves 26, installer I requires a high level of skill and dexterity so as not to accidentally drop the conventional connector 24 inside or around the battery pack in the surrounding environment. If such a mistake occurs, the installation process needs to be interrupted and the entire battery pack needs to be disassembled to find the misaligned conventional connector 24. Also, even assuming that the installation is carried out as planned, a second person (other than installer I) is generally required to check the torque of the conventional connector 24 and apply markings or indications showing that such necessary checks have been performed. Since the connection conformity is done manually, the manufacturing company may not have a digital record indicating when the conventional connector was properly connected. 3) Design and Fabrication of the Bus Bar of the Present Invention

[0121] The bus bar 1000 of the present invention disclosed herein overcomes many of the constraints disclosed above while meeting the requirements for performance, production, and reliability in the fields of automotive, military, marine, and aviation. Specifically, the bus bar 1000 includes a plurality of conductors 1090 arranged to provide two opposing end portions 1700 and an intermediate portion 1200, each of the conductors 1090 having a plurality of intermediate ranges that cross or traverse the intermediate portion 1200. The intermediate portion 1200 includes (i) a first or fused segment 1220 and (ii) a second or unfused segment 1520. First, by integrally forming the fused segment 1220 and the unfused segment 1520 in a single bus bar 1000, the bus bar 1000 can combine the best features of the conventional rigid bus bar 10 and the conventional flexible bus bar 20 in a single unit while limiting the negative features associated with these conventional bus bars 10, 20. For example, the unfused segment 1520 is flexible to enable the bus bar 1000 to (i) adjust for manufacturing tolerances, (ii) expand and contract during thermal expansion and contraction events such as battery charging and discharging cycles, and (iii) assist in absorbing rather than transmitting vibrations resulting from the environment in which the bus bar 1000 is installed (e.g., under the vehicle's hood) to the connectors. Additionally, the fused segment 1220 of the bus bar 1000 is more rigid, enabling the bus bar 1000 to be accurately bent both out-of-plane and in-plane, and in particular, to maintain its in-plane bending over time without the conductors 1090 contained within the bus bar 1000 peeling off and resulting in a reduction in the flow of electric current. This attribute of the bus bar 1000 is beneficial as it (i) reduces the overall height required for the bus bar 1000 and (ii) does not limit the current flowing through the fused segments, such that the bus bar 1000 can carry more current without creating hot spots or significant temperature increases. Further, the edges of the bus bar 1000 can be modified to reduce the probability that the conductors contained within the bus bar 1000 are torn or worn by the surrounding insulator.Moreover, by integrally forming the fused and non-fused segments 1220, 1520 into a single bus bar 1000, the high costs, extremely high failure rates, and material waste associated with assembling conventional bus bars are eliminated. Finally, by including the fused segment 1220 and the non-fused segment 1520, the bus bar 1000 is (i) formed without a custom mold, (ii) shipped to the customer in a substantially flat configuration, thereby reducing packaging, handling, and shipping costs, and also reducing the likelihood that the bus bar 1000 will be damaged during transport or handling prior to being attached to a component, device, or vehicle.

[0122] The bus bar 1000 of the present invention can utilize either a conventional connector 24 or a boltless connector system 2000. The boltless connector system 2000 does not utilize bolts, screws, fasteners, etc. to connect at least a portion of the bus bar 1000 between (i) a power source (e.g., an alternator or battery), (ii) a power source and a power distribution / control component, or (iii) a power source and a device (e.g., a radiator fan, a heated seat, a power distribution component, or another current-drawing component). This boltless connector system 2000 and its features are incorporated by reference and are described at least in International Application No. US20 / 14484, overcoming many of the limitations associated with conventional bus bar connectors 24. For example, the boltless connector system 2000 connects a male connector assembly 2200 to a female connector assembly 2600, listens for an audible signal (e.g., a "click sound"), pulls on the connector assemblies 2200, 2600 to confirm that they are properly coupled, and reads the system's range (push, click, tug, read, i.e., compliant with "PCTR") requiring only one person. In other words, the bus bar 1000 can be coupled to another component or device without using separate tools, thereby reducing safety concerns, shortening assembly and handling times, and not requiring the high level of skill and dexterity required to install conventional bus bar connectors 24. Since there are no loose parts that could be lost within or around the battery pack, the manufacturing time is kept constant. Moreover, the handling and installation of the bus bar 1000 better manage and reduce labor costs because (i) the time required to install the bus bar 1000 is only one person shorter, (ii) less space is required (e.g., the height of the conventional connector (D1 shown in FIG. 2B) is reduced from about 40 mm to 16 mm), and (iii) the bus bar 1000 is about 50% lighter than conventional bus bars 10, 20 and is thus easier.

[0123] In addition to being utilized within a vehicle battery pack, the bus bar 1000 can be used to provide mechanical and electrical connections in an aircraft, automobile, military vehicle (e.g., tank, personnel carrier, semi-truck, and troop transport), bus, locomotive, tractor, boat, submarine, battery pack, bolt system having greater than 24 volts, power storage system, high-power applications, high-current applications, high-voltage applications, or another application where the bus bar 1000 is essential to meet industry standards and production requirements. A. Design of the Bus Bar of the Present Invention

[0124] Designing and fabricating the bus bar 1000 is a multi-step process 50, which is generally described in connection with FIG. 4. As shown in FIG. 4, this multi-step process 50 begins by receiving specifications from the customer in step 52. These customer specifications can include, but are not limited to, a number of different requirements, (i) current-carrying capacity, (ii) geometric constraints, (iii) material and / or chemical constraints, (iv) manufacturing reproducibility, (v) durability, (vi) compliance with standards bodies, (vii) environmental constraints, (viii) manufacturing requirements, and (ix) other requirements. The customer specifications can be sent to the bus bar designer in any manner, and the specifications can take any form, including a data sheet and a CAD model. For example, FIG. 5 shows an example of some of the customer specifications received within step 52. Specifically, FIG. 5 shows a digital 3D CAD model of a battery pack 54 that includes eight battery modules 56a-56h. The customer is requesting a bus bar 1000 that can (i) mechanically and electrically couple an external battery pack connector 58 to the battery modules 56a-56h and (ii) couple the battery modules 56a-56h to each other. Once the customer specifications are received, the bus bar designer can understand the specifications and can move to step 64 of this multi-step process 50.

[0125] The next step in the multi-step process 50 of designing and manufacturing the bus bar 1000 is step 64 (see FIG. 6), which involves digitally designing an engineering bus bar model 100 that meets the customer specifications received within step 52. When designing these engineering bus bar models 100, it may be desirable to understand how electricity is routed within the customer's application, product, component, or device. In particular, it may be desirable to obtain an understanding of how the bus bar routes electricity within the application, product, component, or device so that the bus bar designer can create an engineering bus bar model 100 that (i) meets the customer's specifications, (ii) minimizes the length and weight of the bus bar, (iii) enables proper electrical and mechanical connections, (iv) minimizes the height required for the bus bar, and (v) minimizes duplicate bus bars. To obtain this understanding, the designer can create a model of the bus bar layout 70 within the application, product, component, or device (step 66). An example of this model of the bus bar layout 70 is shown in FIG. 7A. In particular, FIG. 7A shows eight different non-engineering bus bar models 68a-68h that can be used within the customer's application, product, component, or device shown in FIG. 5. FIGS. 7B-7F show some exploded views of these non-engineering bus bar models 68a-68e. These non-engineering models 68a-68h are not suitable for manufacturing purposes but provide the general overall geometric shape of the bus bar. The next step described herein functions to transform these non-engineering models 68a-68h into engineering models 100 that can be manufactured.

[0126] Returning to FIG. 6, the next step in digitally designing the engineering busbar model 100 is to select the material and configuration of the conductors 90 included within the busbar model 100 (step 74). Specifically, the process of step 74 is described in more detail in FIG. 8. In the ongoing non-engineering models 68a-68h, the busbar designer can select the materials to be used in the engineering busbar model 100 (step 78). As shown in FIG. 8, the busbar designer can choose to fabricate the busbar model 100 from a single material in step 80. Such materials can include, but are not limited to, stainless steel, nickel, aluminum, silver, gold, copper, steel, zinc, brass, bronze, iron, platinum, lead, molybdenum, calcium, tungsten, lithium, tin, combinations of the listed materials, or other similar metals. For example, the busbar designer can choose to utilize a C10200 copper alloy in relation to the non-engineering busbar models 68a, 68b. This copper alloy has an electrical conductivity exceeding 80% of the International Annealed Copper Standard (IACS), a standard value empirically derived from the conductivity of commercially available copper. It has been reported to have a modulus of elasticity (Young's modulus) of approximately 115-125 gigapascals (GPa) at room temperature, a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of 17.6 ppm / °C (20-300°C) and 17.0 ppm / °C (20-200°C) according to ASTM B747 specifications.

[0127] Alternatively, the bus bar designer can choose to use multiple materials in step 82. If the bus bar designer makes this choice, the designer needs to select the material composition in step 84. For example, the bus bar designer can alternately select materials within the bus bar model 100 or interact two different materials within the bus bar model 100. More specifically, the model 100 can include alternating layers of copper and aluminum or can include a plated conductor (Figure 9A) 90 that includes an aluminum core and copper plating. It should be understood that the above materials and configurations are merely illustrative and that other similar materials and configurations are contemplated by the present disclosure.

[0128] Once the materials and their compositions are selected in step 78, the bus bar design can select the configuration of the conductor 90 in step 88. Step 88 includes a plurality of sub-steps shown in Figure 8. One of these sub-steps included within step 88 requires the selection of the overall configuration of the conductor 90 in step 92. Non-limiting examples of configurations that the designer can select include (i) a vertical stack or laminated stack (see Figure 9B), (ii) a woven, knitted, or braided pattern (see Figures 10C - 10I), or (iii) other configurations (see Figures 11A - 11F). Additionally, the selection of the overall configuration of the conductor 90 in step 92 includes selecting the number of conductors 90 included within the bus bar model 100. In making this selection, the bus bar designer may consistently maintain the number of conductors 90 throughout the bus bar model 100 or may vary the number of conductors 90 included within the model 100. For example, the designer can choose to increase the number of conductors 90 near the end portions or decrease the number of conductors 90 within the middle portion of the bus bar model 100. It should be understood that the exemplary non-engineering bus bar models 68a, 68b may utilize a laminated stack of 10 conductors 90 where the number of conductors 90 does not vary over the length of the bus bar model 100.

[0129] Another sub-step in step 88 requires selecting the shape of each conductor 90 within the bus bar model 100 in step 94. Exemplary shapes include, but are not limited to, a rectangular prism or bar (see FIG. 9B), a "U-shaped" plate (see FIG. 10C), a cylinder, a pentagonal prism, a hexagonal prism, an octagonal prism, a cone, a tetrahedron, or any other similar shape. In making this selection, the bus bar designer may consistently maintain the shape of the conductors 90 throughout the bus bar model 100, or may vary the shape of the conductors 90 included within the model 100. A change in the shape of the conductors 90 may be desirable to add mechanical strength or current capacity within a particular segment of the bus bar model 100. It should be understood that the shape of the conductors 90 included within the exemplary non-engineering bus bar models 68a, 68b may be a rectangular prism or bar.

[0130] In addition, the selection of the shape of each conductor 90 in step 94 includes selecting the thickness of the conductors 90 included within the bus bar model 100. In making this selection, the bus bar designer may consistently maintain the thickness of the conductors 90 throughout the bus bar model 100, or may vary the thickness of the conductors 90 included within the model 100. A change in the thickness of the conductors 90 may be desirable to add mechanical strength or current capacity within a particular segment of the bus bar model 100. Further, the selection of the shape of each conductor 90 in step 94 includes selecting whether the conductors 90 included within the bus bar model 100 have a solid, partially solid, or hollow configuration. It should be understood that the conductors 90 included within the exemplary non-engineering bus bar models 68a, 68b may be solid, having a substantially constant thickness of 0.01 inches or 0.254 mm, a length of 13.5 inches or 344 mm, and a width of 0.78 inches or 20 mm.

[0131] Another sub-step in step 88 requires selecting the placement of conductor 90 within busbar model 100 in step 96. For example, a busbar designer may desire a particular circular configuration shown in FIG. 11E over another circular configuration shown in FIG. 11F. The last sub-step in step 88 is to select the edge details of busbar model 100 as shown in step 98. For example, a designer can select coining edge details 104 as shown in FIGS. 12A - 12B, or a circular weld pattern 106 as shown in FIGS. 12C - 12D. It should be understood that any weld pattern shown in FIGS. 16F - 16H can be utilized in place of the circular weld pattern shown in FIG. 16E. In making this selection, the busbar designer may consistently maintain the edge details throughout busbar model 100 or vary the edge details included within model 100. Changing the edge details may be desirable to assist in bending the busbar. For example, a designer can choose to use only a weld pattern in other fused segments 220 of busbar 100 while using a combination of a weld pattern and coining edge details in areas that will be bent. It should be understood that exemplary non - engineering busbar models 68a, 68b can utilize edge details indicated by circular weld patterns 106, 832.

