Assembly method and assembly device of electrochemical element

Abstract

To provide an assembly method and an assembly device of an electrochemical element, capable of mounting a conductive plate onto an upper surface of an electrode body with high accuracy.SOLUTION: An assembly method of an electrochemical element, comprises: a step S1 of preparing a concave-shaped container; a step S2 of imaging the prepared concave-shaped container toward an opening, and obtaining an image; a step S3 of obtaining a geometric center in the opening on the basis of the image; a step S4 of imaging it toward a main surface of a conductive plate, and obtaining an image; a step S5 of obtaining the geometric center in the main surface of the conductive plate on the basis of the image; a step S6 of arranging the conductive body at a bottom part inner surface of the concave-shaped container; and a step S7-1 of matching a position of the geometric center of the opening of the concave-shaped container and the geometric center of the main surface of the conductive plate, and arranging the conductive plate onto an upper surface of the electrode body.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a method and an apparatus for assembling an electrochemical element in which an electrode body is sealed in a case.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, various batteries have been disclosed in which an electrode body is housed in an internal space formed by a concave container and a lid member that covers the opening of the concave container.

[0003] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2012-69508 (Patent Document 1) discloses an electrochemical cell with stable electrochemical characteristics. The electrochemical cell has a sealed container. The sealed container consists of a base member and a lid member. A storage space is formed between the two members. An electrochemical element (electrode body) is housed in the storage space. An elastic member is disposed between the lid member and the electrochemical element in the storage space. The elastic member presses the electrochemical element toward the bottom side of the base member.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a method and an apparatus for assembling an electrochemical element capable of accurately arranging a conductive plate (elastic member) with respect to a concave container in which an electrode body is housed.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To solve the above problems, the present disclosure is configured as follows. That is, the method for assembling an electrochemical element according to the present disclosure includes a concave container having a bottom portion and a side wall portion, a lid member covering the opening of the concave container, an electrode body disposed between the bottom portion and the lid member in an internal space formed by the concave container and the lid member, and a conductive plate disposed between the lid member and the electrode body and pressing the electrode body toward the bottom portion. The method for assembling an electrochemical element includes a step of preparing the concave container, a step of imaging the concave container toward the opening to obtain a first image, a step of obtaining a first geometric center at the opening based on the first image, a step of imaging the conductive plate toward the main surface of the conductive plate to obtain a second image, a step of obtaining a second geometric center on the main surface of the conductive plate based on the second image, a step of disposing the electrode body on the inner surface of the bottom portion of the concave container, and a step of adjusting the second geometric center to a predetermined position with respect to the first geometric center and disposing the conductive plate on the upper surface of the electrode body.

[0007] Further, the assembling apparatus for an electrochemical element according to the present disclosure includes a concave container having a bottom portion and a side wall portion, a lid member covering the opening of the concave container, an electrode body disposed between the bottom portion and the lid member in an internal space formed by the concave container and the lid member, and a conductive plate disposed between the lid member and the electrode body and pressing the electrode body toward the bottom portion. The assembling apparatus for an electrochemical element includes a concave container imaging unit that images the concave container toward the opening to obtain a first image, a conductive plate imaging unit that images the conductive plate toward the main surface of the conductive plate to obtain a second image, a first center calculation unit that obtains a first geometric center at the opening based on the first image, a second center calculation unit that obtains a second geometric center on the main surface of the conductive plate based on the second image, a transfer unit that transfers the conductive plate onto the upper surface of the electrode body disposed on the inner surface of the bottom portion of the concave container, and a transfer control unit that controls the transfer unit to transfer the conductive plate onto the upper surface of the electrode body by adjusting the second geometric center to a predetermined position with respect to the first geometric center.

Advantages of the Invention

[0008] According to the method and apparatus for assembling an electrochemical element according to the present disclosure, the conductive plate can be accurately disposed with respect to the concave container in which the electrode body is accommodated.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0009]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

Figure 12

Figure 13

Figure 14

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0010] The inventors first considered that it was difficult to stably maintain electrical connection in the electrochemical cell of Patent Document 1. That is, in the case where the electrochemical cell is subjected to strong impacts or the like during its transportation and installation, there are problems that the elastic member may be displaced, or the tip of the elastic member may damage the electrochemical element (electrode body) when it contacts the electrochemical element.

[0011] The inventors focused on such problems and studied an electrochemical element capable of more stably maintaining electrical connection. As a result of intensive studies, the inventors found that stable electrical connection can be achieved by fixing a conductive plate (elastic member) to the side wall of the concave container that houses the electrode body, and completed the following electrochemical element.

[0012] The assembling method and assembling apparatus for the electrochemical element 1 according to the present disclosure are an assembling method and an assembling apparatus for assembling the following electrochemical element. Therefore, first, the electrochemical element to be assembled in the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6. In the present disclosure, the drawings do not represent actual dimensions and are simplified.

[0013] [Structure of Electrochemical Element] The electrochemical element 1 includes a case 10 composed of a concave container 11 and a lid member 12, an electrode body 20 and a conductive plate 30 accommodated in the accommodation space of the case 10, and external terminals 13 and 14 arranged on the outer surface of the case 10.

[0014] The concave container 11 is made of ceramics, resin, glass (such as borosilicate glass, glass-ceramics), or metal. When the concave container 11 is formed of a metal material, it is preferable to provide an insulating layer between the electrode body 20 and the concave container 11. The concave container 11 includes a bottom portion 111 and a cylindrical side wall portion 112 that is continuously formed from the outer periphery of the bottom portion 111 and has a cylindrical space for accommodating the electrode body 20 inside. A conductor portion 113 is formed inside the bottom portion 111. The conductor portion 113 extends between the electrode body 20 and the bottom portion 111 so as to be electrically connected to the electrode body 20, and forms a conduction path corresponding to the electrode layer 21. A conductor portion 114 is formed inside the side wall portion 112. As shown in FIG. 1, a part of the conductor portion 114 is formed to be exposed on the lower surface and the side surface of a support portion 115, which will be described later, on the inner peripheral surface of the side wall portion 112, and forms a conduction path corresponding to the electrode layer 22 via the conductive plate 30.

