Battery manufacturing equipment and battery manufacturing method

Abstract

To provide a manufacturing facility of a battery, that realizes a good welding quality while improving productivity.SOLUTION: A manufacturing facility of a secondary battery 1 is configured to perform laser welding on a welding target portion between a plurality of components. The manufacturing facility comprises: jigs 6 each including a pair of inclining-holding parts 9 and 9 that inclines and holds, respectively, battery cases 2 being the components; a transfer mechanism that transfers, between at least a pair of first and second rails, along each rail, the jigs 6 including the inclining-holding parts 9 and 9; and a laser welding machine 15 that is provided to between the pair of first rail and the second rail, and performs the laser weld on the welding target portion along a welding path 5 of the battery case 2. Each inclining-holding part 9 interposes the secondary battery 1 directing it toward the laser welding machine between inclined contact surfaces of a holder part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a battery manufacturing facility and a battery manufacturing method. [Background technology]

[0002] A known conventional battery manufacturing facility and method involves circulating a jig for holding batteries using a transport device. In such a case, a jig is moved by a circulating conveying device in a process prior to the welding process (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In the process prior to the welding process, electrolyte or the like is poured into the battery case, and a lid is placed over the opening on the top surface and assembled. Then, in a welding process performed after the process prior to the welding process, the lid is laser welded to the periphery of the opening, sealing the battery case. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 9-122956 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In such conventional battery manufacturing equipment and battery manufacturing methods, the number of laser welding machines that perform laser welding on the same manufacturing line can be reduced, thereby suppressing increases in equipment costs and thereby reducing battery manufacturing costs. However, when laser welding a plurality of welding positions set apart by a single laser welding machine, for example, there are some welding positions where the laser beam does not reach because it is blocked by components such as terminals protruding from the lid. For this reason, further improvement is required to maintain the desired welding quality. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a battery manufacturing facility and a battery manufacturing method that improves productivity while improving welding quality. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The battery manufacturing equipment of the present invention is a battery manufacturing equipment that laser welds multiple components that make up a battery. The manufacturing equipment includes multiple jigs that hold the components and a transport mechanism that has at least a pair of rails and transports the multiple jigs along the rails. The battery manufacturing equipment also includes a laser welder that is provided between the pair of rails and laser welds weld areas located between the components. The jig also has an inclined holding portion that holds the components in an inclined state toward the laser welder. The laser welder is characterized in that the weld areas between the components transported along each of the pair of rails are within a laser irradiation range. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to the present invention, a battery manufacturing facility and a battery manufacturing method are provided that improve productivity while improving welding quality. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] 1 is a top view illustrating the overall configuration of a battery manufacturing facility and a battery manufacturing method according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 1 is a perspective view illustrating a configuration of a secondary battery manufactured in a battery manufacturing facility according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] 1 is a perspective view illustrating the configuration of a jig having a pair of tilted holding portions on both sides for tilting and holding a secondary battery in the battery manufacturing facility of the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 4] 3A to 3C are schematic top views illustrating the welding sequence in the manufacturing method of the battery of the first embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a schematic end view illustrating the positional relationship between a laser welder and a welding portion in a battery manufacturing method. [Figure 6] 3 is a flowchart illustrating the manufacturing process of the battery of the first embodiment in the order in which the jig moves. [Figure 7]10 is a perspective view illustrating the configuration of a jig in which a holder for holding a secondary battery at an angle is provided on a horizontal inclined holding part in the battery manufacturing equipment of the second embodiment. FIG. [Figure 8] 8 is a cross-sectional view of the jig of the second embodiment taken along the line VIII-VIII in FIG. 7. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] Hereinafter, embodiments of a battery manufacturing system and a battery manufacturing method of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The same components are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted. 1 to 6 show a battery manufacturing facility 10 and manufacturing method according to a first basic embodiment of the present invention.

[0009] 1, the manufacturing equipment 10 has a rail section that is connected in a circumferential manner, and a conveying mechanism 17 that circulates and conveys a plurality of jigs 6 that hold secondary batteries (batteries) 1 along the rail section. The conveying mechanism 17 of the first embodiment can convey each jig 6 individually along the rail section that has first to fourth rails 11 to 14 that are connected in a circular shape.

[0010] [Battery configuration] The battery manufactured by the manufacturing equipment 10 of the first embodiment is a secondary battery 1 as shown in Fig. 2. The secondary battery 1 has a cylindrical battery case 2 with a bottom, battery components such as an electrode assembly in which a positive electrode and a negative electrode are stacked with a separator interposed therebetween and housed inside the battery case 2, and a lid 3 that covers an opening 4 formed on the top surface of the battery case 2. In the first embodiment, the battery case 2 and the lid 3 are laser-welded components. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the components may be, for example, the lid 3 and the electrodes (or a pair of + and - terminals constituting the electrodes) 3a laser-welded to the lid 3. Of these, the lid 3 is formed in a generally rectangular plate shape in a plan view. The lid 3 has a pair of electrodes 3a, 3a (described later) spaced a predetermined distance apart in the longitudinal direction. A welding path 5 is formed between the lid 3 and the periphery of the opening 4 over the entire periphery.

