Customizable battery

Abstract

A battery system, comprising: a first battery (14) having a first battery power capacity, the first battery (14) comprising a first battery housing, first battery terminals, a first plurality of bus bars (104), and a first battery management system, BMS (16); a second battery having a second battery power capacity, the first power capacity being different from the second power capacity, the second battery comprising a second battery housing, second battery terminals, a second plurality of bus bars, and a second BMS; the first battery terminals being the same as the second terminals, at least one of the first plurality of bus bars (104) being the same as at least one of the second plurality of bus bars, and the first BMS (16) being the same as the second BMS; and at least one dimension of the first battery housing being different from a corresponding dimension of the second battery housing.

Description

[0001] CUSTOMIZABLE BATTERY

[0002] TECHNICAL FIELD

[0003] This disclosure relates to batteries and in particular to a customizable and / or scalable batteries.

[0004] BACKGROUND

[0005] Motor-powered and / or electrically powered vehicles tend to rely on using one or more battery or battery systems for providing a starting power (e.g., power used to crank and start an engine) and / or at least a portion of a motion power for the vehicle. Such vehicles may include one or more of an air- or watercraft, a rail-guided vehicle, a street vehicle, etc., where a street vehicle may refer to, for example, cars, trucks, buses, recreational vehicles, etc.

[0006] Conventional batteries have (or have components that have) fixed dimensions such as length, width, height, etc., and may include a fixed quantity or type of components. For example, a battery having a cover of a predetermined length and width may be manufactured to include a fixed quantity of cells (e.g., where the battery is limited by the length and width of the battery “footprint”). Further, a battery may be manufactured according to a size requirement governed by a standard, i.e., where dimensions of the battery are fixed to meet standard requirements.

[0007] In some cases, the quantity of cells may be changed, but changing the quantity of cells may result in an unoccupied space within the battery. For example, increasing the quantity of cells from four cells to eight cells may require a housing that has a greater volume to accommodate the additional four cells. However, as the housing may only be selected from a group of available housings that meet a standard size, the eight cells may not occupy the entirety of the housing interior space intended for cells, thereby resulting in an unoccupied space within the housing. The unoccupied space in many cases is sufficiently large to cause the cells to move within the housing during use, e.g., via vibration, bumps, etc., which may lead to battery faults, decrease performance, battery component damage, etc.

[0008] In sum, conventional batteries may be limited by battery size, quantity of components, size of components, and undesired internal volume arrangements.

[0009] SUMMARY Some embodiments advantageously provide a method and system for a customizable battery. The customizable battery may be modified such as by adding or removing components while maintaining features and / or characteristics that meet one or more requirements or specifications. The components may be added or removed to meet a predetermined functional requirement such as power capacity, and the maintained features may be associated with requirements set by a standard promulgated by a standards body. In some embodiments, the components may be added or removed to meet and / or exceed a predetermined internal used volume / total volume ratio threshold, e.g., to minimize or eliminate unused internal space within the battery, to maximize the use of internal space within the battery, etc. In some other embodiments, modification or customization of the battery is performed automatically.

[0010] According to one aspect, a battery system is provided. The battery system includes a first battery having a first battery power capacity, the first battery including a first battery housing, first battery terminals, a first plurality of bus bars, and a first battery management system (BMS) and a second battery having a second battery power capacity, the first power capacity being different from the second power capacity, the second battery including a second battery housing, second battery terminals, a second plurality of bus bars, and a second BMS. The first battery terminals are the same as the second terminals, at least one of the first plurality of bus bars are the same as at least one of the second plurality of bus bars, the first BMS is the same as the second BMS, and at least one dimension of the first battery housing is different from a corresponding dimension of the second battery housing.

[0011] In one embodiment of this aspect, the first battery further includes a first vent port and the second battery further includes a second vent port, the first vent port being the same as the second vent port.

[0012] In another embodiment, the first battery further includes at least one first cover and the second battery further includes at least one second cover, at least one of the at least one first cover being the same as at least one of the at least one second cover.

[0013] In another embodiment, the first battery further includes a first plurality of connectors including at least one first connector proximate the at least one first cover and the second battery further includes a second plurality of connectors including at least a second connector proximate the at least one second cover, wherein the first connector is the same as the second connector. In another embodiment, another of the plurality of second bus bars in the second battery has a greater length than a corresponding bus bar of the plurality of first bus bars in the first battery.

[0014] In another embodiment, the first battery housing has a first length and a first width representing a first footprint and the second battery housing has a second length and a second width representing a second footprint, the first footprint being the same as the second footprint.

[0015] In another embodiment, the first battery housing further includes a first length and a first width representing a first footprint, and a first height; and the second battery housing further includes a second length and a second width representing a second footprint, a second height, wherein the first height is the same as the second height and the first footprint is different from the second footprint.

[0016] According to another aspect, a method is provided, where the method includes providing a first battery having a first battery power capacity, the first battery including a first battery housing, first battery terminals, a first plurality of bus bars, and a first battery management system, BMS and providing a second battery having a second battery power capacity, the first power capacity being different from the second power capacity, the second battery including a second battery housing, second battery terminals, a second plurality of bus bars, and a second BMS. The first battery terminals are the same as the second terminals, at least one of the first plurality of bus bars are the same as at least one of the second plurality of bus bars, the first BMS are the same as the second BMS, and at least one dimension of the first battery housing is different from a corresponding dimension of the second battery housing.

[0017] In one embodiment, the first battery further includes a first vent port and the second battery further includes a second vent port, the first vent port being the same as the second vent port.

[0018] In another embodiment, the first battery further includes at least one first cover and the second battery further includes at least one second cover, where at least one of the at least one first cover being the same as at least one of the at least one second cover.

