Welding jig and manufacturing method of battery

Abstract

To provide a welding jig that enables welding of an electrode tab in a battery cell with high processability.SOLUTION: A welding jig 1 for welding a plurality of electrode tabs 3 in a plurality of battery cells 2, comprises: a support part 10 that includes a slit 14 that makes each electrode tab 3 projected, and supports each electrode tab 3 projected from the slit 14; and a slide part 30 that includes a contact part 32 that is in contact with the electrode tab 3 projected from the slit 14, and relatively moves the contact part 32 in a direction crossing the electrode tab 3. The slide part 30 is one folded so that a pair of adjacent electrode tabs 3,3 is overlapped each other by being relatively moved in a direction crossing the electrode tab 3 in a state where the contact part 32 is inserted into an inner side of a support part 10. The support part 10 comprises a claw part 18 that supports the electrode tab 3 folded by the slide part 30 in a space between itself and the support part 10.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a welding jig used for welding electrode tabs in a battery cell. The present invention also relates to a method for manufacturing a battery in which a plurality of battery cells are stacked to manufacture a battery (battery pack).

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a battery (also referred to as a battery pack) has been manufactured by stacking a plurality of battery cells and connecting their respective electrode tabs by welding or the like (for example, Patent Document 1). In the method for manufacturing a battery pack described in Patent Document 1, a step of protruding an electrode tab from a slit of a case that houses a plurality of battery cells, and a step of bending the electrode tabs protruding from the slit so that the electrode tabs of adjacent battery cells overlap each other, and a step of welding the overlapping portions of the electrode tabs are performed. Such a battery pack is used, for example, as a driving battery for an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, in recent years, in order to improve the performance of the above-described battery pack (for example, a driving battery for a vehicle), the number of stacked battery cells has been increased, or the distance between a plurality of battery cells (for example, about 2 to 10 mm) has been reduced due to the demand for miniaturization. Along with these, the distance between a plurality of battery cells has also been reduced. Therefore, in the manufacture of the above-described battery pack, it is considered difficult to widely adopt welding costs.

[0005] However, in the manufacturing method of the assembled battery described in Patent Document 1, when the distance between the electrode tabs in the assembled battery is close, there is a concern that the bendability of the electrode tabs may deteriorate or the insulation may not be ensured.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a welding jig that enables each electrode tab in a plurality of battery cells to be welded with good workability (bendable) and ensures the connection allowance between the electrode tabs to ensure insulation. Another object of the present invention is to provide a manufacturing method of a battery that can manufacture a battery while improving the workability of the electrode tabs in a plurality of battery cells.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] (1) The welding jig of the present invention provided to solve the above-described problems is a welding jig for welding a plurality of electrode tabs in a plurality of battery cells, and includes a slit for protruding the plurality of electrode tabs, and a support portion for supporting the plurality of electrode tabs protruding from the slit. The welding jig further includes a contact portion that contacts each of the plurality of electrode tabs protruding from the slit, and a slide portion that relatively moves the contact portion in a direction intersecting with each of the electrode tabs. The slide portion relatively moves in a direction intersecting with each of the electrode tabs in a state where the contact portion enters the inside of the support portion, so that a pair of adjacent electrode tabs are bent so as to overlap each other. The support portion is characterized by including at least one claw portion that supports the electrode tab bent by the slide portion between the support portion and the electrode tab.

[0008] In the above-described welding jig, in a state where a plurality of electrode tabs protruding from the slit are supported by the support portion, the contact portion can be relatively moved by the slide portion in a direction intersecting the electrode tabs (for example, a perpendicular direction). At this time, in a state where the contact portion enters the inside of the support portion, by relatively moving, a pair of adjacent electrode tabs are bent so as to overlap each other. Therefore, according to the above-described welding jig, even when the width between adjacent electrode tabs is narrow, a pair of adjacent electrode tabs can be easily bent and overlapped with each other. Thus, the above-described welding jig can improve the bendability of the electrode tabs. Further, since the above-described welding jig can secure a connection margin, insulation can be ensured. Here, the support portion is preferably composed of an insulating member. Thereby, the above-described welding jig can ensure a higher level of insulation.

[0009] Further, since the above-described welding jig can reduce the distance between adjacent battery cells, for example, the number of stacked battery cells can be increased to increase the capacity of the battery or reduce its size. Further, the above-described welding jig has at least one claw portion in which the support portion supports the electrode tab bent by the slide portion between the support portion and the electrode tab. Therefore, according to the above-described welding jig, since the bent electrode tab can be supported between the support portions, it is possible to suppress the electrode tab from shifting during welding. Thereby, the above-described welding jig can improve the welding accuracy. Note that the above-described welding jig may be such that either one of the support portion and the slide portion can move (relatively move) with respect to the other according to the usage mode.