[0011] In the first embodiment, laser welding is performed along a welding path 5 as the welding portion. The outer peripheral edge of the lid 3 is laser welded all around the inner peripheral edge of the opening 4 on the top side of the battery case 2. As a result, the opening 4 is closed by the lid 3, and the secondary battery 1 is sealed in a state in which battery components such as an electrode assembly in which a positive electrode and a negative electrode are stacked with a separator interposed therebetween are housed inside the battery case 2.

[0012] [jig] The manufacturing equipment 10 has a plurality of jigs 6 for holding the battery cases 2 or lids 3 as components of the secondary batteries 1 . As shown in FIG. 3, each jig 6 has a circulation jig 7 and inclined holders 9, 9 arranged on both the left and right sides of the circulation jig 7 to hold the battery cases 2, 2, respectively.

[0013] Of these, the inclined holding portions 9, 9 are integrally protruded and fixed from the left and right sides of the circulation jig 7, respectively, with their side edges tilted downward toward the outside at a predetermined angle α (for example, α = approximately 15 degrees). Each of the inclined holding portions 9, 9 is provided with a concave holder portion 8, 8. Each of the holder portions 8 can sunk the battery case 2 to a predetermined height position and hold it at the predetermined height position. The battery case 2 is tilted at a predetermined angle α relative to the upper surface of the circulation jig 7, and is held so that the lid 3 is positioned at approximately the same height as the upper surface of the tilted holding portion 9. Therefore, the welding area between the outer peripheral edge of the lid 3 and the opening 4 is positioned in an inclined state so as to face the laser welder 15. Therefore, the laser beam from the laser welder 15 is irradiated approximately vertically onto the welding area. This allows each location of the welding area to be laser-welded approximately evenly.

[0014] [Holder part] As shown in FIG. 3, the tilted holding portion 9 of the first embodiment has a holder portion 8 that holds the battery case 2 or the lid body 3 in an inclined state. The holder portion 8 is provided with a pair of holding pieces in the width direction of the jig 6. At least one of the holding pieces is formed to be movable in a direction toward and away from the other holding piece facing it. For example, the pair of holding pieces of the holder part 8 is widened to insert the battery case 2 or the lid body 3 between the holding pieces. Then, the holder part 8 moves the opposing holding pieces in a direction approaching each other, and the holding pieces come into contact with both side surfaces of the lid body 3 from the width direction. As a result, the battery case 2 or the lid body 3 is held at a desired position in the holder part 8 by being sandwiched from both sides by the holding pieces.

[0015] 2, the outer width dimension of the lid 3 is known to be set to be equal to or slightly smaller than the outer width dimension of the battery case 2. For this reason, the holder part 8 of the first embodiment can be adapted to the outer width dimension of the battery case 2 or the lid 3 by changing the amount of movement between the opposing holding pieces in the approaching direction. In this way, in the first embodiment, components having different dimensions and shapes can be clamped and held from both sides using the same holder portion 8. Therefore, the jig 6 having the holder portion 8 can be used as a common facility, and an increase in facility costs can be suppressed.

[0016] [Rail section] The rail portion of the first embodiment shown in Fig. 1 is connected circumferentially. The rail portion has at least one pair of first rail 11 and second rail 12, and third rail 13 and fourth rail 14 provided between first rail 11 and second rail 12 and substantially perpendicular to each other.

[0017] Of these, the first rail 11 has an insertion waiting stage 30 that transports the waiting jig 6 in the R direction along the first rail 11. The first rail 11 also has a battery mounting stage 40 and a height measurement adjustment stage 50 at predetermined intervals in the R direction along which the jig 6 is transported from the insertion waiting stage 30. The second rail 12 transports the jig 6 in the L direction along the second rail 12. The second rail 12 has a battery removal stage 60 and a cleaning stage 70 arranged at predetermined intervals in sequence in the L direction in which the jig 6 is transported. In the first embodiment, the first rail 11 and the second rail 12 are arranged parallel to each other with a predetermined gap between them. The L direction in which the second rail 12 transports the jig 6 is set to be 180 degrees opposite to the R direction in which the first rail 11 transports the jig 6.