[0132] When making the above - mentioned selections, it is desirable for the designer to ensure that (i) the thickness of conductor 90 is greater than 0.01 mm, (ii) the width of conductor 90 is greater than 1 mm, preferably 10 - 25 mm, and (iii) there are three or more conductors 90 within the busbar, preferably 5 - 35 conductors 90. It should be understood that the configurations, shapes, placements, and edge details described above are merely examples of possible selections, and other similar configurations, shapes, placements, and edge details are contemplated by this disclosure.

[0133] Returning to FIG. 6, when the material and configuration of conductor 90 are selected at step 74, the bus bar designer can identify segment 220 of intermediate portion 200 of bus bar 100 that will be fused at step 110. Next, by identifying segment 220 of intermediate portion 200 of bus bar 100 to be fused, the design also identifies segment 520 of bus bar 100 that should remain unfused. The designer will identify these segments 220 based on several factors, which may include (i) the width of the bus bar, (ii) the geometry of the bends incorporated within the bus bar (e.g., in-plane 750 or out-of-plane 760), (iii) the number of conductors 90 incorporated, (iv) the thickness of conductors 90, (v) the material properties of conductors 90, (vi) the type or method of fusion, (vii) the commercial throughput of the machine performing the fusion, (viii) the total number of bends incorporated within the bus bar, (ix) the spacing between bends within the bus bar, (x) other customer specifications, and (xi) other factors obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art based on the above list of factors. When the designer analyzes some or all of the above factors, the designer can determine whether the intermediate portion 200 of bus bar model 100 should (i) contain no fused segments 220 and only unfused segments 520, (ii) contain only one fused segment 220 (see FIG. 13A) 222 that extends between end portions 720, or (iii) contain multiple fused segments 220 (see FIG. 13B) 224. It should be understood that the fused segments 220 are less flexible, more rigid, or more rigid than the unfused segments 520.

[0134] The following are non-limiting examples of how the fused segment 220 and the non-fused segment 520 can be selected and arranged within the bus bar 100. In one example, the intermediate portion 200 may not include any fused segments 220 if (i) the bus bar 100 does not involve bending (see 68e), (ii) the bending included within the bus bar 100 is out-of-plane 760 and has a large bending radius, or (iii) the designer determines that the bus bar 100 need not include such segments. If the bus bar designer determines that the bus bar model 100 need not include any fused segments 220, the designer can proceed to the next step of this process. In a second example, the intermediate portion 200 may include only one fused segment 220 (shown in FIG. 13A) if (i) the bus bar 100 includes only a single bend, (ii) the overall length of the bus bar 100 is short (e.g., less than 8 inches) and the bus bar 100 includes multiple bends, (iii) the overall length of the bus bar 100 is not long (e.g., greater than 3 feet) and the bus bar 100 includes only a single type of bend (e.g., in-plane 750 or out-of-plane 760), or (iv) the designer determines that the bus bar 100 needs to include only this single segment. One of the main reasons the designer can choose to use only a single fused segment 220 is that the difference in manufacturing time between using a single segment and multiple segments does not justify attempting to create multiple segments. When it is determined that the bus bar 100 should include one fused segment 220, the bus bar designer must determine the general characteristics of that segment 220. These general characteristics are based on the designer's analysis regarding some or all of the above factors.

[0135] Alternatively, if the bus bar model 100 includes a non-bending range, out-of-plane bending 760, and in-plane bending 750, the designer can choose to utilize a plurality of fusion segments 220. This allows the designer to vary the characteristics of each fusion segment 220, and as a result, provide the necessary welds for a particular range of the bus bar 100, which is considered desirable because it is not necessary to weld the entire bus bar 100 at a frequency that only matches the most force-demanding bends. The variation in characteristics enables an improvement in manufacturing time and eliminates the possibility of over-welding the bus bar 100. When it is determined that the bus bar should include a plurality of segments 220 within the bus bar, the bus bar designer needs to determine the position and general characteristics of each segment 220 included within the bus bar 100.

[0136] Various embodiments 250, 254, 258, 262, 266, 270, 274 of bus bar model 100 including a plurality of fusion segments 220 are shown in FIGS. 14A - 14B. For example, a designer can choose to utilize bus bar design 250 shown in FIG. 14A and labeled as Design 1 (along the right side of the figure) to construct bus bar 100 as shown in non - engineering bus bar model 68b. Because the middle portion 200 of non - engineering bus bar model 68b includes only two similar in - plane bends 750, both of the fusion segments 251a - 251b, which are fusion segments 220, can have the same general characteristics 250a. These general characteristics 250a include (i) rigidity, (ii) ductility, (iii) flexibility, (iv) curvature, (v) repulsive force, or (vi) other similar characteristics. Additionally, non - engineering bus bar model 68b has a non - bending range 252 positioned between two fusion segments 220. The designer can choose to use non - fusion segment 520 for this non - bending range 252 of bus bar 100. Thus, this exemplary layout for non - engineering bus bar model 68b will include (i) two end portions 700, 702a, 702b, and (ii) a middle portion 200. The middle portion 200 includes (i) two fusion segments 220, 251a - 251b having the same general characteristics 250a, and (ii) one non - fusion segment 520 having general characteristics 250b related to the individual conductors 90 within its specific arrangement included within that segment 520. This exemplary configuration of the fusion segments 220 and non - fusion segment 520 included within non - engineering bus bar model 68b enables bus bar 100 to achieve the in - plane bends 750 shown in relation to model 68b and allows the non - bending range 252 to bend, expand, contract, absorb vibration, or move as required by bus bar 100 during the operation of the customer's application, product, component, or device shown in FIG. 5. This provides a significant advantage over conventional bus bars 10, 20 as described above.

[0137] In another example, the designer can choose to utilize the bus bar design 254 shown in FIG. 14A and labeled as Design 2 to construct the bus bar 100 shown in the non-engineering bus bar model 68a. This is because the middle portion 200 of the non-engineering bus bar model 68a can have (i) two similar in-plane bends 750, i.e., both 253a - 253b, which are these fused segments 220, can have the same first set of general characteristics 254a, and (ii) two similar out-of-plane bends 760, i.e., both 253c - 253d, which are these fused segments 220, can have the same second set of general characteristics 254b. However, as shown by FIG. 14A and the labeled Design 2, the first set of general characteristics 254a is different from the second set of general characteristics 254b. The reason these first and second sets of general characteristics 254a and 254b are different is because the bends are different. For example, due to the fact that the in-plane bend 750 applies a greater force to the conductor 90 compared to the force applied to the conductor 90 by the out-of-plane bend 760, the welds included within the first set of general characteristics 254a will need to be performed more frequently than the welds included within the second set of general characteristics 254b. Additionally, the non-engineering bus bar model 68a has a non-bending range 256 positioned between 253a, which is the innermost fused segment 220. The designer can choose to use the non-fused segment 520 for this non-bending range 256 of the bus bar 100.

[0138] Accordingly, the above exemplary layout for the non-engineering bus bar model 68a will include (i) two end portions 700, 702a, 702b, and (ii) an intermediate portion 200. The intermediate portion 200 includes (i) two fused segments 220, 253a - 253b, each segment having a first set 254a of general characteristics, (ii) two fused segments 220, 253c - 253d, each segment having a second set 254b of general characteristics, and (iii) one non-fused segment 520 having a general characteristic 254c associated with individual conductors 90 of a particular arrangement, which is included within that segment 520. This exemplary configuration of the fused segments 220 and non-fused segment 520 included within the non-engineering bus bar model 68a enables the bus bar 100 to achieve the in-plane bending 750 shown in relation to model 68a, and allows the non-bending range 256 to bend, expand, contract, absorb vibration, or move as required by the bus bar 100 during the operation of the customer's application, product, component, or device shown in FIG. 5. This provides a significant advantage over conventional bus bars 10, 20 as described above.

[0139] Alternatively, the designer can choose to utilize the bus bar design 258 shown in FIGS. 14A and labeled design 3 to construct the bus bar 100 as shown in the non-engineering bus bar model 68a. This is because the intermediate portion 200 of the non-engineering bus bar model 68a can have (i) four bends, i.e., these fusion segments 220, 259a - 259d, which can have a first set 258a of general characteristics, and (ii) three regions positioned between these bends that can account for the forces radiating from the four bends, i.e., these fusion segments 220, 259e - 259j, which can have a second set 258b of general characteristics. As shown in FIGS. 14A and labeled design 2, the first set 258a of general characteristics is different from the second set 258b of general characteristics. Since the forces experienced by these regions are different, these first and second sets 258a, 258b of general characteristics are different. Additionally, the non-engineering bus bar model 68a has a non-bending region 260 positioned between 259b, which is the innermost fusion segment 220. The designer can choose to use the non-fusion segment 520 for this non-bending region 256 of the bus bar 100. Thus, the above exemplary layout for the non-engineering bus bar model 68a will include (i) two end portions 720a, 702b, and (ii) an intermediate portion 200. The intermediate portion 200 includes (i) four fusion segments 220, 259a - 259d, each segment having a first set 258a of general characteristics, (ii) three fusion segments 220, 259e - 259j, each segment having a second set 258b of general characteristics, and (iii) one non-fusion segment 520 having a general characteristic 258c associated with the individual conductors 90 in a specific arrangement included within that segment 520.

[0140] In a second alternative, the designer can choose to utilize the bus bar design 262 shown in FIGS. 14B and labeled Design 4 to construct the bus bar 100 shown in the non-engineering bus bar model 68a. This is because the intermediate portion 200 of the non-engineering bus bar model 68a includes four bends, and as a result, these fusion segments 220, 263 can have a first set 262a of general characteristics. Additionally, the non-engineering bus bar model 68a has non-bending ranges 264a-264e that surround the fusion segments 220, 263 that are a second set 262b of general characteristics. The designer can choose to use the non-fusion segments 520 for these non-bending ranges 264a-264e of the bus bar 100. Thus, the above exemplary layout for the non-engineering bus bar model 68a will include (i) two end portions 702a, 702b, and (ii) an intermediate portion 200. The intermediate portion 200 includes (i) four fusion segments 220, 264a where each segment has a first set 258a of general characteristics, and (ii) five non-fusion segments 520 that have general characteristics 264c associated with the individual conductors 90 in their particular arrangement, which are included within that segment 520.

[0141] In a third alternative, the designer can choose to utilize the busbar design 250 shown in FIGS. 14A and labeled Design 1 to construct the busbar 100 shown in the non-engineering busbar model 68a. In this alternative, the designer may utilize the welding frequency required for in-plane bending 750 for all four bending regions. This can be beneficial as there may be no difference in manufacturing time as the general characteristics are varied for each type of bend. Finally, the busbar layouts 266, 270, and 274 may include a plurality of fused segments 220 and a plurality of non-fused segments 520. Specifically, the busbar design 266 may be used to fabricate the busbar 3000 shown in FIG. 79. The busbar design 270 may be used to fabricate the busbar 5000 shown in FIG. 80 while the busbar design 274 may be used to fabricate the busbar 7000 shown in FIG. 81. Overall, it should be understood that the intermediate portion 200 may include any number (e.g., 0 to 1000) of fused regions 220 and any number (e.g., 0 to 1000) of non-fused regions 520. For example, the intermediate portion 200 may include only a single fused region 220.

[0142] Returning to FIG. 6, when the fusion segment 220 of the middle portion 200 of the bus bar 100 is identified in step 110, next, in step 114, the bus bar designer can select a method for fusing the identified segments 220 within the middle portion 200 and the end portion 700. Examples of fusion methods that can be selected are shown in FIG. 15. In particular, these fusion methods include (i) laser welding 800, (ii) resistance welding 900, (iii) cold forming 910, (iv) arc welding 920, (v) electron beam welding 930, (vi) orbital welding 940, (vii) ultrasonic welding 950, (viii) friction welding 960, (ix) any combination 970 of the above methods, or (x) other known methods of fusing metal 980. In making this selection, the designer can consider (i) the configuration of the conductor 90, (ii) the number of conductors 90, (iii) the density of the conductors 90, (iv) the thickness of the conductors 90, (v) the material properties of the conductors 90, (vi) the general properties of the fusion segment 220, (vii) the number of fusion segments 220 (viii) the frequency of the fusion segments 220, (ix) commercial throughput requirements, (x) the width of the bus bar, (xi) other customer specifications, and (xii) some or all of other factors that are obvious to those skilled in the art based on the above list of factors.