[0015] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the side wall portion 112 has a plurality of support portions 115 for supporting the conductive plate 30. The support portion 115 is formed to open at the upper end surface of the side wall portion 112 and has a concave shape into which a supported portion 31 of the conductive plate 30, which will be described later, can be inserted. An overhanging portion 1151 that protrudes along the circumferential direction is formed at the upper end portion of the support portion 115. The lower surface of each overhanging portion 1151 can lock and support the tip of the supported portion 31 of the conductive plate 30, which will be described later, outside the radial direction of the electrode body 20 in a plan view. Also, in the present embodiment, two support portions 115 are provided, but the number is not limited. For example, when the number of supported portions 31 of the conductive plate 30 is four, four support portions 115 may be provided at positions corresponding to the supported portions 31.

[0016] The lid member 12 is a thin metal plate that covers the opening of the concave container 11. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the lid member 12 is joined (seam welded) to the concave container 11 by a square frame-shaped seal ring 15 disposed between the lower surface of the outer peripheral end thereof and the upper end of the concave container 11. Thereby, the internal space of the case 10 is completely sealed. Note that the lid member 12 is not limited to a thin metal plate as long as it can cover the opening of the concave container 11. The lid member 12 may be adhered to the concave container 11 with an adhesive, and the joining method of the lid member 12 and the concave container 11 is not particularly limited as long as the internal space of the case 10 can be sealed.

[0017] The external terminal 13 is disposed on the outer surface of the concave container 11. The external terminal 13 is electrically connected to the electrode layer 21 via the conductor portion 113. When the electrode layer 21 is a positive electrode layer, the external terminal 13 functions as a positive electrode terminal.

[0018] The external terminal 14 is disposed on the outer surface of the concave container 11 apart from the external terminal 13. The external terminal 14 is electrically connected to the supported portion 31 of the conductive plate 30 via the conductor portion 114. The conductive plate 30 is electrically connected to the electrode layer 22. Therefore, when the electrode layer 22 is a negative electrode layer, the external terminal 14 functions as a negative electrode terminal.

[0019] The electrode body 20 includes a laminate in which an electrode layer (positive electrode layer) 21, an electrode layer (negative electrode layer) 22, and an isolation layer 23 are laminated. The isolation layer 23 is disposed between the electrode layer 21 and the electrode layer 22. The isolation layer 23 is a solid electrolyte layer. Therefore, the electrochemical element 1 of the present embodiment is an all-solid-state battery. The electrode body 20 is formed in a cylindrical shape. The electrode body 20 is laminated in the order of the electrode layer 21, the isolation layer 23, and the electrode layer 22 from the bottom 111 side (the lower side in the drawing) of the concave container 11. That is, the electrode body 20 is disposed such that the electrode layer 21, which is one end thereof, faces the bottom 111 side of the concave container 11, and the electrode layer 22, which is the other end thereof, faces the lid member 12 side. Note that the electrode body 20 may have a plurality of laminates. The plurality of laminates may be laminated so as to be connected in series.

[0020] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the conductive plate 30 is installed at the opening of the concave container 11. The conductive plate 30 is fixed to the side wall portion 112 of the concave container 11. More specifically, the conductive plate 30 has a plurality of supported portions 31 corresponding to the positions of the respective support portions 115 described above on the outer side in the radial direction than the electrode body 20 in plan view. In the present embodiment, the supported portion 31 is a hook-shaped locking piece that is locked to the lower surface of the protruding portion 1151 described above. More specifically, the supported portion 31 has a base portion 311 extending from the edge of the conductive plate 30 toward the support portion 115 (downward in FIG. 1), and a tip portion 312 folded back toward the lower surface of the protruding portion 1151. The tip of the tip portion 312 of the supported portion 31 is in contact with the conductor portion 114 exposed on the lower surface and the side surface of the protruding portion 1151. Thereby, the conductive plate 30 functions as a current collector and also functions as a connection terminal that electrically connects the electrode layer 22 and the conduction path leading to the external terminal 14. Note that the conductive plate 30 only needs to be fixed to the side wall portion 112 of the concave container 11 by the supported portion 31.

[0021] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the conductive plate 30 has a spring portion 33 that is cantilevered on the flat portion 32 of the conductive plate 30 so as to contact the upper surface of the electrode layer 22, which is the other end of the electrode body 20. The spring portion 33 presses the electrode body 20 toward the bottom portion 111 of the concave container 11. Note that the conductive plate 30 may press the electrode body 20 by the flat portion 32 without providing the spring portion 33. Further, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the spring portion 33 may be a recess that is recessed from the flat portion 32 toward the electrode body 20. The spring portion 33 (recess) has a circular shape in plan view. Examples of the metal constituting the conductive plate 30 include nickel, iron, copper, chromium, cobalt, titanium, aluminum, and alloys thereof. In order to easily exhibit the function as a leaf spring, spring stainless steels such as SUS301-CSP, SUS304-CSP, SUS316-CSP, SUS420J2-CSP, SUS631-CSP, and SUS632J1-CSP are preferably used.

[0022] The conductive plate 30 is placed on the upper surface of the electrode body 20 after the electrode body 20 is housed inside the concave container 11. In a state where the conductive plate 30 is placed on the upper surface of the electrode body 20, the supported portion 31 is inserted from the opening of the support portion 115. The tip of the supported portion 31 is positioned between the upper surface of the electrode body 20 and the lower surface of the overhanging portion 1151 in the axial direction (the vertical direction in FIG. 1) of the electrode body 20. Then, while pushing the supported portion 31 of the conductive plate 30 toward the bottom 111 of the concave container 11, the tip of the supported portion 31 is supported by the overhanging portion 1151. More specifically, the tip portion 312 of the supported portion 31 is locked to the lower surface of the overhanging portion 1151. Since the spring portion 33 of the conductive plate 30 is pushed in a direction opposite to the electrode layer 22 while being in contact with the electrode body 20 because the supported portion 31 is pushed downward, the spring portion 33 presses the electrode body 20 toward the bottom 111 of the concave container 11 by its elastic force. Thereby, the conductive plate 30 can contact the electrode body 20 more stably and maintain a good electrical connection without causing positional displacement due to vibration or the like. The spring portion 33 is not particularly limited as long as it can press the electrode body 20 toward the bottom 111 of the concave container 11 by its elastic force. Further, although the concave container 11 has two support portions 115, the number of support portions 115 may be two or more. The supported portion 31 may be formed according to the number of support portions 115.