[0010] (2) In the welding jig of the present invention described above, the support portion includes a bus bar facing the overlapping surface of the pair of overlapped electrode tabs, and the claw portion is provided at a predetermined interval from the bus bar and is arranged at a position facing the overlapping surface of the electrode tabs.

[0011] By adopting such a configuration, the above-described welding jig can make the overlapping surface of the pair of overlapped electrode tabs face the bus bar. Further, the above-described welding jig can temporarily support the electrode tabs in a state where the overlapping surface of the electrode tabs faces the bus bar by the claw portions. Therefore, for example, welding of the electrode tabs can be easily performed by laser welding or the like.

[0012] (3) It is preferable that the above-described welding jig of the present invention is characterized in that the support portion includes a cell support portion that supports the main body portion of the battery cell.

[0013] By adopting such a configuration, the above-described welding jig can keep a predetermined distance between the main body portions of a plurality of battery cells. That is, the above-described welding jig can position and support the main body portion of the battery cell and the support portion. Thereby, the above-described welding jig can keep the distance between the electrode tabs at a predetermined distance, so that the electrode tabs can be accurately positioned at a predetermined position of the support portion. Therefore, the above-described welding jig can improve the welding accuracy. Here, the cell support portion may be configured, for example, by forming a protrusion (such as an engagement pin or the like) on either the support portion or the battery cell, and forming a recess or a locking hole on the other.

[0014] (4) It is preferable that the above-described welding jig of the present invention is characterized in that the support portion includes at least one electrode tab support portion that supports the protruding portion of the electrode tab protruding from the slit.

[0015] By adopting such a configuration, the above-described welding jig can suppress the electrode tab protruding from the slit from sagging. Thereby, it is possible to suppress the electrode tab from sagging and the bending position from shifting, so that an improvement in welding accuracy can be expected.

[0016] (5) It is preferable that the above-described welding jig of the present invention is characterized in that the claw portions are provided at positions facing the overlapping surface of the pair of overlapped electrode tabs.

[0017] By having the above-described welding jig configured in this way, it is possible to hold the pair of bent electrode tabs in a state where they overlap each other. As a result, the above-described welding jig can suppress the bent electrode tabs from elastically deforming again and returning to their original state, thereby improving the workability of the electrode tabs. Further, since the above-described welding jig can suppress displacement of the bent electrode tabs, an improvement in welding accuracy can be expected.

[0018] (6) The welding jig of the present invention described above is preferably characterized in that the contact portion is arranged so as not to interfere with the claw portion when moving.

[0019] By having the above-described welding jig configured in this way, the contact portion (slide portion) can be smoothly moved, and the electrode tab can be surely bent. Further, since the contact portion and the claw portion do not interfere with each other, damage to the contact portion and the claw portion can be suppressed. Here, in order to prevent the contact portion from interfering with the claw portion, for example, it is preferable to provide the pair of claw portions at intervals in the width direction of the electrode tab and configure the contact portion to be able to pass between the pair of claw portions.

[0020] (7) The welding jig of the present invention described above is preferably characterized in that at least one guide groove is formed in the support portion along the moving direction with respect to the slide portion, a guide member slidable with the guide groove is provided on the slide portion, and the guide member is relatively movable along the guide groove.

[0021] By having the above-described welding jig configured in this way, the slide portion can be smoothly moved relative to each other along the moving direction. As a result, the above-described welding jig can bend the electrode tab with high accuracy. Here, the above-described welding jig is preferably configured by a combination of a guide groove and a guide claw for the guide member. Thereby, the above-described welding jig can be formed with a simple configuration.

[0022] (8) The method for manufacturing a battery according to the present invention provided to solve the above problems is a method for manufacturing a battery by welding a plurality of electrode tabs included in a plurality of battery cells, the method comprising: a slit for protruding the plurality of electrode tabs; a support portion for supporting the plurality of electrode tabs protruding from the slit; and a contact portion that contacts each of the plurality of electrode tabs protruding from the slit, and a slide portion for relatively moving the contact portion in a direction intersecting each of the electrode tabs. A protruding step of protruding the electrode tabs from the slit, and a step of bending the adjacent pair of electrode tabs so as to overlap each other by relatively moving the slide portion in a direction intersecting the electrode tabs with the contact portion entering the inside of the support portion, and a welding step of welding the pair of electrode tabs overlapping each other.