[0019] In another embodiment, the first battery further includes a first plurality of connectors including at least one first connector proximate the at least one first cover and the second battery further includes a second plurality of connectors including a at least one second connector proximate the at least one second cover, wherein the first connector is the same as the second connector. In another embodiment, the first battery housing has a first length and a first width representing a first footprint and the second battery housing has a second length and a second width representing a second footprint, the first footprint being the same as the second footprint.

[0020] In another embodiment, another of the plurality of second bus bars in the second battery has a greater length than a corresponding bus bar of the plurality of first bus bars in the first battery.

[0021] According to another aspect, a first battery having a first battery power capacity for a system having the first battery and a second battery, is provided, the first battery includes a first battery housing, first battery terminals, a first plurality of bus bars, and a first battery management system (BMS). A second battery has a second battery power capacity different from the first power capacity, the second battery including a second battery housing, second battery terminals, a second plurality of bus bars, and a second BMS. The first battery terminals are the same as the second terminals, at least one of the first plurality of bus bars are the same as at least one of the second plurality of bus bars, the first BMS is the same as the second BMS, and at least one dimension of the first battery housing is different from a corresponding dimension of the second battery housing.

[0022] In another embodiment, the first battery further includes a first vent port and the second battery further includes a second vent port, the first vent port being the same as the second vent port.

[0023] In another embodiment, the first battery further includes at least one first cover and the second battery further includes at least one second cover , at least one of the at least one first cover being the same as at least one of the at least one second cover.

[0024] In another embodiment, the first battery further includes a first plurality of connectors including at least one first connector proximate the at least one first cover and the second battery further includes a second plurality of connectors including a second connector proximate the at least one second cover, wherein the first connector is the same as the second connector.

[0025] In another embodiment, the first battery housing has a first length and a first width representing a first footprint and the second battery housing has a second length and a second width representing a second footprint, the first footprint being the same as the second footprint.

[0026] In another embodiment, the first battery housing has a first length and a first width representing a first footprint, and a first height, and the second battery housing has a second length and a second width representing a second footprint, and a second height, wherein the first height is the same as the second height and the first footprint is different from the second footprint.

[0027] In another embodiment, another of the plurality of second bus bars in the second battery has a greater length than a corresponding bus bar of the plurality of first bus bars in the first battery.

[0028] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] A more complete understanding of embodiments described herein, and the attendant advantages and features thereof, will be more readily understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

[0030] FIG. 1 is a diagram of an example system according to principles disclosed herein;

[0031] FIG. 2 shows an example battery constructed in accordance with the principles of the present disclosure;

[0032] FIG. 3 is a block diagram of some entities in the system according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0033] FIG. 4 shows an example battery according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0034] FIG. 5 shows example components of the battery according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0035] FIG. 6 shows example additional components of the battery according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0036] FIG. 7 shows a modified example battery according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0037] FIG. 8 shows example components of the modified example battery according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0038] FIG. 9 shows example additional components of the modified example battery according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0039] FIG. 10 shows another example battery according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0040] FIG. 11 shows a cross-section view of the other battery according to some embodiments of the present disclosure; and

[0041] FIG. 12 shows a flowchart of an example method according to principles disclosed herein. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0042] Before describing in detail exemplary embodiments, it is noted that the embodiments reside primarily in combinations of apparatus components and processing steps related to a customizable battery. Accordingly, the system and method components have been represented where appropriate by conventional symbols in the drawings, showing only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments of the present disclosure so as not to obscure the disclosure with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein.

[0043] As used herein, relational terms, such as “first” and “second,” “top” and “bottom,” and the like, may be used solely to distinguish one entity or element from another entity or element without necessarily requiring or implying any physical or logical relationship or order between such entities or elements. The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the concepts described herein. As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “includes” and / or “including” when used herein, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof.

[0044] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs. It will be further understood that terms used herein should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of this specification and the relevant art and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.

[0045] In embodiments described herein, the joining term, “in communication with” and the like, may be used to indicate electrical or data communication, which may be accomplished by physical contact, induction, electromagnetic radiation, radio signaling, infrared signaling or optical signaling, for example. The term “in communication with” may also refer to being in fluid communication, such as where two spaces are in fluid communication with each other. One having ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that multiple components may interoperate, and modifications and variations are possible of achieving the electrical and data communication. In some embodiments, the general description elements in the form of “one of A and B” corresponds to A or B. In some embodiments, at least one of A and B corresponds to A, B or AB, or to one or more of A and B. In some embodiments, at least one of A, B and C corresponds to one or more of A, B and C, and / or A, B, C or a combination thereof.

[0046] Referring now to the drawing figures, in which like elements are referred to by like reference numerals, there is shown in FIG. 1 a diagram of a system 10, according to an embodiment, which comprises one or more vehicles 12, e.g., a car, motorcycle, scooter, golf cart, light utility vehicle, etc. The vehicle 12 comprises a battery 14 for powering at least one function of vehicle 12. In some embodiments, battery 14 may be a lead-acid battery that includes one or more energy storage modules / cells. Although a lead-acid battery is described herein, the teachings described herein are equally applicable to other battery types such as lithium ion batteries. Battery 14 may include one or more batteries such as a first battery 14a, second battery 14b, third battery 14c, fourth battery 14d, etc., e.g., electrically connected (e.g., in parallel, series, etc.) as part of a battery pack. Although battery 14 is shown in conjunction with a vehicle 12, battery 14 is not limited as such and may be used in conjunction with any other component (e.g.., such as to power any other system component).