[0023] A gap is formed between the conductive plate 30 and the lid member 12. That is, the conductive plate 30 and the lid member 12 do not contact each other. Thereby, even when the conductive plate 30 is pushed toward the lid member 12 due to a volume change of the electrode body 20, deformation of the lid member 12 can be suppressed. Further, the lid member 12 and the concave container 11 are welded via the seal ring 15 as described above. By providing a gap between the conductive plate 30 and the lid member 12, the influence of welding heat on the electrode body 20 can be suppressed. Furthermore, since the conductive plate 30 and the lid member 12 do not contact each other, the influence of pressing from the conductive plate 30 is not received when the lid member 12 is joined to the upper end surface of the side wall portion 112 of the concave container 11, and the sealing performance of the case 10 can be further improved.

[0024] Although not particularly shown, a so-called flat battery may be housed in the internal space of the case 10 instead of the electrode body 20. Further, the electrode layer 21 may function as a negative electrode layer, and the electrode layer 22 may function as a negative electrode layer. In this case, the external terminal 13 functions as a negative electrode terminal, and the external terminal 14 functions as a positive electrode terminal. Furthermore, as the isolation layer 23, a separator may be provided instead of the solid electrolyte layer, and an electrolytic solution may be housed in the internal space of the case 10 together with the electrode body 20, whereby the electrochemical element 1 can be a lithium-ion secondary battery, a lithium-ion capacitor, an electric double layer capacitor, or the like.

[0025] Although not particularly shown, a shape-retaining conductor may be placed on the inner surface of the bottom portion 111 of the concave container 11. The shape-retaining conductor is, for example, a porous metal body. The shape-retaining conductor retains its deformed shape after being deformed by a predetermined pressing force. The shape-retaining conductor is not limited to a porous metal body, and any conductor having conductivity and capable of retaining its deformed shape may be used. By disposing the shape-retaining conductor between the concave container 11 and the electrode body 20 in this manner, the height of the upper surface of the electrode body can be flexibly adjusted regardless of dimensional errors in the concave container 11 or the electrode body 20 during the assembly of the electrochemical element 1. As a result, the electrode body 20 can be appropriately pressed by the conductive plate 30, and thus an electrochemical element 1 having sufficient battery performance can be obtained.

[0026] The porous metal body is a porous metal substrate having a high porosity and pores penetrating from one surface to the other surface, like a foamed metal porous body, and can be pressed and compressed and functions as a current collector. The porous metal body retains the shape after being compressed and deformed after being pressed.

[0027] The porosity of the porous metal body is preferably 80% or more, more preferably 90% or more, in order to facilitate adjustment of variations in the thickness of the electrode body 20 due to compression. On the other hand, in order to ensure good conductivity, the porosity of the porous metal body is preferably 99% or less. The thickness of the porous metal body before assembling the electrochemical element 1 is preferably 0.1 mm or more, more preferably 0.3 mm or more, particularly preferably 0.5 mm or more. On the other hand, it is preferably 3 mm or less, more preferably 2 mm or less, particularly preferably 1.5 mm or less.

[0028] As described above, the conductive plate 30 is fixed to the side wall portion 112 of the concave container 11. Usually, there are manufacturing tolerances in the concave container 11 and the conductive plate 30. Therefore, in order to appropriately fix the conductive plate 30 to the side wall portion 112 of the concave container 11, it is necessary to accurately position the conductive plate 30 when transferring it above the electrode body 20. The assembling method and assembling apparatus of the electrochemical element 1 of the present disclosure accurately position the conductive plate 30 when fixing the conductive plate 30 to the side wall portion 112 of the concave container 11 as described above. Hereinafter, the assembling method and assembling apparatus of the electrochemical element 1 according to the present embodiment will be described.

[0029] (Configuration 1) The assembling method of the electrochemical element according to the embodiment of the present disclosure is an assembling method of an electrochemical element having a concave container having a bottom portion and a side wall portion, a lid member covering the opening of the concave container, an electrode body disposed between the bottom portion and the lid member in an internal space formed by the concave container and the lid member, and a conductive plate disposed between the lid member and the electrode body and pressing the electrode body toward the bottom portion, including a step of preparing the concave container, a step of imaging the concave container toward the opening to obtain a first image, a step of obtaining a first geometric center at the opening based on the first image, a step of imaging the conductive plate toward the main surface of the conductive plate to obtain a second image, a step of obtaining a second geometric center on the main surface of the conductive plate based on the second image, a step of disposing the electrode body on the inner surface of the bottom portion of the concave container, and a step of adjusting the second geometric center to a predetermined position with respect to the first geometric center and disposing the conductive plate on the upper surface of the electrode body.

[0030] By arranging the conductive plate on the upper surface of the electrode body so that the second geometric center is at a predetermined position with respect to the first geometric center in this way, the conductive plate can be accurately arranged with respect to the concave container in which the electrode body is accommodated. (Configuration 2) In the method of assembling the electrochemical element of Configuration 1, in the step of arranging the conductive plate on the upper surface of the electrode body, the positions of the first geometric center and the second geometric center may be made to coincide. Thereby, when the shape of the conductive plate is point-symmetrical, the conductive plate can be more smoothly arranged on the upper surface of the electrode body with higher accuracy.