[0018] Furthermore, third rail 13 transports jig 6 carrying batteries in the W direction from terminal end 11a of first rail 11 to starting end 12a of second rail 12. Additionally, fourth rail 14 transports jig 6 without a battery in the WR direction from terminal end 12b of second rail 12 toward starting end 11b of first rail 11, and returns it to loading standby stage 30. The WR direction in which fourth rail 14 transports jig 6 is set to be 180 degrees opposite to the W direction in which third rail 13 transports jig 6.

[0019] [Laser welding stage] Manufacturing equipment 10 of embodiment 1 has welding stage 16 located in the approximate middle between first rail 11 and second rail 12, close to third rail 13. Welding stage 16 is equipped with laser welder 15, which will be described later. Laser welder 15 is configured to be able to laser weld weld areas located within a certain laser irradiation range S.

[0020] 3, the transport mechanism 17 has a plurality of sliders 17a with their generally U-shaped sliding surfaces facing each other and straddling the upper surfaces of the first rail 11 to the fourth rail 14. The sliders 17a each support the jig 6 from below, and are transported with their sliding surfaces in sliding contact with the longitudinal direction of each of the first rail 11 to the fourth rail 14, circulating each jig 6 individually. Furthermore, the transport mechanism 17 transports the jig 6 along the first rail 11 or the second rail 12. Then, when the battery reaches the scan area of ​​the welding stage 16 shown in FIG. 1 , the transport mechanism 17 temporarily stops the jig 6 on the first rail 11 or the second rail 12. This allows the laser welder 15 provided on the welding stage 16 to perform laser welding while keeping the welding area located between the battery components within the laser irradiation range S.

[0021] The transport mechanism 17 of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1 transports the jig 6 to each of the loading standby stage 30, the battery loading stage 40, the measurement and adjustment stage 50, the battery unloading stage 60, and the cleaning stage . The transport mechanism 17 returns the jig 6 to the loading standby stage 30 by circulation via the loading standby stage 30, the battery mounting stage 40, the measurement and adjustment stage 50, the battery removal stage 60, and the cleaning stage 70. When the jig 6 reaches each loading standby stage 30, the transport mechanism 17 can temporarily stop the jig 6 at any point on each of the first rail 11 to fourth rail 14.

[0022] [Flip mechanism] 1 has a turn-back section 20 between a terminal end 11a of a first rail 11 in a conveying direction R of a jig 6 and a starting end 12a of a second rail 12 in a conveying direction L of the jig 6. A third rail 13 is provided in the turn-back section 20 so as to intersect approximately perpendicularly with two connection portions between the terminal end 11a of the first rail 11 and the starting end 12a of the second rail 12. This allows the third rail 13 to continue conveying the jig 6 conveyed from the first rail 11 to the second rail 12.

[0023] Furthermore, a turn-back section 20R is provided between the end 12b of second rail 12 and the start 11b of first rail 11. A fourth rail 14 is provided at turn-back section 20R so as to intersect approximately perpendicularly with two connection sections between the end 12b of second rail 12 and the start 11b of first rail 11. This allows fourth rail 14 to continuously transport multiple jigs 6 that do not have secondary batteries 1 mounted from second rail 12 to first rail 11 and return them to loading standby stage 30.

[0024] These folding sections 20, 20R each have a folding mechanism that allows the jig 6 to be folded between the first rail 11 and the second rail 12 while maintaining the direction of the jig 6 in the same direction, i.e., without changing the orientation of the jig 6.

[0025] The turning mechanism of the first embodiment has a vertical rotation shaft (not shown) at approximately the center of the slider 17a that moves on each of the first rail 11 to the fourth rail 14 shown in FIG. The rotation shaft of slider 17 rotatably supports jig 6 from below. Jig 6 detachably holds the components of the battery being manufactured. When slider 17a reaches each connection portion where first rail 11 to fourth rail 14 intersect at right angles, the folding mechanism rotates jig 6 90 degrees relative to slider 17a around the vertical rotation shaft as the rotation center.

[0026] In the first embodiment, turning-back section 20 is connected between first rail 11 and third rail 13, and between third rail 13 and second rail 12, in traveling directions that differ by 90 degrees. When the conveying mechanism 17 moves the jig 6 from the first rail 11 to the third rail 13, if the orientation of the slider 17a rotates 90 degrees, the turning mechanism rotates the jig 6 by 90 degrees in the direction opposite (clockwise in FIG. 1) to the rotation direction of the slider 17a (counterclockwise in FIG. 1). Also, when the conveying mechanism 17 moves the jig 6 from the third rail 13 to the second rail 12, if the orientation of the slider 17a rotates 90 degrees, the turning mechanism rotates the jig 6 by 90 degrees in the direction opposite to the rotation direction of the slider 17a. Therefore, the turning mechanism moves the jig 6 from the first rail to the second rail at the turning portion 20 while maintaining the orientation of the jig 6 in the same direction. Turn-back section 20R is connected between second rail 12 and fourth rail 14, and between fourth rail 14 and first rail 11, in traveling directions that differ by 90 degrees. At the connection points of the rails, transport mechanism 17 can move jig 6 from second rail 12 to first rail 11 at turn-back section 20R while maintaining the direction of jig 6 in the same direction, just like turn-back section 20.