[0047] Battery 14 includes battery management system (BMS) 16 that is configured to perform one or more battery management functions described herein. In some embodiments, the BMS 16 may measure / determine certain battery parameters, e.g., resistance (e.g., battery resistance), voltage (e.g., cell voltage), current, state of charge (SoC), a time parameter, a frequency parameter, etc., and transmit / receive data (and / or signals such as control signals) to / from another system / device. BMS 16 is configured to include a BMS management unit 18 (or battery management unit) that may be configured to perform one or more functions as described herein such as determining one or more parameters, steps, and / or processes associated with battery diagnostics.

[0048] It is contemplated that one or more entities of system 10 are in communication with each other via one or more of wireless communication, power communication, wired communication, fluid communication, etc. For example, vehicle 12 and battery 14 (and / or any other device or server) may communicate with each other directly or indirectly using wireless communication, power communication, wired communication, etc. Further, while it may be assumed in one or more embodiments that there is not data or signal communication between battery 14 and vehicle 12, the embodiments described herein are equally applicable to vehicles 12 where there are at least some data / signal communications between battery 14 and vehicle 12. Further, although battery 14 is shown as part of vehicle 12, it may be a standalone battery, removably couplable to any component of system 10 such as vehicle 12, etc.

[0049] FIG. 2 shows an example battery 14 constructed in accordance with the principles of the present disclosure. Battery 14 includes a housing 20 into which one or more battery components may be positioned. The components may be electrically interconnected (not shown in the FIGS), such as via an electrically conductive bus bar system which electrically interconnects the components in an electrically serial, electrically parallel or combination of electrically serial and parallel manner, depending on the intended voltage and current requirements.

[0050] A battery monitoring system (BMS) 16 may be included. BMS 16 may include or be coupled to a monitoring connector 24 that allows for a removable external connection any other component of system 10 (e.g., to the vehicle’s data bus, to some other communication device, etc.) and / or internal connection, e.g., any components of battery 14 and / or BMS 16. Connector 24 may be comprised in BMS 16 and / or any other component of system 10. In some embodiments, connector 24 may be configured to removably couple and / or connect (electrically, physically) to another connector. The monitoring connector 24 can, in some embodiments, be integrated with the housing 20, such as in a cover 30 of the housing 20 or any other cover. Battery 14 also includes terminals, such as a positive terminal 28a and a negative terminal 28b (collectively referred to as terminals 28) to provide the contact points for electrical connection of the battery 14 (e.g., to power devices and / or the vehicle 12 and / or BMS 16). Battery 14 may also include cover 34 which may be arranged to couple to cover 30. Cover 30 may include one or more cover walls that may (e.g., along with cover 34) define cover space 32. Cover 30 may be arranged to receive BMS 16 in cover space 32 during assembly, e.g., such that BMS 16 is coupled to cover 30 and / or any other components of battery 14. Battery 14 may also have battery internal space 33, which may be defined by housing 20, cover 30, cover 34, etc. In some embodiments, battery internal space 33 may be determined to house a predetermined quantity of battery components such as cells 22, BMS 16, etc. Battery internal space 33 may be also determined to minimize unused space and to maximize the quantity or type of components it contains. In some embodiments, at least one of the dimensions of the battery housing, e.g., height, may be set to meet a predetermined internal used volume / total volume ratio threshold. The adjusted dimension can be set to meet the internal used volume / total volume ratio threshold while keeping the other housing dimensions, e.g., length and width, fixed to meet a desired footprint. In some embodiments, battery interior space 33 may be determined such that a parameter associated with battery 14 is maximized, e.g., power capacity. Battery internal space 33 may also be arranged to contain additional battery components and to meet or exceed a predetermined internal used volume / space threshold. In some other embodiments, the unused space may be filled with filler material arranged to secure battery components and / or to dampen undesired vibration or relocation of battery components.

[0051] In addition, terminals 28 may be arranged to protrude through housing 20, such as protruding through cover 30 and / or cover 34. Terminals 28 may be electrically connected to the bus bars inside housing 20 and / or directly connected to cells 22 (bus bars and direct connection not shown).

[0052] Further, battery 14 may be arranged to provide many power capacities and physical sizes, and to operate under various parameters and parameter ranges. It is also noted that implementations of battery 14 some can be scaled to provide various capacities. For example, in some embodiments, the power capacity of battery 14 can range from 25 Ah to 75Ah. It is noted, however, that this range is merely an example, and that it is contemplated that embodiments of battery 14 can be arranged to provide less than a 25 Ah capacity or more than a 75Ah capacity. Power capacity scaling can be accomplished, for example, by using higher or lower power capacity cells 22 in the housing 20, and / or by using fewer or more cells 22 in the housing 20. In some embodiments, battery 14 may be incorporated as part of a vehicle where battery power is needed. Other electrical parameters of the battery 14 can be adjusted / accommodated by using cells 22 that may cumulatively have the desired operational characteristics, e.g., current, voltage, charge, charging capacity / rate, discharge rate, etc. Thermal properties can be managed based on cell 22 characteristics, the use of heat sinks and / or thermal energy discharge plates, etc., within or external to the housing 20. Further, BMS 16 may be connected to at least one of the cells such as to determine / measure at least one parameter of battery 14 and / or cells 22.

[0053] Further, battery 14 may include a plurality of leads 26 (e.g., lead assembly, lead frame), where each lead is electrically connected to a cell 22 and BMS 16. BMS 16 may be configured to determine one or more parameters of each cell 22 via leads 26 such as cell temperature, cell pressure, etc.

[0054] In addition, battery 14 and / or cover 34 may include a vent port 36 arranged to vent gases from battery 14 via cover space 32 such as gases released by cells 22. Example implementations, in accordance with an embodiment, of BMS 16 discussed in the preceding paragraphs will now be described with reference to FIG. 3. BMS 16 may have hardware 40 that may include a communication interface 42 that is configured to communicate with one or more entities in system 10 via wired and / or wireless communication. The communication may be protocol based communications.

