Sealed secondary battery and manufacturing apparatus and manufacturing method therefor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9379409-B2
Application number	US-201113224712-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 2, 2011
Priority date	Sep 21, 2010
Publication date	Jun 28, 2016
Grant date	Jun 28, 2016

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a manufacturing apparatus for a sealed secondary battery includes a chamber, pressure reduction unit, sealer transfer unit, and welding unit. The chamber accommodates therein a battery container injected with an electrolyte through an injection hole and is hermetically closed. The pressure reduction unit reduces pressure inside the chamber. The sealer transfer unit is configured to mount a sealer for sealing the injection hole on the injection hole of the battery container in the chamber decompressed by the pressure reduction unit. The welding unit is configured to laser-weld the sealer to the battery container by applying a laser beam to the peripheral edge portion of the sealer on the battery container through a laser transmission window formed in one surface of the chamber.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A manufacturing apparatus for a sealed secondary battery, comprising:
a chamber which accommodates therein a battery container injected with an electrolyte through an injection hole and is hermetically closed;
a pressure reduction unit for reducing pressure inside the chamber;
a sealer transfer unit configured to position and mount a sealer having a plate peripheral edge portion on the injection hole of the battery container in the chamber decompressed by the pressure reduction unit and maintain the sealer at a mount state in the chamber; and
a welding unit configured to laser-weld the sealer maintained at the mount state to the battery container under a reduced pressure by applying a laser beam from outside the chamber to the peripheral edge portion of the sealer through a laser transmission region formed in one surface of the chamber,
wherein the injection hole of the battery container is sealed by said laser-welding the sealer to the battery container.

2. The manufacturing apparatus for a sealed secondary battery of claim 1 , wherein the sealer transfer unit comprises a sealer supply tool which externally introduces the sealer into the chamber and a sealer mounting tool which receives the sealer introduced into the chamber by the sealer supply tool and mounts the sealer on the injection hole of the battery container.

3. The manufacturing apparatus for a sealed secondary battery of claim 1 , wherein the chamber has a dual structure such that a protective plate bored with a through-hole in a portion thereof through which the laser beam passes is disposed inside the laser transmission window and introduces an inert gas into a gap between the laser transmission window and the protective plate.

4. The manufacturing apparatus for a sealed secondary battery of claim 1 , wherein
the battery container comprises a container body with an opening at its top and a sealing plate to seal the opening, wherein the injection hole extends through the sealing plate and the sealing plate comprises an annular step portion around the injection hole, and
the sealer is configured to fit in the step portion when mounted on the injection hole by the sealer transfer unit.

Assignees

• Matsui Tomohiro
• Fukatsu Kenta
• Okamoto Hirokazu
• Toshiba Kk

Inventors

• Matsui Tomohiro
• Fukatsu Kenta
• Okamoto Hirokazu

Classifications

• H01M10/121

  Valve regulated lead acid batteries [VRLA] · CPC title

• H01M10/34

  Gastight accumulators · CPC title

• H01M10/0404 Primary

  Machines for assembling batteries · CPC title

• H01M50/186

  characterised by the disposition of the sealing members · CPC title

• H01M50/627

  Filling ports · CPC title