[0031] (Configuration 3) In the method of assembling the electrochemical element of Configuration 2, the conductive plate may include a supported portion that continuously extends from the edge of the conductive plate and is for fixing the conductive plate to the side wall portion of the concave container. The side wall portion of the concave container may include a support portion that supports the supported portion outward in a plan view from the edge of the electrode body. The method of assembling the electrochemical element may further include a step of calculating a predetermined first position coordinate of the support portion from the first geometric center based on the first image, and a step of calculating a predetermined second position coordinate of the supported portion from the second geometric center based on the second image. In the step of arranging the conductive plate on the upper surface of the electrode body, the first position coordinate and the second position coordinate may be made to coincide by relatively moving the conductive plate and the concave container, and the supported portion of the conductive plate may be fixed to the support portion of the concave container. In this way, by arranging the supported portion of the conductive plate so that the position of the first position coordinate of the support portion in the concave container coincides with the position of the second position coordinate of the supported portion of the conductive plate, the conductive plate can be more accurately and smoothly arranged on the upper surface of the electrode body.

[0032] (Configuration 4) The method for assembling the electrochemical element of Configuration 3 may include a step of obtaining a first angle of a straight line connecting the first geometric center and the first position coordinates, and a step of obtaining a second angle of a straight line connecting the second geometric center and the second position coordinates. In the step of disposing the conductive plate on the upper surface of the electrode body, the first angle and the second angle may be made to coincide by relatively horizontally rotating the conductive plate and the concave container. Thereby, when the shape of the conductive plate is point-symmetrical, the conductive plate can be more smoothly and accurately disposed on the upper surface of the electrode body.

[0033] (Configuration 5) In the method for assembling the electrochemical element according to any one of Configurations 2 to 4, the supported portion may include a base portion hanging down from the edge of the conductive plate and a tip portion folded upward from the base portion. The support portion may be formed in a concave shape into which the supported portion opening on the upper end surface of the side wall portion of the concave container can be inserted. The first position coordinates may be the coordinates of the outer corner portion at the opening of the support portion in the first image. The second position coordinates may be the coordinates of the outer corner portion at the base portion of the supported portion in the second image. By inserting the base portion of the conductive plate into the concave support portion without misalignment, the conductive plate can be more accurately and smoothly disposed on the upper surface of the electrode body.

[0034] (Configuration 6) The assembling apparatus for an electrochemical element according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a concave container having a bottom portion and a side wall portion, a lid member covering the opening of the concave container, an electrode body disposed between the bottom portion and the lid member in the internal space formed by the concave container and the lid member, and a conductive plate disposed between the lid member and the electrode body and pressing the electrode body toward the bottom portion. The assembling apparatus for an electrochemical element includes a concave container imaging unit that captures an image of the concave container toward the opening to obtain a first image, a conductive plate imaging unit that captures an image of the conductive plate toward the main surface of the conductive plate to obtain a second image, a first center calculation unit that obtains a first geometric center at the opening based on the first image, a second center calculation unit that obtains a second geometric center on the main surface of the conductive plate based on the second image, a transfer unit that transfers the conductive plate onto the upper surface of the electrode body disposed on the inner surface of the bottom portion of the concave container, and a transfer control unit that controls the transfer unit to transfer the conductive plate onto the upper surface of the electrode body by adjusting the second geometric center to a predetermined position with respect to the first geometric center. Thereby, the conductive plate can be disposed on the upper surface of the electrode body such that the second geometric center is at a predetermined position with respect to the first geometric center, and the conductive plate can be accurately disposed with respect to the concave container that houses the electrode body.

[0035] (Configuration 7) In the assembling apparatus for an electrochemical element of Configuration 6, the movement control unit may control the transfer unit so as to match the positions of the first geometric center and the second geometric center. Thereby, when the shape of the conductive plate is point-symmetrical, the conductive plate can be more accurately and smoothly disposed on the upper surface of the electrode body.

[0036] (Configuration 8) In the electrochemical element assembly apparatus of Configuration 7, the conductive plate may include a supported portion that continuously extends from the edge of the conductive plate and is for fixing the conductive plate to the support portion of the concave container. The side wall portion of the concave container may include a support portion that supports the supported portion outside the edge of the electrode body in a plan view. The electrochemical element assembly apparatus may further include a first angle calculation unit that calculates a predetermined first position coordinate of the support portion from a first geometric center based on a first image and obtains a first angle of a straight line connecting the first geometric center and the first position coordinate, and a second angle calculation unit that calculates a predetermined second position coordinate of the supported portion from a second geometric center based on a second image and obtains a second angle of a straight line connecting the second geometric center and the second position coordinate. When arranging the conductive plate on the upper surface of the electrode body, the first angle and the second angle may be made to coincide by relatively horizontally rotating the conductive plate and the concave container, and the supported portion of the conductive plate may be fixed to the support portion of the concave container. Thereby, the supported portion of the conductive plate can be arranged so that the positions of the first angle of the support portion in the concave container and the second angle of the supported portion of the conductive plate coincide, and the conductive plate can be more smoothly arranged on the upper surface of the electrode body with higher accuracy.

[0037] (Configuration 9) In the electrochemical element assembly apparatus of Configuration 8, the supported portion may include a base portion that hangs down from the edge of the conductive plate and a tip portion that is folded back upward from the base portion. The support portion may be formed in a concave shape into which the supported portion that opens at the upper end surface of the side wall portion of the concave container can be inserted. The first position coordinate may be the coordinate of the outer corner portion at the opening of the support portion in the first image. The second position coordinate may be the coordinate of the outer corner portion at the base portion of the supported portion in the second image. Thereby, the base portion of the conductive plate can be inserted into the concave support portion without misalignment, and the conductive plate can be more smoothly arranged on the upper surface of the electrode body with higher accuracy.

[0038] [Method for Assembling Electrochemical Element] [First Embodiment] Next, a method for assembling the electrochemical element 1 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure will be specifically described with reference to FIGS. 7 to 13. First, as shown in FIG. 1, the method for assembling the electrochemical element 1 includes a preparation step S1 of the concave container 11, an imaging step S2 of the concave container 11, a geometric center calculation step S3-1 of the concave container, an imaging step S4 of the conductive plate 30, a geometric center calculation step S5-1 of the conductive plate 30, an arrangement step S6 of the electrode body 20, an arrangement step S7-1 of the conductive plate 30, a fixing step S8 of the conductive plate 30, and a fixing step S9 of the lid member 12.

[0039] [Preparation Step (S1) of the Concave Container] First, prepare the above-described concave container 11.

