Description:TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present disclosure relates to battery packs comprising a plurality of battery cells interconnected to one another. In particular, the present disclosure pertains to a Printed Circuit Board Assembly (PCBA) of a battery pack configured to improve performance characteristics of the battery pack.

BACKGROUND
[0002] A battery pack comprises a collection of batteries or individual battery cells. These cells can be arranged in series, parallel, or a combination of both to achieve the desired voltage and current output. The term “battery pack” commonly refers to battery assemblies used in machines, vehicles, aircrafts, etc. In battery packs containing multiple cells, a Battery Printed Circuit Board Assembly (PCBA) serves as an interconnector for establishing electrical links between the cells. Additionally, the PCBA facilitates the connection of voltage and temperature sensing lines to a Battery Management System (BMS) that are generally utilized to balance cells, ensuring their voltages remain below a threshold value during charging and discharging.
[0003] When a cell experiences Thermal Runaway (TA), which is a chain reaction within a battery cell that ensues when an internal temperature of the cell reaches a threshold value that triggers a chemical reaction inside the cell, gas emissions may emanate from one or more vents of the cell, potentially heating adjacent cells and triggering further thermal runaway. This reaction generates additional heat, further elevating the temperature and catalysing successive chemical reactions, leading to a continuous cycle of heat generation. This scenario could result in the battery pack catching fire.
[0004] Current PCBA designs lack mechanisms to release hot gases emitted from battery cells. In TA incidents, these gases become trapped beneath the conventional PCBAs, consequently heating neighboring cells due to the absence of an escape path. This results in accumulation of trapped gases having elevated temperature beneath the PCBA, which severely affects performance of the battery cells.
[0005] Efforts have been made in the past to minimize overheating of cells of a battery pack by providing vent holes punched into the PCBA to release pressure from inside the battery pack. However, such vent holes are typically ineffective in dissipating hot gases during TA events in which hot gases emanating from a battery cell get accumulated inside the battery pack, and tend to increase operating temperature of neighbouring cells, thereby triggering further TA events that are very challenging to stop once initiated.
[0006] Hence, there exists a requirement within the field for a simple, reliable, and cost-efficient solution that addresses the drawbacks, limitations, and deficiencies of conventional PCBAs used in battery packs, while significantly improving performance of individual cells within the battery pack by efficiently maintaining their operating temperatures within prescribed limits.

OBJECTS OF THE PRESENT DISCLOSURE
[0007] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a Printed Circuit Board Assembly (PCBA) for a battery pack designed to effectively regulate operating temperature of individual cells of the battery pack within prescribed limits.
[0008] Another object of the present disclosure is to provide a cost-effective and reliable PCBA for a battery pack capable of efficiently mitigating Thermal Runaway (TA) events within the battery pack, while ensuring adequate electric connectivity between the cells of the battery pack.
[0009] Another object of the present disclosure is to provide a simple and efficient PCBA for a battery pack configured to improve performance characteristics of the cells within the battery pack by preventing overheating of such cells.
[0010] Another object of the present disclosure is to provide a PCBA suitable for installation with various types of cells of the battery pack.

SUMMARY
[0011] Aspects of the present disclosure relate to a battery pack comprising a plurality of battery cells interconnected to one another through a Printed Circuit Board Assembly (PCBA). The PCBA is designed to optimize the performance of the individual cells by effectively averting initiation of Thermal Runaway (TA) events within the battery pack.