[0055] The hardware 40 includes processing circuitry 46. The processing circuitry 46 may include a processor 48 and memory 50. In particular, in addition to or instead of a processor, such as a central processing unit, and memory, the processing circuitry 46 may comprise integrated circuitry for processing and / or control, e.g., one or more processors and / or processor cores and / or FPGAs (Field Programmable Gate Array) and / or ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuitry) adapted to execute instructions. The processor 48 may be configured to access (e.g., write to and / or read from) memory 50, which may include any kind of volatile and / or nonvolatile memory, e.g., cache and / or buffer memory and / or RAM (Random Access Memory) and / or ROM (Read-Only Memory) and / or optical memory and / or EPROM (Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory). Hardware 40 may also have one or more circuit elements 44 such as resistors, capacitors, inductors, diodes, transistors, ground connections, source elements, sink elements, sensors, flexible printed circuit (FPC), etc. Circuit elements 44 may be arranged in any configuration or connection such as series, parallel, combinations thereof, etc.

[0056] Thus, the BMS 16 may further comprise software 52, which is stored in, for example, memory 50, or stored in external memory (e.g., database, etc.) accessible by the BMS 16. The software 52 may be executable by the processing circuitry 46.

[0057] The processing circuitry 46 may be configured to control any of the methods and / or processes described herein and / or to cause such methods, and / or processes to be performed, e.g., by BMS 16. The processor 48 corresponds to one or more processors 48 for performing BMS 16 functions described herein. The BMS 16 includes memory 50 that is configured to store data, programmatic software code and / or other information described herein. In some embodiments, the software 52 may include instructions that, when executed by the processor 48 and / or processing circuitry 46, causes the processor 48 and / or processing circuitry 46 to perform the processes described herein with respect to BMS 16. For example, the processing circuitry 46 of the BMS 16 may include BMS management unit 18 that is configured to perform any step and / or task and / or process and / or method and / or feature described in the present disclosure, e.g., determining one or more parameters, steps, and / or processes associated with battery 14. While BMS management unit 18 is illustrated as being part of BMS 16, BMS management unit 18 and associated functions described herein may be implemented in a device separate from BMS 16 such as in battery 14 or another device.

[0058] Although FIGS. 1 and 3 show one or more “units” such as BMS management unit 18 as being within a respective processor, it is contemplated that these units may be implemented such that a portion of the unit is stored in a corresponding memory within the processing circuitry. In other words, the units may be implemented in hardware, software or in a combination of hardware and software within the processing circuitry.

[0059] FIG. 4 shows an example battery 14 which may include housing 20, vehicle connector 24, terminals 28a, 28b, cover 30, cover 34, and vent port 36. Battery 14 may meet predetermined dimension requirements, e.g., set by a standard such as DIN (acronym for German Institute for Standardization). In one nonlimiting example, battery 14 may be lithium-ion battery that meets one or more dimension and / or power requirements associated with a lead acid battery. In another nonlimiting example, the one or more requirements are that the length (L) and width (W) of battery 14, i.e., the battery “footprint,” and / or one or more of its components must meet the L and W requirements of an H3 battery (i.e., a battery that meets H3 group DIN size), while height (H) of the battery 14 (and / or its components) may vary. L, W, and H may be directed along the X, Y, and Z axes, respectively. Thus, in one embodiment, the height H of housing 20 may change when going from, for example, a housing 20 having 4 battery cells (e.g., 20 Ah) to a housing 20 having 8 battery cells (e.g., 40 Ah), while all other dimensions of housing 20 would remain the same. Although in the example described, L and W are fixed to achieve the desired footprint, while H varies, the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited as such and any one of length, width, and height may be fixed or vary and may be based on a standard or any other requirement.

[0060] FIG. 5 shows example components of the battery 14 shown in FIG. 4. Battery 14 may include enclosure 100 arranged to house cells 22 and / or other battery components. In some embodiments, cells 22 are Li-Ion cells to thusly form a Li-Ion battery 14. Enclosure 100 may include one or more plates 102a, 102b, 102c, 102d and plates 102e, 102f (shown in FIG. 6) (collectively referred to as plates 102), each of which may be coupled to another such as to define enclosure 100. Plate 102a may be similar or complementary to plate 102c, plate 102b may be similar or complementary to plate 102d, and plate 102e may be similar or complementary to plate 102f. In some embodiments, enclosure 100 may be referred to as a cells shell or cell carrier. Further, battery 14 may include bus bar 104, connectors 106a, 106b, 106c (collectively referred to as connectors 106), and FPC (flexible printed circuit) 108. Bus bar 104 may be electrically / physically coupled to at least one battery cell 22 and also to BMS 16. Each one of connectors 106a, 106b, 106c may be electrically / physically coupled to at least one cell 22 (e.g., two cells 22) and to FPC 108 which may be electrically / physically coupled to BMS 16 to provide certain cell parameter data to BMS 16. In this nonlimiting example, battery 14 includes four rows of cells 22 and meets predetermined L and W requirements.

[0061] In the scenario where the dimensions of battery 14 need to be altered to accommodate a change in the number of battery cells 22, e.g., going from four battery cells 22 to eight battery cells 22, in one embodiment, the dimensions of plate 102a and plate 102b may be altered to accommodate the inclusion of additional battery cells 22 while all other dimensions and components of housing 20 remain unchanged.