[0023] The above-described method for manufacturing a battery can cause the electrode tab to protrude from the slit by the protruding step. Further, in the above-described method for manufacturing a battery, in the electrode tab bending step, with a plurality of electrode tabs protruding from the slit being supported by the support portion, the contact portion can be relatively moved in a direction (for example, a perpendicular direction) intersecting the electrode tab by the slide portion. At this time, with the contact portion entering the inside of the support portion, by relatively moving, a pair of adjacent electrode tabs are bent so as to overlap each other. Therefore, according to the above-described method for manufacturing a battery, even when the width between adjacent electrode tabs is narrow, a pair of adjacent electrode tabs can be easily bent and overlapped with each other. Thus, the above-described method for manufacturing a battery can improve the bendability of the electrode tabs. Further, in the above-described method for manufacturing a battery, in the welding step, a pair of overlapping electrode tabs can be welded. Note that the above-described welding jig may be such that either one of the support portion and the slide portion can move (relatively move) with respect to the other depending on the usage mode. Thus, the above-described method for manufacturing a battery can reduce the distance between adjacent battery cells, and for example, the number of stacked battery cells can be increased to increase the capacity of the battery or reduce its size. Further, the above-described method for manufacturing a battery can secure a connection margin, and thus can secure insulation. Here, the support portion is preferably made of an insulating member. Thereby, the above-described welding jig can further secure insulation.

Effects of the Invention

[0024] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a welding jig that enables each electrode tab in a plurality of battery cells to be welded (bent) with good workability and secures a connection margin between the electrode tabs to ensure insulation. Further, the present invention can provide a method for manufacturing a battery capable of manufacturing a battery while improving the workability of the electrode tabs in a plurality of battery cells.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0025]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0026] Hereinafter, a welding jig 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention and a method for manufacturing a battery 5 will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that each drawing is schematically shown for easy understanding, and it should be noted that the actual shape, size, and arrangement of components may be different. Also, note that in Figs. 1 to 4, the claw portions 18 are omitted for easy understanding.

[0027] As shown in Fig. 1(a), the welding jig 1 of the present invention is used for welding a plurality of electrode tabs 3 (anode side and cathode side) in a plurality of battery cells 2. In the following description, among the electrode tabs 3, the anode side may also be referred to as the electrode tab 3A, and the cathode side may also be referred to as the electrode tab 3B. Further, in the present embodiment, a case where at least a pair of support portions 10, 10 are formed as a set will be described. Also, in the following description, the direction along the direction in which the electrode tab 3A protrudes from the battery cell 2 will be referred to as the front-rear direction, and the direction orthogonal to the front-rear direction and the horizontal direction may be referred to as the width direction (the depth direction in the drawing). Also, the direction orthogonal to the up-down direction with respect to the front-rear direction may be referred to as the up-down direction. In the drawing, for easy understanding, the support portion 10 is drawn in combinations of 1 to 4 as appropriate, but the number of support portions 10 can be appropriately changed according to the battery cells 2 to be combined. Also, note that in Fig. 6, the battery cells 2 are omitted from the drawing.

[0028] The welding jig 1 includes a support portion 10 and a slide portion 30. In addition to the above, the welding jig 1 further includes a cell support portion 12, a slit 14, a bus bar 16, a claw portion 18 (see Fig. 6), an electrode tab support portion 20, and the like.

[0029] As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, in the present embodiment, the support portion 10 is composed of an insulating member such as a resin having insulating properties, for example. The support portion 10 is configured as a rectangular frame body having a longitudinal direction along the width direction (the depth direction in the drawing). As shown in Fig. 1(a), a plurality (two in the drawing) of the support portions 10 are stacked according to the number of battery cells 2 to be combined to form an aggregate. The support portion 10 includes a pair of cell support portions 12, 12, a pair of slits 14, 14, a bus bar 16, a plurality of claw portions 18 (see Fig. 6), a plurality of electrode tab support portions 20, and the like.

[0030] A pair of cell support portions 12, 12 are provided on both sides in the width direction of the support portion 10, respectively. The cell support portions 12, 12 are formed to protrude toward the battery cell 2 side (front side). The cell support portions 12, 12 can support the main body portion of the battery cell 2 by receiving and supporting both corner portions 2A, 2A on the electrode tab 3 side of the battery cell 2 from below. As shown in the enlarged view of Fig. 1(a), the cell support portions 12, 12 are formed in a substantially L shape according to the shape of the corner portions 2A, 2A (only one side is shown in the figure), and a plurality of protrusions 12A (for example, engaging pins) are formed toward the upper side. On the other hand, a plurality of locking holes 2B that can be locked with the protrusions 12A are formed in the corner portions 2A, 2A of the battery cell 2. The cell support portions 12, 12 can lock (support, fix) the support portion 10 to the battery cell 2 when the plurality of protrusions 12A are inserted into the locking holes 2B.

[0031] Further, as shown in Fig. 1(b), the support portion 10 has a pair of guide grooves 13, 13 (only one side is shown in the figure) formed in the side walls 10A, 10A on both sides in the width direction. The guide grooves 13, 13 are formed along the vertical direction (the moving direction of the slide portion 30 described later) of the side walls 10A, 10A and are open outward. As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the guide grooves 13, 13 can slidably fit the guide members 34, 34 provided on the slide portion 30 described later, respectively. Thereby, the slide portion 30 can be moved along the guide grooves 13, 13.

