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US-12624722-B2 - Spacer nut

US12624722B2US 12624722 B2US12624722 B2US 12624722B2US-12624722-B2

Abstract

Disclosed embodiments include spacer nuts for use with battery packs and configurations thereof.

Inventors

  • John Weiss

Assignees

  • John Weiss

Dates

Publication Date
20260512
Application Date
20230908

Claims (9)

  1. 1 . An apparatus comprising a first spacer nut, wherein the first spacer nut comprises: a top surface along a longitudinal axis of the first spacer nut; a bottom surface opposite the top surface along the longitudinal axis of the first spacer nut; a front end along a lateral axis of the first spacer nut; a rear end opposite the front end along the lateral axis of the first spacer nut; a first side along a vertical axis of the first spacer nut; a second side opposite the first side along the vertical axis of the first spacer nut; an opening extending from the top surface to the bottom surface near the front end of the first spacer nut; an attaching member protruding from the rear end of the first spacer nut and configured for coupling the first spacer nut to a first auxiliary structure; a dovetail pin protruding from the bottom surface of the first spacer nut and extending from approximately a midpoint of the bottom surface of the first spacer nut to approximately the rear end of the first spacer nut and configured to couple the first spacer nut to a first battery spacer via a corresponding dovetail receiving slot on the first battery spacer.
  2. 2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the opening extending from the top surface to the bottom surface near the front end of the first spacer nut is configured to receive a bolt.
  3. 3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a region surrounding the opening on the top surface comprises a first raised serrated structure configured to receive a corresponding serrated locking structure of a first component, and wherein a region surrounding the opening on the bottom surface comprises a second raised serrated structure configured to receive a corresponding serrated locking structure of a second component.
  4. 4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising the first auxiliary structure coupled to the first spacer nut via the attaching member.
  5. 5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first auxiliary structure comprises at least one of a circuit board, a thermal insulating material, or a conductor layer.
  6. 6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising: a second spacer nut substantially identical to the first spacer nut; a third spacer nut substantially identical to the first spacer nut, a fourth spacer nut substantially identical to the first spacer nut; and wherein the first spacer nut, second spacer nut, third spacer nut, and fourth spacer nuts are arranged into a first horizontal configuration wherein: the first spacer nut is coupled to the first battery spacer; the second spacer nut is coupled to the first battery spacer; the third spacer nut is coupled to a second batter spacer; and the fourth spacer nut is coupled to the second battery spacer.
  7. 7 . The apparatus of claim 6 , further comprising a fifth spacer nut, wherein the fifth spacer nut comprises: a top surface along a longitudinal axis of the fifth spacer nut; a bottom surface opposite the top surface along the longitudinal axis of the fifth spacer nut; a front end along a lateral axis of the fifth spacer nut; a rear end opposite the front end along the lateral axis of the fifth spacer nut; a first side along a vertical axis of the fifth spacer nut; a second side opposite the first side along the vertical axis of the fifth spacer nut; an opening extending from the top surface to the bottom surface near the front end of the fifth spacer nut; an attaching member protruding from the rear end of the fifth spacer nut and configured for coupling the fifth spacer nut to a second auxiliary structure; and a dovetail receiving slot along the top surface and extending from approximately the midpoint of the fifth spacer nut to approximately the rear end of the fifth spacer nut and configured to couple the fifth spacer nut to the first battery spacer via a corresponding dovetail pin on the first battery spacer.
  8. 8 . The apparatus of claim 7 , further comprising: a sixth spacer nut substantially identical to the fifth spacer nut, a seventh spacer nut substantially identical to the fifth spacer nut; an eighth spacer nut substantially identical to the fifth spacer nut; and wherein the fifth spacer nut, sixth spacer nut, seventh spacer nut, and eighth spacer nuts are arranged into a second horizontal configuration wherein: the fifth spacer nut is coupled to the first battery spacer; the sixth spacer nut is coupled to the second battery spacer; the seventh spacer nut is coupled to the first battery spacer; the eight spacer nut is coupled to the second battery spacer.