[0012] An aspect of the present disclosure pertains to a PCBA for a battery pack. The battery pack includes a plurality of battery cells, each battery cell having a plurality of cell terminals and at least one cell window for dissipating flammable substance from the battery cell. The PCBA includes a substrate, and a plurality of electrically conductive interconnecting traces formed on the substrate. Each of the plurality of electrically conductive interconnecting traces is electrically coupled to at least two of the cell terminals of the plurality of battery cells to provide an electrical interconnection therebetween. THE PCBA includes a plurality of vent windows formed on the substrate and configured to provide an outlet for dissipating the flammable substance from the plurality of battery cells to an outside environment. Each vent window of the plurality of vent windows is positioned on the substrate corresponding to the position of the at least one cell window of the battery cell. The plurality of vent windows are positioned on the substrate independently from the plurality of electrically conductive interconnecting traces
[0013] In an embodiment, the plurality of electrically conductive interconnecting traces may be formed on a bottom surface of the substrate facing the at least two of the cell terminals of the plurality of battery cells. Additionally or alternatively, the plurality of electrically conductive interconnecting traces may be formed on a top surface of the substrate facing away from the at least two of the cell terminals of the plurality of battery cells.
[0014] In an embodiment, the plurality of electrically conductive interconnecting traces includes a first set of interconnecting traces for electrically coupling a first set of the cell terminals of the plurality of battery cells in series, and a second set of interconnecting traces for electrically coupling a second set of the cell terminals of the plurality of battery cells in parallel.
[0015] In an embodiment, a shape of each of the one or more sub-windows may be selected from the group consisting of rectangular shape, circular-arc shape, triangular shape, oval shape, L-shape and U-shape.
[0016] Another aspect of the present disclosure relates to a battery pack, which includes a plurality of battery cells, each battery cell having a plurality of cell terminals and at least one cell window for dissipating flammable substance from the battery cell. The battery pack also includes a PCBA having a substrate (106), and a plurality of electrically conductive interconnecting traces formed on the substrate. Each of the plurality of electrically conductive interconnecting traces is electrically coupled to at least two of the cell terminals of the plurality of battery cells to provide an electrical interconnection therebetween. The PCBA includes a plurality of vent windows formed on the substrate and configured to dissipate flammable substance from the plurality of battery cells to an outside environment. Each vent window of the plurality of vent windows is positioned on the substrate corresponding to the position of the at least one cell window of the battery cell. The plurality of vent windows are positioned on the substrate independently from the plurality of electrically conductive interconnecting traces.
[0017] In an embodiment, each vent window may include one or more sub-windows arranged around the at least one cell window of the battery cell, and positioned such that an intersection between the one or more sub-windows and at least one of the plurality of interconnecting traces is prevented.
[0018] In an embodiment, the plurality of battery cells may include any of cylindrical cells, prismatic cells, and pouch cells.
[0019] Various objects, features, aspects and advantages of the inventive subject matter will become more apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments, along with the accompanying drawing figures in which like numerals represent like components.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0020] The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the present disclosure, and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the present disclosure.
[0021] FIGs. 1A to 1C illustrate various representations of a battery pack in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;
[0022] FIG. 1D illustrates various representations of an individual battery cell of the battery pack in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;
[0023] FIGs. 2A and 2B illustrate a plan view and an isometric view of a Printed Circuit Board Assembly (PCBA) of the battery pack having a first configuration of vent windows, respectively, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;
[0024] FIGs. 3A and 3B illustrate a plan view and an isometric view of the PCBA having a second configuration of vent windows, respectively, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;
[0025] FIGs. 4A and 4B illustrate a plan view and an isometric view of the PCBA having a third configuration of the vent windows, respectively, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;
[0026] FIGs. 5A and 5B illustrate a plan view and an isometric view of the PCBA having a fourth configuration of the vent windows, respectively, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;
[0027] FIGs. 6A and 6B illustrate various representations of the PCBA configured with cells within the battery pack in a flip-flop arrangement, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure; and
[0028] FIGs. 7A to 7C illustrate various representations of the PCBA configured with prismatic cells within the battery pack, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0029] The following is a detailed description of embodiments of the disclosure depicted in the accompanying drawings. The embodiments are in such details as to clearly communicate the disclosure. However, the amount of detail offered is not intended to limit the anticipated variations of embodiments; on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the present disclosures as defined by the appended claims.