[0032] As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, a pair of slits 14, 14 are formed in the support portion 10. The slits 14, 14 are formed on both sides in the width direction (longitudinal direction) of the support portion 10 so as to extend along the width direction. The slits 14, 14 can allow the electrode tabs 3 in the battery cell 2 to protrude (be inserted). Specifically, when one end side of each electrode tab 3 is inserted into the slits 14, 14, the electrode tabs 3 can protrude outward (toward the rear side opposite to the battery cell 2) from the slits 14, 14.

[0033] The bus bar 16 is provided above the slit 14 within the support portion 10. Specifically, the bus bar 16 is provided above the slit 14 on the side (rear side) where the electrode tab 3A protrudes from the battery cell 2. The bus bar 16 is composed of a conductive member and is used to electrically connect the electrode tabs 3, 3 that are connected to each other. The bus bar 16 is formed as a rectangular plate-like member, with its longitudinal direction arranged along the width direction (the depth direction in the drawing) of the electrode tabs 3, 3, and its short-side direction arranged along the vertical direction. Although details will be described later, the bus bar 16 is arranged to face the overlapping surface of the pair of electrode tabs 3, 3 that are bent and overlapped. The length of the bus bar 16 in the longitudinal direction is formed to be substantially equal to the length in the width direction of the electrode tab 3.

[0034] As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the claw portions 18 are provided on both sides in the width direction (the depth direction in the drawing) of the support portion 10 with the slit 14 therebetween, and are formed to protrude from the side walls 10A, 10A on both sides in the width direction toward the inner side in the width direction of the slit 14. The claw portions 18, 18 are provided at a predetermined interval with respect to the bus bar 16 and are arranged at positions facing the overlapping surface of the pair of electrode tabs 3, 3. That is, the claw portions 18, 18 are arranged on the side (rear side) of the support portion 10 opposite to the battery cell 2. The claw portions 18, 18 can support the electrode tab 3 bent by the slide portion 30 described later between the support portion 10. In other words, the claw portions 18, 18 can sandwich the bent electrode tab 3 between the bus bar 16. It should be noted that the electrode tabs 3, 3 can pass between the claw portions 18, 18 while elastically deforming. The claw portions 18, 18 are formed at a predetermined interval with respect to the formation surface of the bus bar 16 so as to face the formation surface (in the front-rear direction, the claw portions 18, 18 overlap the formation surface of the bus bar 16 at a predetermined interval).

[0035] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the electrode tab support portion 20 can support the protruding portions of the electrode tabs 3, 3 protruding from the slits 14, 14 from below. The electrode tab support portion 20 is formed of a plate-like member and is supported on both sides in the width direction of the slit 14 in the support portion 10. The pair of electrode tab support portions 20, 20 are arranged so as to protrude inward in the width direction from both sides in the width direction of the slit 14 (side walls 10A, 10A on both sides in the width direction). The electrode tab support portions 20, 20 are configured to secure the space distance between the electrode tabs 3, 3 by supporting the respective electrode tabs 3, 3. Therefore, the electrode tab support portions 20, 20 can suppress the electrode tabs 3, 3 from drooping or interfering with each other and short-circuiting. Note that the electrode tab support portion 20 may support the protruding portion of the electrode tab 3 from above as needed.

[0036] As shown in FIG. 3, the slide portion 30 is formed as a substantially rectangular frame body that is detachable from the support portion 10. The slide portion 30 includes a contact portion 32 that contacts the electrode tab 3 protruding from the slit 14. In the present embodiment, a plurality of contact portions 32 are provided.

[0037] The slide portion 30 is provided with a pair of guide members 34, 34 (also referred to as guide claws 34, 34) that can be slidably attached to and detached from the pair of guide grooves 13, 13. The guide members 34, 34 are formed in a claw shape and are formed so as to protrude toward the support portion 10. The guide members 34, 34 each have a convex portion 34A formed on the inner surface.

[0038] The convex portions 34A, 34A can be slidably and detachably fitted into the guide grooves 13, 13. The slide portion 30 can move relative to the guide grooves 13, 13 along with the relative movement of the convex portions 34A, 34A along the guide grooves 13, 13.

[0039] The slide part 30 can be moved in a direction intersecting each of the plurality of contact parts 32 with respect to the respective electrode tabs 3 (including manual operation) by an appropriate drive source. Note that as long as the slide part 30 can be relatively moved in a direction intersecting the electrode tab 3, either the slide part 30 or the support part 10 may move.

[0040] The contact part 32 is provided so as to protrude toward the support part 10. The contact part 32 is provided on both sides in the width direction (the depth direction in the drawing) of the slide part 30. Further, as shown in FIG. 7, the contact part 32 is arranged in each of the upper, middle, and lower stages. In the following description, the upper contact part 32 may be referred to as the contact part 32U, the middle contact part 32 may be referred to as the contact part 32M, and the lower contact part 32 may be referred to as the contact part 32D. The contact parts 32U, 32M, and 32D are formed in a substantially U-shape in a side view and are arranged at intervals along the vertical direction. In the present embodiment, the contact parts 32 on both sides in the width direction are arranged alternately in the vertical direction in accordance with the overlapping direction of the respective electrode tabs 3. In the following, when it is not necessary to distinguish each of the contact parts 32U, 32M, and 32D, they will be simply described as the contact part 32.