[0040] [Imaging Step (S2) of the Concave Container] Next, image the concave container 11. As shown in FIG. 8, image the concave container 11 from above the concave container 11 toward the opening of the concave container 11. The concave container 11 is imaged by the concave container imaging unit 1001. The concave container imaging unit 1001 includes a camera 1001a, a lens 1001b, and a ring-shaped lighting device 1001c. As an example, the imaging conditions can be such that the distance D1 on the optical axis from the lens 1001b to the concave container 11 is about 130 mm, and the distance D2 on the optical axis from the ring-shaped lighting device 1001c to the concave container 11 is about 105 mm. The ring-shaped lighting device 1001c and the concave container 11 are arranged along the optical axis of the lens 1001b. Also, the shutter speed of the camera 1001a can be set to 1 / 2000 second, and the brightness of the ring-shaped lighting device 1001c can be set to 130.

[0041] By imaging the concave container 11 in this way, the image 100 shown in FIG. 9 can be obtained. For example, by imaging under the above-described imaging conditions, according to the light and dark due to the unevenness of the concave container 11, the opening of the concave container 11 is displayed relatively white, and the upper end surface of the side wall portion 112 of the concave container 11 is displayed relatively black. That is, the contour of the opening in the concave container 11 is displayed in the image 100. In the present embodiment, the planar shape of the opening in the concave container 11 is circular. Therefore, a circular opening contour is displayed in the image 100. Note that the above-described imaging conditions are not limited to this, and any imaging conditions may be used as long as the contour of the opening in the concave container 11 can be displayed in the image 100.

[0042] [Geometric center calculation step of concave container (S3-1)] Next, based on the image 100, the geometric center C1 of the opening of the concave container 11 is calculated. In the present embodiment, the geometric center C1 of the circular contour of the opening of the concave container 11 is calculated. The geometric center C1 can be obtained by recognizing the circular contour using a known image processing device or the like and performing the center calculation. However, the calculation method of the geometric center C1 is not limited to this, and for example, known methods such as obtaining the center coordinates from any three points of the circular contour may be used.

[0043] [Imaging step of conductive plate (S4)] Next, the conductive plate 30 is photographed. As shown in FIG. 10, the conductive plate 30 is imaged from below the conductive plate 30 toward the main surface of the flat portion 32 of the conductive plate 30. The conductive plate 30 is imaged by the conductive plate imaging unit 1002. The conductive plate imaging unit 1002 includes a camera 1002a, a lens 1002b, a ring-shaped lighting device 1002c, and a pair of bar-shaped lighting devices 1002d. As an example, the imaging conditions are such that the distance D3 on the optical axis from the lens 1002b to the conductive plate 30 is about 130 mm, the distance D4 on the optical axis from the ring-shaped lighting device 1002c to the conductive plate 30 is about 105 mm, and the distance D5 between the pair of bar-shaped lighting devices 1002d can be 110 mm. The ring-shaped lighting device 1002c and the conductive plate 30 are arranged along the optical axis of the lens 1001b. The conductive plate 30 is arranged at the center between the pair of bar-shaped lighting devices 1002d. Also, the shutter speed of the camera 1002a can be set to 1 / 2000 second, and the brightness of the ring-shaped lighting device 1002c and the pair of bar-shaped lighting devices 1002d can be set to 130. Note that, as shown in FIG. 11, the pair of bar-shaped lighting devices 1002d are arranged on both the left and right sides of the conductive plate 30 so as to be parallel to the direction along the main surface of the flat portion 32.

[0044] By imaging the conductive plate 30 in this way, an image 200 as shown in FIG. 12 can be obtained. The image 200 is, for example, imaged under the above-described imaging conditions, and depending on the brightness and darkness, the conductive plate 30 is displayed relatively white and the other parts of the image 200 are displayed relatively black. That is, the contour of the conductive plate 30 is displayed in the image 200. In the present embodiment, the planar shape of the flat portion 32 (the main surface of the conductive plate 30) of the conductive plate 30 is a substantially parallelogram and is point-symmetrical. Therefore, the contour of the substantially parallelogram flat portion 32 is displayed in the image 200. Note that the above-described imaging conditions are not limited to these, and any imaging conditions may be used as long as the contour of the flat portion 32 can be displayed in the image 200.

[0045] [Geometric center calculation step of conductive plate (S5-1)] Next, based on the image 200, the geometric center C2 of the planar portion 32 of the conductive plate 30 is calculated. In the present embodiment, the geometric center C2 of the substantially parallelogram-shaped contour of the planar portion 32 is calculated. The geometric center C2 can be obtained by causing a known image processing apparatus or the like to recognize the substantially parallelogram-shaped contour of the planar portion 32 and performing the calculation of its geometric center. However, the method for calculating the geometric center C2 is not limited thereto. For example, the midpoint between the position coordinate P2 and the position coordinate P3 in FIG. 12 can be set as the geometric center C2. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the conductive plate 30 may have a concave spring portion 33 that is recessed downward from the planar portion 32. The spring portion 33 has a circular shape in plan view. In this case, the geometric center C2 of the conductive plate 30 can be set as the geometric center of the circular spring portion 33 in plan view.

[0046] [Electrode body placement step (S6)] Next, the electrode body 20 is inserted through the opening of the concave container 11, and the electrode body 20 is placed on the inner surface of the bottom portion 111 of the concave container 11. Although not particularly shown, the electrode body 20 is placed on the inner surface of the bottom portion 11 of the concave container 11 by the transfer portion 1007 (arm) of the assembly apparatus 1000 described later. Before inserting the electrode body 20 through the opening of the concave container 11, for the purpose of adjusting the height of the electrode body 20, the above-described shape-retaining conductor may be placed on the inner surface of the bottom portion 111 of the concave container 11.

