IP Library Granted Patent US 11,424,489
Granted Patent B2
US 11,424,489 · App. 15/940,462 · Granted Aug 23, 2022

Battery phenomenon management via resilient material

Inventors: Bouziane Yebka (Apex, NC); Philip John Jakes (Durham, NC); Tin-Lup Wong (Chapel Hill, NC)
Assignee: Lenovo (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.
H01M10/425H01M4/13H01M10/0525H01M10/0583H01M10/482H01M50/116H01M50/172H01M50/20H01M50/461H01M50/593H01M2004/027H01M2004/028H01M2010/4271H01M2220/30
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,424,489
App. No.
15/940,462
Granted
Aug 23, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

A device can include a processor; memory accessible by the processor; a housing that includes a battery bay that includes a first surface and a second, opposing surface; a battery package disposed in the battery bay and operatively coupled to the processor; and a resilient material disposed between the battery package and at least one of the first surface and the second surface of the battery bay.

Claims (34)

1. A device comprising:

a processor;

memory accessible by the processor;

a battery bay that comprises a first surface and a second, opposing surface;

a battery package disposed in the battery bay and operatively coupled to the processor, wherein the battery package comprises a first package layer, a second, opposing package layer, a lithium-ion battery disposed between the first package layer and the second package layer; and

a resilient foam material in a compressed state, disposed between the lithium-ion battery and at least one of the first package layer and the second package layer, that forcibly loads the lithium-ion battery via an expansion force of the resilient foam material in the compressed state,

wherein the resilient foam material in the compressed state initially applies a pre-load force to the lithium-ion battery,

wherein the resilient foam material comprises a hardness less than Shore A 60,

wherein a height of the battery package is defined as a distance between the first package layer and the second package layer,

wherein a sum of a thickness of the lithium-ion battery and a thickness of the resilient foam material in the compressed state equals the height of the battery package,

wherein the resilient foam material applies force to the lithium-ion battery during expansion and contraction of cyclic breathing of the lithium-ion battery,

wherein a lithium-ion battery thickness is between 3.5 mm and 5.5 mm,

wherein a resilient foam material thickness is greater than or equal to 1.1 mm and less than or equal to 2 mm, and

wherein the expansion and contraction of the cyclic breathing of the lithium ion battery is less than 2 percent of the lithium-ion battery thickness.

2. A method comprising:

in a device that comprises a processor; memory accessible by the processor; a battery bay that comprises a first bay surface and a second, opposing bay surface; a battery package disposed in the battery bay and operatively coupled to the processor, wherein the battery package comprises a first package layer, a second, opposing package layer, a lithium-ion battery disposed between the first package layer and the second package layer, and a resilient foam material in a compressed state, disposed between the lithium-ion battery and at least one of the first package layer and the second package layer, forcibly loading the lithium-ion battery via an expansion force of the resilient foam material in the compressed state, wherein the loading the lithium-ion battery via the resilient foam material in the compressed state initially applies a pre-load force to the lithium-ion battery, wherein the resilient foam material comprises a hardness less than Shore A 60, wherein a height of the battery package is defined as a distance between the first package layer and the second package layer, wherein a sum of a thickness of the lithium-ion battery and a thickness of the resilient foam material in the compressed state equals the height of the battery package, wherein the resilient foam material applies force to the lithium-ion battery during expansion and contraction of cyclic breathing of the lithium-ion battery, wherein a lithium-ion battery thickness is between 3.5 mm and 5.5 mm, wherein a resilient foam material thickness is greater than or equal to 1.1 mm and less than or equal to 2 mm, and wherein the expansion and contraction of the cyclic breathing of the lithium ion battery is less than 2 percent of the lithium-ion battery thickness.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising, via the forcibly loading by the expansion force of the resilient foam material, reducing swelling of the lithium-ion battery wherein the swelling is associated with charge-discharge cycling of the lithium-ion battery for a number of cycles in excess of 10 cycles.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the resilient foam material has an adhesive on at least a single side.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein the thickness of the resilient foam material in the compressed state is a maximum thickness of the resilient foam material in the battery package.

6. The method of claim 2 wherein the thickness of the resilient foam material in the compressed state is less than 60 percent of the thickness of the lithium-ion battery.

7. The method of claim 2 wherein the resilient foam material in the compressed state comprises a thickness that is greater than approximately 0.5 mm and less than approximately 2 mm.

8. The method of claim 2 wherein the resilient foam material comprises a rubber.

9. The method of claim 2 wherein the resilient foam material comprises a polyurethane.

10. The method of claim 2 wherein the resilient foam material is viscoelastic.

11. The method of claim 2 wherein the resilient foam material comprises a viscoelastic acrylic foam.

12. The method of claim 2 wherein the resilient foam material in the compressed state covers at least 50 percent of the area of a side of the lithium-ion battery to pre-load the lithium-ion battery in the battery package.

13. The method of claim 2 wherein the battery package comprises a rectangular footprint and a plurality of connector tabs that extend from the rectangular footprint.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the resilient foam material has an adhesive on at least a single side.

15. The method of claim 2 wherein the resilient foam material in the compressed state eliminates gaps designed for normal swelling of the lithium-ion battery in the battery package.

16. The method of claim 2 wherein at least one of the first package layer and the second package layer comprises polyester resin.

17. The method of claim 2 comprising installing the battery package in the device, wherein the battery package comprises a screw tab and wherein the installing comprises securing the battery package to the device using a screw and the screw tab.

18. The device of claim 1 , wherein the resilient foam material comprises a rubber.

19. The device of claim 1 wherein the resilient foam material comprises a polyurethane.

20. The device of claim 1 , wherein the battery package comprises a footprint and a plurality of connector tabs that extend from the footprint.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 20, 2025
From: LENOVO PC INTERNATIONAL LIMITED
To: LENOVO SWITZERLAND INTERNATIONAL GMBH
Reel/Frame 070269/0092 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 19, 2025
From: LENOVO (SINGAPORE) PTE LTD.
To: LENOVO PC INTERNATIONAL LIMITED
Reel/Frame 070269/0028 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 25, 2018
From: YEBKA, BOUZIANE; JAKES, PHILIP JOHN; WONG, TIN-LUP
To: LENOVO (SINGAPORE) PTE. LTD.
Reel/Frame 046187/0199 →