[0041] The contact part 32 is configured to enter (be inserted into) the inside of the support part 10 in a state where the slide part 30 is attached to the support part 10. Further, the contact part 32 can contact the electrode tab 3 by entering the inside of the support part 10. In a state where the contact part 32 has entered the inside of the support part 10, the slide part 30 can bend a pair of adjacent electrode tabs 3, 3 so as to overlap each other by relatively moving in a direction intersecting the respective electrode tabs 3, 3. The contact part 32 is arranged so as not to interfere with the claw part 18 during movement. Here, as shown in FIG. 6, in order to prevent the contact part 32 from interfering with the claw part 18, in the present embodiment, for example, a pair of claw parts 18, 18 are provided at intervals in the width direction of the electrode tab 3, and the contact part 32 is configured to be able to pass between the pair of claw parts 18, 18.

[0042] The above is the configuration of the welding jig 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Next, a method for manufacturing the battery 5 using the welding jig 1 of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 8. In the following description and illustration, a case where a plurality of battery cells 2 are connected in parallel will be described.

[0043] As shown in FIGS. 1(a) and 1(b), the electrode tabs 3A and 3B in the battery cell 2 are inserted into and protruded from the slits 14 and 14 of the support portion 10 (also referred to as the protruding step). Note that in FIG. 1(a), only two support portions 10 and 10 are drawn for easy understanding.

[0044] FIGS. 1(b) and 2 show a state where the electrode tabs 3A and 3B protrude from the slits 14 and 14 in the protruding step. Note that in FIG. 2, only one support portion 10 is drawn for easy understanding.

[0045] Next, as shown in FIG. 3, the slide portion 30 is arranged to face the rear side (back side) of the support portion 10. Subsequently, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 7(a), the guide members 34 and 34 of the slide portion 30 are fitted into and attached to the guide grooves 13 and 13 (see FIG. 3) of the support portion 10 (also referred to as the slide portion attachment step).

[0046] Next, as shown in FIG. 7(b), with the contact portions 32U, 32M, and 32D entering the inside of each support portion 10, the slide portion 30 is relatively moved in a direction intersecting each electrode tab 3 (a direction orthogonal to the upper side with respect to the formation surface of the electrode tab 3), so that the electrode tabs 3B and 3B located above the contact portions 32M and 32D are bent upward respectively (also referred to as the first electrode tab bending step).

[0047] Next, as shown in FIG. 7(c), with the contact portions 32U, 32M, and 32D entering the inside of each support portion 10, as shown in FIG. 8(a), the slide portion 30 is relatively moved in a direction intersecting each electrode tab 3 (a direction orthogonal to the lower side with respect to the formation surface of the electrode tab 3). As a result, the electrode tabs 3A, 3A located below the contact portions 32U, 32M are bent downward respectively (also referred to as the second electrode tab bending step). Also, a pair of adjacent electrode tabs 3A, 3B are bent so as to overlap each other. Note that both the first electrode tab bending step and the second electrode tab bending step are collectively also referred to as the electrode tab bending step.

[0048] Next, as shown in FIG. 8(b), by relatively moving the slide portion 30 upward, the contact portions 32U, 32M, and 32D return to their initial positions. As a result, the overlapping surfaces of the bus bar 16 and the electrode tabs 3A, 3B face each other, and a space for welding is secured on the surface side of the overlapping surfaces of the electrode tabs 3A, 3B. In this state, as shown in FIG. 5, a pair of electrode tabs 3A, 3B that overlap each other, and the bus bar 16 are welded, for example, by a laser welding machine (not shown) or the like through the openings in the support portions 10 (also referred to as the welding step). Note that various welding machines can be used according to the electrode tabs 3A, 3B, the bus bar 16, etc., or the welding space, etc.

[0049] When the welding step is completed, as shown in FIG. 6, the slide portion 30 is removed from each support portion 10, and the manufacturing of the battery 5 (also referred to as the assembled battery 5) is completed. Note that in this embodiment, the support portion 10 in the welding jig 1 is used as a part of the battery 5. Also, it should be noted that in the drawing, the battery cells 2 are omitted.

[0050] The above is one embodiment of the welding jig 1 and the manufacturing method of the battery 5 according to the present invention. Next, the effects achieved by the welding jig 1 and the manufacturing method of the battery 5 according to the present invention will be described below.

[0051] The above-described welding jig 1 has the following characteristic configurations (A) to (G). Therefore, the welding jig 1 can achieve specific effects that cannot be achieved by the following prior art.