[0030] A battery pack typically comprises multiple Lithium ion (Li-ion) cells, which are produced on a large scale, with factors such as chemistry, internal design, and manufacturing quality influencing their reliability. Despite stringent manufacturing processes, there remains a slight, albeit existent, possibility of internal faults within the Li-ion cells. Within a battery pack containing multiple cells, such faults may lead to exothermic processes. When the temperature of a cell surpasses a critical threshold due to such a reaction, it enters thermal runaway (TA) condition, releasing hot and flammable gases from one or more of its vents. This heat can trigger similar exothermic reactions in adjacent cells, leading to a chain reaction termed “Passive propagation” within the battery pack. Designing a battery pack to prevent or safely manage thermal propagation resulting from cell thermal runaway is crucial and ranks among the most significant specifications or requirements for the design.
[0031] Embodiments explained herein relate to a Printed Circuit Board Assembly (PCBA) for a battery pack configured to allow TA gases from individual cells to escape to an outside environment, and prevent an increase in operating temperature of the neighbouring cells, while ensuring that there is no impact on the current carrying capacity of the PCBA. The PCBA is equipped with venting windows for dissipating the TA gases to the outside environment, while maintaining its current carrying capacity intact. The vent windows of the PCBA are designed while taking into account configuration and positioning of electrically conductive interconnecting traces formed on the PCBA, and are configured such that the PCBA is suitable to vent out the TA gases for any form or type of battery cells. The PCBA is engineered to enhance the performance of individual cells by efficiently preventing the onset of TA events within the battery pack.
[0032] FIGs. 1A to 1C illustrate various representations of a battery pack 100, which includes a housing 102 accommodating a plurality of battery cells 104, as shown in FIG. 1B, and a Printed Circuit Board Assembly (PCBA) 106 equipped with electronic components to assist proper functioning of the battery cells 104, while protecting the battery cells 104 from overcharging, over-discharging, and short-circuiting events. A Battery Management System (BMS) (not shown) may be in electrical contact with the PCBA 106. The BMS may include one or more sensors or transducers configured to monitor State-of-Charge (SOC) and operating temperature of each battery cell 106, and transmit signals when prescribed threshold values of the SOC and the operating temperature of any of the battery cells 106 are reached.
[0033] FIG. 1D illustrates various representations of an individual cylindrical battery cell 104 of the battery pack 100. Each battery cell 104 may incorporate a positive terminal 108-1 and a negative terminal 108-2 positioned on respective ends thereof, and one or more cell windows 110 located at any one of the terminals 108-1, 108-2, that are designed to dissipate flammable substances or hot gases from the battery cell 104. Such cell windows 110 may be provided at the positive terminal 108-1 of the battery cell 104 or at any specific location on circumference of the battery cell 104, depending on the structure and configuration of the battery cell 104. The battery cells 104 may include any of cylindrical cells, prismatic cells, and pouch cells.
[0034] FIGs. 2A and 2B illustrate a plan view and an isometric view of the PCBA 106. The PCBA 106 may be formed on a substrate 202, and include a plurality of electrically conductive interconnecting traces (also referred to as “interconnecting traces” hereinafter) 204-1, 204-2 (collectively referred to as “204” herein) formed on the substrate 106, as shown in FIG. 2A. The electrically conductive interconnecting traces 204 may be made of copper or any other material having high electric conductivity. Each of the interconnecting traces 204 may be electrically coupled to at least two of the cell terminals 108-1 of the plurality of battery cells 104 to provide an electrical interconnection therebetween. In an embodiment, the PCBA 106 may be placed over a stack of the battery cells 104 such that a positive terminal of each battery cell 106 is in physical contact with metallic interconnector 206 formed on the substrate 202 of the PCBA 106, wherein the metallic interconnector 206 is welded to the cell terminal 108-1/108-2. The interconnecting traces 204 may be formed on any or a combination of a top surface and a bottom surface of the substrate 202 such that interconnecting traces 204 physically connect multiple metallic interconnectors 206 in any of a series or a parallel configuration. For example, the interconnecting traces 204 may be formed on the bottom surface of the substrate 202 facing the at least two of the cell terminals of the battery cells 104. Additionally or alternatively, the interconnecting traces 204 may be formed on the top surface of the substrate 202 facing away from the at least two of the cell terminals of the battery cells 104.