[0143] When the designer selects laser welding 800, the designer can select (i) the laser type 802, (ii) the laser power 804, (iii) the laser beam shape 806, (iv) the laser path 808, and / or (v) other factors 810. The laser type 802 can be any type of laser designed to solidify, weld, or cut metal. For example, the laser type 802 that can be used is a fiber-based laser having a wavelength of 688 nm to 1080 nm. The laser power 804 can be any power configured to weld the bus bar 100 in a desired manner. For example, the laser power 804 can be 0.5 to 25 kW, preferably 1 to 6 kW, and most preferably 2 to 5 kW. The laser beam shape 806 can also take any desired shape, including only the central core 820 (shown in FIG. 16A), a ring 822 surrounding the central core 820 (shown in FIGS. 16B to 16D), the central core, and two adjacent cores, these adjacent cores positioned in front of the central core when using the laser, or other similar configurations. Not only is the general shape of the laser beam controlled, but the power and size associated with each of these features can also be controlled. Examples of how these power levels can be changed are shown in FIGS. 16B to 16D. Specifically, FIG. 16B shows a beam shape 806 in which the central core 820 is set to a first power level and the ring 822 is set to a second power level lower than the first power level. Theoretically, the central core power can vary between 0.5 to 12 kW, preferably 1 to 5 kW, and most preferably 2 to 4 kW, while the ring power can vary between 0.5 to 15 kW, preferably 1 to 4 kW, and most preferably 1 to 2.5 kW. Additionally, the diameter of the central core 820 and the diameter of the ring can be changed. For example, these diameters vary from 50 to 600 μm.

[0144] After selecting the laser type 802, laser power 804, and laser beam shape 806, the designer can select the laser path 808. Exemplary laser paths 808 are shown in FIGS. 16E - 16H. It should be understood that these laser paths 808 are not the overall paths that the laser will follow on the bus bar 100. Instead, these laser paths 808 are components of the overall path that the laser will follow. For example, the laser may oscillate in a circular path 832 while following a sine pattern on top of the bus bar 100. Alternatively, the laser may oscillate within the circular path 832 while following a linear edge of the bus bar 100. As shown in FIGS. 16F - 16G, it may follow a shape other than a circle, such as a straight line 834, figure - eight 836, or infinity symbol 838. Finally, the designer can select other variables such as processing time, cool - down time, and the like.

[0145] Instead of performing a laser - based fusion process, the designer can choose to proceed to a resistance spot welding fusion process 900. Here, the designer will select (i) the fabrication mode 902, (ii) the power level applied to the electrodes 904, (iii) the roller type 906 if a mass - production mode is selected in 902, and (iv) other variables 908. This process will be discussed in more detail below in relation to FIGS. 73 - 78. It should be understood that the designer can choose to use any one of the above - mentioned fusion methods in connection with applying an external pressure to the conductor 90 to maintain the proper placement of the conductor 90 while the conductor 90 is undergoing this fusion process.

[0146] It should also be understood that different welding methods can be utilized in connection with different portions, segments, regions of the bus bar 100. For example, the end portion 700 can be formed using a resistance welding method 900, while the intermediate portion 200 can be formed using a laser welding method 800. In a further alternative embodiment, the fused segment 220 can be fabricated using a process of depositing material around the conductor 90 within the bus bar 100. For example, this may be done using a 3D printer or by sliding a material sleeve over the conductor 90 to form this fused region 220. Once the welding methods for the identified segments within the intermediate portion 200 and the end portion 700 of step 114 are selected, the designer proceeds to determine the composite pattern of the identified fused segments 220 within the intermediate portion 200 of the bus bar 100.

[0147] Returning to FIG. 6, when a fusion method is selected at step 114, the bus bar designer can determine the composite pattern of the identified fusion segments 220 within the intermediate portion 200 of the bus bar 100 at step 118. Since the general characteristics of each fusion segment 220 have already been identified in connection with step 110, step 118 focuses on converting these general characteristics (e.g., 250a, 254a, 258a) into manufacturable characteristics. The designer analyzes these general characteristics (e.g., 250a, 254a, 258a), characteristics related to the selected fusion process, and other related characteristics to determine the composite pattern of the identified fusion segments 220. This composite pattern, or specifically, the composite pattern 300 of this segment, can be generated from two components: the upper segment fusion pattern 304, 306a - 306g and the lower segment fusion pattern 308, 310a - 310g. Forming the segment composite pattern 300 from these two components 304, 308 is typically desirable because the complete penetration of all conductors 90 can mechanically weaken the bus bar 100, and thus it is configured to only partially penetrate the conductors 90 contained within the bus bar 100. To reduce the number of fully solidified regions, the bus bar 100 is welded in a manner that does not completely penetrate all the conductors 90 contained within the bus bar 100 from the top and bottom of the bus bar 100. That is, the top and bottom welds are typically configured to be partially solidified regions. These welds are discussed in more detail in connection with FIGS. 36 - 47. Although it may be desirable to split the segment composite pattern 300 into two components, it should be understood that the segment composite pattern 300 may remain as a single component, and the fusion of the segment 220 may occur on only one side (e.g., top or bottom) of the bus bar 100.

[0148] Creating the upper and bottom segment fusion patterns 304, 306 whose combination forms the segment composite pattern 300 is a process of multiple steps described in connection with FIG. 17A. Here, the first step in this process is to select the number of waveforms 320 in step 124. The number of waveforms 320 that can be selected can be any number (for example, 0 to 100), preferably 1 to 6, and most preferably 2, which can be 330 and 340. It is desirable to use two waveforms 330, 340 because (i) the waveforms 330, 340 can be arranged to minimize the distance along the edge of the bus bar 100 that does not include the weld, and (ii) it will limit the area that overlaps with the bottom fusion pattern 306. After selecting the number of waveforms 320 in step 124, the designer can select the type of waveform 320 in step 126. Exemplary waveform types are shown in FIGS. 18A-18R. Examples of waveforms included in FIG. 18 are (i) sine wave (FIG. 18A), (ii) triangle (FIG. 18B), (iii) ramp up (FIG. 18C), (iv) ramp down (FIG. 18D), (v) square (FIG. 18E), (vi) pulsed (FIG. 18F), (vii) linear (FIG. 18G), (viii) rounded pulse (FIG. 18H), (ix) circular pulse (FIG. 18I), (x) triangular pulse (FIG. 18J), (xi) ramp pulse (FIG. 18K), (xii) sine cube (FIG. 18L), (xiii) frame (FIG. 18M), (ixv) semi-circle (FIG. 18N) (xv) and other waveforms (FIGS. 18O-18R). Since these waveforms do not include a plurality of acute angles that can introduce additional stress into the bus bar 100 when operated, it may be desirable to use a waveform 320 that includes a curved shape. Nevertheless, if the designer takes sufficient precautions (such as using only in segments that will undergo out-of-plane bending 760, etc.), waveforms with acute angles may be used. Additionally, it should be understood that the waveform types shown in FIG. 18 are only exemplary waveform types and other types may be used.

[0149] When the designer selects the waveform type at step 126, the designer then selects the amplitude of waveform 320 at step 128 and the frequency of waveform 320 at step 130. Although any amplitude can be selected at step 128, it may be desirable to select an amplitude of waveform 320 such that the peak of the waveform can approach the edge of bus bar 100 but not extend beyond the edge of bus bar 100. This may be desirable when the designer is using the laser welding and fusing process 800 to reduce weld spatter and then reduce the number of sharp edges incorporated within bus bar 100. Similarly, although any frequency can be selected at step 130, it should be understood that the frequency of waveform 320 is one of the main factors that changes the characteristics of bus bar 100. Therefore, the frequency of waveform 320 should be selected such that the upper segment fusion pattern 304 meets a portion of the general characteristic requirements (e.g., 250a, 254a, 258a), thereby causing the fusion region to meet the requirements related to bending, and thereby causing bus bar 100 to meet at least a portion of the customer specifications 50 received in step 52. When this process is completed for the upper segment fusion pattern 304, the designer can then perform the same steps to create the bottom fusion pattern 308. In particular, the designer will (i) select the number of waveforms at step 134, (ii) select the type of waveform at step 136, (iii) select the amplitude at step 138, and (iv) select the frequency at step 140.

[0150] Finally, after the fusion patterns 304, 308 of both the upper and bottom segments are created, the designer can align these patterns 304, 308 on the bus bar 100 to form 302a - 302g, which is the composite pattern 300 of the segments, in step 142. In particular, their alignment or intersection will create a fully solidified region, and it may be desirable to align the patterns 304, 308 in a manner that minimizes the overlap between the patterns 304, 308. For example, the designer can offset the patterns 304, 308 by 90 degrees to minimize this overlap. Other ways to minimize the number of fully solidified regions include: (i) stopping and starting the waveform 320 to avoid creating overlapping areas; (ii) reducing the number of conductors 90 that are fused within these overlapping / intersecting regions / points by the selected fusion process; or (iii) selecting different waveform types that minimize the number of overlapping areas (see Figure 21B).

[0151] In summary, the composite segment fusion pattern 300, which is 302a - 302g, includes the upper segment fusion pattern 304, which is 306a - 306g, and the bottom segment fusion pattern 308, which is 310a - 310g. The upper segment fusion pattern 304 and the bottom segment fusion pattern 308 comprise at least one waveform 320 having an amplitude and a frequency. In an alternative embodiment, the upper segment fusion pattern 304 or the bottom segment fusion pattern 308 may be omitted, and it should be understood that the upper or bottom segment fusion pattern may include only a single waveform and / or the waveform may be a straight line (i.e., having zero amplitude).

[0152] As described above, when determining the general characteristics (e.g., 250a, 254a, 258a) of each of the fusion segments 220 in step 110, a number of factors are considered, which in turn means that a number of factors are considered when generating the segment composite pattern 300. Considering these numerous factors, it should be understood that the bending shape can be one of the main factors in determining the waveform type, amplitude, and frequency. This is because significantly different forces are applied to the conductor 90 included in the bus bar 100 in relation to in-plane bending 750 compared to out-of-plane bending 760. Also, as described above, the frequency of the waveform 320 is one of the main factors that changes the characteristics of the bus bar 100 within the fusion segment 220. Considering these specific factors, it can be seen that the frequency of the waveforms included in the segment composite patterns 302b, 302c increases between FIGS. 20A and 20B. This increase in frequency takes into account the fact that FIG. 20A is designed for out-of-plane bending 760, while FIG. 20B is designed for in-plane bending 750. Another main factor that changes the characteristics of the bus bar 100 within the fusion segment 220 is the width of the bus bar 100. Considering this factor and other factors, it can be seen that the frequency of the waveforms included in the segment composite patterns 302d, 302e increases between FIGS. 20C and 20D. This increase in frequency is for considering the fact that FIG. 20C is designed for a bus bar having a first width, and FIG. 20D is designed for a bus bar having a second width greater than the first width.

[0153] It should be understood that the number, type, amplitude, and frequency of the waveforms included therein may (i) be consistent throughout the entire fusion segment 220 or (ii) not be consistent throughout the entire fusion segment 220. For example, the frequency of the waveform 320 can vary within a single fusion segment 220. Examples of segment composite patterns 302f, 302g that include waveforms with varying frequencies are shown in FIGS. 21A-21B. In particular, the waveforms included within these segment composite patterns 300 of the fusion segment 220 increase their frequency as they approach the center of the fusion segment 220. This configuration may be desirable when the center of the fusion segment 220 is at the center of the bend of the bus bar 100, as it provides additional rigidity to the bus bar 100 in this region, and thus reduces the probability of delamination of the conductor 90 included within the bus bar 100. Additionally, it should be understood that the designer may change other variables to achieve the desired characteristics of the bus bar 100. Examples include, but are not limited to, (i) the widths of each of the waveforms 330, 340, 350, 360 may be the same, different, or vary across the fusion segment 220, and (ii) the number of conductors 90 solidified by each waveform 330, 340, 350, 360 may be the same, different, or vary across the fusion segment 220.

