Flexible fusible link, systems, and methods

Abstract

A fusible link includes a current collector element, a battery cell conductor pad, and at least one fusible conductor connecting the current collector element and the battery cell conductor pad. The current collector element can be a current collector conductor pad, a current collector conductor pad and a current collector plate, or a fuse sheet. A battery cell has an anode electrode and a cathode electrode, a separate fusible link is coupled to at least one of the battery cell electrodes. The battery cell conductor pad is electrically and mechanically attached to each battery cell electrode. The fusible conductor opens under excessive current flow, and has sufficient service loop length to allow relative in-plane and out-of-plane motions between the battery cell electrode and the current collector element. The fusible links can be applied to each of a plurality of battery cells included in a battery pack.

1 . A fusible link comprising:
 a. a current collector conductor pad;   b. a battery cell conductor pad; and   c. at least one fusible conductor coupled between the current collector conductor pad and the battery cell conductor pad, wherein the at least one fusible conductor is flexibly shaped to enable relative movement between the current collector conductor pad and the battery cell conductor pad.   
     
     
         2 . The fusible link of  claim 1  wherein the fusible conductor opens when a current flow through the fusible conductor reaches a threshold current. 
     
     
         3 . The fusible link of  claim 1  wherein the fusible conductor has a service loop length to enable relative in-plane and out-of-plane motions between the battery cell conductor pad and the current collector conductor pad. 
     
     
         4 . The fusible link of  claim 1  wherein the fusible conductor is spiral shaped. 
     
     
         5 . The fusible link of  claim 1  wherein said fusible conductor is accordion shaped. 
     
     
         6 . The fusible link of  claim 1  wherein a material of the fusible link is selected from the group consisting of aluminum, copper, nickel, zinc, and any combination thereof. 
     
     
         7 . The fusible link of  claim 1  wherein the fusible link is fabricated via etching, stamping, or laser cutting. 
     
     
         8 . A fusible link assembly comprising:
 a. a battery cell including a first electrode and a second electrode;   b. a first fusible link comprising a first current collector element, a first battery cell conductor pad coupled to the first electrode of the battery cell, and at least one first fusible conductor coupled between the first current collector element and the first battery cell conductor pad, wherein the at least one first fusible conductor is flexibly shaped to enable relative movement between the first current collector element and the battery cell; and   c. a conductive link coupled to the second electrode.   
     
     
         9 . The fusible link assembly of  claim 8  further comprising a battery cell holder configured to support the battery cell. 
     
     
         10 . The fusible link assembly of  claim 9  wherein the battery cell holder includes a first surface having a first surface opening aligned with the first electrode of the battery cell, and the battery cell holder includes a second surface having a second surface opening aligned with the second electrode of the battery cell. 
     
     
         11 . The fusible link assembly of  claim 8  wherein the first current collector element comprises a first current collector conductor pad and the conductive link comprises a second current collector conductor pad. 
     
     
         12 . The fusible link assembly of  claim 11  further comprising a battery cell holder configured to support the battery cell, wherein the first current collector conductor pad and the second current collector conductor pad are each coupled to the battery cell holder. 
     
     
         13 . The fusible link assembly of  claim 8  wherein the first current collector element comprises a first current collector conductor pad electrically and mechanically coupled to a first current collector plate, and the conductive link comprises a second current collector conductor pad electrically and mechanically coupled to a second current collector plate. 
     
     
         14 . The fusible link assembly of  claim 13  further comprising a battery cell holder configured to support the battery cell, wherein the first current collector conductor plate and the second current collector plate are each coupled to the battery cell holder. 
     
     
         15 . The fusible link assembly of  claim 13  wherein the first current collector conductor pad is coupled to the first current collector plate and the second current collector conductor pad is coupled to the second current collector plate using one of the group consisting of resistance welding, laser welding, ultrasonic welding, brazing, soldering, mechanical fasteners, and conductive adhesives. 
     
     
         16 . The fusible link assembly of  claim 8  wherein the first current collector element comprises a first fuse sheet coupled to the first fusible conductor. 
     
     
         17 . The fusible link assembly of  claim 16  further comprising a battery cell holder configured to support the battery cell, wherein the first fuse sheet is coupled to the battery cell holder. 
     
     
         18 . The fusible link assembly of  claim 16  wherein the first fusible conductor and the first battery cell conductor pad are integrally formed with the first fuse sheet. 
     
     
         19 . The fusible link assembly of  claim 8  wherein the first battery cell conductor pad is electrically and mechanically coupled to the first electrode of the battery cell. 
     
     
         20 . The fusible link assembly of  claim 19  wherein the first battery cell conductor pad is coupled to the first electrode using one of the group consisting of resistance welding, laser welding, ultrasonic welding, mechanical fasteners, and conductive adhesives. 
     
     
         21 . The fusible link assembly of  claim 8  wherein the first current collector element is coupled to a first output terminal, and the conductive link is coupled to a second output terminal. 
     
     
         22 . The fusible link assembly of  claim 8  wherein the first fusible conductor opens when a current flow through the first fusible conductor reaches a threshold current. 
     
     
         23 . The fusible link assembly of  claim 8  wherein the first fusible conductor has a service loop length to enable relative in-plane and out-of-plane motions between the first battery cell conductor pad and the first current collector element. 
     
     
         24 . The fusible link assembly of  claim 8  wherein the first fusible conductor is spiral shaped. 
     
     
         25 . The fusible link assembly of  claim 8  wherein the first fusible conductor is accordion shaped. 
     