[0062] FIG. 6 shows example additional components of the battery 14 shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. That is, battery 14 may include bus bar 104a (shown as 104 in FIG. 4) and bus bar 104b which may be electrically / physically coupled to FPC 108. FPC 108 may be coupled to plate 102b via FPC fastener 110. Bus bars 104a, 104b (collectively referred to as bus bars 104) may be electrically / physically coupled to connectors 112a, 112b (collectively referred to as connectors 112), respectively. Connectors 112a, 112b may be electrically / physically coupled to BMS 16, and connectors 114a, 114b (collectively referred to as connectors 114) may be electrically / physically coupled to BMS 16. Further, connectors 114a, 114b may be electrically / physically couplable to terminals 28a, 28b, respectively, thereby creating an electrical connection from terminals 28a, 28b to corresponding cells 22, via one or more of connectors 114a, 114b, BMS 16, connectors 112a, 112b, bus bars 104a, 104b, FPC 108, connectors 106a, 106b, 106c, etc. Plate 102b may include one or more channels 105 arranged to receive and secure one or more battery components such as bus bars 104a, 104b, connectors 106a, 106b, 106c, FPC 108, etc. The characteristics (e.g., dimensions, materials, etc.) of any of enclosure 100, plates 102, bus bars 104, channels 105, connectors 106, FPC 108, and any other components may be adjusted / modified, e.g., to conform to dimension / power requirements of a standard. For example, although battery 14 is shown having four rows of cells 22, battery 14 may be customized or arranged to include any other quantity of cells 22. The characteristics (e.g., dimensions, materials, etc.) of any of enclosure 100, plates 102, bus bars 104, channels 105, connectors 106, FPC 108, and any other components may be adjusted / modified to conform to dimension / power requirements associated with other quantity of cells 22. Thus, battery 14 may be arranged as a modular battery where one or more components can be added / removed while meeting requirements of a standard, such as length and width associated with a DIN size.

[0063] For example, in the scenario where the dimensions of battery 14 need to be altered to accommodate a change in the number of battery cells 22, e.g., going from four battery cells 22 to eight battery cells 22, in one embodiment, the dimensions of bus bar 104a, connectors 106a, 106b, 106c, and FPC 108 are adjusted to accommodate the inclusion of additional battery cells 22 while all other dimensions and components of housing 20 would remain unchanged.

[0064] FIG. 7 shows a battery having similar characteristics to the battery shown in FIGS. 4-6. That is, the example battery 14 (or any other of its components) shown FIG. 7 may have the similar dimensions (e.g., length and width) to the dimensions of battery 14 (or any other of its components) shown in FIGS. 4-6. More specifically, the housing 20 and cover 30 (and other components such as BMS 16 and connectors 112, 114) of FIG. 7 may have the same width and length as the corresponding components shown in FIGS. 4-6, such that both batteries meet a dimension requirement, while having different heights. For example, as shown in FIG. 8, battery 14 includes 8 rows of cells 22 (i.e., four more than the battery 14 of FIGS. 4-6). That is, the modular characteristic of battery 14 allows battery 14 to be customized or arranged such that cells 22 are added / removed and power capacity increased / decreased while maintaining one or more dimensions the same such as length and width of housing 20, enclosure 100, cover 30, 34, etc. This allows for a battery 14 to be used in a system such as vehicle 12 which has been designed to receive a battery of a predetermined length and width, while providing flexible power capacity (increased / decreased capacity based on customer needs) that may be achieved by adding / removing components such as cells 22 that may result in various heights within a predetermined height range.

[0065] FIG. 9 shows example additional components of the battery 14 shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, which may be similar to the additional components shown on FIG. 6. That is, battery 14 may include bus bar 104a and bus bar 104b which may be electrically / physically coupled to FPC 108. FPC 108 may be coupled to plate 102b via FPC fastener 110. Bus bars 104a, 104b may be electrically / physically coupled to connectors 112a, 112b, respectively. Connectors 112a, 112b may be electrically / physically coupled to BMS 16, and connectors 114a, 114b may be electrically / physically coupled to BMS 16. Further, connectors 114a, 114b may be electrically / physically couplable to terminals 28a, 28b, respectively, thereby creating an electrical connection from terminals 28a, 28b to corresponding cells 22, via one or more of connectors 114a, 114b, BMS 16, connectors 112a, 112b, bus bars 104a, 104b, FPC 108, connectors 106a, 106b, 106c, etc. Plate 102b may include one or more channels 105 arranged to receive and secure one or more battery components such as bus bars 104a, 104b, connectors 106a, 106b, 106c, FPC 108, etc. The characteristics (e.g., dimensions, materials, etc.) of any of enclosure 100, plates 102, bus bars 104, channels 105, connectors 106, FPC 108, and any other components have been adjusted / modified, e.g., to conform to dimension / power requirements of a standard. For example, battery 14 is shown having eight rows of cells 22 (four more rows of cells 22 than in FIG. 6), and the characteristics (e.g., dimensions, materials, etc.) of any of enclosure 100, plates 102, bus bars 104, channels 105, connectors 106, FPC 108, and any other components have been adjusted / modified to conform to greater dimension / power requirements associated with the battery 14 of FIG. 9 (when compared to the battery shown in FIG. 6). At least, the dimensions (e.g., along an axis (Z axis)) of bus bars 104a, 104b, connectors 106a, 106b, 106c, FPC 108, plates 102, housing 20 have increased to accommodate a greater quantity of cells 22, while maintaining the characteristics (e.g., L and / or W dimensions, or other characteristics) of BMS 16, connectors 112, 114, etc., the same. That is, the modularity of battery 14 provides flexibility as to some specifications of the battery 14, while keeping others within a range to meet a particular requirement.