[0027] That is, the transport mechanism 17 of the first embodiment moves the jig 6 between the first rail 11 and the second rail 12 by passing the second rail 12 or the fourth rail 14 . The folding mechanism rotates the jig 6 by 180 degrees in the direction opposite to the rotation direction of the slider 17a at each folding portion 20, 20R. This allows the jig 6 to transport the battery along each of the first rail 11 to fourth rail 14 while maintaining the same direction even when moving between the first rail 11 and the second rail 12, whose transport directions R and L differ by 180 degrees.

[0028] [Laser irradiation range] As shown in FIG. 4, laser welding machine 15 of the first embodiment is provided between a pair of first rail 11 and second rail 12 and in the vicinity of third rail 13. 5, laser welding machine 15 is disposed above laser irradiation range S and has a galvanometer scanner mechanism consisting of a galvanometer scanner as a scanning means. This enables laser welding machine 15 to scan a certain scan area by scanning the irradiated laser light with the galvanometer scanner at high precision and high speed.

[0029] The scan area is set so that welding areas A and B of the inner battery case 2 transported along the pair of first rail 11 and second rail 12 are within the laser irradiation range S. For ease of understanding, the laser welder 15 of embodiment 1 will be described assuming that the range of the scan area is substantially the same as the laser irradiation range S.

[0030] Furthermore, the components may include a cover 3 that closes the opening 4 of the battery case 2 and each electrode (or each positive and negative terminal that constitutes the electrode) 3a that is laser welded to the cover 3. In this case, a welding portion corresponding to the welding path 5 of the first embodiment is set between the periphery of the upper opening of a terminal hole through which the terminal portion of the electrode 3a is inserted and the outer periphery of each electrode 3a that protrudes from the cover 3. Then, the laser welder 15 can laser weld these set welding portions into a desired shape.

[0031] Next, the manufacturing process of the battery of the first embodiment will be described in the order of the flowchart in FIG. 6 with reference to FIGS. In the battery manufacturing method of the first embodiment, the jig 6 shown in FIG. 1 is conveyed along the first rail 11 from the loading standby stage 30 to the battery mounting stage 40 . On the battery mounting stage 40, a plurality of battery cases 2 having welding portions are held by jigs 6 (case holding step: S1). 3, the jig 6 has inclined holding portions 9, 9 integrally formed on the left and right sides of the circulation jig 7. The inclined holding portions 9, 9 are fixed to the circulation jig 7 with their side edges lowered outward at a predetermined angle α (for example, α = approximately 15 degrees). Therefore, each of the inclined holding portions 9, 9 is recessed into the concave holder portions 8, 8 to a predetermined height position, and the battery case 2 is sandwiched between the pair of holding pieces. The battery case 2 is held at a predetermined inclination angle α due to the inclination of the upper surface of the inclined holding portion 9, 8. The lid 3 is also assembled to close the opening 4 (see FIG. 2) of the battery case 2. As a result, a weld path 5 is set in a ring shape as a welded portion between the outer peripheral edge of the lid 3 and the periphery of the opening 4.

[0032] Then, the jig 6 holding the components of each battery is transported in the opposite transport directions L and R along a pair of parallel first rails 11 or second rails 12 (transport step: S2). In the transport step, the transport mechanism 17 transports the jig 6 waiting on the input standby stage 30 along the first rail 11 in the R direction.

[0033] At the battery mounting stage 40, the battery case 2 constituting the secondary battery 1 is inserted and held in each of the holder portions 8, 8 of the inclined holding portions 9, 9 of the carried-in jig 6. At the battery mounting stage 40 of the first embodiment, battery components such as an electrode assembly in which a positive electrode and a negative electrode are stacked with a separator interposed therebetween are inserted into the battery case 2, and the lid 3 is placed over the opening 4 on the top surface.

[0034] When the jig 6 is transferred to the height measurement adjustment stage 50, the height position of the welding path 5, which is the welding portion formed circumferentially mainly along the inner periphery of the opening 4, is adjusted. This height adjustment is performed prior to the laser welding process, which can improve the welding quality and welding speed.