[0052] (A) The welding jig 1 of the present embodiment is a welding jig 1 for welding a plurality of electrode tabs 3 in a plurality of battery cells 2, and includes a slit 14 for protruding the plurality of electrode tabs 3, a support portion 10 for supporting the plurality of electrode tabs 3 protruding from the slit 14, and a contact portion 32 that contacts each of the plurality of electrode tabs 3 protruding from the slit 14, and a slide portion 30 that relatively moves the contact portion 32 in a direction intersecting each electrode tab 3. The slide portion 30 relatively moves in a direction intersecting each electrode tab 3 with the contact portion 32 entering the inside of the support portion 10, so as to bend the adjacent pair of electrode tabs 3, 3 so as to overlap each other. The support portion 10 is characterized by including at least one claw portion 18 that supports the electrode tab 3 bent by the slide portion 30 between the support portion 10 and the electrode tab 3.

[0053] In the above-described welding jig 1, with the plurality of electrode tabs 3 protruding from the slit 14 supported by the support portion 10, the slide portion 30 can relatively move the contact portion 32 in a direction intersecting the electrode tab 3 (for example, a perpendicular direction). At this time, with the contact portion 32 entering the inside of the support portion 10, by relatively moving, the adjacent pair of electrode tabs 3 are bent so as to overlap each other. Therefore, according to the above-described welding jig 1, even when the width between the adjacent electrode tabs 3, 3 is narrow, the adjacent pair of electrode tabs 3, 3 can be easily bent and overlapped with each other. Thus, the above-described welding jig 1 can improve the bendability of the electrode tab 3. Also, since the above-described welding jig 1 can ensure the connection allowance, insulation can be ensured. Here, the support portion 10 is preferably made of an insulating member. Thereby, the above-described welding jig 1 can ensure a further layer of insulation.

[0054] In addition, since the welding jig 1 described above can reduce the distance between adjacent battery cells 2, 2, for example, the number of stacked battery cells 2 can be increased to increase the capacity or reduce the size of the battery 5. Further, the welding jig 1 described above includes at least one pair of claw portions 18, 18 in which the support portion 10 supports the electrode tab 3 bent by the slide portion 30 between the support portion 10. Therefore, according to the welding jig 1 described above, since the bent electrode tab 3 can be supported between the support portions 10, 10, the displacement of the electrode tabs 3, 3 during welding can be suppressed. Thereby, the welding jig 1 described above can improve the welding accuracy. Note that the welding jig 1 described above may be such that either one of the support portion 10 and the slide portion 30 can move (relative movement) with respect to the other depending on the usage mode.

[0055] (B) In the welding jig 1 of the present embodiment, the support portion 10 includes a bus bar 16 facing the overlapping surface of the pair of overlapped electrode tabs 3, 3, and the claw portion 18 is provided at a predetermined interval from the bus bar 16 and is arranged at a position facing the overlapping surface of the electrode tabs 3, 3.

[0056] With such a configuration, the welding jig 1 described above can oppose the overlapping surface of the pair of overlapped electrode tabs 3, 3 to the bus bar 16. Further, the welding jig 1 described above can temporarily support the electrode tabs 3, 3 in a state where the overlapping surface of the electrode tabs 3, 3 faces the bus bar 16 by the claw portion 18. Therefore, for example, the welding of the electrode tabs 3, 3 can be easily performed by laser welding or the like.

[0057] (C) The welding jig 1 of the present embodiment is preferably characterized in that the support portion 10 includes a cell support portion 12 that supports the main body portion of the battery cell 2.

[0058] By adopting such a configuration, the above-described welding jig 1 can maintain a predetermined distance between the main body portions of the plurality of battery cells 2. That is, the above-described welding jig 1 can position and support the main body portion of the battery cell 2 and the support portion 10. Thereby, since the above-described welding jig 1 can maintain the distance between the electrode tabs 3 and 3 at a predetermined distance, the electrode tab 3 can be accurately positioned at a predetermined position of the support portion 10. Therefore, the above-described welding jig 1 can improve the welding accuracy. Here, the cell support portion 12 may be configured, for example, by forming a protrusion (such as an engagement pin or the like) on either the support portion 10 or the battery cell 2, and forming a recess or a locking hole 2B on the other.

[0059] (D) The welding jig 1 of the present embodiment is characterized in that the support portion 10 includes at least one electrode tab support portion 20 that supports the protruding portion of the electrode tab 3 protruding from the slit 14.

[0060] By adopting such a configuration, the above-described welding jig 1 can suppress the electrode tab 3 protruding from the slit 14 from sagging. Thereby, it can be suppressed that the electrode tab 3 sags and the bending position is displaced, so an improvement in welding accuracy can be expected.