[0035] The interconnecting traces 204 may include a first set of interconnecting traces 204-1 for electrically coupling a first set of the cell terminals 108-1 of the battery cells 104 in series. In an example, the first set of interconnecting traces 204-1 may physically connect metallic interconnector 206 formed in each row of the PCBA 106 to enable the battery cells 104 connected to said metallic interconnectors 206 in a series configuration. The interconnecting traces 204 may also include a second set of interconnecting traces 204-2 for electrically coupling a second set of the cell terminals of the battery cells 104 in parallel. For instance, the second set of interconnecting traces 204-2 may physically connect metallic interconnectors 206 formed in each column of the PCBA 106 to enable the battery cells 104 connected to said metallic interconnectors 206 in a parallel configuration. A thickness of each of the first set of interconnecting traces 204-1 and the second set of interconnecting traces 204-2 may be adapted to ensure adequate current carrying capacity of the PCBA 104, while increasing rigidity thereof.
[0036] The PCBA 106 includes a plurality of vent windows 208 formed on the substrate 202 and configured to provide an outlet for dissipating the flammable substance or hot gases from the battery cells 104 to an outside environment. Each of the vent windows 208 is positioned on the substrate 202 corresponding to the position of the at least one cell window 110 of the battery cell 104. Thus, each battery cell 104 has a dedicated vent window 208. The vent windows 208 are positioned on the substrate 202 independently from the interconnecting traces 204 such that positioning and configuration of the vent windows 208 do not interfere with the structure of the interconnecting traces 204. The PCBA 106 is configured with the vent windows 208 positioned above the periphery of cell windows 110 of each individual battery cell 104. These vent windows 208 may be shaped and located to effectively release hot gases or flammable substance for any type or form of the battery cells 104, regardless of the alignment or positioning of the cell windows 110. Additionally, the design of the PCBA 106 ensures that dimensions of interconnecting (copper) traces 204 formed on any or a combination of the top surface or the bottom surface of the substrate 202 sufficiently meets current carrying requirements without causing overheating or voltage discrepancies between the battery cells 106 in the battery pack 100. The PCBA 106 may also include a plurality of metallic studs 210 to connect a terminal busbar 212 of the PCBA 106 to the BMS.
[0037] Each vent window 208 formed on the substrate 202 may include one or more sub-windows 208-1, 208-2 …. 208-N, as shown in FIG. 2B, arranged around at least one cell window 110 of the battery cell 104, and positioned such that any intersection between the sub-windows 208-1, 208-2 …. 208-N and any of the first set of interconnecting traces 204-1 or the second set of interconnecting traces 204-2 is effectively prevented. As a result, the PCBA 106 provides for efficient and reliable dissipation of the flammable substance from the cell windows 110 to the outside environment, while sufficiently maintaining optimal current carrying capacity at all times. The PCBA 106 is designed to prevent the spread of TR from any of the battery cell 104 having cylindrical shape to the entire battery pack 100, by incorporating the vent windows 208 while maintaining other essential functions, such as acting as an interconnect and connecting voltage and temperature sensing lines to a Battery Management System (BMS), intact and unaffected by configuration and placement of the vent windows 208.