[0047] [Conductive plate placement step (S7-1)] Next, the conductive plate 30 is placed on the upper surface of the electrode body 20. The conductive plate 30 is placed on the upper surface of the electrode body 20 by the transfer unit 1007 (arm). At this time, adjustment is made so that the geometric center C2 of the conductive plate 30 is at a predetermined position with respect to the geometric center C1 at the opening of the concave container 11. The conductive plate 30 shown in FIG. 6 has a point-symmetrical shape, and it is only necessary to align the geometric center C1 at the opening of the concave container 11 with the geometric center C2 of the conductive plate 30. More specifically, when assembling each member of the electrochemical element 1, the amount of deviation between the geometric center C1 of the opening in the concave container 11 and the geometric center C2 of the conductive plate 30 is calculated with respect to the central axis preset in the assembling apparatus 1000 described later. Based on this amount of deviation, the position correction amount during the assembly of the concave container 11 and the conductive plate 30 is calculated. Thereby, the position of the geometric center C1 at the opening of the concave container 11 and the geometric center C2 of the conductive plate 30 can be made to coincide, and the position where the conductive plate 30 is to be placed can be determined.

[0048] [Fixing step of conductive plate (S8)] Next, as described above, the end portion of the conductive plate 30, that is, the supported portion 31, is fixed to the support portion 115 on the side wall portion 112 of the concave container 11.

[0049] [Fixing step of lid material (S9)] Finally, as described above, the lid material 12 is fixed to the upper end surface of the side wall portion 112 via the seal ring 15 to seal the internal space of the electrochemical element 1. In this way, the electrochemical element 1 can be assembled.

[0050] In this manner, by adjusting so that the geometric center C2 of the conductive plate 30 is at a predetermined position with respect to the geometric center C1 of the opening of the concave container 11, the conductive plate 30 can be accurately placed with respect to the concave container 11 in which the electrode body 20 is accommodated.

[0051] Note that the imaging process (S2) of the concave container and the imaging process (S4) of the conductive plate may be performed before the placement process (S7) of the conductive plate 30, and the imaging process (S2) of the concave container may be performed before the imaging process (S4) of the conductive plate. Further, the imaging process (S4) of the conductive plate 30 and the geometric center calculation process (S5-1) of the conductive plate may be performed after the placement process (S6) of the electrode body 20.

[0052] [Second Embodiment] Next, a method for assembling the electrochemical element 1 according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. For the same configurations as those in the first embodiment, the description will be omitted, and basically, the configurations different from those in the first embodiment will be specifically described with reference to FIG. 13 and FIGS. 9 and 12 described above.

[0053] As shown in FIG. 13, the method for assembling the electrochemical element 1 of the second embodiment can further include the following steps after the imaging process (S1) of the concave container or the imaging process (S4) of the conductive plate and before the placement process (S7) of the conductive plate 30, with respect to the method for assembling the electrochemical element 1 of the first embodiment. Note that the imaging process (S4) of the conductive plate 30, the geometric center calculation process (S5-1) of the conductive plate 30, and the angle calculation process (S5-2) of the conductive plate 30 described below may be performed after the placement process (S6) of the electrode body 20.

[0054] [Angle Calculation Process (S3-2) of Concave Container] As shown in FIG. 9, in the angle calculation step (S3-2), based on the above-described image 100, with the geometric center C1 as a reference, for example, as coordinates (0, 0), a predetermined position coordinate P1 of the support portion 115 is calculated in a predetermined coordinate system. In the present embodiment, the position coordinate P1 is the coordinate of the outer corner portion at the opening of the support portion 115, that is, at the position corresponding to the outer edge of the base portion 311 that extends from the edge of the conductive plate 30 toward the support portion 115 (downward in FIG. 1) when the electrochemical element 1 is assembled. After determining the position coordinate P1, an angle θ1 of a straight line (virtual line) L1 connecting the geometric center C1 obtained as described above and the position coordinate P1 is obtained. The angle θ1 is the angle of the straight line L1 with respect to a predetermined reference line preset in the assembling apparatus 1000 described later when assembling each member of the electrochemical element 1. That is, the angle θ1 is the deviation amount of the angle of the straight line L1 with respect to the predetermined reference line. Note that, as an example shown in the present embodiment, the predetermined reference line is a dashed line extending vertically in the drawing from the geometric center C1 as shown in FIG. 9.

[0055] [Angle calculation step (S5-2) of the conductive plate] As shown in FIG. 12, in the angle calculation step (S5-2), based on the above-described image 200, with the geometric center C2 as a reference, for example, as coordinates (0, 0), a predetermined position coordinate P2 of the supported portion 31 is calculated in a predetermined coordinate system. In the present embodiment, the position coordinate P2 is the coordinate of the outer corner portion of the supported portion, that is, at the position of the outer edge of the base portion 311 that extends from the edge of the conductive plate 30 toward the support portion 115 (downward in FIG. 1) when the electrochemical element 1 is assembled. After determining the position coordinate P2, an angle θ2 of a straight line (virtual line) L2 connecting the geometric center C2 obtained as described above and the position coordinate P2 is obtained. The angle θ2 is the angle of the straight line L2 with respect to a predetermined reference line preset in the assembling apparatus 1000 described later when assembling each member of the electrochemical element 1. That is, the angle θ2 is the deviation amount of the angle of the straight line L2 with respect to the predetermined reference line. Note that, as an example shown in the present embodiment, the predetermined reference line is a dashed line extending vertically in the drawing from the geometric center C2 as shown in FIG. 12.

[0056] Note that the position coordinates P1 and P2 are not limited to the outer corner of the support portion 115 and the outer edge of the supported portion 31 in the image 100, and may be a predetermined position of the support portion 115 and a predetermined position of the supported portion 31 corresponding to the predetermined position of the support portion 115 when the electrochemical element 1 is assembled. Also, as described above, the conductive plate 30 is imaged from below. Therefore, the angle θ2 is a negative angle. Thus, the coincidence of the angle θ1 and the angle θ2 can be the absolute value of each angle.

[0057] Further, the method for assembling the electrochemical element 1 according to the second embodiment can further include the following steps in the step of arranging the conductive plate (S7-1).