[0035] Next, the battery case 2 is sealed using a laser welder 15 on the welding stage 16 (laser welding step A: S3). That is, the welding area A is laser-welded using the laser welder 15 arranged between the first rail 11 and the second rail 12 shown in FIG. 4. In the manufacturing equipment 10 of the first embodiment, the welding areas A and B of each secondary battery 1 are placed within the laser irradiation range S. As shown in FIG. 5, the jig 6 transported by a pair of first and second rails 11 and 12 has an inclined holding portion 9 for holding the battery case 2 provided at an angle so as to be integral with the circulation jig 7 . The battery case 2 held by the holder part 8 on the inner side (the laser welding machine 15 side) of the inclined holding part 9 has the welding path 5 set on the top surface side of the case inclined inward at a predetermined angle α in accordance with the inclination of the inclined holding part 9.

[0036] First, jigs 6d to 6f move on one side of the first rail 11 so that welding area A of the battery they hold falls within the laser irradiation range S. Next, each lid 3 is laser welded to the top surface of each battery case 2 shown in FIG. 2 along welding path 5. When laser welding is performed within the laser irradiation range S, the welding path 5 faces the irradiation port of the laser welder 15. Therefore, the laser beam emitted from the laser welder 15 is uniformly irradiated almost perpendicularly onto the welding path 5 of the tilted battery case 2 to perform laser welding. Therefore, the battery manufacturing equipment 10 of embodiment 1 can improve productivity while maintaining good welding quality.

[0037] In addition, at the folding section 20 shown in FIG. 1, the jig 6 is moved between the first rail 11 and the second rail 12 while maintaining the same orientation and without rotating, to circulate the battery case 2 (folding process: S4).

[0038] For example, even if the conveying direction L of the second rail 12 is oriented 180 degrees opposite to the conveying direction R of the first rail 11, the direction of each of the jigs 6a to 6c is maintained in the same direction as the direction of each of the jigs 6d to 6f conveyed on the first rail 11. Each of the jigs 6a to 6c fits a welding area B on the periphery of the opening formed in the battery case 2 of the secondary battery 1 that it holds within a laser irradiation range S. Then, one by one, the lid body 3 is laser welded to the top surface of the battery case 2, which is arranged at an angle, along the welding path 5 (laser welding step B: S5).

[0039] Then, the secondary battery 1, in which the battery case 2 is sealed with the lid 3, is ejected at the battery ejection stage 60 (battery ejection step: S6). The jig 6 whose holder portion 8 is now empty is cleaned on the cleaning stage 70 (cleaning step: S7). The cleaned jig 6 is folded back at the connecting portion of the fourth rail 14 by the folding back portion 20R, which has a folding back mechanism with a structure substantially similar to that of the third rail 13 (folding back step: S8). As a result, the jig 6 whose holder portion 8 is empty can return from the cleaning stage 70 to the loading standby stage 30 and repeat the circulation along the rail.

[0040] 4, in the battery manufacturing equipment 10 of the first embodiment, a laser welder 15 is provided sandwiching a pair of first rails 11 and second rails 12. The secondary batteries 1 are held in an inwardly tilted state by jigs 6 that are transported along the pair of first rails 11 and second rails 12 provided on both sides of the laser welder 15. Therefore, in the laser welding process, the laser beam is irradiated obliquely from a laser welder 15 directly facing the welding points A and B between the components of the secondary battery 1 shown in FIG. 5, almost vertically as if from directly above. In the manufacturing equipment 10 of the first embodiment, laser light from the laser welder 15 is applied almost uniformly along the welding path 5 between the periphery of the opening of the battery case 2 and the outer periphery of the lid 3 of the secondary battery 1 shown in Fig. 2. Therefore, the manufacturing equipment 10 of the first embodiment can achieve good welding quality, similar to that of a manufacturing equipment in which the laser welder 15 is placed directly above the welding area.

[0041] In the laser welding process of the first embodiment, the battery cases 2 transported to both sides of the laser welder 15 are welded alternately one side at a time. For example, on the second rail 12, when laser welding of the secondary battery 1 on the jig 6a is completed, the jig 6a is moved from the scan area in the conveying direction L to the left in the drawing. At this time, the jigs 6b and 6c each move in the conveying direction L to the left in the drawing along the second rail 12 toward the next stage or the like. During this time, the secondary battery 1 on jig 6e has already moved from the previous process in the transport direction R to the right in the figure on first rail 11 and arrived within the scan area (see welding area A in Figure 4). Therefore, laser welder 15 can continuously irradiate laser light onto the secondary batteries 1 held by jigs 6a and 6e located within laser irradiation range S. Therefore, laser welder 15 can shorten the downtime during which laser light is not irradiated.

