Method of encapsulating an electrical energy accumulation component and battery

Abstract

A method for encapsulating a device, such as an battery, having two opposite and parallel main faces and a peripheral edge, wherein one main face includes an electrical contact zone, includes the steps of retaining the device within an injection chamber of a mold and injecting encapsulation material into the injection chamber to overmold an encapsulation block on the device. The injection chamber is configured to hold a portion of the device, adjacent its peripheral edge, so as to center the device within the injection chamber. The mold includes centering structures that at least partially cover the electrical contact zone. Opposite positioning studs protrude into the injection chamber and bear on the opposite main faces of the device. The resulting packaged device includes an overmolded encapsulation block enveloping the device except for portions covered by the centering structure.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus, comprising:
 an electrical energy accumulation component having two opposite and parallel main faces and a peripheral edge, and further having two electrical contact zones on one of the main faces placed such that the electrical contact zones are located along said peripheral edge; and   an overmolded encapsulation block enveloping said electrical energy accumulation component except for portions remaining uncovered adjacent to the peripheral edge which at least partially include said electrical contact zones;   wherein said first electrical contact zone is positioned in a first component corner and said second electrical contact zone is positioned in a second component corner.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said first and second component corners are each positioned between adjacent peripheral edges. 
     
     
         3 . An electronic package, comprising:
 a device including top and bottom surfaces and a first device corner and a second device corner; and   an encapsulating block overmolded on the device except at side edges of the device at the first and second device corners and top and bottom surfaces of the device at the first and second device corners.   
     
     
         4 . The package according to  claim 3 , wherein said device includes a first electrical contact in the first device corner and a second electrical contact in the second device corner, said encapsulating block overmolded on the device except to reveal said first and second electrical contacts. 
     
     
         5 . The package according to  claim 3 , wherein said device comprises an electrical energy storage component. 
     
     
         6 . The package according to  claim 5 , wherein the electrical energy storage component comprises a battery. 
     
     
         7 . A method, comprising:
 placing a circuit device between two parts of a mold, said circuit device having two opposite and parallel main faces and a peripheral edge, at least one main face having a first electrical contact in a first device corner and a second electrical contact in a second device corner, said mold comprising an injection chamber delimited between the two parts of the mold, said circuit device extending in the injection chamber at a distance from walls of the injection chamber, wherein a portion of the circuit device, adjacent to the peripheral edge, is held in a centering space formed between said two parts of the mold and at least partially covering said first and second electrical contacts, said two parts of the mold further comprising opposite positioning studs protruding into said injection chamber and bearing on said main faces of the circuit device;   injecting an encapsulation material into said injection chamber;   hardening said injected encapsulation material to form an encapsulation block; and   removing the encapsulated circuit device from the mold.   
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 7 , wherein said centering space is formed between bosses of said two mold parts. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 8 , wherein at least one of said bosses has a recess extending said injection chamber and forming a frontal centering shoulder and a lateral centering shoulder. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein said frontal centering shoulder is right-angled and said lateral centering shoulder is wedge-shaped. 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 7 , wherein two portions of the device, adjacent to the peripheral edge, are held in two centering spaces formed between said two parts of the mold and at least partially covering the first and second electrical contacts. 
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 11 , wherein said two portions of the device are located in corners of the device. 
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 7 , wherein the device comprises an electrical energy storage component. 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 13 , wherein the electrical energy storage component is a battery. 
     
     
         15 . A mold, comprising:
 a first part; and   a second part;   said first and second parts configured to define an injection chamber delimited between the first and second parts, said injection chamber sized and shaped to receive a device including top and bottom surfaces and a first device corner and a second device corner;   wherein the first and second parts of the mold are further configured with a structure that centers the received device within the injection chamber, said structure that centers comprising angle structures configured to retain side edges of the device at the first and second device corners and clamping structures configured to clamp against the top and bottom surfaces of the device at the first and second device corners.   
     
     
         16 . The mold of  claim 15 , wherein the device is a circuit. 
     
     
         17 . The mold of  claim 16 , wherein the circuit is an electrical energy storage component. 
     
     
         18 . The mold of  claim 17 , wherein the electrical energy storage component is a battery.