BATTERY CELL CONNECTOR

摘要

A battery system includes a connector electrically connecting, in parallel, three or more battery cells, where the connector includes a fuse integrally formed therein at least between a first one or more cells in the group of cells and a second one or more cells in the group of cells. The connector may be a unitary piece of conductive material that has a cross sectional area that narrows between each cell to form a fuse between each of the three or more battery cells and/or narrows between pairs of the three or more battery cells. Each fuse's cross-sectional area is dimensioned so as to disconnect the cell(s) on one side of the fuse from the cell(s) on the other side of the fuse, thereby preventing a thermal runaway event. A battery pack comprising this battery system may have an external fuse that responds to a short circuit occurring external to the battery system before the connector's fuses do. Likewise, the connector's fuses may respond to a short circuit occurring within the battery system before the external fuse does. The connector may facilitate an improved method of manufacturing battery packs.

主权项

1. A battery system comprising:
a group of three or more battery cells; and a connector electrically connecting the group of three of more battery cells together in parallel, the cell connector comprising a unitary conductor having at least one fuse integrally formed therein such that at least one fuse is located electrically between a first battery cell and a plurality of other battery cells in the group of three or more battery cells.