[0042] While the secondary battery 1 in jig 6e is being laser welded, the secondary battery 1 in jig 6b moves in the transport direction L to the left in the figure and arrives within the scan area (see welding location B in Figure 4). Therefore, the secondary battery 1 in jig 6b on the opposite side can be placed within the laser irradiation range S of laser welder 15, connected to the secondary battery 1 in jig 6e, and laser welding can be performed, thereby shortening the time that laser welder 15 is idle.

[0043] When laser welding of the secondary battery 1 on the jig 6e on the first rail 11 is completed, the jig 6e is moved from the scan area in the transport direction R to the right in the drawing. At this time, the jigs 6d and 6f also move in the transport direction R to the right in the drawing along the first rail 11 toward the next stage or the like. During this time, the secondary battery 1 on the jig 6c has already reached the scan area on the second rail 12. By repeating these steps during the circular movement along the rail, the manufacturing equipment 10 can continuously irradiate the secondary batteries 1 located within the laser irradiation range S with laser light from the laser welder 15, thereby reducing downtime.

[0044] The conveying mechanism 17 shown in Figure 1 can circulate the jig 6 by using a turning mechanism to turn it back at the turning section 20 while maintaining the direction of the jig 6 in the same direction, and moving it from the first rail 11 to the second rail 12. As shown in Figure 3, jig 6 has holders 8 that hold battery cases 2 on both sides of circulation jig 7, with first rail 11 or second rail 12 sandwiched between them. This makes it possible to irradiate laser light continuously with reduced downtime even using a single laser welder 15. Therefore, this manufacturing method easily overcomes the conventional obstacle to high speed caused by laser welding.

[0045] 7 and 8 show a battery manufacturing facility and a battery manufacturing method according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. In Embodiment 2, parts that are the same as or equivalent to those in the battery manufacturing facility 10 and the battery manufacturing method according to Embodiment 1 shown in Figures 1 to 6 are denoted by the same reference numerals and explanations thereof will be omitted, and the following description will focus on the differences.

[0046] In embodiment 2 shown in Figure 7, instead of the inclined holding portions 9, 9 (see Figure 3) arranged on both the left and right sides of the circulation jig 7 of the jig 6 of embodiment 1, the jig 26 has a pair of inclined holding portions 29, 29 extending horizontally from both the left and right sides of the circulation jig 27, approximately flush with the upper surface of the circulation jig 27. These inclined holding portions 29, 29 are provided with holder portions 28, 28 that are inclined outward at a predetermined angle α and that hold components that make up the secondary battery 1.

[0047] The holder portion 28 has an upper surface portion 28a that is inclined outward at a predetermined angle α. As shown in the figure, a pair of opposing holding pieces 28b, 28c are provided on at least the long side of the upper surface 28a, and at least one of the holding pieces 28b, 28c is configured to move toward and away from each other. In the second embodiment, an actuator 28f is arranged between the inclined holding portion 29 and the holding piece 28b so as to be expandable and contractible in the horizontal direction. The actuator 28f is configured to expand and contract to move the holding piece 28c toward and away from the holding piece 28b.

[0048] Furthermore, the retaining pieces 28b, 28c are formed with contact surfaces 28d, 28e that sandwich the battery case 2 of the secondary battery 1 housed in the holder portion 28 from both sides. The contact surfaces 28d, 28e are formed to be inclined outward at a predetermined angle α so as to be parallel to each other. As a result, the battery case 2 or the lid body 3 is held at a desired position in the holder part 8 by being sandwiched from both sides by the holding pieces. Then, each battery case 2 can be sunk to a predetermined height position where it is approximately flush with the upper surface 28a, and the secondary battery 1 can be held in an inclined state at the same inclination angle α as the upper surface 28a.

[0049] The jig 26 of the second embodiment configured in this manner has the same effect as the first embodiment, and furthermore, the abutment surfaces 28d, 28e formed on each holding piece 28b, 28c of the holder portion 28 hold the component parts at an inclination of a predetermined angle α. For this reason, the welding area between the components is positioned at an angle so as to face the laser welding machine 15. Therefore, the laser beam from the laser welding machine 15 is irradiated almost perpendicularly onto the welding area, making it possible to perform almost uniform laser welding.

[0050] The inclined holding portion 29 of the second embodiment may be configured in any way as long as it holds the component at an angle toward the laser welder 15. For example, the holder portion 8 and the inclined holding portion 9 may be left as a single unit, and the connection angle with respect to the circulation jig 7 may be made variable. In this case, the degree of freedom in setting the inclination angle α can be further improved. The other configurations and effects are the same as those of the first embodiment, so the description thereof will be omitted.