[0154] Similar to the process described above in connection with determining the composite pattern of the identified fusion segment 220 in step 118, the busbar designer can determine the composite pattern of the end portion 700 of the busbar 100 in step 150. Specifically, the end composite pattern 400 can be determined based on the connector by which the designer plans to attach to the busbar 100. For example, the first end composite pattern 400a can be used in connection with an end portion 700 designed to receive the connector 2000, and the second end composite pattern 402b can be used for an end portion 700 designed to receive an opening formed therethrough. After selecting the desired characteristics, the designer can follow the same steps described above in connection with determining the composite pattern of the segment 300. Specifically, the upper fusion pattern 404 is determined in step 154 by (i) selecting the number of waveforms in step 156, (ii) selecting the type of waveform in step 158, (iii) selecting the amplitude of the waveform in step 160, and (iv) selecting the frequency of the waveform in step 162. Next, the bottom fusion pattern 410 is determined in step 164 by (i) selecting the number of waveforms in step 166, (ii) selecting the type of waveform in step 168, (iii) selecting the amplitude of the waveform in step 170, and (iv) selecting the frequency of the waveform in step 172. Finally, in step 174, the upper fusion pattern 404 and the bottom fusion pattern 410 are arranged in step 174 to minimize the overlap between the upper fusion pattern 404 and the bottom fusion pattern 410. As shown in FIGS. 22A - 22E, the end composite pattern 400 can take the form of (i) an overlapping rectangle 402a as shown in FIG. 22C, (ii) a spiral rectangle 402b as shown in FIG. 22B, or (iii) a spiral circle 402c as shown in FIG. 22C. It should be understood that a spiral circle 402 or rectangle 404 may be desirable since there is no overlap between the end fusion patterns 404, 410.

[0155] When the composite pattern 300 of segments and the end composite pattern 400 are determined, the designer can replace the general characteristics (e.g., 250a, 254a, 258a) with these composite patterns 300, 400. An example of this replacement is shown in relation to FIGS. 23A - 23B. Specifically, the general characteristics determined in relation to the exemplary 250, 254, 258, 262 of the bus bar model 100 in FIGS. 14A - 14B are replaced by the composite patterns 300, 400 that satisfy these general characteristics in FIGS. 23A - 23B. Focusing first on FIG. 23A and Design 1 labeled (along the right side of the figure), the middle portion 200 includes (i) two fused segments 220, 251a - 251b, and (ii) one non - fused segment 520, 252. The general characteristic 250a of the fused segments 220, 251a - 251b is replaced by the composite pattern 452a - 452b of segments, and each pattern 452a - 452b includes an upper fusion pattern 453 shown by a solid line and a bottom fusion pattern 454 shown by a dashed line. The upper fusion pattern 453 and the bottom fusion pattern 454 are composed of two waveforms 320, each waveform 320 having a waveform type that is a sine wave, having an amplitude shorter than the width of the bus bar 100, having a consistent frequency, and being offset by 180 degrees from the other waveform 320. The upper fusion pattern 453 and the bottom fusion pattern 454 are offset from each other by 90 degrees to minimize their overlap. As described above, the non - fused segment 520, 252 located between the fused segments 251a - 251b maintains the same characteristic 250b described above in relation to FIG. 14A and Design 1 because this range of the bus bar 100 is not changed by the fusion process. Finally, the end portions 700, 702a, 702b are changed to include the end composite patterns 456a - 456b, and each pattern 456a - 456b includes an upper fusion pattern 457 shown by a solid line and a bottom fusion pattern 458 shown by a dashed line. The upper fusion pattern 457 and the bottom fusion pattern 458 are composed of concentric rectangles offset from each other to minimize their overlap.

[0156] Next, focusing on FIG. 23A and the labeled Design 2, the intermediate portion 200 includes (i) four fusion segments 220, 253a to 253d, and (ii) one non-fusion segment 520, 256. The general characteristics 254a of the first two fusion segments 220, 253a to 253b are replaced by the composite patterns 462a to 462b of the segments, and each pattern 262a to 462b includes an upper fusion pattern 463a shown by a solid line and a lower fusion pattern 464a shown by a broken line. The upper fusion pattern 463a and the lower fusion pattern 464a are composed of two waveforms 320, each waveform 320 having a waveform type that is a sine wave, having an amplitude shorter than the width of the bus bar 100, having a consistent frequency, and being offset by 180 degrees from other waveforms. The upper fusion pattern 463a and the lower fusion pattern 464a are offset from each other by 90 degrees each to minimize their overlap. The general characteristics 254b of the second two fusion segments 220, 253c to 253d are replaced by the composite patterns 462c to 462d of the segments, and each pattern 262c to 462d includes an upper fusion pattern 463b shown by a solid line and a lower fusion pattern 464b shown by a broken line. The upper fusion pattern 463b and the lower fusion pattern 464b are composed of two waveforms 320, each waveform 320 having a waveform type that is a sine wave, having an amplitude shorter than the width of the bus bar 100, having a consistent frequency, and being offset by 180 degrees from other waveforms. The upper fusion pattern 463b and the lower fusion pattern 464b are offset from each other by 90 degrees each to minimize their overlap.

[0157] As shown in FIGS. 23A and the labeled Design 2, the waveforms included within segment composite patterns 462c - 462d have a lower frequency than the waveforms included within segment composite patterns 462a - 462b. By selecting this lower frequency, segments 253c, 253d are configured to undergo out - of - plane bending 760, and segments 253a, 253b are configured to undergo in - plane bending 750. As described above, 256, which is the non - fused segment 520 positioned between fused segments 253a, maintains the same characteristic 254c described above in relation to FIG. 14A and the labeled Design 2 because this range of the bus bar 100 is not altered by the fusing process. The end portions 700, 702a, 702b are modified to include end composite patterns 466a - 466b, and each pattern 466a - 466b includes an upper fusing pattern 467 shown as a solid line and a bottom fusing pattern 468 shown as a dashed line. The upper fusing pattern 467 and the bottom fusing pattern 468 are composed of concentric rectangles offset from each other to minimize their overlap.

[0158] Next, focusing on FIG. 23B and the labeled Design 3, the intermediate portion 200 includes (i) ten fused segments 220, 259a - 259j, and (ii) one unfused segment 520, 260. The general characteristics 254a of four of the fused segments 220, 259a - 259d are replaced by the composite patterns 472a - 472d of the segments, and each pattern 272a - 472d includes an upper fusion pattern 473a shown by a solid line and a lower fusion pattern 474a shown by a dashed line. The upper fusion pattern 473a and the lower fusion pattern 474a are composed of two waveforms 320, each waveform 320 having a waveform type that is a sine wave, having an amplitude shorter than the width of the bus bar 100, having a consistent frequency, and being offset by 180 degrees from the other waveform 320. The upper fusion pattern 473a and the lower fusion pattern 474a are offset from each other by 90 degrees each to minimize their overlap. The general characteristics 254b of the other six fused segments 220, 259e - 259j are replaced by the composite patterns 472e - 472j of the segments, and each pattern 272e - 274j includes an upper fusion pattern 473b shown by a solid line and a lower fusion pattern 474b shown by a dashed line. The upper fusion pattern 473b and the lower fusion pattern 474b are composed of two waveforms 320, each waveform 320 having a waveform type that is a sine wave, having an amplitude shorter than the width of the bus bar 100, having a consistent frequency, and being offset by 180 degrees from the other waveform 320. The upper fusion pattern 473b and the lower fusion pattern 474b are offset from each other by 90 degrees each to minimize their overlap.

[0159] As shown in FIGS. 23B and the labeled Design 3, the waveforms included within the segment composite patterns 472c - 472d have a higher frequency than the waveforms included within the segment composite patterns 472e - 472j. This higher frequency is selected because segments 259a - 259d are configured to undergo in - plane bending 750, while segments 259e - 472j are configured to account for the forces radiating from the four in - plane bendings 750 of segments 259a - 259d. As described above, 260, which is the non - fused segment 520 positioned between the fused segments 259e and 259h, maintains the same characteristic 258c as described above in relation to FIG. 14A and the labeled Design 3 because this range of the bus bar 100 is not altered by the fusion process. The end portions 700, 702a, 702b are modified to include the end - portion composite patterns 476a - 476b, and each pattern 476a - 476b includes an upper fusion pattern 477 shown by a solid line and a lower fusion pattern 478 shown by a dashed line. The upper fusion pattern 477 and the lower fusion pattern 478 are composed of concentric rectangles offset from each other to minimize their overlap.

[0160] Next, focusing on FIG. 23B and the labeled Design 4, the intermediate portion 200 includes (i) four fused segments 220, 263a - 263d, and (ii) five non - fused segments 520, 264a - 264e. Four general characteristics 262a of the four fused segments 220, 263a - 263d are replaced by the composite patterns 482a - 487d of the segments, and each pattern 282a - 482d includes an upper fusion pattern 483a shown by a solid line and a lower fusion pattern 484a shown by a dashed line. The upper fusion pattern 483a and the lower fusion pattern 484a are composed of two waveforms 320. Each waveform 320 has a waveform type that is a sine wave, has an amplitude shorter than the width of the bus bar 100, has a consistent frequency, and is offset by 180 degrees from the other waveform 320. The upper fusion pattern 483a and the lower fusion pattern 484a are offset by 90 degrees from each other to minimize their overlap. As described above, the non - fused segments 520, 264a - 264e located between the fused segments 263a - 263d maintain the same characteristics 264c described above in relation to FIG. 14B and the labeled Design 4 because this range of the bus bar 100 is not changed by the fusion process. The end portions 700, 702a, 702b are modified to include end composite patterns 486a - 486b, and each pattern 486a - 486b includes an upper fusion pattern 487 shown by a solid line and a lower fusion pattern 488 shown by a dashed line. The upper fusion pattern 487 and the lower fusion pattern 488 are composed of concentric rectangles offset from each other to minimize their overlap.

[0161] Once the engineering model 100 is created, the designer can digitally test these models 100 (e.g., 450 in FIG. 23A) to determine whether the bus bar manufactured based on the model 100 meets the customer specifications 50. Here, the model 100 is bent using a digital bending machine 179, and the electrical characteristics of the model 100 are tested using a voltage test system 181. Such tests can be realized using the finite element (FE) of the bus bar model 100. If the bus bar model 100 passes these tests, the designer can proceed to the next step of the process. However, if the bus bar model 100 fails these tests 179, 181, the designer can start the design process over from the beginning. B. Fabrication of the Bus Bar of the Present Invention

[0162] Returning to FIG. 4, when the engineering model 100 passes the digital test defined in step 180, the designer can start the fabrication process in step 182. This fabrication process 182 is a multi-step process described in more detail in FIG. 25. Generally speaking, this process 182 includes (i) obtaining a plurality of conductors 1090, (ii) fusing the identified segments 1220 within the intermediate portion 1200 according to the engineering model 100 in step 184, (iii) fusing the end portions 1700 of the bus bar 1000 according to the engineering model 100 in step 186, (iv) adding the selected edge details to the bus bar 1000 in step 188, and (v) performing optional fabrication steps such as adding connectors in step 190, insulating the bus bar 1000 in step 192, and / or plating the bus bar 1000 in step 194.

[0163] As shown in FIG. 25, the first step in this plurality of step process 182 is to obtain a plurality of conductors 1090 and then, in step 184, fuse the identified segments 1220 within the intermediate portion 1200 in accordance with the engineering model 100. To perform this step 184, the busbar designer / manufacturer utilizes a machine 798 that can obtain the conductors 1090 and then perform the fusing method selected when creating the engineering model 100. For example, if the designer determines to use the laser welding fusing method, the designer utilizes a laser welder 850 shown at least in FIGS. 26-28, 48A, 49A, 52-53. As shown in these figures, the laser welder 850 includes two separate lasers 852, 854 that can simultaneously weld the busbar from the top and bottom of the busbar 1000. The two separate lasers 852, 854 are preferably aligned in the plane of the water surface. It should be understood that the laser welder 850 may have other configurations including (i) only one laser 852 that can interact with only one side of the busbar 1000 at a time, (ii) a laser that is only one laser 852 but is the light output from a laser that has been modified using light and mirrors so that the laser can interact with both sides of the busbar 1000 simultaneously, or (iii) two lasers 852, 854 that are not aligned.

[0164] As shown in FIG. 26, after the designer obtains or has access to the laser welder 850, the designer (i) inserts the conductor 90 arranged according to the engineering model 100 into the machine, and (ii) loads the engineering model 100. Then, the laser welder 850 executes the welding process described in the engineering model 100. For example, FIG. 26 shows a laser welder 850 that creates a weld 1600 based on the upper fusion pattern 452a shown in FIGS. 23A and the labeled design 1. After the laser welder 850 executes the welding process in step 186, the machine 850 executes the fusion of the end portion 1700 of the bus bar 1000 according to the engineering model 100 in step 186. In particular, this step can be seen in relation to FIG. 27, where the end portion 1700 of the bus bar 1000 is welded to 1600 according to the upper fusion pattern 456a shown in FIGS. 23A and the labeled design 1. When creating this fusion segment 1220, the designer / manufacturer makes at least this segment 1220 of the bus bar more rigid or stiffer than the segment 1220 before this welding process 1600 is executed.