  9. 9 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the first horizontal configuration is coupled to the second horizontal configuration via bolts.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims priority to provisional application U.S. Ser. No. 63/374,948 titled “Spacer Nut,” filed on Sep. 8, 2022. The entire contents of U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 63/374,948 are incorporated herein by reference. FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE The present disclosure relates generally to hardware for mounting battery packs. SUMMARY Professional and hobbyist electronic engineering often requires custom-built battery packs. Such packs are widely used for industrial backup power supplies, product prototyping, power-walls, electronic bicycles and scooters, robots, and RC cars and planes. There are two types of commonly used rechargeable lithium cells—18650 cells and 26650 cells. These cells are typically combined into multi-cell battery packs, in series or parallel configuration, to gain higher voltage and/or higher current. In order to build these packs, some embodiments disclosed herein employ battery spacer nuts (sometimes referred to herein as “spacer nuts”) and battery spacers that accommodate 26650 or 18650 cells. The spacer nuts and battery spacers include dovetail pins and dovetail receiving slots that enable the spacer nuts and the battery spacers to be joined together in different configurations, including but not limited to the configurations shown and described herein. In some battery pack configurations, it is desirable to include associated electronic circuitry to be attached to banks of cells, or to individual cells. Some embodiments disclosed herein are configured to enable attachment of circuit boards or other components to battery pack infrastructure constructed from the disclosed battery spacer nuts and battery spacers. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Features, aspects, and advantages of the presently disclosed technology may be better understood with regard to the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings, as listed below. A person skilled in the relevant art will understand that the features shown in the drawings are for purposes of illustrations, and variations, including different and/or additional features and arrangements thereof, are possible. Any dimensions illustrated in the accompanying figures are for illustration purposes only and may or may not represent actual or preferred dimensions. Where applicable, some or all features may not be illustrated to assist in the description of underlying features. FIG. 1A is a side view of a single spacer nut configured in accordance with aspects of some embodiments. FIG. 1B is a top view of a single spacer nut according to some embodiments. FIG. 1C is a perspective view of a single battery spacer according to some embodiments. FIG. 2A is a top view of a set of four spacer nuts and two battery spacers arranged in a configuration to accommodate an auxiliary structure according to some embodiments. FIG. 2B is a side view of a set of four spacer nuts and two battery spacers arranged in a configuration that includes eight spacer nuts configured to accommodate two auxiliary structures according to some embodiments. FIG. 2C is an end view of a set of four spacer nuts and two battery spacers arranged in a configuration that includes eight spacer nuts configured to accommodate two auxiliary structures according to some embodiments. The drawings are for the purpose of illustrating example embodiments, but those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the technology disclosed herein is not limited to the arrangements and/or instrumentality shown in the drawings. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Reference will now be made to the drawings wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout. FIG. 1A is a side view of a single spacer nut configured in accordance with aspects of some embodiments. In one embodiment, the spacer nut 100 is formed from a PA 12 (nylon) Black material or similar suitable material. In some embodiments, spacer nut 100 comprises a top surface 102 along a longitudinal axis of the spacer nut 100 and a bottom surface 103 opposite the top surface 102 along the longitudinal axis of the spacer nut 100. The spacer nut 100 further comprises a front end 104 along a lateral axis of the spacer nut 100 and a rear end 105 opposite the front end 104 along the lateral axis of the spacer nut 100. The spacer nut 100 also has an opening 108 extending through the spacer nut 100 from the top surface 102 of the spacer nut 100 to the bottom surface 103 of the spacer nut 100 near the front end 104 of the spacer nut 100. The opening 108 accommodates bolts of various common bolt sizes that can be made from a variety of material(s). In some embodiments, non-conductive vinyl bolts or metal bolts, in common sizes #8 and #10, can be accommodated by the opening 108. In operation, and as shown in further detail in FIGS. 2B-C, the bolts can be used to build battery pack configurations that include several spacer nuts and battery spacers, including battery pack configura