STACKED BATTERY TRAY STRUCTURE AND RELATED METHODS

摘要

Thin-film batteries are stacked within a structure that permits battery expansion. In various embodiments, the batteries are retained within individual trays that may be tiled into multi-tray layers which are then stacked, or are retained within a stacked series of printed circuit boards or within the pleats of a single, flexible, accordion-folded printed circuit board.

主权项

1. A battery array comprising:
a plurality of thin-film batteries each having first and second opposed surfaces and a thickness spanning the surfaces, the batteries having a generally polygonal shape; and a plurality of battery trays, each of the trays having at least one battery well and an associated battery received therein, each of the battery wells comprising (i) a floor in contact with a first surface of the associated battery, (ii) a side wall having a height greater than the thickness of the associated battery, and (iii) first and second electrical contacts on an exterior surface of the side wall, each of the contacts being electrically connected to a different pole of the associated battery, wherein the battery trays are arranged in stacked relation, the first electrical contacts being interconnected with each other and the second electrical contacts being interconnected with each other but not with the first electrical contacts, and further wherein in each well, a second surface of the associated battery opposed to the battery first surface is spaced apart from any surface of any tray stacked thereabove.