[0051] As described above, the battery manufacturing equipment 10 and manufacturing method according to the first and second embodiments can achieve practically beneficial effects, such as improving productivity while improving welding quality. Specifically, the battery manufacturing equipment 10 of the first and second embodiments can improve productivity by using a single laser welder 15 while reducing the space required to install the laser welder 15. Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 5, the laser beam irradiated obliquely from the laser welder 15 is irradiated substantially perpendicularly onto a plurality of welding positions at different positions, thereby improving the welding quality. Furthermore, the number of laser welders 15 can be reduced to one, instead of increasing to two or more. Therefore, even if expensive laser welders 15 having galvano scanners or the like are used, the number can be halved, thereby reducing equipment costs.

[0052] It is also possible to reduce the number of chillers (cooling water circulation devices) and main pipes, wiring, etc., that are attached to the laser welding machine 15. It is also possible to reduce the cost of equipment for improving welding quality, such as an image processing system using a camera or a position correction mechanism, a shield gas function, and a dust collection system. Furthermore, the running costs and maintenance costs of the laser welding machine 15 and the like can be reduced by half. Therefore, the manufacturing equipment 10 of the first and second embodiments can improve productivity while maintaining good welding quality using a small number of laser welders 15.

[0053] Moreover, holder portions 8 provided on both sides of each jig 6 each hold a battery case 2 . This provides a good weight balance, allowing two secondary batteries 1 to be stably transported using one jig 6. The laser welder 15 directly faces the welding locations between the components of each secondary battery 1 held by the pair of left and right inclined holders 9, 9. This allows the laser welder 15 to laser weld the welding locations with good laser irradiation accuracy, further improving the welding quality.

[0054] For example, the inclined holding parts 9, 9 that hold the battery cases 2, 2 may be rotatably connected to the left and right sides of the circulation jig 7 via a rotation shaft, respectively. This allows the upper surface of the inclined holding part 9 to be positioned approximately horizontally when the components of the secondary battery 1 are placed on the battery mounting stage 40. This improves workability when placing the components in the holder part 8 or when assembling the components together.

[0055] Then, before being laser-welded on the welding stage 16, the welding portion is tilted together with the tilt holding portion 9 around the rotation axis as the center of rotation. Therefore, the welding portion faces the laser welder 15 directly, thereby improving the quality of the welding. In this way, the manufacturing equipment 10 and the manufacturing method using the manufacturing equipment 10 can achieve the target production volume per unit time by further improving manufacturing efficiency while maintaining the quality of laser welding at a specified level or higher.

[0056] The present invention has been described above based on the first and second embodiments, but the present invention is not limited to the configurations described in the first and second embodiments. The present invention can be modified as appropriate within the scope of the spirit thereof, including appropriate combinations or selections of the configurations described in the first and second embodiments. Furthermore, it is possible to add or delete parts of the configurations of the first and second embodiments, or to add or replace other configurations. Possible modifications of the first and second embodiments are, for example, as follows:

[0057] That is, in the jig 6 of the manufacturing equipment 10 of the first and second embodiments, the inclined holders 9, 9 that hold the battery cases 2, 2 are fixed integrally to the circulation jig 7. However, the configuration of the jig 6 is not particularly limited to this. For example, inclined holding portions 9, 9 may be rotatably connected to the left and right sides of the circulation jig 7 via a rotation shaft so that the left and right tip sides, respectively, can move up and down. In this case, after components are placed in holders 8 provided on inclined holders 9 on battery mounting stage 40, each inclined holder 9 is rotated to lower the side edges outward at a predetermined angle α from the left and right sides. As a result, the components held on inclined holders 9 are tilted so as to face directly toward laser welder 15 before being laser-welded on welding stage 16. The components may then be configured so that the weld portions are laser-welded approximately vertically with the laser beam from laser welder 15.

[0058] 3, the jig 6 of the first embodiment has inclined holding portions 9, 9 fixed at a predetermined angle α (for example, α = approximately 15 degrees) on the left and right sides of the circulation jig 7. However, the angle α connecting the circulation jig 7 and the inclined holding portions 9 is not particularly limited to this. For example, the angle α of the inclined holder 9 connected to the circulation jig 7 may be set within the range of about 1 to 60 degrees, preferably about 5 to 45 degrees, and more preferably about 10 to 20 degrees. In other words, it is sufficient that the laser light is irradiated onto the welding portion of the component parts approximately perpendicular to the welding portion at least during the laser welding process, and the inclined holding portions 9, 9 may be connected to the left and right sides of the circulation jig 7 at any angle α. For example, the tilted holding portions 9 and 29 may be configured in any manner as long as they hold the components tilted toward the laser welding machine 15. For example, the entire upper surface may be tilted while the circulation jig 7 and the tilted holding portion 9 of the jig 6 remain integrated. In other words, as long as the holder portions 8 and 28 hold the components tilted toward the laser welding machine 15, the configurations are not limited to those of the first and second embodiments, and the shape and number of the tilted holding portions and the holder portions, and the mechanism for holding or tilting the battery components may be any.