[0066] Although the height of battery 14 has been described in the examples above as being adaptable / customizable along the Z axis (i.e., to increase / decrease the height of some battery components and / or provided different power capacities), the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to varying characteristics along a particular axis or to a particular dimension. FIG. 10 shows an example battery 14 which may provide flexibility along the width of battery 14 (i.e., rather than the height) such that the width of battery 14 or any component may be varied to accommodate a predetermined quantity of cells 22. The example battery 14 shows components that are similar to the components shown in FIG. 4, which may be arranged in a different configuration. FIG. 11 shows a cross-section view of the battery 14 shown in FIG. 10, where eight cells 22 are included. Thus, the quantity of cells 22 may vary, where battery 14 includes more or fewer cells 22 than shown, and the width of battery 14 and / or other battery components can be changed accordingly, while maintaining a constant height. In a nonlimiting example, if fewer cells 22 are desired / needed for a particular design / implementation, the width of one or more of cover 30, 34, BMS 16, FPC 108, enclosure 100, housing 20, etc. may be decreased while maintaining the height of battery 14 such as to meet a height requirement of a customer. Conversely, if more cells 22 are desired, the width of one or more of cover 30, 34, BMS 16, FPC 108, enclosure 100, housing 20, etc. may be increased while maintaining the height of battery 14 such as to meet the height requirement of the customer.

[0067] In a nonlimiting example, battery 14 may be assembled using components such as BMS 16, housing 20, cover 30, etc., which meet a width and length requirement of a standard. Based on one or more battery specification requirements, a first battery 14 or a second battery 14 may be automatically assembled using at least components that have the same characteristics (e.g., dimensions, rigidity, materials, BMS functions, etc.) for both of the first battery 14 and the second battery 14, while having components (e.g., bus bar 104, connectors 106, FPC 108, etc.) of varying characteristics. This results in a battery 14 that is modular and scalable such as to meet customer needs, while adhering to other requirements such as set by DIN requirements. The term “same” herein when referring to components or elements or characteristics that are used in two different batteries, e.g., batteries of different sizes and / or capacities, refers to components that are identical in type and may for example, in some embodiments, be referenced by the same manufacturer part number.

[0068] In this nonlimiting example, the battery specification requirements include a first power capacity or a second power capacity. The first power capacity may be less than the second power capacity and may be met using a first quantity of cells 22, while the second power capacity may be met using a second quantity of cells 22 (i.e., greater than the first quantity of cells 22). However, a first BMS 16 and a second BMS 16 having similar or the same characteristics may be used for the first battery 14 and the second battery 14, respectively. Similarly, a first cover 30 and a second cover 30 having similar or same characteristics may be used for the first battery 14 and the second battery 14, respectively. Although a first battery 14 and a second battery 14 are described, the embodiments are not limited as such an any quantity of batteries or models of batteries may share component characteristics while having other components of varying characteristics.

[0069] Further, a battery 14 may be automatically scaled or customized to meet one or more battery specification requirements such as power capacity. For example, a battery 14 may include a first quantity of cells 22 and may be modified to include a second quantity of cells 22 different from the first quantity of cells 22 by adding or removing cells 22. Different bus bar 104, connectors 106, and FPC 108 may be used, while the same BMS 16 and cover 30 are reused, i.e., used in the differently sized batteries. Any of steps of the battery assembly may be performed automatically or manually.

[0070] Battery 14 of the present disclosure may be beneficial at least because battery 14 may be customized such that a predetermined internal used volume / space threshold is met or exceeded, while a battery parameter such as power capacity is met or exceeded. For example, by adding cells 22 to the battery 14 shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 and using other battery components such as bus bars 104, connectors 106 and FPC 108 shown in FIG. 8, the power capacity of battery 14 may be increased while ensuring that the unused space within the battery interior space 33 is minimized and ensuring that the battery components are properly secured and functional.

[0071] FIG. 12 shows a flowchart of an example method according to principles disclosed herein. In FIG. 12, the method includes providing (Step S100) a first battery 14 having a first battery power capacity, the first battery 14 comprising a first battery housing 20, first battery terminals 28, a first plurality of bus bars 104, and a first BMS 16. The method further includes providing (Step S102) a second battery 14 having a second battery power capacity, the first power capacity being different from the second power capacity, the second battery 14 comprising a second battery housing 20, second battery terminals 28, a second plurality of bus bars 104, and a second BMS 16. The method further including first battery terminals 28 being the same (Step S104) as the second battery terminals 28, at least one of the first plurality of bus bars 104 being the same as at least one of the second plurality of bus bars 104, and the first BMS 16 being the same as the second BMS 16. The method further including, at least one dimension of the first battery housing 20 being different (Step S106) from a corresponding dimension of the second battery housing 20.

[0072] In one aspect of the disclosure, a battery system is provided. The battery system includes a first battery 14 having a first battery power capacity, the first battery 14 including a first battery housing 20, first battery terminals 28, a first plurality of bus bars 104, and a first battery management system (BMS) 16. The battery system includes a second battery 14 having a second battery power capacity, the first power capacity being different from the second power capacity, the second battery including a second battery housing 20, second battery terminals 28, a second plurality of bus bars 104, and a second BMS 16, where the first battery terminals 28 being the same as the second terminals 28, at least one of the first plurality of bus bars 104 being the same as at least one of the second plurality of bus bars 104, and the first BMS 16 being the same as the second BMS 16. At least one dimension of the first battery housing 20 being different from a corresponding dimension of the second battery housing 20.

[0073] In one embodiment of this aspect, the first battery 14 further includes a first vent port 36 and the second battery 14 further includes a second vent port 36, the first vent port 36 being the same as the second vent port 36.

[0074] In another embodiment, the first battery 14 further includes at least one first cover 30, 34 and the second battery 14 further includes at least one second cover 30, 34, at least one of the at least one first cover 30, 34 being the same as at least one of the at least one second cover 30, 34.

[0075] In another embodiment, the first battery 14 further includes a first plurality of connectors 106, 112, 114 including at least one first connector 112, 114 proximate the at least one first cover 30, 34 and the second battery further includes a second plurality of connectors 106, 112, 114 including at least a second connector 112, 114 proximate the at least one second cover 30, 34, wherein the first connector 112, 114 is the same as the second connector 112, 114.