[0165] In connection with steps 186 and 187, after the upper and lower surfaces of the bus bar 1000 have undergone a welding process, edge details are added to the bus bar 1000 in step 188. In the example shown in FIG. 28, the edge detail selected for this example is the edge welding process 106 of FIGS. 12C - 12D. This edge detail may have been selected during the design phase because (i) it helps to fuse the edge portion of the bus bar 1000 that typically experiences large stresses when the bus bar 1000 is bent, and (ii) it helps to ensure that any material pushed against the edge of the bus bar 1000 during the upper and bottom welding processes is rounded, thereby preventing sharp edges that could cause the bus bar 1000 to create holes in the insulator. Specifically, FIG. 28 shows a welding machine 850 including a laser 852 that can create welds 1600 on the edge or side of the bus bar 1000. These welds 1600 follow on the previously selected circular pattern (FIG. 16E). It should be understood that this step may be omitted from the process or the welding pattern may be changed to a different pattern (e.g., increasing the laser intensity at the edge portion and decreasing the laser in the central portion of the bus bar 1000). It should also be understood that the depth of the welds on the edge or side may vary within the bus bar 1000 or may vary for a particular application.

[0166] Manufacturing steps 184, 186, 188 lead to the formation of the busbar 1000 shown in FIGS. 29 - 35 based on the engineering model 100 shown in FIG. 23A and the labeled design 1. The busbar 1000 is an exemplary embodiment of the busbar of the present invention, and other embodiments are disclosed within this application, and it should be understood that this is contemplated by this disclosure. FIGS. 29 - 35 show that the busbar 1000 includes (i) an intermediate portion 1200 and (ii) two end portions 1700. Referring to FIG. 29, the intermediate portion 1200 extends between end boundary lines 1200a, 1200b, while the end portions 1700 extend outwardly from the end boundary lines 1200a, 1200b. The intermediate portion includes (i) two fused segments 1220 and (ii) one unfused segment 1520. Also, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 29, the fused segments 1220 extend between the end boundary lines 1200a, 1200b and the intermediate boundary lines 1220a, 1220b. The unfused segment 1520 is not welded and thus encompasses an unfixed region 1670. Thus, the extent of the individual conductors 1090 is visualized within FIGS. 29 - 35. The fused segments 1220 are created from welds 1600 generated based on the upper fusion pattern 453 and the bottom fusion pattern 454 of the segment composite fusion pattern 452a shown in FIG. 23A and the labeled design 1.

[0167] The welded parts 1600, 1602 included within the fusion segment 1220 include four waveforms 1610, 1612, 1614, 1616. Two waveforms 1610, 1612 are disposed on the upper surface 1000a of the bus bar 1000, and two waveforms 1614, 1616 are disposed on the bottom surface 1000b of the bus bar 1000. Each of the four waveforms 1610, 1612, 1614, 1616 is a sine wave having an amplitude smaller than the width of the bus bar 1000 and a consistent frequency throughout the fusion segment 1220. The upper sine waves 1610, 1612 are arranged such that their phases are offset by 180 degrees from each other. The upper sine waves 1614, 1616 are arranged such that their phases are offset by 180 degrees from each other. Additionally, the combination of the upper sine waves 1610, 1612 is offset in phase by 90 degrees from the combination of the bottom sine waves 1614, 1616. Additionally, the side surfaces or edges of the bus bar 1000 also include the welded parts 1600, 1606 based on the selected edge details 106. Further, the end portion 700 is created from the welded part 1600 generated based on the upper fusion pattern 457 and the bottom fusion pattern 458 of the end composite fusion pattern 456a shown in FIG. 23A and the labeled design 1. Here, the upper fusion pattern 457 and the bottom fusion pattern 458 include concentric rectangles.

[0168] Figures 37 to 39 show cross-sectional views of the bus bar 1000 shown in FIG. 37, where the upper surface 1000a of the bus bar 100 includes welding portions 1600, 1602, and 1604. When this bus bar 1000 is sectioned along the longitudinal center line 37-37, (i) the welding portion 1602 creates a partially solidified region 1650 within the fusion segment 1220 of the intermediate portion 1200 of the bus bar 1000, (ii) the welding portion 1604 creates a densified end portion 1700, and (iii) it can be seen that the area not subjected to the welding process remains unsolidified 1670. Since the welding process combines not all but a part of the conductors 1090 included within the partially solidified zone 1660 into a single connected conductor, the partially solidified region 1650 is formed within the fusion segment 220 of the intermediate portion 200. Referring to FIG. 39, the partially solidified region 1650 extends from the first surface 1000a of the bus bar 1000 to the peak 1656 of the welding portion 1600. The welding peak 1656 is positioned between the first surface 1000a and the second surface 1000b of the bus bar 1000 and preferably at a point significantly inside from the first surface 1000a and the second surface 1000b. The partially solidified zone is the zone 1660 of the bus bar 1000 that extends between the upper surface 1000a and the bottom surface 1000b that has undergone a partial penetration welding process. The partially solidified zone 1660 has a height that extends between the first surface 1000a and the second surface 1000b. In other words, the partially solidified zone 1660 has a height equal to the height H F of the fusion segment and is greater than the partially solidified height H P . The partially solidified zone 1660 has a width Z W equal to at least the diameter or cross-sectional width of the partially solidified region 1650.

[0169] The welding portion 1600 has a welding depth D W that extends from the first surface 1000a to the welding peak 1656. The welding depth D W in the partially solidified region 1650 has a partially solidified height H P . The partially solidified height H P is lower than the height of the total fusion segment or the thickness H F of the bus bar 1000. The partially solidified height H Pis lower than the height H of the fused segment F so that an uncured region 1670 is formed between the welding peak 1656 and the second surface 1000b of the bus bar 1000. This uncured region 1670 has an uncured height H U which extends between the second surface 1000b and the peak 1656 of the weld 1600. The uncured height H U is typically at least 10% of the height H of the fused segment F and preferably 20% - 60% of the height H of the fused segment F On the other hand, the partially cured height H P is equal to at least 10% of the height H of the fused segment F preferably 35% - 80% of the height H of the fused segment F and most preferably 45% - 70% of the height H of the fused segment F .

[0170] In this exemplary embodiment, the partially cured region 1650 may be created by curing 2 - 9 conductors 1090. Here, FIG. 39 shows that in the partially cured region 1650, about 7 out of 10 conductors 1090 are cured. In other words, not all of the conductors 1090, about 3, are uncured, so these conductors 1090 will be present in the uncured region 1670. Another way of putting it is that the middle portion 1200 of the bus bar 1000 includes a plurality of conductors 1090 that cross or traverse the middle portion 1200 of the bus bar 1200. The fused segment 1220 of the middle portion 1200 includes a partially cured zone 1660 that extends between the uppermost surface 1000a of the plurality of conductors and the lowermost surface 1000b of the plurality of conductors. Most of the range of the conductors 1090 included within this partially cured zone 1660 is cured into a single connected conductor to form the partially cured region 1650. Similarly, a small portion of the range of the conductors 1090 included within this partially cured zone 1660 remains uncured.

[0171] As best shown in FIG. 39, the partially solidified region 1650 includes various fusion densities, with a first or inner zone 1652 having a first fusion density and a second or outer zone 1654 having a second fusion density that is lower than the first fusion density. The difference in density results from the configuration and operation conduction of the laser welder 850, with the laser beam losing intensity as it penetrates through the bus bar 1000. The low density zone 1654 is created at a specific distance beyond the center of the weld 1600 or the higher density zone 1652. It should be understood that this second zone 1654 can have a fusion density gradient that has a higher fusion density closest to the first zone 1652 and a lowest fusion density farthest from the first zone 1652. Also, it should be understood that the fusion density may be consistent or substantially consistent within this first zone 1652. Additional aspects of the partially solidified region 1650 and the non-solidified region 1670 are presented in the Definitions section at the beginning of the detailed description.

[0172] In a first non-limiting example, for a bus bar 1000 including ten copper conductors 1090 having a height or thickness H equal to 0.01 inches or 0.254 mm C the settings that can be used in connection with the laser welder 850 are: (i) the type of laser is a fiber laser, (ii) the output of the laser is 2000 W, (iii) the laser beam shape is a central core, (iv) there is no laser path, and (v) the cycle time is set at 0.116 seconds. These settings of the machine 850 form a partially solidified region that extends in a direction towards the bus bar 1000 and has a diameter of approximately 0.24 mm at its widest point. In another example, a height H equal to 0.01 inches or 0.254 mm CRegarding the bus bar 1000 including ten copper conductors 1090 having [the relevant feature], the settings that can be used in connection with the machine 850 are: (i) the type of laser is a fiber laser; (ii) the output of the laser is 5000 W; (iii) the laser beam shape is a central core with a ring, the core has a power of 1500 W, and the ring has a power of 3500 W; (iv) there is no laser path; (v) the cycle time is set at 0.079 seconds. These settings of the machine 850 extend in the direction towards the bus bar 1000 by about 77% and form a partially solidified region 1650 having a diameter of about 0.732 mm at its widest point. In another example, the height H equal to 0.01 inch or 0.254 mm C Regarding the bus bar 1000 including ten copper conductors 1090 having [the relevant feature], the settings that can be used in connection with the machine 850 are: (i) the type of laser is a fiber laser; (ii) the output of the laser is 5000 W; (iii) the laser beam shape is a central core with a ring, the core has a power of 1500 W, and the ring has a power of 3500 W; (iv) there is no laser path; (v) the cycle time is set at 0.158 seconds. These settings of the machine 850 extend in the direction towards the bus bar 1000 by about 79% and form a partially solidified region having a diameter of about 0.732 mm at its widest point.

[0173] In addition to including the partially cured region 1650, the fusion segment 1220 within the intermediate portion 1200 of the bus bar 1000 includes an uncured region 1670. As shown in the figures, a majority of the volume included within the fusion segment 1220 includes the uncured region 1670. The substantial volume of 1670 ensures that the bus bar 1000 has characteristics including the attributes of the rigid bus bar 10 and the flexible bus bar 20. Since the cross-section 37-37 is along the extent of the bus bar 1000 that does not include overlapping or intersecting welds extending from both the top and bottom of the bus bar 1000, FIGS. 37-39 are to be understood as showing only the partially cured region 1650. FIG. 37 also shows a cross-section of the end portion 1700 of the bus bar 1000. Unlike the intermediate portion 1200, the end portion 1700 is intended to receive connectors, and thus these areas are desirably fully cured as a single continuous conductor. As described above, the end portion 1700 is welded in a manner such that these portions are densified (a sufficient cured surface area equal to 120% of the cross-sectional area of the bus bar 100) so that these portions can be coupled to the connectors. Referring to FIGS. 40-43, the cross-sectional plane of the bus bar 1000 is offset from the longitudinal center 1000c of the bus bar 1000 towards the peripheral edge 1000e, and is at a position where the upper weld 1602 formed from the top surface 1000a intersects the bottom weld 1602 formed from the bottom surface 1000b. These intersection positions form a fully cured region 1690 because a substantial range of the conductor 1090 cures downward from the top surface 1000a and a substantial range of the conductor 1090 cures upward from the bottom surface 1000b. Thus, these substantial ranges of the conductor 1090 intersect between the top surface 1000a and the bottom surface 1000b, typically within the midpoint region between the two surfaces 100a, 100b, forming the fully cured region 1690. The weld depth D in the fully cured region 1690 W has a fully cured height H FS . The fully cured height H FS is substantially equal to the height H of the fusion segment of the bus bar 1000 F . In a particular exemplary embodiment, the fully cured height H FSis the height H of the fusion segment when the welding material deposits on one of the two surfaces 100a, 100b to produce a "dome effect" F can be greater than. The welding depth D W is the height H of the fusion segment F Since it is below, the non-solidified region 1670 is not formed between the welded part and the second surface 1000b of the bus bar 1000. In other words, all of the intermediate range of the conductor 1090 positioned within the fully solidified zone 1688 is solidified into a single connected conductor. Additional aspects of the fully solidified region 1690 are presented in the definition section at the beginning of the detailed description. Similar to the partially solidified zone 1660, the fully solidified zone 1688 is the area of the fusion segment 1220 of the intermediate portion 1200 of the bus bar 1000, and that zone extends between the upper surface 1000a and the lower surface 1000b that have undergone a partial penetration welding process. The fully solidified zone 1688 has a height that extends between the first surface 1000a and the second surface 1000b. The fully solidified zone 1660 is equal to the height H of the fusion segment F and can also be equal to the full solidification height H FS The fully solidified zone 1688 has a width Z equal to at least the diameter or cross-sectional width of the fully solidified region 1690 W has.

