Method for producing battery and battery

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9819027-B2
Application number	US-201214410645-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 28, 2012
Priority date	Jun 28, 2012
Publication date	Nov 14, 2017
Grant date	Nov 14, 2017

Abstract

A method for producing a battery resulting from the joining with a plurality of weld nuggets therebetween of a foil layered part, at which foil exposed portions exposing an aluminum foil overlap, and a positive terminal member made of aluminum, includes: a formation step for forming at the foil layered part a foil welded part at which are formed, by welding aluminum foils together by means of ultrasonic welding, a first high-position part at at least a section of a surface to be joined, and a plurality of first low-position parts distributed at scattered points within the first high-position part; and a resistance-welding step for contacting the first high-position part to the positive terminal member, generating weld nuggets at the first low-position part by flowing an electric current, and resistance-welding the foil welded part and the positive terminal member with the weld nuggets therebetween.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for producing a battery including:
an electrode body including a positive electrode sheet having an aluminum foil, the positive electrode sheet including a foil layered part formed of a foil exposed portions exposing the aluminum foil, the foil exposed portions being overlapped in a thickness direction; and
a positive terminal member made of aluminum and resistance-welded to the foil layered part,
the foil layered part and the positive terminal member being joined to each other through a plurality of nuggets distributed in a scattered-point pattern in an expanding direction of the aluminum foil,
wherein the method includes:
a forming step of forming, in the foil layered part, a foil welded part made of an aluminum foil overlapped and welded to each other in the thickness direction by ultrasonic welding, the foil welded part being formed with a first high-position part located at a high position on one side in the thickness direction and a plurality of low-position parts positioned at a lower position than the first high-position part, the low-position parts being distributed in a scattered-point pattern within the first high-position part, in at least part of a to-be-joined surface on the one side in the thickness direction of surfaces of the foil welded part; and
a resistance-welding step of placing the first high-position part into contact with the positive terminal member, applying electric current to the terminal member to generate the nugget in the first low-position part, and resistance-welding the foil welded part of the electrode body and the terminal member through the nugget.

2. The method for producing a battery according to claim 1 ,
wherein the forming step includes forming the foil welded part formed with second high-position parts located at a high position on the other side in the thickness direction and a plurality of second low-position parts formed at a lower position than the second high-position part, the second low-position parts being distributed in a scattered-point pattern within the second high-position parts, in at least part of an electrode-side surface positioned on the other side in the thickness direction of the surfaces of the foil welded part, an electrode for resistance-welding being placed in contact with the electrode-side surface, and
the resistance-welding step includes pressure collapsing the second high-position parts in the thickness direction by the resistance-welding electrode.

3. The method for producing a battery according to claim 2 ,
wherein the plurality of first low-position parts are arranged in a lattice pattern within the first high-position parts,
the plurality of second low-position parts are arranged in a lattice pattern within the second high-position part, and
a second pitch between the second low-position parts is smaller than a first pitch between the first low-position parts.

4. The method for producing a battery according to claim 1 ,
wherein the battery has a ratio M/T in a range of 0.20 to 0.80,
where a maximum size in the thickness direction of the nugget is M and a thickness of the foil layered part is T.

5. The method for producing a battery according to claim 1 ,
wherein the battery is a sealed battery including the electrode body hermetically sealed in a battery case, and
the positive terminal member includes a pressure-type current cutoff mechanism configured to cut off flow of electric current to the electrode body when internal pressure of the battery case rises.

6. The method for producing a battery according to claim 2 ,
wherein the battery has a ratio M/T in a range of 0.20 to 0.80,
where a maximum size in the thickness direction of the nugget is M and a thickness of the foil layered part is T.

7. The method for producing a battery according to claim 3 ,
wherein the battery has a ratio M/T in a range of 0.20 to 0.80,
where a maximum size in the thickness direction of the nugget is M and a thickness of the foil layered part is T.

8. The method for producing a battery according to claim 2 ,
wherein the battery is a sealed battery including the electrode body hermetically sealed in a battery case, and
the positive terminal member includes a pressure-type current cutoff mechanism configured to cut off flow of electric current to the electrode body when internal pressure of the battery case rises.

9. The method for producing a battery according to claim 3 ,
wherein the battery is a sealed battery including the electrode body hermetically sealed in a battery case, and
the positive terminal member includes a pressure-type current cutoff mechanism configured to cut off flow of electric current to the electrode body when internal pressure of the battery case rises.

10. The method for producing a battery according to claim 4 ,
wherein the battery is a sealed battery including the electrode body hermetically sealed in a battery case, and
the positive terminal member includes a pressure-type current cutoff mechanism configured to cut off flow of electric current to the electrode body when internal pressure of the battery case rises.

11. The method for producing a battery according to claim 6 ,
wherein the battery is a sealed battery including the electrode body hermetically sealed in a battery case, and
the positive terminal member includes a pressure-type current cutoff mechanism configured to cut off flow of electric current to the electrode body when internal pressure of the battery case rises.

12. The method for producing a battery according to claim 7 ,
wherein the battery is a sealed battery including the electrode body hermetically sealed in a battery case, and
the positive terminal member includes a pressure-type current cutoff mechanism configured to cut off flow of electric current to the electrode body when internal pressure of the battery case rises.

Assignees

• Inoue Toshihiko
• Miyahisa Masaharu
• Konishi Hajime
• Toriyama Koichi
• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Inoue Toshihiko
• Miyahisa Masaharu
• Konishi Hajime
• Toriyama Koichi

Classifications

• H01M4/70

  characterised by shape or form · CPC title

• H01M2200/20

  Pressure-sensitive devices · CPC title

• H01M10/0431

  Cells with wound or folded electrodes (H01M10/045 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01M10/0413 Primary

  Large-sized flat cells or batteries for motive or stationary systems with plate-like electrodes · CPC title

• B23K11/115

  by means of two electrodes placed opposite one another on both sides of the welded parts · CPC title