[0038] A shape of each of the sub-windows 208-1, 208-2 …. 208-N may be selected from the group consisting of rectangular shape, circular-arc shape, triangular shape, oval shape, L-shape, U-shape, and the like. For example, the PCBA 106, in a first configuration of the vent windows 208, shown in FIGs. 2A and 2B include a sub-window 208-1 having an L-shaped profile and a sub-window 208-2 having a rectangular profile. The sub-windows 208-1, 208-2 may be formed on the substrate 202 to be positioned around the cell windows 110 of the respective battery cell 104 present in physical contact with the metallic interconnector 206 of the PCBA 106. The sub-windows 208-1, 208-2 may be arranged in vicinity of the cell windows 110 of each battery cell 104.
[0039] Referring to FIGs. 3A and 3B, the PCBA 106, in a second configuration of the vent windows 208, may include a sub-window 302-1 having an L-shaped profile with a triangular notch and a second sub-window 302-2 having a rectangular profile, to increase dissipation volume of the flammable substance or hot gases from the corresponding cell window 110 of the battery cell 104 and enable the hot gases to be released from the battery cell 104 to the outside environment, while ensuring that there is no impact on the current carrying capacity of the PCBA 106.
[0040] FIGs. 4A and 4B illustrate a plan view and an isometric view of the PCBA 106 having a third configuration of the vent windows 208, respectively. The cell windows 110 of a cylindrical battery cell 104 are present at a terminal of the battery cell 104 in a circular manner, in which the cell windows 110 are spaced apart from one another while being arranged in a circular pattern around said terminal. In such configuration of the cell windows 110, the vent windows 208 may include multiple sub-windows 402 having arcuate profiles of same or different lengths. Each of the sub-windows 402 may be appropriately formed on the substrate 202 to assist effective dissipation of the flammable substance or hot gases from the cell windows 110 of the battery cell 104 and enable the hot gases to be released from the battery cell 104 to the outside environment, while maintaining optimal current carrying capacity of the PCBA 106 by preventing any intersection or decrease in structure or configuration of the interconnecting traces 204.
[0041] Referring now to FIGs. 5A and 5B, where a plan view and an isometric view of the PCBA 100 having a fourth configuration of the vent windows 208, respectively, are shown. When the cell windows 110 of the cylindrical battery cell 104 are present at a terminal of the battery cell 104 in a circular manner, the vent windows 208 may include multiple sub-windows 502 having arcuate or curved profiles of similar or dissimilar lengths. Each of the sub-windows 502 may be appropriately formed on the substrate 202 to assist effective dissipation of the flammable substance or hot gases from the cell windows 110 of the battery cell 104, without affecting positioning and structure of the interconnecting traces 204 adapted to connect terminals of the battery cell 104 to one another.
[0042] The battery pack 100 may include the battery cells 104 having forms or configurations selected from any or a combination of cylindrical cells, prismatic cells, pouch cells, and the likes. The vent windows 208 of the PCBA 106 may be adapted to efficiently dissipate the flammable substance from any form or type of the battery cells 104. For example, FIGs. 6A and 6B illustrate a plan view and an isometric view of the PCBA 106 configured with cylindrical cells 104/602 within the battery pack 100 in a flip-flop manner, in which the cells 602 are arranged such that adjacent cells 602 having opposite terminals are to be configured with the PCBA 106. When only positive terminals 108-1 of the cells 602 are provided with cell windows 604, the vent windows 208 of the PCBA 106 may be formed on its substrate 202 such that the cell windows 604 presents at the positive terminal 108-1 of each battery cell 602 are provided with corresponding sub-window 606, to assist efficient dissipation of the flammable substance or hot gases from the cell windows 604 to the outside environment. The sub-window 606 may have any of rectangular shape, circular-arc shape, triangular shape, oval shape, L-shape, U-shape, and the like. Separate PCBAs 106 may be provided at both ends of the stack of the cells 602, as shown in FIG. 6B, to facilitate efficient dissipation of the flammable gases or hot gases from cell windows 604 present at positive terminals 108-1 of both ends of the stack of the cells 104/602, without affecting or interacting positioning and structure of the interconnecting traces 204 adapted to connect terminals of multiple cells 602 to one another.