[0174] Similar to the partially cured region 1650, the fully cured region 1690 includes various fusion densities, where the first or inner zone 1692 has a first fusion density and the second or outer zone 1694 has a second fusion density lower than the first fusion density. The difference in fusion density is due to the configuration and operating parameters of the machine 850, where the intensity of the laser beam is lost as it penetrates the bus bar 1000, and thus the low density zone 1694 is created at a specific distance outward from the center of the weld 1600 or beyond the more dense zone 1694. It should be understood that this second zone 1694 can have a fusion density gradient that has a higher fusion density closest to the first zone 1652 and the lowest fusion density farthest from the first zone 1692. Also, it should be understood that the fusion density may be consistent or substantially consistent within this first zone 1652. As shown in FIGS. 42 and 43, the uncured region 1670 surrounds the fully cured region 1690 such that the individual conductors 1090 of the uncured region 1670 leave separate unfused components.

[0175] FIGS. 44-45 show cross-sectional views of the bus bar 1000 along the cut plane defined by line 45-45 of FIG. 44, revealing a plurality of partially and fully cured regions. First, the middle range of FIG. 45 shows three partially cured regions 1650, where the two outer regions 1650 are formed from a bottom welding process and the middle region 1650 is formed from an upper welding process. Second, the opposing side edge [[zone]] regions 1693 are solidified by side edge welds 1606 resulting from the circular edge details 106 included in the bus bar model 100 used to create the bus bar 1000. These edge welds 1606 form a fully solidified edge region 1693 that extends inwardly from the outer or side edges 1000d, 1000e of the bus bar 1000. In particular, these fully solidified edge regions 1693 extend from the first outer edges 1000d, 1000e to the inner welding boundary 1696 and thus have a width W W where W WIt may be between 0.2 mm and 5 mm, preferably between 0.2 mm and 1 mm. In addition to solidifying the edges 1000d, 1000e of the bus bar 1000, this edge detail 106 also rounds the corners 1698 of the bus bar 1000. These rounded corners 1698 help reduce the probability that the conductor 1090 will wear or tear the insulator 1780.

[0176] Figures 46-47 show a cross-sectional view of the bus bar 1000 along the cutting plane described by line 47-47 of Figure 46, revealing a plurality of fully solidified regions. First, the middle range in Figure 47 shows two fully solidified regions 1690 adjacent to the non-solidified region 1670. Second, the opposing side edge [[zone]] regions 1693 are solidified by edge welds 1606 resulting from the circular edge details 106 included in the bus bar model 100 used to create the bus bar 1000. These edge welds 1606 form a fully solidified edge region 1693 that extends inward from the outer peripheral edges 1000d, 1000e of the bus bar 1000. In particular, these fully solidified edge regions 1693 extend from the first outer peripheral edges 1000d, 1000e to the inner welding boundary 1696 and thus have a width W W and here W W It may be between 0.2 mm and 5 mm, preferably between 0.2 mm and 1 mm. In addition to solidifying the edges 1000d, 1000e of the bus bar 1000, this edge detail 106 also rounds the corners 1698 of the bus bar 1000. These rounded corners 1698 help reduce the probability that the conductor 1090 will wear or tear the insulator 1780.

[0177] As shown in FIGS. 29 to 33, the bus bar 1000 includes a fused segment 1220 having a length, a width, and a height. The length extends between the end boundary lines 1200a, 1200b and the intermediate boundary lines 1220a, 1220b, the width extends between the edges of the bus bars 1000d, 1000e, and the height extends between the upper surface 1000a and the bottom surface 100b. The dimensions of the length, width, and height collectively define a fused segment volume V that can be summed to determine the total fused segment volume of the bus bar 1000. Each of the fused segment volumes includes a plurality of fully solidified regions 1690, a plurality of partially solidified regions 1650, and a solidified region 1670 that is substantially non-solidified. The fused segment volume also includes a non-solidified region 1670 that extends between the plurality of fully solidified regions 1690 and the plurality of partially solidified regions 1650. In the bus bar 1000 shown in FIGS. 29 to 47, the non-solidified region 1670 occupies most of the fused segment volume, while the combination of the partially solidified region 1650 and the fully solidified region 1670 occupies a small portion of the fused segment volume. Additionally, the partially solidified region 1650 occupies more of the fused segment volume than the fused segment volume occupied by the fully solidified region 1670. Moreover, the fully solidified region 1670 occupies less of the fused segment volume than the fused segment volume occupied by either the partially solidified region 1650 or the non-solidified region 1670.

[0178] Referring further to the bus bar 1000 shown in FIGS. 29 to 47, increasing the volume of the partially solidified region 1650 within the fusion segment volume tends to (i) increase at least the local rigidity of the fusion segment 1220, (ii) increase the rigidity of the intermediate portion 1200 of the bus bar 1000, and (iii) increase the overall rigidity of the bus bar 1000. It should be understood that, for example, creating these partially solidified regions 1650 will increase the Young's modulus, which is the elastic modulus of the bus bar exceeding 115 gigapascals (GPa) at room temperature. Increasing the volume of the fully solidified region 1690 within the fusion segment volume also tends to (i) increase at least the local rigidity of the fusion segment 1220, (ii) increase the rigidity of the intermediate portion 1200 of the bus bar 1000, and (iii) increase the overall rigidity of the bus bar 1000. Increasing the volume of the fully solidified region 1690 within the fusion segment volume should have a greater impact on these rigidity parameters compared to only increasing the volume of the partially solidified region 1650. Further, adding the partially solidified region 1650 and / or the fully solidified region 1690 to the fusion segment 1220 having only the non-solidified region 1670 will increase the local and overall rigidity of the fusion segment 1220. Moreover, it should be further understood that increasing the volumes of both the partially solidified region 1650 and the fully solidified region 1690 within the fusion segment volume tends to (i) increase at least the local rigidity of the fusion segment 1220, (ii) increase the rigidity of the intermediate portion 1200 of the bus bar 1000, and (iii) increase the overall rigidity of the bus bar 1000. Finally, it should be understood that increasing the volume of the non-solidified region 1670 within the fusion segment volume tends to (i) increase at least the local flexibility of the fusion segment 1220, (ii) increase the flexibility of the intermediate portion 1200 of the bus bar 1000, and (iii) increase the overall flexibility of the bus bar 1000.

[0179] As described above, the intermediate portion 1200 can include any number (e.g., 0 to 1000) of fusion regions 1220 and any number (e.g., 0 to 1000) of non-fusion regions 1520. For example, the intermediate portion 1200 can include only a single fusion region 1220 or only a non-fusion region 1520. Additionally, the fusion segment 1220 can include any number (e.g., 0 to 100) of waveforms, preferably 1 to 6, and most preferably four, 1610, 1612, 1614, 1618. Thus, the fusion segment 1220 can include any number of partially solidified regions 1650 or fully solidified regions 1690. For example, the fusion segment 1220 may be substantially solid due to the fact that it includes a large number of fully solidified regions 1690, or may be in a substantially non-solidified state because the fusion segment includes only a single weld 1600 of a small volume (e.g., a single laser dot). Further, any waveform type, frequency, and amplitude can be utilized to meet customer specifications. Overall, the non-fusion segment 1520 can function in a manner similar to the conventional flexible bus bar 20, and the fusion segment 1220 can function in a manner similar to the conventional rigid bus bar 10. These integrally formed segments 1220, 1520 provide significant advantages over the conventional bus bars 10, 20.

[0180] Optional steps for forming the bus bar 1000 of the present invention include wrapping the conductor 1090 with a protective material or insulator 1780 that encloses a subset of the bus bar 1000. The insulator 1780 can be a heat-shrinkable material (e.g., CPX 100 EV manufactured by Shawcor). In an alternative embodiment, the thermal insulation material 1780 can be any other type of material that can be used to coat the tape or bus bar 1000. In a further alternative embodiment, the thermal insulation material 1780 can be formed around the bus bar 1000 using an insulating machine 1782 that utilizes the centering process 1784 shown in FIGS. 48A-48D. Specifically, the use of this process 1784 helps prevent a high scrap rate or slightly passing through of high-voltage insulation parts (HI Pot parts) formed because the bus bar 1000 can move within the cavity during the injection of the material that will act as the insulator 1780. The machine 1782 shown in FIGS. 48A-48D utilizes biasing pins 1786a, 1786b that hold the bus bar 1000 within the center of the mold 1788. The pins 1786a, 1786b can be biased using a spring, magnet, or any other biasing mechanism. As shown in the transition from FIG. 48B to FIG. 48C, the pressure from the insertion of the insulating material 1790 biases the pins 1786a, 1786b outward from the center, whereby the bus bar 1000 is completely sealed by the insulator 1780 and can be positioned substantially centrally within the insulator 1780. Thus, hot spots or scrap bus bars are reduced. Finally, FIG. 48E shows the completed bus bar 1000 removed from the mold 1788 with the conductor 1090 of the bus bar 1000 surrounded by the insulator 1780.

[0181] Insulator 1780 may include an identification device, symbol, logo, or seal (e.g., name, QR code, or radio frequency identification device (“RFID”)) formed within insulator 1780. These identification devices, symbols, logos, or seals can help the manufacturer confirm that the busbar is installed in the correct location and assist in tracking / inventorying of busbar 1000. It should be understood that insulator 1780 may include shielding properties that reduce electromagnetic noise generated by these busbars 1000.

[0182] As shown in FIGS. 48A and 49A, also, after the upper, lower, and side surfaces of busbar 1000 are welded to form a joint, end portion 500 of busbar 1000 can be formed using welder 850. When forming end portion 500, a densification weld is performed and attachment means are added thereto. The attachment means may be either an opening configured to receive a conventional coupler 24, or a boltless connector system 2000 including spring member 440a, or any other attachment mechanism for use with the busbar.

[0183] The boltless connector system 2000 is described in several applications owned by the assignee of the present application and is incorporated herein by reference. These applications include International Application No. US2019 / 36127, International Application No. US2019 / 36070, International Application No. US2019 / 36010, and International Application No. US2018 / 019787, U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 194,891 and U.S. Provisional Application Nos. 62 / 897,658, 62 / 988,972 and 63 / 058,061. At a broad level, the scope of the system 2000 is shown in FIGS. 7, 49A - 49B, 63 - 66, 79 - 81, 83 - 84, which provide various views of the male connector assembly 2200. The male connector assembly 2200 includes (i) a male terminal receiver 2260 and (ii) a male terminal assembly 2430. The male terminal receiver 2260 is formed from the arrangement of the terminal receiver side walls 2262a - 2262d. The side walls 2262a - 2262d form a bowl-shaped receiver 2266. The receiver 2266 is configured to snugly receive most of the male terminal assembly 2430. This configuration provides additional rigidity to the male terminal assembly 2430 and limits the exposed amount of the male terminal assembly 2430. However, the entire male terminal assembly 2430 is not enclosed within the male terminal receiver 2260 or the body 2226 because if it were, the male terminal assembly 2430 would be prevented from contacting the female terminal assembly 2800. Thus, to facilitate the coupling of the male terminal assembly 2430 to the female terminal assembly 2800, each of the side walls 2262a - 2262d has male terminal openings 2268a - 2268d therethrough. The male terminal openings 2268a - 2268d are disposed through the middle portions of the side walls 2262a - 2262d such that the scope of the male terminal assembly 2430 extends through the side walls 2262a - 2262d and is configured such that the male terminal assembly 430 can contact the female terminal assembly 2800.

[0184] Figures 7, 49A - 49B, 63 - 66 provide various views of the male terminal assembly 2430. Specifically, the male terminal assembly 2430 includes a spring member 2440a and a male terminal 2470. The male terminal 2470 includes a male terminal body 2472 and a male terminal connection member or plate 2474. The male terminal connection plate 2474 is coupled to the male terminal body 2472 and is configured to receive a portion of the bus bar 1000 that connects the male terminal assembly 2430 to an external device (e.g., an alternator) of the connector system 2000. The male terminal body 2472 includes (i) the arrangement of male terminal side walls 2482a - 2482d and (ii) a rear terminal wall 480. The arrangement of male terminal side walls 2482a - 2482d are coupled to each other and generally form a rectangular prism. The male terminal side walls 2482a - 2482d include (i) side wall portions 2492a, 2492c that generally have a "U-shaped" configuration and (ii) contact arms 2494a - 2494h. The side wall portions 2492a - 2492d are substantially planar and have a U-shaped configuration with an intermediate segment. The contact arms 2494a - 2494h extend (i) from within the range of the intermediate segment of the side wall portions 2492a - 2492d, (ii) away from the rear male terminal wall 2480, and (iii) across the range of the contact arm openings.