[0076] In another embodiment, another of the plurality of second bus bars 104 in the second battery 14 has a greater length than a corresponding bus bar of the plurality of first bus bars 104 in the first battery 14.

[0077] In another embodiment, the first battery housing 20 has a first length and a first width representing a first footprint and the second battery housing 20 has a second length and a second width representing a second footprint, the first footprint being the same as the second footprint.

[0078] In another embodiment, the first battery housing 20 further includes a first length and a first width representing a first footprint, and a first height, and the second battery housing 20 further includes a second length and a second width representing a second footprint, and a second height, wherein the first height is the same as the second height and the first footprint is different from the second footprint.

[0079] In another aspect, a method is provided, the method including providing a first battery 14 having a first battery power capacity, the first battery 14 comprising a first battery housing 20, first battery terminals 28, a first plurality of bus bars 104, and a first battery management system (BMS) 16 and providing a second battery 14 having a second battery power capacity, the first power capacity being different from the second power capacity, the second battery 14 including a second battery housing 20, second battery terminals 28, a second plurality of bus bars 104, and a second BMS 16. The first battery terminals 28 being the same as the second terminals 28, at least one of the first plurality of bus bars 104 being the same as at least one of the second plurality of bus bars 104, the first BMS 16 being the same as the second BMS 16, and at least one dimension of the first battery housing 20 being different from a corresponding dimension of the second battery housing 20.

[0080] In one embodiment of this aspect, the first battery 14 further includes a first vent port 36 and the second battery 14 further includes a second vent port 36, the first vent port 36 being the same as the second vent port 36.

[0081] In another embodiment, the first battery 14 further includes at least one first cover 30, 34 and the second battery 14 further includes at least one second cover 30, 34, at least one of the at least one first cover 30, 34 being the same as at least one of the at least one second cover 30, 34.

[0082] In another embodiment, the first battery 14 further includes a first plurality of connectors 106, 112, 114 including at least one first connector 112, 114 proximate the at least one first cover 30, 34 and the second battery 14 further includes a second plurality of connectors 106, 112, 114 including a at least one second connector 112, 114 proximate the at least one second cover 30, 34, wherein the first connector 112, 114 is the same as the second connector 112, 114.

[0083] In another embodiment, the first battery housing 20 has a first length and a first width representing a first footprint and the second battery housing 20 has a second length and a second width representing a second footprint, the first footprint being the same as the second footprint.

[0084] In another embodiment, another of the plurality of second bus bars 104 in the second battery 14 has a greater length than corresponding bus bar of the plurality of first bus bars 104 in the first battery 14.

[0085] According to another aspect, a first battery 14 having a first battery power capacity for a system having the first battery 14 and a second battery 14, is provided. The first battery 14 includes a first battery housing 20, first battery terminals 28, a first plurality of bus bars 104, and a first battery management system (BMS) 16. A second battery 14 has a second battery power capacity different from the first power capacity, the second battery 14 including a second battery housing 20, second battery terminals 28, a second plurality of bus bars 104, and a second BMS 16, the first battery terminals 28 being the same as the second terminals 28, at least one of the first plurality of bus bars 104 being the same as at least one of the second plurality of bus bars 104, the first BMS 16 being the same as the second BMS 16, and at least one dimension of the first battery housing 20 being different from a corresponding dimension of the second battery housing 20.

[0086] In one embodiment of this aspect, the battery further includes a first vent port 36 and the second battery 14 further includes a second vent port 36, the first vent port 36 being the same as the second vent port 36.

[0087] In another embodiment, the battery further includes at least one first cover 30, 34 and the second battery 14 further includes at least one second cover 30, 34, at least one of the at least one first cover 30, 34 being the same as at least one of the at least one second cover 30, 34.

[0088] In another embodiment, the battery further includes a first plurality of connectors 106, 112, 114 including at least one first connector 112, 114 proximate the at least one first cover 30, 34 and the second battery 14 further comprises a second plurality of connectors 106, 112, 114 including a second connector 112, 114 proximate the at least one second cover 30, 34, wherein the first connector 112, 114 is the same as the second connector 112, 114.

[0089] In another embodiment, the first battery housing 20 has a first length and a first width representing a first footprint and the second battery housing 20 has a second length and a second width representing a second footprint, the first footprint being the same as the second footprint.

[0090] In another embodiment, the first battery housing 20 has a first length and a first width representing a first footprint, and a first height, and the second battery housing 20 has a second length and a second width representing a second footprint, and a second height, wherein the first height is the same as the second height and the first footprint is different from the second footprint.

[0091] In another embodiment, another of the plurality of second bus bars 104 in the second battery 14 has a greater length than a corresponding bus bar of the plurality of first bus bars 104 in the first battery 14.

[0092] It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the present embodiments are not limited to what has been particularly shown and described herein above. In addition, unless mention was made above to the contrary, it should be noted that all of the accompanying drawings are not to scale. A variety of modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings without departing from the scope of the following claims.

Claims

Claims:

1. A battery system, comprising: a first battery (14) having a first battery power capacity, the first battery (14) comprising a first battery housing (20), first battery terminals (28), a first plurality of bus bars (104), and a first battery management system, BMS (16); a second battery (14) having a second battery power capacity, the first power capacity being different from the second power capacity, the second battery comprising a second battery housing (20), second battery terminals (28), a second plurality of bus bars (104), and a second BMS (16); the first battery terminals (28) being the same as the second terminals (28), at least one of the first plurality of bus bars (104) being the same as at least one of the second plurality of bus bars (104), and the first BMS (16) being the same as the second BMS (16); and at least one dimension of the first battery housing (20) being different from a corresponding dimension of the second battery housing (20).

