Device case and method of manufacturing the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9521771-B2
Application number	US-201313864116-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 16, 2013
Priority date	Apr 17, 2012
Publication date	Dec 13, 2016
Grant date	Dec 13, 2016

Abstract

A device case includes: a case body having a side wall and an opening; a lid plate for closing the opening, an end portion of the lid plate being projected from an outer surface of the side wall; and a welded portion that joins the lid plate with the side wall. The lid plate has a beam receiving area located in a vicinity of an end portion of the lid plate for receiving a beam emitted vertically with respect to the beam receiving area.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device case, comprising:
a case body comprising a side wall and an opening;
a lid pate for dosing the opening, an end portion of the lid plate being projected horizontally from an outer surface of the side wall; and
a welded portion that joins the lid plate with the side wall,
a power generating element disposed within the device case,
wherein the lid plate comprises a beam receiving area located in a vicinity of the end portion of the lid plate configured for receiving a beam emitted vertically with respect to the beam receiving area, wherein the beam receiving area extends on a top surface of the lid plate in a direction that the end portion of the lid plate projects from the outer surface of the side wall,
wherein the welded portion extends over the end portion of the lid plate, extends to the top surface of the lid plate, and does not reach an inner surface of the side wall,
wherein a thickness of the welded portion in a thickness direction of the lid plate is more than a thickness of the welded portion in a thickness direction of the side wall, and
wherein, in the thickness direction of the side wall, the welded portion bulges beyond the outer surface of the side wall, and in the thickness direction of the lid plate, the welded portion reaches the top surface of the lid plate.

2. The device case according to claim 1 , wherein the welded portion extends inside the side wall and ends at the outer surface of the side wall.

3. The device case according claim 1 , wherein the end portion of the lid plate extends in a horizontal direction and the outer surface of the side wall extends in a vertical direction such that a gap is defined below the end portion of the lid plate, the gap extending to the outer surface of the side wall.

4. The device case according to claim 1 , wherein the welded portion does not reach inner surfaces of the lid plate and the side wall.

5. The device case according to claim 1 , wherein the welded portion projects from the outer surface of the side wall.

6. The device case according to claim 1 , wherein the welded portion does not project from the outer surface of the side wall.

7. The device case according to claim 1 , wherein the welded portion extends to an outer surface of the lid plate.

8. A method of manufacturing the device case according to claim 1 , the case body including a first plate member and the lid plate including a second plate member, the method comprising:
bringing the second plate member into contact with an end of the first plate member; and
applying a beam to a contact portion between the first plate member and the second plate member to form a welded portion,
wherein an end portion of the second plate member is horizontally projected from an outer surface of the first plate member in the bridging,
wherein the beam is applied to an outer surface of the second pate member opposite to a surface in contact with the first plate member in the applying,
wherein the welded portion extends over the end portion of the second plate member and does not reach an inner surface of the first plate member, and
wherein the beam is applied vertically to a beam receiving area that extends on a top surface of the second plate member in a direction that the end portion of the second plate member projects from the outer surface of the first plate member.

9. The method of manufacturing the device case according to claim 8 , wherein the welded portion projects from the outer surface of the first plate member.

10. The method of manufacturing the device case according to claim 8 , wherein a center in the beam receiving area applied with the beam in the outer surface of the second plate member is displaced by a distance p from the outer surface of the first plate member toward the inner surface of the first plate member, and the distance p satisfies 0 mm≦p≦0.4 mm.

11. The method of manufacturing the device case according to claim 8 , wherein the end portion of the second plate member projects from the outer surface of the first plate member by a length x satisfying 0 mm<x≦0.25 mm.

12. The method of manufacturing the device case according to claim 8 , wherein the second plate member has a thickness y satisfying 0.4 mm≦y≦0.8 mm at the portion in contact with the first plate member.

13. The method of manufacturing the device case according to claim 8 , wherein the device case comprises a side wall and an opening, and
wherein the first plate member corresponds to the side wall, and the second plate member corresponds to a lid plate for closing the opening.

14. The method of manufacturing the device case according to claim 8 , wherein the beam has a spot diameter d satisfying d≦0.6 mm on the outer surface of the second plate member.

15. The device case according to claim 1 , wherein the device case comprises a battery case.

16. A battery case, comprising:
a case body comprising a side wall and an opening;
a lid plate for closing the opening; and
a welded portion that joins the lid plate with the side wall,
a power generating element disposed within the battery case,
wherein the welded portion projects from an outer surface of the side wall, wherein the welded portion extends over an end of the lid plate, extends to an outer surface of the lid plate, and does not reach an inner surface of the side wall,
wherein a thickness of the welded portion in a thickness direction of the lid plate is more than a thickness of the welded portion in a thickness direction of the side wall, and
wherein, in the thickness direction of the side wall, the welded portion bulges beyond the outer surface of the side wall, and in the thickness direction of the lid plate, the welded portion reaches a top surface of the lid plate.

17. The battery case according to claim 16 , wherein the welded portion does not reach inner surfaces of the lid plate and the side wall.

Assignees

• Gs Yuasa Int Ltd
• Gs Yuasa Int Ltd

Inventors

• Shishido Hidenori
• Murakami Makoto

Classifications

• B23K15/006 Primary

  of rectilinear seams · CPC title

• H01M2/0426

  Electricity · mapped topic

• B23K2201/36

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B23K2203/10

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B23K26/32

  taking account of the properties of the material involved · CPC title