[0185] The contact arms 2494a to 2494h extend away from the rear male terminal wall 2480 at an outward angle. With this configuration, when the male terminal assembly 2430 is inserted into the female terminal assembly 2800, the contact arms 2494a to 2494h can be deflected or displaced inwardly by the female terminal assembly 800 towards the center of the male terminal 2470. This inward deflection is best shown in the figures incorporated in International Application No. US2019 / 036010. This inward deflection helps to ensure that proper mechanical and electrical connections are made by arranging the contact arms 2494a to 2494h to contact the female terminal assembly 2800. The male terminal 2470 is typically formed from a single piece of material (e.g., metal). Thus, the male terminal 2470 is a one-piece male terminal 2470 and has integrally formed features. To form these features integrally, the male terminal 2470 is typically formed using a die-cut process. However, it should be understood that other types of forming the male terminal 2470 may be utilized, such as the use of a casting or additive manufacturing process (e.g., 3D printing). In other embodiments, the features of the male terminal 470 may not be integrally formed, may be integrally formed, or instead may be formed from separate parts that are welded together.

[0186] FIG. 66 is a diagram of a spring member 2440a configured to function with a first embodiment of the male terminal 470. The spring member 2440a generally includes (i) arcuate spring portions 2448a-448d and (ii) spring arms 2452a-2452h. The arcuate spring portions 2448a-448d extend between a rearward extent of the spring member wall 2444 and the spring arms 2452a-2452h. The spring arms 2452a-2452h are not connected to each other. This configuration allows for all-directionality of the spring arms 2452a-2452h and facilitates mechanical coupling between the male terminal 2470 and the female terminal assembly 2800. The spring member 2440a is formed from a single piece of material (e.g., metal). To integrally form these features, the spring member 2440a is typically formed using a die forming process. As discussed in more detail below and in International Application No. US2019 / 036010, when the spring member 2440a is formed from a flat metal plate, installed within the male terminal 2470 and connected to the female terminal assembly 800, and exposed to high temperatures, the spring member 2440a attempts to return to the flat plate, and as a result, the spring member 440a applies an outward spring thermal force S TF to the contact arms 2494a-2494h. However, it should be understood that other types of forming the spring member 2440a may be utilized, such as, for example, the use of a casting or additive manufacturing process (e.g., 3D printing). In other embodiments, the features of the spring member 2440a may or may not be integrally formed, but instead may be formed from separate parts that are welded together.

[0187] Additionally, the connector system 2000 is T4 / V4 / S3 / D2 / M2, that is, (i) T4 is exposure of the system 100 to 150 °C, (ii) V4 is severe vibration, (iii) S1 is high-pressure spraying, (iv) D2 is 200k mile durability, (v) M2 is that a force of less than 45 Newtons is required to connect the male connector assembly 2200 to the female connector assembly 2600, and it should be understood that the system 2000 meets and exceeds this. Additionally, it should be understood that the male terminal assembly 2430 and the female terminal assembly 2800 disclosed within the present application may be replaced with the male and female terminal assemblies disclosed in International Application No. US2018 / 019787 or International Application No. US2019 / 36010. Additionally, the release of some of these connectors is disclosed in International Application No. US2020 / 14484.

[0188] Furthermore, it should be understood that alternative configurations of the connector system 2000 are possible. For example, any number of male terminal assemblies 2430 can be positioned within a single male housing assembly 2220. For example, the male housing assembly 2220 may be configured to include a plurality (e.g., between 2 and 30, preferably between 2 and 8, most preferably between 2 and 4) of male terminal assemblies 2430. The female connector assembly 2600 may be reconfigured to receive these multiple male terminal assemblies into a single female terminal assembly 2800. Alternatively, the female connector assembly 2600 may be reconfigured to include a plurality of female terminal assemblies 2800, and each female terminal assembly 2800 receives a single male terminal assembly 2430. Moreover, it should also be understood that the male terminal assembly 2430 can have any number of contact arms 2494 (e.g., between 2 and 100, preferably between 2 and 50, most preferably between 2 and 8) and any number of spring arms 2452 (e.g., between 2 and 100, preferably between 2 and 50, most preferably between 2 and 8). As described above, the number of contact arms 2494 does not have to be equal to the number of spring arms. For example, the contact arms 2494 may be more than the spring arms 2452. Alternatively, the contact arms 2494 may be less than the spring arms 2452.

[0189] Instead of bending the busbar 1000 by 750 in the plane, two busbars 1000a and 1000b may be joined together to form a single busbar. This can be beneficial when the space required for a 750 in-plane bend cannot be secured in the customer's application. Here, two busbars 1002 and 1004 are joined together at a defined angle (e.g., 90 degrees) using "densification welding". Densification welding is designed to create a sufficient composite surface area corresponding to 120% of the cross-sectional area of the busbar 100. This helps to ensure that this area does not become a current limiter and a heating element. In the exemplary embodiments shown in FIGS. 67-72, this 90-degree weld can be ignored until the resistance is less than 10% compared to a straight busbar 1000 of the same length. This is very beneficial in view of the fact that a 90-degree bend cannot be achieved in a conventional busbar that does not create a resistance range within the busbar.

[0190] When welding two busbars 1000 together at a defined angle, the conductors 90 included within each side surface of the busbar may have an overlapping, dimpled, or woven arrangement. Two examples of this arrangement are shown in FIGS. 67-68. Specifically, FIG. 67 shows two busbars 1002 and 1004, where one busbar 1002 has segments removed from two of the conductors 1090 and the other busbar 1004 has segments removed from three of the conductors 90. These removed segments are cooperatively dimensioned to fit together. Alternatively, FIG. 68 shows two busbars 1002 and 1004, where two segments are removed from the first busbar 1002 and three segments are removed from the second busbar 1004. It should be understood that other overlapping, dimpled, or woven arrangements are contemplated by the present disclosure. Once the busbars are arranged, the designer can use the welding machine 789 shown in FIGS. 69-70 to weld them together. The composite fusion patterns that can be utilized by the welding machine 789 are shown in FIGS. 22C-22E.

[0191] As an alternative to using the laser welder 850, the designer may decide to use a resistance spot welder 901. The resistance spot welder 901 may include two manufacturing modes 902a, 902b. The first manufacturing mode 902a is a prototype manufacturing mode, and the second manufacturing mode 902b is a mass production manufacturing mode. In the first or prototype manufacturing mode 902a, the user manually supplies the bus bar 1000 to the machine and then controls the area of the bus bar 1000 to be welded by operating the machine 901 using the foot pedal. When operating, the machine 901 brings the charged electrodes 909a, 909b into contact with the conductor 1090. Due to this contact, electricity from the electrodes 909a, 909b forms at least a partially solidified region 1650. This contact procedure can be performed multiple times by the designer to form the fusion segment 1220 of the bus bar 1000.

[0192] Alternatively, when the designer selects the second or mass production manufacturing mode 902b, the designer needs to select the design of the roller electrodes 906a, 906b. Examples of these electrode designs are shown in FIGS. 76-78. In particular, the roller electrodes 906a, 906b may have a raised surface (FIG. 76) or a concave surface (FIGS. 77-78). The raised surface contacts only the conductor 1090 of the bus bar 1000 within these raised surfaces. Due to the contact with the conductor 1090 by such a raised surface, the bus bar 1000 is welded at these locations or areas. For example, the roller shown in FIG. 76 forms a pattern that includes two sine waves. In contrast, when the rollers 906a, 906b have concave areas, these areas do not contact the bus bar 1000, and the welding area will be the remaining surfaces of the rollers 906a, 906b. For example, the roller shown in FIG. 77 welds all areas within the bus bar 1000 except for the area enclosed within the elliptical area. It should be understood that the exemplary rollers 906a, 906b are merely examples and are non-limiting.

[0193] As described above and similar to the bus bar 1000 shown in FIGS. 1 to 79, FIG. 79 shows a second embodiment of the bus bar 3000. For the sake of brevity, the above disclosure related to the bus bar 1000 will not be repeated hereinafter, but it should be understood that those spanning multiple embodiments, such as numbers separated by 2000, represent similar structures. For example, the disclosure related to the fusion segment 1220 is equally applicable to the fusion segment 3220. Furthermore, it should be understood that the function of the bus bar 3000 is similar to or the same as the function disclosed in relation to the bus bar 1000. The general characteristics of this second embodiment 3000 are identified in step 110 and shown in FIG. 14B and the labeled design 5. In particular, FIG. 14B and the labeled design 5 show that the bus bar designer has identified five fusion segments 3220 and four non-fusion segments 5220. The bends of these fusion segments 3220 are shown in FIG. 79, and four of these bends have only in-plane 3750 aspects, while the other bend has both in-plane 3750 and out-of-plane aspects 3760. Similar to the bus bar 1000, the bus bar 3000 includes the same connector 4000 as the connector 2000.

[0194] As described above and similar to the bus bar 1000 shown in FIGS. 1 to 79, FIG. 80 shows a third embodiment of the bus bar 5000. For the sake of brevity, the above disclosure related to the bus bar 1000 will not be repeated below, but it should be understood that those spanning multiple embodiments, such as numbers separated by 4000, represent similar structures. For example, the disclosure related to the fusion segment 1220 is equally applicable to the fusion segment 5220. Furthermore, it should be understood that the functions of the bus bar 5000 are similar or identical to the functions disclosed in relation to the bus bar 1000. The general characteristics of this third embodiment 5000 are identified in step 110 and shown in FIG. 14B and the labeled design 5. In particular, FIG. 14B and the labeled design 5 show that the bus bar designer has identified five fusion segments 5220 and four non-fusion segments 5220. The bending of these fusion segments 5220 is shown in FIG. 80, four of these bends having only in-plane 5750 aspects, while the other bend has both in-plane 5750 and out-of-plane aspects 5760. In addition, in this embodiment 5000, the range of the non-fusion segment 5520 is bent. Similar to the bus bar 1000, the bus bar 5000 includes the same connector 6000 as the connector 2000.

[0195] As described above and similar to the bus bar 1000 shown in FIGS. 1 - 79, FIG. 81 shows a fourth embodiment of the bus bar 7000. For the sake of brevity, the above disclosure related to the bus bar 1000 will not be repeated hereinafter, but it should be understood that those spanning multiple embodiments, such as numbers separated by 6000, represent similar structures. For example, the disclosure related to the fusion segment 1220 is equally applicable to the fusion segment 7220. Further, it should be understood that the function of the bus bar 7000 is similar to or the same as the function disclosed in relation to the bus bar 1000. The general characteristics of this fourth embodiment 7000 are identified in step 110 and shown in FIG. 14B and the labeled design 6. In particular, FIG. 14B and the labeled design 6 show that the bus bar designer has identified three fusion segments 7220 and three non - fusion segments 7220. The bending of these fusion segments 7220 is shown in FIG. 81, and these three bends have only in - plane aspects 7750. Similar to the bus bar 1000, the bus bar 7000 includes the same connector 8000 as the connector 2000.

[0196] As described above and similar to the bus bar 1000 shown in FIGS. 1 - 79, FIG. 82 shows a fourth embodiment of the bus bar 9000. For the sake of brevity, the above disclosure related to the bus bar 1000 will not be repeated hereinafter, but it should be understood that those spanning multiple embodiments, such as numbers separated by 8000, represent similar structures. For example, the disclosure related to the fusion segment 1220 is equally applicable to the fusion segment 9220. Further, it should be understood that the function of the bus bar 9000 is similar to or the same as the function disclosed in relation to the bus bar 1000. Different from the bus bar 1000, the bus bar 9000 includes a conventional bolt - tightened connector 10,999. C. Delivery and Installation of the Bus Bar

[0197] Once the intermediate portion 1200 and the end portion 1700 of the bus bar 1000 are formed, there are several options as to how the bus bar 1000 can be delivered and installed within an environment, application, system, product, component, or device. Specifically, FIG. 51 shows three different options 199a, 199b, and 199c. The first option 199a is the case where the bus bar 1000 is shipped to the customer in a straight and flat configuration and the customer bends the bar 1000 to form all of the desired bends. Once the bus bar 1000 includes the required bends, the bus bar 1000 can be installed within a system (e.g., a battery pack within a vehicle). The second option 199b is the case where the bus bar 1000 is bent in-plane 1750 and then shipped to the customer. In this configuration, the bus bar 1000 does not include any bends in the Z direction and is thus substantially flat. Once the customer receives the bus bar 1000, the customer can bend the bus bar 1000 to form an out-of-plane bend 1760. Once the bus bar 1000 includes the required bends, the bus bar 1000 can be installed within a system (e.g., a battery pack within a vehicle). By shipping the bus bar 1000 in association with the first or second option 199a, 199b, the probability that the bus bar 1000 is damaged is reduced. Additionally, the package size of the bus bar can be dramatically reduced. Thus, a significant amount of money spent on transportation costs can be saved. Finally, in the third option 199c, the bus bar 1000 can be shipped to the customer in a form that can be immediately installed without the customer having to perform additional bending.