[0058] [Step of arranging the supported portion (S7-2)] In the step of arranging the supported portion (S7-2), the supported portion 31 is arranged so as to correspond to the support portion 115. By horizontally rotating the conductive plate 30 with respect to the concave container 11 by the transfer unit 1007, the angle θ1 of the support portion 115 in the concave container 11 and the angle θ2 of the supported portion 31 of the conductive plate 30 are made to coincide in position. More specifically, the position correction amount at the time of assembling the concave container 11 and the conductive plate 30 is calculated with respect to the deviation amount of the angles θ1 and θ2 described above. Thereby, the angle θ1 of the support portion 115 in the concave container 11 and the angle θ2 of the supported portion 31 of the conductive plate 30 can be made to coincide, and the arrangement position of the supported portion 31 can be determined. By this determination, the transfer unit 1007 horizontally rotates the conductive plate 30 and moves it so that the supported portion 31 can be appropriately inserted into the support portion 115.

[0059] In this way, by arranging the supported portion 31 of the conductive plate 30 so that the angle θ1 of the support portion 115 in the concave container 11 and the angle θ2 of the supported portion 31 of the conductive plate 30 coincide in position, the conductive plate 30 can be more accurately and smoothly arranged on the upper surface of the electrode body 20.

[0060] In addition, in the angle calculation step (S3-2) of the concave container 11 and the angle calculation step (S5-2) of the conductive plate 30, instead of obtaining the angles θ1 of the straight line (virtual line) L1 connecting the geometric center C1 and the position coordinate P1 and the angle θ2 of the straight line (virtual line) L2 connecting the geometric center C2 and the position coordinate P2, it is also possible to set them as the steps for simply calculating the position coordinates P1 and P2 respectively (the position coordinate calculation step (S3-2') of the concave container 11 and the position coordinate calculation step (S5-2') of the conductive plate 30). In this case, in the placement step (S7-2) of the supported portion 31 described later, instead of making the angle θ1 coincide with the angle θ2, the supported portion 31 may be arranged so that the position coordinate P1 at the support portion 115 of the concave container 11 coincides with the position coordinate P2 at the supported portion 31 of the conductive plate 30.

[0061] [Assembly Device for Electrochemical Element 1] Next, the assembly device 1000 used in the above-described assembly method of the electrochemical element 1 will be specifically described with reference to FIG. 14 and the above-described FIGS. 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12. Note that the description of the same configuration as the above-described assembly method of the electrochemical element 1 will be omitted.

[0062] The assembly device 1000 includes a concave container imaging unit 1001, a conductive plate imaging unit 1002, a center calculation unit 1003, a center calculation unit 1004, an angle calculation unit 1005, an angle calculation unit 1006, a transfer unit 1007, and a transfer control unit 1008.

[0063] As shown in FIG. 8, the concave container imaging unit 1001 includes a camera 1001a, a lens 1001b, and a ring-shaped lighting device 1001c. As described above, the concave container imaging unit 1001 images the concave container 11 toward its opening. Thereby, the image 100 shown in FIG. 9 above can be obtained. The obtained image 100 is sent to the center calculation unit 1003 and the angle calculation unit 1005.

[0064] As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the conductive plate imaging unit 1002 includes a camera 1002a, a lens 1002b, a ring-shaped lighting device 1002c, and a pair of bar-shaped lighting devices 1002d. As described above, the conductive plate imaging unit 1002 images toward the main surface of the conductive plate 30. Thereby, the image 200 shown in FIG. 12 above can be obtained. The obtained image 200 is sent to the center calculation unit 1004 and the angle calculation unit 1006.

[0065] As described above, the center calculation unit 1003 obtains the geometric center C1 at the opening of the concave container 11 based on the image 100.

[0066] As described above, the center calculation unit 1004 obtains the geometric center C2 on the main surface of the conductive plate 30 based on the image 200.

[0067] As described above, the conductive plate 30 can be accurately arranged on the upper surface of the electrode body 20 already arranged in the concave container 11 so that the geometric center C2 is at a predetermined position with respect to the geometric center C1, for example, by making the geometric center C1 and the geometric center C2 coincide.

[0068] As described above, the angle calculation unit 1005 calculates the predetermined position coordinates P1 of the support portion from the geometric center C1 based on the image 100. Further, the angle θ1 on the straight line L1 connecting the geometric center C1 and the position coordinates P1 is obtained. The position coordinates P1 are preferably at the outer corner of the opening of the support portion 115, that is, at the position corresponding to the outer edge of the base portion 311 of the supported portion 31 at the opening of the support portion 115.

[0069] As described above, the angle calculation unit 1006 calculates the predetermined position coordinates P2 of the supported portion 31 from the geometric center C2 based on the image 200. Further, the angle θ2 on the straight line L2 connecting the geometric center C2 and the position coordinates P2 is obtained. The position coordinates P2 are preferably at the outer corner of the base portion 311 of the supported portion 31, that is, the coordinates of the outer edge of the base portion 311.

[0070] Based on the control of the transfer control unit 1008 described below, as described above, the transfer unit 1007 transfers the conductive plate 30 onto the upper surface of the electrode body 20 disposed on the inner surface of the bottom 111 of the concave container 11.

[0071] As described above, the transfer control unit 1008 controls the transfer unit 1007 to transfer the conductive plate 30 onto the upper surface of the electrode body 20 with the positions of the geometric center C1 and the geometric center C2 being made to coincide. By relatively horizontally rotating the conductive plate 30 with respect to the concave container 11, the transfer unit 1007 is controlled so that the angle θ1 and the angle θ2 coincide. Note that, as described above, instead of making the angle θ1 and the angle θ1 coincide, the transfer control unit 1008 may control the transfer unit 1007 so that the position coordinate P1 at the support portion 115 of the concave container 11 and the position coordinate P2 at the supported portion 31 of the conductive plate 30 coincide.

[0072] Thus, according to the assembling apparatus 1000 of the electrochemical element 1, the conductive plate 30 can be accurately and smoothly disposed on the upper surface of the electrode body 20 disposed on the inner surface of the bottom 111 of the concave container 11.

[0073] Note that according to the present invention, it is possible to contribute to Goal 7, "Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all" and Goal 12, "Responsible consumption and production" of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) proposed by the United Nations.