[0061] (E) The welding jig 1 of the present embodiment is characterized in that the claw portion 18 is provided at a position facing the overlapping surface of the pair of overlapped electrode tabs 3 and 3.

[0062] By adopting such a configuration, the above-described welding jig 1 can hold the pair of bent electrode tabs 3 and 3 in an overlapped state with each other. Thereby, since the above-described welding jig 1 can suppress the bent electrode tab 3 from elastically deforming again and returning to the original state, the workability of the electrode tab 3 is improved. Further, since the above-described welding jig 1 can suppress the displacement of the bent electrode tab 3, an improvement in welding accuracy can be expected.

[0063] (F) The welding jig 1 of the present embodiment is characterized in that the contact portion 32 is arranged so as not to interfere with the claw portions 18 during movement.

[0064] With such a configuration, the above-described welding jig 1 can smoothly move the contact portion 32 (slide portion 30) and surely bend the electrode tab 3. Further, since the contact portion 32 and the claw portions 18 do not interfere with each other, damage to the contact portion 32 and the claw portions 18 can be suppressed. Here, in order to prevent the contact portion 32 from interfering with the claw portions 18, for example, a pair of claw portions 18, 18 may be provided at intervals in the width direction of the electrode tab 3, and the contact portion 32 may be configured to be able to pass between the pair of claw portions 18, 18.

[0065] (G) The welding jig 1 of the present embodiment is characterized in that at least one guide groove 13 along the moving direction with respect to the slide portion 30 is formed in the support portion 10, a guide member 34 slidable with the guide groove 13 is provided on the slide portion 30, and the guide member 34 is relatively movable along the guide groove 13.

[0066] With such a configuration, the above-described welding jig 1 can smoothly move the slide portion 30 relative to each other along the moving direction. Thereby, the above-described welding jig 1 can bend the electrode tab 3 with high precision. Here, the above-described welding jig 1 can be configured by a combination of the guide groove 13 and the guide claw 34 for the guide member 34. Thereby, the above-described welding jig 1 can be formed with a simple configuration.

[0067] Further, the above-described method for manufacturing the battery 5 has the following characteristic configuration (H). Therefore, the above-described method for manufacturing the battery 5 can achieve specific effects that cannot be achieved by the following prior art.

[0068] (H) The manufacturing method of the battery 5 according to this embodiment is a manufacturing method of the battery 5 that manufactures the battery 5 by welding a plurality of electrode tabs 3 included in a plurality of battery cells 2. The manufacturing method is provided with a slit 14 for protruding the plurality of electrode tabs 3, a support portion 10 for supporting the plurality of electrode tabs 3 protruding from the slit 14, and a contact portion 32 that contacts each of the plurality of electrode tabs 3 protruding from the slit 14. The manufacturing method is also provided with a slide portion 30 that relatively moves the contact portion 32 in a direction intersecting each electrode tab 3. A protruding step of protruding the electrode tabs 3 from the slit, and an electrode tab bending step of bending a pair of adjacent electrode tabs 3, 3 so as to overlap each other by relatively moving the slide portion 30 in a direction intersecting the electrode tabs 3 with the contact portion 32 entering the inside of the support portion 10 are executed. A welding step of welding the pair of overlapping electrode tabs 3, 3 is also executed. This is the gist of the present invention.

[0069] In the manufacturing method of the battery 5 described above, the electrode tab 3 can be protruded from the slit 14 by the protruding step. Further, in the manufacturing method of the battery 5 described above, in the electrode tab bending step, with a plurality of electrode tabs 3 protruded from the slit 14 supported by the support portion 10, the contact portion 32 can be relatively moved in a direction intersecting the electrode tab 3 (for example, a perpendicular direction) by the slide portion 30. At this time, with the contact portion 32 entering the inside of the support portion 10, by relatively moving, a pair of adjacent electrode tabs 3 are bent so as to overlap each other. Therefore, according to the manufacturing method of the battery 5 described above, even when the width between adjacent electrode tabs 3 is narrow, a pair of adjacent electrode tabs 3, 3 can be easily bent and overlapped with each other. Thus, the manufacturing method of the battery 5 described above can improve the bendability of the electrode tab 3. Further, in the manufacturing method of the battery 5 described above, in the welding step, a pair of electrode tabs 3, 3 overlapping each other can be welded. Note that for the welding jig 1 described above, either one of the support portion 10 and the slide portion 30 may be movable (relatively movable) with respect to the other according to the usage mode. Thus, the manufacturing method of the battery 5 described above can reduce the distance between adjacent battery cells 2, 2. Therefore, for example, the number of stacked battery cells 2 can be increased to increase the capacity or reduce the size of the battery 5. Further, the manufacturing method of the battery 5 described above can secure the connection margin, so that insulation can be ensured. Here, the support portion 10 is preferably made of an insulating member. Thereby, the welding jig 1 described above can ensure a higher level of insulation.