[0043] FIGs. 7A to 7C illustrate various representations of the PCBA 106 configured with prismatic cells 702 within the battery pack 100. Prismatic cells are generally rectangular in shape, and made up of stacked or flatted electrodes and separators. Multiple prismatic cells 702 may be arranged to form a stack of the prismatic cells 702, in which each prismatic cell 702 includes a positive terminal and a negative terminal. Each of the prismatic cells 702 may also include a cell window (not shown) between the positive terminal and the negative terminal. The PCBA 106 may include metallic interconnectors 206 formed to coincide with positions of the positive terminal and the negative terminal of each of the prismatic cells 702. The metallic interconnectors 206 corresponding to terminals of multiple prismatic cells 702 may be connected by the interconnecting traces 204 to maintain electrical connectivity between said terminals of the prismatic cells 702. The PCBA 106 may be equipped with multiple vent windows 208 formed on the substrate 202 such that each vent window 208 circumscribes the cell window of each prismatic cell 702, and prevents any interference or intersection with the interconnecting traces 204. The vent window 208 formed on the substrate 202 of the PCBA 106 may include multiple sub-windows spaced apart from one another, and formed in any of rectangular shape, circular-arc shape, triangular shape, oval shape, L-shape, U-shape, and the like. During any overheating event, such as TA events, of any of the prismatic cells 702, the vent windows 208 act as a passage for the hot gases or flammable substance emanating from the cell windows of said prismatic cell 702 to release such hot gases to an outside environment of the battery pack 100. Consequently, the PCBA 106 is configured to provide an outlet for dissipating the flammable substance or hot gases from the prismatic cells 702 to the outside environment of the battery pack 100, ensuring that positioning and configuration of the vent windows 208 do not interfere with the structure of the interconnecting traces 204.
[0044] Thus, the PCBA 106 allows efficient transfer of gases produced during overheating conditions, such as Thermal Runaway (TA) events, of individual battery cells 104 of a battery pack 100 to escape to an external environment, in order to prevent an increase in operating temperature of neighboring battery cells 104 while maintaining the PCBA’s current carrying capacity unaffected. The PCBA 106 is equipped with vent windows 208 to facilitate effective dissipation of hot gases from the battery cells 104, while preserving its current carrying capacity. The positioning and configuration of these vent windows 208 may be adapted in relation to the structure of the interconnecting traces 204 formed on the PCBA 106, ensuring compatibility with various types and forms of battery cells 104. As a result, the PCBA 106 is designed to optimize the performance of the battery cells 104 in a battery pack 100 by effectively preventing the occurrence of overheating conditions within the battery pack 100.
[0045] While the foregoing describes various embodiments of the invention, other and further embodiments of the invention may be devised without departing from the basic scope thereof. The scope of the invention is determined by the claims that follow. The invention is not limited to the described embodiments, versions or examples, which are included to enable a person having ordinary skill in the art to make and use the invention when combined with information and knowledge available to the person having ordinary skill in the art.

ADVANTAGES OF THE PRESENT DISCLOSURE
[0046] The present disclosure provides a Printed Circuit Board Assembly (PCBA) for a battery pack designed to effectively regulate operating temperature of individual cells of the battery pack within prescribed limits.
[0047] The present disclosure provides a cost-effective and reliable PCBA for a battery pack capable of efficiently mitigating Thermal Runaway (TA) events within the battery pack, while ensuring adequate electric connectivity between the cells of the battery pack.
[0048] The present disclosure provides a simple and efficient PCBA for a battery pack configured to improve performance characteristics of the cells within the battery pack by preventing overheating of such cells.
[0049] The present disclosure provides a PCBA suitable for installation with various types of cells of the battery pack.
