Insulation failure inspecting apparatus, insulation failure inspecting method using same, and method for manufacturing electrochemical cell

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9076601-B2
Application number	US-201013498953-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 29, 2010
Priority date	Sep 30, 2009
Publication date	Jul 7, 2015
Grant date	Jul 7, 2015

Abstract

A method for manufacturing an electrochemical cell includes housing a main cell body in an outer packaging body of packaging material formed by laminating a metal foil layer and a heat-sealable resin layer, provided the tip ends of a first metal terminal and a second metal terminal are protruding outside the outer packaging body, heat-sealing a peripheral edge portion of the outer packaging body so the outer packaging body has the first and second terminals protruding; applying a voltage between the first terminal and the foil layer or between the second terminal and the foil layer; and inspecting for insulation failure from a short circuit between the first or second terminal and the foil layer or from a crack in the heat-sealable resin layer, based on a variation of a voltage held between the one of the metal terminals and the metal foil layer after halting the voltage.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for manufacturing an electrochemical cell, wherein the electrochemical cell comprises:
an electrochemical cell main body including:
a positive electrode that is composed of a positive electrode active material and a positive electrode current collector provided with a first metal terminal at an end portion thereof;
a negative electrode that is composed of a negative electrode active material and a negative electrode current collector provided with a second metal terminal at an end portion thereof; and
an electrolyte filled between the positive electrode and the negative electrode; and
an outer packaging body made of a packaging material formed by sequentially laminating at least a metal foil layer and a heat-sealable resin layer, and wherein

the method comprises:
housing the electrochemical cell main body in the outer packaging body so that tip ends of the first and second metal terminals protrude outside of the outer packaging body;
heat-sealing a peripheral edge portion of the outer packaging body, the outer packaging body having the first and second metal terminals protruding;
subsequently applying a voltage between the first metal terminal and the metal foil layer or between the second metal terminal and the metal foil layer; and
performing an inspection as to whether or not there is an insulation failure due to a short circuit between the first or second metal terminal and the metal foil layer or due to a crack in the heat-sealable resin layer, based on a variation of a voltage held between the one of the metal terminals and the metal foil layer after the voltage application is halted.

2. The method for manufacturing an electrochemical cell according to claim 1 , wherein
a voltage of 10 V or lower is used as a voltage to be applied between the first or second the metal terminal and the metal foil layer.

3. The method for manufacturing an electrochemical cell according to claim 1 , wherein
a voltage is applied between the first or second metal terminal and the metal foil layer in a margin region not to be heat-sealed provided at part of the peripheral edge portion of the outer packaging body.

4. The method for manufacturing an electrochemical cell according to claim 2 , wherein
a voltage is applied between the first or second metal terminal and the metal foil layer lying in a margin region not to be heat-sealed provided at part of the peripheral edge portion of the outer packaging body.

5. The method for manufacturing an electrochemical cell according to claim 1 , wherein
performing the inspection as to whether or not there is an insulation failure is before filling the electrolyte in the outer packaging body.

6. The method for manufacturing an electrochemical cell according to claim 2 , wherein
performing the inspection as to whether or not there is an insulation failure is before filling the electrolyte in the outer packaging body.

7. The method for manufacturing an electrochemical cell according to claim 3 , wherein
performing the inspection as to whether or not there is an insulation failure is before filling the electrolyte in the outer packaging body.

8. The method for manufacturing an electrochemical cell according to claim 4 , wherein
performing the inspection as to whether or not there is an insulation failure is before filling the electrolyte in the outer packaging body.

9. The method for manufacturing an electrochemical cell according to claim 1 , wherein
performing the inspection as to whether or not there is an insulation failure is after the electrolyte is filled in the outer packaging body.

10. The method for manufacturing an electrochemical cell according to claim 2 , wherein
performing the inspection as to whether or not there is an insulation failure is after the electrolyte is filled in the outer packaging body.

11. The method for manufacturing an electrochemical cell according to claim 3 , wherein
performing the inspection as to whether or not there is an insulation failure is after the electrolyte is filled in the outer packaging body.

12. The method for manufacturing an electrochemical cell according to claim 4 , wherein
performing the inspection as to whether or not there is an insulation failure is after the electrolyte is filled in the outer packaging body.

Assignees

• Yamashita Takanori
• Akita Hirohisa
• Akiyama Noboru
• Okushita Masataka
• Dainippon Printing Co Ltd

Inventors

• Yamashita Takanori
• Akita Hirohisa
• Akiyama Noboru
• Okushita Masataka

Classifications

• G01R31/12

  Testing dielectric strength or breakdown voltage {; Testing or monitoring effectiveness or level of insulation, e.g. of a cable or of an apparatus, for example using partial discharge measurements; Electrostatic testing (G01R31/08, G01R31/327 and G01R31/72 take precedence; measuring in plasmas G01R19/0061; measuring dielectric constants G01R27/2617; ESD, EMC or EMP testing of circuits G01R31/002)} · CPC title

• H01G11/80

  Gaskets; Sealings · CPC title

• H01G11/82

  Fixing or assembling a capacitive element in a housing, e.g. mounting electrodes, current collectors or terminals in containers or encapsulations · CPC title

• H01G11/06 Primary

  with one of the electrodes allowing ions to be reversibly doped thereinto, e.g. lithium ion capacitors [LIC] · CPC title

• G01R31/3865 Primary

  related to manufacture, e.g. testing after manufacture · CPC title