US 11,772,178 B2
Multi-layer contact plate and method thereof
Heiner Fees, Bietigheim-Bissingen (DE); Andreas Track, Sachsenheim (DE); Ralf Maisch, Abstatt (DE); Alexander Eichhorn, Eppingen (DE); Jörg Damaske, Freiberg (DE); Valentin Brokop, Walheim (DE); Hans-Joachim Pflüger, Wüstenrot (DE); and Claus Gerald Pflüger, Markgröningen (DE)
Assigned to AMERICAN BATTERY SOLUTIONS, INC., Dover, DE (US)
Filed by American Battery Solutions, Inc., Lake Orion, MI (US)
Filed on Jan. 8, 2020, as Appl. No. 16/737,358.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/789,659, filed on Jan. 8, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2020/0220145 A1, Jul. 9, 2020
Int. Cl. H01M 4/02 (2006.01); B23K 1/00 (2006.01); H01M 50/528 (2021.01); H01M 50/559 (2021.01); H01M 50/548 (2021.01); H01M 50/526 (2021.01); H01M 50/522 (2021.01); H01M 50/503 (2021.01); B23K 101/36 (2006.01); B23K 1/008 (2006.01)
CPC B23K 1/0016 (2013.01) [H01M 50/503 (2021.01); H01M 50/522 (2021.01); H01M 50/526 (2021.01); H01M 50/528 (2021.01); H01M 50/548 (2021.01); H01M 50/559 (2021.01); B23K 1/008 (2013.01); B23K 2101/36 (2018.08); H01M 2220/20 (2013.01)] 12 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A multi-layer contact plate configured to establish electrical bonds to battery cells in a battery module, comprising:
a first plate section;
a second plate section, at least one of the first and second plate sections being configured with a set of raised dimples on an inner side of the respective plate section;
a cell terminal connection layer sandwiched between the first and second plate sections, wherein a portion of the cell terminal connection layer is configured to form a set of bonding connectors to provide a direct electrical bond between the multi-layer contact plate and terminals of at least one group of battery cells; and
a set of inter-layer connection points arranged between at least the first and second plate sections, each inter-layer connection point of the set of inter-layer connection points comprising a respective raised dimple from the set of raised dimples,
wherein the set of raised dimples is formed as a result of tacking during joinder of the first and second plate sections in the multi-layer contact plate, or
wherein the set of inter-layer connection points includes: a first subset of two-layer connection points where soldering or brazing material is applied directly between the first and second plate sections in a region of the multi-layer contact plate corresponding to a hole in the cell terminal connection layer, and a second subset of three-layer connection points where the soldering or brazing material is applied between the first plate section and the cell terminal connection layer and also between the second plate section and the cell terminal connection layer.