[0198] To bend the bus bar 1000 into a desired configuration, the bus bar 1000 may have (i) one or more in-plane bends 1750, (ii) one or more out-of-plane bends 1760, or (iii) a combination of one or more in-plane bends 1750 and one or more out-of-plane bends 1760. As described above, the in-plane bend 1750 is formed only within the fused segment 1220 of the bus bar 1000. This helps ensure that the individual conductors within the bus bar 1000 do not peel off due to this bending. In other words, the in-plane bend 1750 is not formed within the non-fused segment 1520 of the bus bar 1000. In contrast, the out-of-plane bend 1760 may be formed within the fused segment 1220 or the non-fused segment 1520. This is because the out-of-plane bend 1760 does not impart the same stress to the conductor 1090 as the in-plane bend 1750 does. Therefore, when a designer / manufacturer bends the bus bar 1000 into an installation configuration, the designer / manufacturer must confirm whether the bus bar 1000 is being bent at the appropriate segments 1220, 1520. In addition, the bus bar / manufacturer must be able to apply an appropriate amount of force to bend the bus bar 1000 into the desired shape. By way of an illustrative and non-limiting example, the pressure required to bend the non-fused segment 1520 of the bus bar may require a force of about 250 pounds. To bend the fused segment 1220 of the bus bar 1000, the designer must apply more force than to bend the non-fused segment, but this is less than the force required to bend a fully solidified bus bar. For example, this force required to bend the fused segment 1220 can be between 250 pounds and 500 pounds.

[0199] To form these bends, the designer / manufacturer may use any of the following machines 780a, 780b, or 780c shown in FIGS. 52 - 55B. In particular, FIGS. 780a, 780b show bending machines used to bend a prototype bus bar 1000, and FIGS. 54 - 55B show bending machines used to bend a bus bar 1000 manufactured using a mass production assembly. The prototype bending machine 780a includes three spools 782a, 782b, 782c having sides configured to completely enclose the bus bar 1000 while bending. The middle spool 782b is attached to an arm 784 and can be cranked down to apply downward pressure to the bus bar 1000, taking into account the positional relationship of the two end spools 782a, 782c. In other words, the middle spool 782b acts as a spindle to bend the bus bar 1000 in - plane 1750. The mass production machine 780c automates the functions of the prototype bending machines 780a, 780b. In particular, FIGS. 55A and 55B show that this mass production machine 780c can create both in - plane bendings 1750 and out - of - plane bendings 1760 within the bus bar 1000. It should be understood that these are only examples of machines 780a - 780c that may be utilized to bend the bus bar 1000. For example, a particular out - of - plane bending 1760 may not be bent by the machine and instead may be bent by hand.

[0200] Figures 83 - 84 illustrate an automotive environment M including a power distribution system 11000 that includes several components such as a charger, battery pack assembly 11002, DC - DC converter, and an electric motor. As shown in FIGS. 83 - 84, battery pack assembly 11004 has a skateboard configuration, and battery pack assembly 11002 has a plurality (e.g., 36) of battery pack modules 11006 arranged in a substantially linear configuration positioned at or below axle level and under most of motor vehicle body 11008 when installed. Battery pack module 11006 is formed from a plurality (e.g., 12) of cells, with the cells coupled to each other to form a positive terminal 11010 and a negative terminal 11012 for each battery pack module 11006. The positive terminals 11010 of these battery pack modules 11006 are coupled to each other (e.g., in parallel and in series) using busbars 1000, 3000, 5000, 7000, 9000 to create a battery pack 11002 that supplies an appropriate voltage level for the operation of automotive M. Similarly to the positive terminals 11010, the negative terminals 11012 are coupled in the same manner using busbars 1000, 3000, 5000, 7000, 9000. It should be understood that busbars 1000, 3000, 5000, 7000, 9000 can be used for components included within automotive environment M outside of battery pack assembly 11002. Additionally, busbars 1000, 3000, 5000, 7000 of the present invention comply with PCTR, not only reducing the height requirements of the busbars but also simplifying installation.

[0201] It may be desirable to collect information obtained from fabricating and bending the bus bar 1000 made from the engineering model 100. This information can then be fed back into the overall computer system to more accurately convert the non-engineering models 68a - 68h to the engineering model 100 and to test the engineering model 100. For example, information that can be fed back to the computer system can include (i) whether the fully solidified region may have been caused too much, (ii) whether the fusing method did not spread the partially solidified region to the desired depth, (iii) the bending force required to bend the fusing segment 1220, (iv) the electrical characteristics of the fusing segment, (v) whether the fusing segment 1220 peels off during the bending process, or (vi) other relevant information. The computer system can incorporate this information and modify the FE model used within the test. Since this FE model can accurately predict how the bus bar 1000 will behave when fabricated, the designer can utilize this FE model to assist in converting the non-engineering models 68a - 68h to the engineering model 100. It should be understood that the information fed back to the computer system can be adapted and / or analyzed with a learning algorithm or a neural network. This analysis can then be used to modify and use the FE model for improved accuracy, which enables more accurate creation of the engineering model 100, resulting in a more inexpensive, higher performance, and more durable bus bar 1000. Materials and Disclosures Incorporated by Reference

[0202] International Application Nos. US2020 / 49870, US2020 / 14484, US2020 / 13757, US2019 / 36127, US2019 / 36070, US2019 / 36010, and US2018 / 019787, U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 194,891 and U.S. Provisional Patent Application Nos. 62 / 897,658, 62 / 897,962, 62 / 897,962, 62 / 988,972, 63 / 051,639, 63 / 058,061, 29 / 749,790, and 29 / 749,813 are each incorporated by reference in their entirety and are part of this specification.

[0203] SAE standard J1"742_201003, titled "Connections for High Voltage On-Board Vehicle Electrical Wiring Harnesses - Test Methods and General Performance Requirements", last revised in March 2010, is incorporated by reference in its entirety and is part of this specification.

[0204] ASTM standards (i) D4935-18, titled "Standard Test Method for Measuring the Electromagnetic Shielding Effectiveness of Planar Materials", and (ii) ASTM D257, titled "Standard Test Methods for DC Resistance or Conductance of Insulating Materials", are each incorporated by reference in their entirety and are part of this specification.

[0205] ANSI / ESD STM11.11 Surface Resistance Measurements of Static Dissipative Planar Materials, which is a standard of the American National Standards Institute and / or EOS / ESD Association, Inc., is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety and made a part of this specification.

[0206] DIN standard, Connectors for electronic equipment-Tests and measurements-Part 5-2:Current-carrying capacity tests;Test 5b:Current-temperature de-rating(IEC60512-5-2:2002), is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety and made a part of this specification.

[0207] USCAR standards, (i) SAE / USCAR-2 Revision 6 Edition February 2013 ISBN:978-0-7680-7998-2, (ii) SAE / USCAR-12 Revision 5 Edition August 2017 ISBN:978-0-7680-8446-7, (iii) SAE / USCAR-21 Revision 3 Edition December 2014, (iv) SAE / USCAR-25 Revision 3 Edition March 2016 ISBN:978-0-7680-8319-4, (v) SAE / USCAR-37 Revision Edition August 2008 ISBN:978-0-7680-2098-4, (vi) SAE / USCAR-38 Revision 1 Edition May 2016 ISBN:978-0-7680-8350-7, are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety and made a part of this specification.

[0208] Other standard specifications, including Federal Test Method Standard 101C and 4046, are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety and made a part of this specification. Industrial Applicability

[0209] The bus bar 1000 of the present invention described in this specification includes more advantages than other existing bus bar systems. Some of these advantages are: (i) using less material, (ii) having less weight, (iii) providing a sufficient current path, thereby allowing more current to flow without a significant increase in the bus bar temperature, (iv) being able to be shipped in a substantially flat configuration, thus reducing shipping costs and the possibility of the bus bar deforming, (v) being able to have a bolted or boltless configuration, and the boltless configuration reduces the labor cost for installation, (vi) not requiring special molds or manufacturing techniques to custom-fit the bus bar 1000 for a specific application, (vii) not requiring a combination of multiple different materials, which also increases the amount of current that can be processed without a significant increase in the temperature of the bus bar 100, (viii) having a low-profile configuration, so that the designer can reduce the height of the battery pack, and (ix) being able to be formed into complex shapes at or near the location where the bus bar is installed.

[0210] In the above, what is considered to be the best mode and / or other examples have been described, but it is understood that various changes may be made thereto, and the subject matter disclosed in this specification may be implemented in various forms and examples, and its teachings may be applied to a number of applications, and only some of them are described in this specification. For example, within the intermediate portion 1200, the bus bar 1000 may not include the unfused segment 1520 and may only include the fused segment 1220. In the following claims, it is intended to claim any changes and modifications that fall within the true scope of this concept. Other implementations are also contemplated.

[0211] Although some implementations have been illustrated and described, numerous modifications can be envisioned without departing significantly from the spirit of the present disclosure. The scope of protection is limited only by the scope of the appended claims. If there are headings and subheadings, they are used for convenience only and are not restrictive. The term "exemplary" is used to mean serving as an example or illustration. As long as terms such as "include", "have", etc. are used, they are intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term "comprising", and "comprising" is construed when used as a transitional term in a claim. Relative terms such as first and second do not necessarily require or imply any actual such relationship or order between entities or actions, and may be used to distinguish one entity or action from another without indicating such.

[0212] Phrases such as one aspect, that aspect, another aspect, some aspects, one or more aspects, one implementation, that implementation, another implementation, some implementations, one or more implementations, one embodiment, that embodiment, another embodiment, some embodiments, one or more embodiments, one configuration, that configuration, another configuration, some configurations, one or more configurations, the subject technology, the disclosure, the present disclosure, other variations thereof, and similar phrases are for convenience and do not imply that the disclosure regarding such phrases is essential to the subject technology or that such disclosure applies to all configurations of the subject technology. The disclosure regarding such phrases may apply to all configurations or one or more configurations. The disclosure regarding such phrases can provide one or more examples. Phrases such as an aspect or some aspects can refer to one or more aspects, and vice versa, which applies similarly to the other aforementioned phrases.

[0213] Numerous modifications to this disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the foregoing description. Preferred embodiments of this disclosure are described herein, including the best mode known to the inventors for practicing the disclosure. It is to be understood, of course, that the examples shown are illustrative only and are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the disclosure.

Claims

1. A bus bar for use in mechanically and electrically connecting components within a device, the bus bar comprising: a plurality of conductors arranged to provide two opposing end portions and an intermediate portion, each of the conductors having a plurality of intermediate ranges across the intermediate portion; the intermediate portion including a fusion segment comprising: (i) a partially solidified zone where most of the intermediate ranges of the conductors are fused together to form a partially solidified region providing a single connecting conductor; and (ii) a non-solidified region where all of the intermediate ranges of the conductors are not fused together.

2. The bus bar according to claim 1, wherein the fusion segment includes at least one fully solidified edge region processed by a welding process.

3. The bus bar according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the partially solidified region is formed by irradiating the outer surfaces of the outermost conductors of the intermediate portion of the bus bar with a laser.

4. The bus bar according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein at least one of the conductors in the end portion is fused together to form a single connecting conductor, and the single connecting conductor engages a connector for fixing the bus bar to the components within the device.

5. A bus bar for use in mechanically and electrically connecting components within a device, the bus bar comprising: a plurality of conductors arranged to provide two opposing end portions and an intermediate portion, each of the conductors having a plurality of intermediate ranges across the intermediate portion, the intermediate portion including: a non-fusion segment where no intermediate range of the conductors is fused together to form a single connecting conductor; and a fusion segment including: (i) a partially solidified zone where most of the intermediate ranges of the conductors are fused together to form a partially solidified region providing a single connecting conductor; (ii) a fully solidified zone where all of the intermediate ranges of the conductors are fused together to form a fully solidified region providing a single connecting conductor; and (iii) a non-solidified region where all of the intermediate ranges of the conductors are not fused together.

6. The bus bar according to claim 5, wherein the plurality of conductors are arranged in a vertical stack defining the height of the fusion segment, and the partially solidified region has a height lower than the height of the fusion segment.

7. The bus bar according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the non-fused segment has a rigidity lower than that of the completely solidified region. **Claim 8** The bus bar according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein the completely solidified region is formed by irradiating the outer surface of the outermost conductor of the intermediate portion of the bus bar with a laser.

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