[0070] The above is the configuration and operation effects of the embodiment of the present invention. However, the welding jig 1 and the manufacturing method of the battery 5 of the present invention are not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the present invention.

[0071] In this embodiment, it is formed by an assembly of a plurality of support portions 10. However, the connection between the support portions 10 can be made by appropriate means. Further, the support portion 10 may be integrally formed by a single support portion 10. Also, the shape, size, and quantity of the support portion 10, the slit 14, and the bus bar 16 can be appropriately changed according to the shape, size, and quantity of the electrode tab 3. Further, in this embodiment, the electrode tabs 3 of the battery cell 2 are connected in parallel. However, the connection of the electrode tabs 3 of the battery cell 2 can be made in various modes such as not only in parallel but also in series or in a combination of series and parallel. In such a case, the arrangement of the slit 14 and the bus bar 16 may be changed according to the connection form.

[0072] Further, in this embodiment, the support portion 10 is made of an insulating member. However, within a range where the electrode tab 3 and the bus bar 16 do not short-circuit, a part of the support portion 10 may be made of an insulating member. Also, the shape and size of the slide portion 30 and the contact portion 32 can be of various shapes and sizes according to the aspect of the battery cell 2. Further, the slide portion 30 is not limited to being by the guide groove 13 and the guide member 34, and those with various structures can be used. Also, those in which the guide groove 13 and the guide member 34 are interchanged can be used. Also, the shape, size, quantity, and arrangement position of the claw portion 18 can be appropriately changed within the scope of the object of the present invention.

[0073] Further, in this embodiment, an example in which the electrode tabs 3, 3 are connected using the bus bar 16 is shown. However, the bus bar 16 may be provided as necessary, and it is also possible to adopt a configuration in which only the electrode tabs 3, 3 are welded without passing through the bus bar 16.

[0074] In this embodiment, the support part 10 is exemplified as including the cell support part 12. However, the cell support part 12 may be provided as needed, and it is also possible to adopt a configuration without the cell support part 12. Further, when the cell support part 12 is provided, the shape, size, quantity, and position of the cell support part 12 can be appropriately changed. In this embodiment, the support part 10 is exemplified as including the electrode tab support part 20. However, the electrode tab support part 20 may be provided as needed, and it is also possible to adopt a configuration without the electrode tab support part 20. Further, when the electrode tab support part 20 is provided, the shape, size, quantity, and position of the electrode tab support part 20 can be appropriately changed.

[0075] The above are various embodiments and modifications of the welding jig and the method for manufacturing a battery according to the present invention. However, the present invention is not limited to those exemplified in the above-described embodiments and modifications, and it will be easily understood by those skilled in the art that there may be other embodiments within the scope not departing from the teachings and spirit of the claims.

Industrial Applicability

[0076] The welding jig and the method for manufacturing a battery according to the present invention can be suitably used when connecting a plurality of electrode tabs in a plurality of battery cells to each other by welding. Further, the welding jig and the method for manufacturing a battery according to the present invention can be suitably used when forming a battery pack by connecting a plurality of battery cells in series or in parallel.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0077] 1: Welding jig 2: Battery cell 3: Electrode tab 3A: Electrode tab 3B: Electrode tab 5: Battery 10: Support part 11: Opening 12: Cell support part 13: Guide groove 14: Slit 16: Bus bar 18: Claw part 20: Electrode tab support part 30: Slide part 32: Contact part 34: Guide member (guide claw)

Claims

1. A welding jig for welding a plurality of electrode tabs in a plurality of battery cells, comprising a slit for protruding the plurality of electrode tabs, and a support portion for supporting the plurality of electrode tabs protruding from the slit; comprising a contact portion that contacts each of the plurality of electrode tabs protruding from the slit, and a slide portion that relatively moves the contact portion in a direction intersecting each of the electrode tabs; and the slide portion relatively moves in a direction intersecting each of the electrode tabs with the contact portion entering the inside of the support portion, so as to bend a pair of adjacent electrode tabs so as to overlap each other; the support portion is provided with at least one claw portion that supports the electrode tab bent by the slide portion between the support portion and itself. The welding jig is characterized by this.

2. the support portion is provided with a bus bar facing the overlapping surface of the pair of overlapped electrode tabs, the claw portion is provided at a predetermined interval from the bus bar and is arranged at a position facing the overlapping surface of the electrode tabs. The welding jig according to Claim 1 is characterized by this.

3. A method for manufacturing a battery, which manufactures a battery by welding a plurality of electrode tabs included in a plurality of battery cells using the welding jig according to Claim 1 or 2, a protruding step of protruding the electrode tabs from the slit; an electrode tab bending step of bending a pair of adjacent electrode tabs so as to overlap each other by relatively moving the slide portion in a direction intersecting the electrode tabs with the contact portion entering the inside of the support portion; a welding step of welding a pair of electrode tabs overlapping each other; and a method for manufacturing a battery that executes this.

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