[0059] Furthermore, the laser welder 15 in the first and second embodiments is provided between a pair of first rail 11 and second rail 12. Three or more rails may be provided. That is, it is sufficient that the laser welder 15 is provided between at least any pair of rails. Furthermore, the shape, number and type of the laser welding machines 15 are not particularly limited.

[0060] The folding sections 20 and 20R of the first and second embodiments are provided with a folding mechanism that rotates the jig 6 by 90 degrees relative to the slider 17a around a vertical rotation axis. However, the configuration of the folding mechanism is not particularly limited to this. For example, any folding mechanism configuration may be used as long as it folds the jig 6 while maintaining the same orientation.

[0061] Furthermore, in the first and second embodiments, the battery case 2 of the secondary battery 1 and the lid 3 that closes the opening 4 of the battery case 2 are shown as the multiple components as shown in FIG. 2, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the components may be configured by a lid 3 that closes the opening 4 of the battery case 2, which is a cylindrical battery case with a bottom, and a terminal 3d that is inserted into a terminal hole 3h that is formed in the lid 3. In this case, the welding portion located between the lid 3 and the terminal 3d is laser-welded facing the laser welding machine 15. In other words, any other battery component may be used as long as it is a component that constitutes a battery, and the number, shape, or material of the component is not particularly limited.

[0062] In the first and second embodiments, a circumferential welding path 5 is set as the welding portion, and the entire periphery of the opening 4 is laser welded, but this is not particularly limited. For example, when laser welding a welding portion located between the lid 3 and the terminal 3d, at least one location, preferably a pair of diagonally positioned components, may be laser welded. In other words, the welding portion may have any shape, such as an annular or spot shape, and the number, shape, or combination of the welding portions to be laser welded are not particularly limited. [Explanation of symbols]

[0063] 1 Secondary battery (battery) 2 Battery case (one of the components) 3 Lid (one of the components) 6 Jig 9 Incline holding part 10 Manufacturing equipment 11, 12 First and second rails (pair of rails) 15 Laser welding machine 17 Transport mechanism S Laser irradiation range

Claims

1. A battery manufacturing facility for laser welding a plurality of components that constitute a battery, a plurality of jigs for holding the components; a conveying mechanism having at least one pair of rails and conveying the plurality of jigs along the rails; a laser welder that is provided between the pair of rails and that laser-welds the welding portions between the plurality of components, The jig has an inclined holding portion that holds the component at an angle toward the laser welding machine, The battery manufacturing facility is characterized in that the laser welding machine places the welding area transported along each of the pair of rails within a laser irradiation range.

2. The pair of rails includes a first rail that transports the jig in one of the transport directions; a second rail provided parallel to the first rail and transporting the jig in the opposite direction; a turning portion is provided between the end of the jig on the first rail in the conveying direction and the start of the jig on the second rail in the conveying direction, and the turning portion circulates the jig conveyed from the first rail to the second rail, 2. The battery manufacturing facility according to claim 1, wherein the folding unit has a folding mechanism that folds the jig while maintaining the same orientation when folding.

3. 3. The battery manufacturing facility according to claim 1, wherein the inclined holding section is provided with holder sections on both sides of the rail, each of which holds the component.

4. 3. The battery manufacturing equipment according to claim 1, wherein the inclined holding portion is provided with inclined holder portions on both sides of the rail, each having a contact surface that inclins and holds the component.

5. The component includes a battery case having a bottomed cylindrical shape and a lid that closes an opening of the battery case, 5. The battery manufacturing facility according to claim 1, wherein the welding portion is provided between a peripheral edge of the opening and an outer periphery of the lid.

6. The component includes a lid that closes an opening of a battery case that is a cylindrical bottomed body, and a terminal that is inserted into a terminal hole of the lid, A battery manufacturing facility as described in any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the welding portion is provided between the periphery of the upper opening of the terminal hole and the periphery of the terminal protruding from the lid body.

7. a conveying step of conveying a plurality of components having welded portions along a pair of parallel rails while each component is held by a jig; a laser welding process in which the inclined holding portion of the jig disposed between the pair of rails is inclined toward a laser welding machine, and the weld portion between the components is placed within a laser irradiation range and laser-welded; a turning process in which the jig is moved between the pair of rails while maintaining the jig in the same direction to circulate the component; A battery manufacturing method comprising:

8. 8. The method for manufacturing a battery according to claim 7, wherein the laser welding step alternately welds the welding portions of the components transported to both sides of the laser welding machine one side at a time.

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