     
         26 . The fusible link assembly of  claim 8  wherein a material of the first fusible link is selected from the group consisting of aluminum, copper, nickel, zinc, and any combination thereof. 
     
     
         27 . The fusible link assembly of  claim 8  wherein the first fusible link is fabricated via etching, stamping, or laser cutting. 
     
     
         28 . The fusible link assembly of  claim 8  wherein the conductive link comprises a second fusible link comprising a second current collector element, a second battery cell conductor pad coupled to the second electrode of the battery cell, and at least one second fusible conductor coupled between the second current collector element and the second battery cell conductor pad, wherein the at least one second fusible conductor is flexibly shaped to enable relative movement between the second current collector element and the battery cell. 
     
     
         29 . A battery pack comprising;
 a. a plurality of battery cells, each battery cell includes a first electrode and a second electrode;   b. a first fusible link comprising a first current collector element, a plurality of first battery cell conductor pads, and a plurality of first fusible conductors, wherein each of the first battery cell conductor pads is coupled to a corresponding one first electrode and at least one first fusible conductor is coupled between the first current collector element and each first battery cell conductor pad, further wherein each of the first fusible conductors are flexibly shaped to enable relative movement between the first current collector element and the corresponding battery cell to which the first fusible conductor is coupled; and   c. a conductive link coupled to each of the second electrodes.   
     
     
         30 . The battery pack of  claim 29  further comprising a battery cell holder configured to support the plurality of battery cells. 
     
     
         31 . The battery pack of  claim 30  wherein the battery cell holder includes a first surface having a plurality of first surface openings, one first surface opening aligned with one of the first electrodes of the plurality of battery cells, and the battery cell holder includes a second surface having a plurality of second surface openings, one second surface opening aligned with one of the second electrodes of the plurality of battery cells. 
     
     
         32 . The battery pack of  claim 29  wherein the first current collector element comprises a plurality of first current collector conductor pads, one first current collector conductor pad coupled to one of the plurality of first fusible conductors. 
     
     
         33 . The battery pack of  claim 32  further comprising a battery cell holder configured to support the plurality of battery cells, wherein the plurality of first current collector conductor pads are each coupled to the battery cell holder. 
     
     
         34 . The battery pack of  claim 29  wherein the first current collector element comprises a plurality of first current collector conductor pads electrically and mechanically coupled to at least one first current collector plate. 
     
     
         35 . The battery pack of  claim 34  further comprising a battery cell holder configured to support the plurality of battery cells, wherein the at least one first current collector conductor plate is coupled to the battery cell holder. 
     
     
         36 . The battery pack of  claim 34  wherein the plurality of first current collector conductor pads are coupled to the at least one first current collector plate using one of the group consisting of resistance welding, laser welding, ultrasonic welding, brazing, soldering, mechanical fasteners, and conductive adhesives. 
     
     
         37 . The battery pack of  claim 29  wherein the first current collector element comprises at least one first fuse sheet coupled to the plurality of first fusible conductors. 
     
     
         38 . The battery pack of  claim 37  wherein the plurality of first fusible conductors and the plurality of first battery cell conductor pads coupled to the plurality of first fusible conductors are arranged in a first array on the at least one first fuse sheet, each position of the first array is aligned with one first electrode of the plurality of battery cells. 
     
     
         39 . The battery pack of  claim 37  further comprising a battery cell holder configured to support the battery cell, wherein the first fuse sheet is coupled to the battery cell holder. 
     
     
         40 . The battery pack of  claim 37  wherein the plurality of first fusible conductors and the plurality of first battery cell conductor pads are integrally formed with the first fuse sheet. 
     
     
         41 . The battery pack of  claim 29  wherein each of the plurality of first battery cell conductor pads is electrically and mechanically coupled to one of the first electrode of the plurality of battery cells. 
     
     
         42 . The battery pack of  claim 41  wherein the first battery cell conductor pad is coupled to the first electrode using one of the group consisting of resistance welding, laser welding, ultrasonic welding, mechanical fasteners, and conductive adhesives. 
     
     
         43 . The battery pack of  claim 29  wherein the first current collector element is coupled to a first output terminal, and the conductive link is coupled to a second output terminal. 
     
     
         44 . The battery pack of  claim 29  wherein each of the plurality of first fusible conductors opens when a current flow through the first fusible conductor reaches a threshold current. 
     
     
         45 . The battery pack of  claim 29  wherein each of the plurality of first fusible conductors has a service loop length to enable relative in-plane and out-of-plane motions between the corresponding first battery cell conductor pad and the first current collector element. 
     
     
         46 . The battery pack of  claim 29  wherein each of the plurality of first fusible conductors are spiral shaped. 
     
     
         47 . The battery pack of  claim 29  wherein each of the plurality of first fusible conductors are accordion shaped. 
     
     
         48 . The battery pack of  claim 29  wherein a material of the first fusible link is selected from the group consisting of aluminum, copper, nickel, zinc, and any combination thereof. 
     
     
         49 . The battery pack of  claim 29  wherein the first fusible link is fabricated via etching, stamping, or laser cutting. 
     
     
         50 . The battery pack of  claim 29  wherein the conductive link comprises a second fusible link comprising a second current collector element, a plurality of second battery cell conductor pads, and a plurality of second fusible conductors, wherein each of the second battery cell conductor pads is coupled to a corresponding one second electrode and at least one second fusible conductor is coupled between the second current collector element and each second battery cell conductor pad, further wherein each of the second fusible conductors are flexibly shaped to enable relative movement between the second current collector element and the corresponding battery cell to which the second fusible conductor is coupled.