[0074] Although the embodiments have been described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit thereof.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0075] 1 Electrochemical element, 10 case, 11 concave container, 12 lid material, 13 external terminal, 14 external terminal, 15 seal ring, 111 bottom, 112 side wall portion, 113 conductor portion, 114 conductor portion, 115 support portion, 20 electrode body, 30 conductive plate, 31 supported portion, 311 base portion, 312 tip portion, 32 flat portion, 33 spring portion, C1 geometric center, C2 geometric center, P1 position coordinate, P2 position coordinate, θ1 angle, θ2 angle, 1000 manufacturing apparatus, 1001 concave container imaging unit, 1002 conductive plate imaging unit, 1003 center calculation unit, 1004 center calculation unit, 1005 angle calculation unit, 1006 angle calculation unit, 1007 transfer unit, 1008 transfer control unit

Claims

1. A method for assembling an electrochemical element, comprising: a concave container having a bottom and side walls; a lid member covering an opening of the concave container; an electrode body disposed between the bottom and the lid member in an internal space formed by the concave container and the lid member; and a conductive plate disposed between the lid member and the electrode body and pressing the electrode body toward the bottom, a step of preparing the concave container; a step of imaging the concave container toward the opening to obtain a first image; a step of obtaining a first geometric center at the opening based on the first image; a step of imaging the conductive plate toward a main surface of the conductive plate to obtain a second image; a step of obtaining a second geometric center on the main surface of the conductive plate based on the second image; a step of disposing the electrode body on an inner surface of the bottom of the concave container; a step of adjusting the second geometric center to a predetermined position with respect to the first geometric center and disposing the conductive plate on an upper surface of the electrode body; A method for assembling an electrochemical element, comprising the above steps.

2. The method for assembling an electrochemical element according to claim 1, wherein, in the step of disposing the conductive plate on the upper surface of the electrode body, the positions of the first geometric center and the second geometric center are made to coincide.

3. The method for assembling an electrochemical element according to claim 2, wherein the conductive plate continuously extends from an edge of the conductive plate and includes a supported portion for fixing the conductive plate to a side wall portion of the concave container, wherein the side wall portion of the concave container includes a support portion that supports the supported portion outward in a plan view from an edge of the electrode body, and the method for assembling the electrochemical element further includes: a step of calculating predetermined first position coordinates of the support portion from the first geometric center based on the first image; a step of calculating predetermined second position coordinates of the supported portion from the second geometric center based on the second image; wherein, in the step of disposing the conductive plate on the upper surface of the electrode body, the first position coordinates and the second position coordinates are made to coincide by relatively moving the conductive plate and the concave container, and the supported portion of the conductive plate is fixed to the support portion of the concave container.

4. The method for assembling an electrochemical element according to claim 3, including a step of obtaining a first angle of a straight line connecting the first geometric center and the first position coordinates; a step of obtaining a second angle of a straight line connecting the second geometric center and the second position coordinates. In the step of disposing the conductive plate on the upper surface of the electrode body, a method for assembling an electrochemical element, in which the first angle and the second angle are made to coincide by relatively horizontally rotating the conductive plate and the concave container.

5. A method for assembling an electrochemical element according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the supported portion includes a base portion hanging down from an edge of the conductive plate and a tip portion folded upward from the base portion, the support portion is formed in a concave shape into which the supported portion that opens to an upper end surface of a side wall portion of the concave container can be inserted, the first position coordinates are coordinates of an outer corner portion at an opening of the support portion in the first image, the second position coordinates are coordinates of an outer corner portion at a base portion of the supported portion in the second image, a method for assembling an electrochemical element.

6. An assembly apparatus for an electrochemical element, comprising: a concave container having a bottom portion and a side wall portion; a lid member covering an opening of the concave container; an electrode body disposed between the bottom portion and the lid member in an internal space formed by the concave container and the lid member; and a conductive plate disposed between the lid member and the electrode body and pressing the electrode body toward the bottom portion, a concave container imaging unit that photographs the concave container toward the opening to obtain a first image, a conductive plate imaging unit that photographs the conductive plate toward a main surface of the conductive plate to obtain a second image, a first center calculation unit that obtains a first geometric center at the opening based on the first image, a second center calculation unit that obtains a second geometric center on a main surface of the conductive plate based on the second image, a transfer unit that transfers the conductive plate onto an upper surface of the electrode body disposed on an inner surface of the bottom portion of the concave container, and a transfer control unit that controls the transfer unit to transfer the conductive plate onto the upper surface of the electrode body by adjusting the second geometric center to a predetermined position with respect to the first geometric center.

7. An assembly apparatus for an electrochemical element according to claim 6, wherein the movement control unit controls the transfer unit so that positions of the first geometric center and the second geometric center coincide.

8. An assembly apparatus for an electrochemical element according to claim 7, wherein the conductive plate continuously extends from an edge of the conductive plate and includes a supported portion for fixing the conductive plate to a support portion of the concave container, and a side wall portion of the concave container includes a support portion that supports the supported portion outward in a plan view from an edge of the electrode body. The assembly apparatus for the electrochemical element further comprises a first angle calculation unit that calculates a predetermined first position coordinate of the support portion from the first geometric center based on the first image and obtains a first angle of a straight line connecting the first geometric center and the first position coordinate; a second angle calculation unit that calculates a predetermined second position coordinate of the supported portion from the second geometric center based on the second image and obtains a second angle of a straight line connecting the second geometric center and the second position coordinate, and an assembly apparatus for an electrochemical element that, when disposing the conductive plate on the upper surface of the electrode body, rotates the conductive plate and the concave container horizontally relative to each other to match the first angle and the second angle, and fixes the supported portion of the conductive plate to the support portion of the concave container.

9. An assembly apparatus for an electrochemical element according to claim 8, wherein the supported portion includes a base portion that hangs down from an edge of the conductive plate and a tip portion that is folded back upward from the base portion, the support portion is formed in a concave shape into which the supported portion that opens at an upper end surface of a side wall portion of the concave container can be inserted, the first position coordinate is a coordinate of an outer corner portion at an opening of the support portion in the first image, and the second position coordinate is a coordinate of an outer corner portion at a base portion of the supported portion in the second image.

Images