, Claims:1. A Printed Circuit Board Assembly (PCBA) (106) for a battery pack (100) comprising a plurality of battery cells (104), each battery cell (104) having a plurality of cell terminals and at least one cell window (110) for dissipating flammable substance from the battery cell (104), the PCBA (106) comprising:
a substrate (202);
a plurality of electrically conductive interconnecting traces (204) formed on the substrate (202), each of the plurality of electrically conductive interconnecting traces (204) being electrically coupled to at least two of the cell terminals of the plurality of battery cells (104) to provide an electrical interconnection therebetween; and
a plurality of vent windows (208) formed on the substrate (202) and configured to provide an outlet for dissipating the flammable substance from the plurality of battery cells (104) to an outside environment, wherein
each vent window (208) of the plurality of vent windows (208) is positioned on the substrate (202) corresponding to the position of the at least one cell window (110) of the battery cell (104), and
the plurality of vent windows (208) are positioned on the substrate (202) independently from the plurality of electrically conductive interconnecting traces (204).

2. The PCBA (106) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of electrically conductive interconnecting traces (204) are formed on a bottom surface of the substrate (202) facing the at least two of the cell terminals of the plurality of battery cells (104).

3. The PCBA (106) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of electrically conductive interconnecting traces (204) are formed on a top surface of the substrate (202) facing away from the at least two of the cell terminals of the plurality of battery cells (104).
4. The PCBA (106) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of electrically conductive interconnecting traces (204) comprises:
a first set of interconnecting traces (204-1) for electrically coupling a first set of the cell terminals of the plurality of battery cells (104) in series; and
a second set of interconnecting traces (204-2) for electrically coupling a second set of the cell terminals of the plurality of battery cells (104) in parallel.

5. The PCBA (106) as claimed in claim 1, wherein each vent window (208) comprises one or more sub-windows (208-1, 208-2, 302-1, 302-2, 402, 502, 606) arranged around the at least one cell window (110) of the battery cell (104), and positioned such that an intersection between the one or more sub-windows (208-1, 208-2, 302-1, 302-2, 402, 502, 606) and at least one of the plurality of interconnecting traces (204) is prevented.

6. The PCBA (106) as claimed in claim 5, wherein a shape of each of the one or more sub-windows (208-1, 208-2, 302-1, 302-2, 402, 502, 606) is selected from the group consisting of rectangular shape, circular-arc shape, triangular shape, oval shape, L-shape and U-shape.

7. The PCBA (106) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of battery cells (104) comprise any of cylindrical cells, prismatic cells, and pouch cells.

8. A battery pack (100), comprising:
a plurality of battery cells (104), each battery cell (104) having a plurality of cell terminals and at least one cell window (110) for dissipating flammable substance from the battery cell (104); and
a Printed Circuit Board Assembly (PCBA) (106) comprising:
a substrate (202);
a plurality of electrically conductive interconnecting traces (204) formed on the substrate (202), each of the plurality of electrically conductive interconnecting traces (204) being electrically coupled to at least two of the cell terminals of the plurality of battery cells (104) to provide an electrical interconnection therebetween; and
a plurality of vent windows (208) formed on the substrate (202) and configured to dissipate flammable substance from the plurality of battery cells (104) to an outside environment, wherein
each vent window (208) of the plurality of vent windows (208) is positioned on the substrate (202) corresponding to the position of the at least one cell window (110) of the battery cell (104), and
the plurality of vent windows (208) are positioned on the substrate independently from the plurality of electrically conductive interconnecting traces (204).

9. The battery pack (100) as claimed in claim 8, wherein the plurality of battery cells (104) comprise any of cylindrical cells, prismatic cells, and pouch cells.

10. The battery pack (100) as claimed in claim 8, wherein each vent window (208) comprises one or more sub-windows (208-1, 208-2, 302-1, 302-2, 402, 502, 606) arranged around the at least one cell window (110) of the battery cell, and positioned such that an intersection between the one or more sub-windows (208-1, 208-2, 302-1, 302-2, 402, 502, 606) and at least one of the plurality of interconnecting traces (204) is prevented.