2. The system of Claim 1, wherein the first battery (14) further comprises a first vent port (36) and the second battery (14) further comprises a second vent port (36), the first vent port (36) being the same as the second vent port (36).

3. The system of any of Claims 1-2, wherein the first battery (14) further comprises at least one first cover (30, 34) and the second battery (14) further comprises at least one second cover (30, 34), at least one of the at least one first cover (30, 34) being the same as at least one of the at least one second cover (30, 34).

4. The system of Claim 3, wherein the first battery (14) further comprises a first plurality of connectors (106, 112, 114) including at least one first connector (112,114) proximate the at least one first cover (30, 34) and the second battery further comprises a second plurality of connectors (106, 112, 114) including at least a second connector (112, 114) proximate the at least one second cover (30, 34), wherein the first connector (112, 114) is the same as the second connector (112, 114).

5. The system of any of Claims 1-4, wherein another of the plurality of second bus bars (104) in the second battery (14) has a greater length than a corresponding bus bar of the plurality of first bus bars (104) in the first battery (14).

6. The system of any of Claims 1-5, wherein the first battery housing (20) has a first length and a first width representing a first footprint and the second battery housing (20) has a second length and a second width representing a second footprint, the first footprint being the same as the second footprint.

7. The system of any of Claims 1-5, wherein: the first battery housing (20) further comprises; a first length and a first width representing a first footprint; and a first height; and the second battery housing (20) further comprises: a second length and a second width representing a second footprint; and a second height, wherein the first height is the same as the second height and the first footprint is different from the second footprint.

8. A method comprising: providing (Step S100) a first battery (14) having a first battery power capacity, the first battery (14) comprising a first battery housing (20), first battery terminals (28), a first plurality of bus bars (104), and a first battery management system, BMS (16); providing (Step S102) a second battery (14) having a second battery power capacity, the first power capacity being different from the second power capacity, the second battery (14) comprising a second battery housing (20), second battery terminals (28), a second plurality of bus bars (104), and a second BMS (16); the first battery terminals (28) being the same (S104) as the second terminals (28), at least one of the first plurality of bus bars (104) being the same as at least one of the second plurality of bus bars (104), and the first BMS (16) being the same as the second BMS (16); and at least one dimension of the first battery housing (20) being different (S106) from a corresponding dimension of the second battery housing (20).

9. The method of Claim 8, wherein the first battery (14) further comprises a first vent port (36) and the second battery (14) further comprises a second vent port (36), the first vent port (36) being the same as the second vent port (36).

10. The method of any of Claims 8-9, wherein the first battery (14) further comprises at least one first cover (30, 34) and the second battery (14) further comprises at least one second cover (30, 34), at least one of the at least one first cover (30, 34) being the same as at least one of the at least one second cover (30, 34).

11. The method of Claim 10, wherein the first battery (14) further comprises a first plurality of connectors (106, 112, 114) including at least one first connector (112,114) proximate the at least one first cover (30, 34) and the second battery (14) further comprises a second plurality of connectors (106, 112, 114) including a at least one second connector (112, 114) proximate the at least one second cover (30, 34), wherein the first connector (112, 114) is the same as the second connector (112, 114).

12. The method of any of Claims 8-11, wherein the first battery housing (20) has a first length and a first width representing a first footprint and the second battery housing (20) has a second length and a second width representing a second footprint, the first footprint being the same as the second footprint.

13. The method of any of Claims 8-12, wherein another of the plurality of second bus bars (104) in the second battery (14) has a greater length than a corresponding bus bar of the plurality of first bus bars (104) in the first battery (14).

14. A first battery (14) having a first battery power capacity for a system having the first battery (14) and a second battery (14), the first battery (14) comprising: a first battery housing (20); first battery terminals (28); a first plurality of bus bars (104),;and a first battery management system, BMS (16); where a second battery (14) has a second battery power capacity different from the first power capacity, the second battery (14) comprising a second battery housing (20), second battery terminals (28), a second plurality of bus bars (104), and a second BMS(16), the first battery terminals (28) being the same as the second terminals (28), at least one of the first plurality of bus bars (104) being the same as at least one of the second plurality of bus bars (104), and the first BMS (16) being the same as the second BMS (16), and at least one dimension of the first battery housing (20) being different from a corresponding dimension of the second battery housing (20).

15. The first battery (14) of Claim 14, further comprising a first vent port (36) and the second battery (14) further comprises a second vent port (36), the first vent port (36) being the same as the second vent port (36).

16. The first battery (14) of any of Claims 14-15, further comprising at least one first cover (30, 34) and the second battery (14) further comprises at least one second cover (30, 34), at least one of the at least one first cover (30, 34) being the same as at least one of the at least one second cover (30, 34).

17. The first battery (14) of Claim 16, further comprising a first plurality of connectors (106, 112, 114) including at least one first connector (112, 114) proximate the at least one first cover (30, 34) and the second battery (14) further comprises a second plurality of connectors (106, 112, 114) including a second connector (112, 114) proximate the at least one second cover (30, 34), wherein the first connector (112, 114) is the same as the second connector (112, 114).

18. The first battery of any of Claims 14-17, wherein the first battery housing (20) has a first length and a first width representing a first footprint and the second battery housing (20) has a second length and a second width representing a second footprint, the first footprint being the same as the second footprint.

19. The first battery (14) of any of Claims 14-17, wherein: the first battery housing (20) further comprises: a first length and a first width representing a first footprint; and a first height, and the second battery housing (20) comprises: a second length and a second width representing a second footprint; anda second height, wherein the first height is the same as the second height and the first footprint is different from the second footprint.

20. The first battery (14) of any of Claims 14-19, wherein another of the plurality of second bus bars (104) in the second battery (14) has a greater length than another of the plurality of first bus bars (104) in the first battery (14).

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