JP2024032163A - Energy storage element, electrolyte re-injection method, and method for manufacturing energy storage element - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a power storage element suitable for reuse, a method for reinjecting electrolyte, and a method for manufacturing the power storage element. The power storage element of the present invention includes a container, a liquid injection tube formed in a cylindrical shape so as to communicate with the interior of the container and protrude to the outside from the container, and at least an opening at the tip of the liquid injection tube. and a cover member attached to the container or the liquid injection tube, and in order to cut the cover member, the outer circumferential surface of the cover member has a surface that is closer to the container than the tip opening of the liquid injection tube. A cutting designation section is provided for designating the cutting location. [Selection diagram] Figure 4

Description

The present invention relates to a power storage element, a method for reinjecting electrolyte, and a method for manufacturing a power storage element.

BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, a power storage element is widely known which includes a liquid injection part in which an electrolyte injection port is formed and a liquid injection plug that covers the liquid injection port. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a power storage element that allows easy connection of a liquid injection tap.

JP 2019-145294 Publication

Incidentally, in recent years, in response to requests for reuse of power storage elements, proposals have been made to re-inject electrolyte into used power storage elements and reuse them. However, since the power storage element of Patent Document 1 is not intended for reuse, there has been a demand for a power storage element suitable for reuse. The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and aims to provide a power storage element suitable for reuse, a method for re-injecting electrolyte, and a method for manufacturing a power storage element.

A power storage element according to one aspect of the present invention includes a container, a liquid injection tube formed in a cylindrical shape so as to communicate with the inside of the container and protrude to the outside from the container, and at least an opening at the tip of the liquid injection tube. and a cover member attached to the container or the liquid injection tube, and in order to cut the cover member, the outer circumferential surface of the cover member has a surface that is closer to the container than the tip opening of the liquid injection tube. A cutting designation section is provided for designating the cutting location.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a power storage element suitable for reuse, a method for reinjecting electrolyte, and a method for manufacturing a reuse power storage element.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a power storage element according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the power storage element of FIG. 1. FIG. It is a perspective view of an electrolyte injection part. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 3; FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a method of reusing a power storage element. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a method of reusing a power storage element. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a method of reusing a power storage element. It is a perspective view showing other examples of an electrolyte injection part. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 8; FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing a method of reusing a power storage element having the electrolyte injection part shown in FIGS. 8 and 9. FIG. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing a method of reusing a power storage element having the electrolyte injection part shown in FIGS. 8 and 9. FIG. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing a method of reusing a power storage element having the electrolyte injection part shown in FIGS. 8 and 9. FIG. It is a perspective view showing other examples of an electrolyte injection part. FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 13; FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view showing a method of reusing a power storage element having an electrolyte injection part shown in FIGS. 13 and 14. FIG. FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view showing a method of reusing a power storage element having an electrolyte injection part shown in FIGS. 13 and 14. FIG. FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view showing a method of reusing a power storage element having an electrolyte injection part shown in FIGS. 13 and 14. FIG. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing another example of the electrolyte injection part.

First, an overview of a power storage element, an electrolyte re-injection method, and a method of manufacturing a power storage element disclosed in this specification will be described.

The electricity storage element of the present invention according to the first aspect includes a container, a liquid injection tube formed in a cylindrical shape so as to communicate with the inside of the container and protrude to the outside from the container, and at least one of the liquid injection tubes. a cover member that covers the tip opening and is attached to the container or the liquid injection tube; A cutting designation section is provided on the container side for designating the cutting location.

The electricity storage element of the present invention according to the second aspect includes a container, a liquid injection tube formed in a cylindrical shape so as to communicate with the inside of the container and protrude outside from the container, and at least one of the liquid injection tubes. a cover member that covers the tip opening and is attached to the container or the liquid injection tube, and the outer peripheral surface of the cover member has a protrusion, a recess, A step or sign is provided.

In order to reuse a power storage element that has been used for a long period of time, it is necessary to replenish the electrolyte. Therefore, in the electricity storage element of the present invention, a liquid injection pipe for replenishing the electrolyte solution is provided, and the electrolyte solution can be replenished from this liquid injection pipe. Furthermore, before replenishing the electrolyte, a cover member is attached to cover the liquid injection tube to prevent the electrolyte from leaking from the liquid injection tube. When replenishing the electrolyte, the cover member is cut to expose the liquid injection tube, but the cutting area, protrusion, recess, step, or indication indicating the cut point is placed at the tip of the liquid injection tube. It is provided closer to the lid body than the opening. Thereby, by cutting at the designated cutting portion, protrusion, recess, step, or location where the display is provided, it is possible to prevent cutting powder generated by cutting from entering the liquid injection pipe.

After cutting, the liquid injection pipe is covered with a newly prepared resealing cover member, and the resealing cover member is fixed to the container or the remaining part of the cover member after cutting so as to seal the area around the liquid injection pipe. Then, the power storage element can be reused.

A power storage element according to a third aspect is the power storage element according to the first or second aspect, wherein the container includes a container main body having an opening, and a lid body that closes the opening of the container main body, The liquid injection tube and the cover member are provided on the lid.

A power storage element according to a fourth aspect is the power storage element according to any one of the first to third aspects, wherein the container includes a connection terminal protruding to the outside, and the cover member is provided with a connection terminal that protrudes to the outside. The height is lower than the height of the connection terminal from the surface of the container.

For example, if the cover member protrudes beyond the connection terminal, it is necessary to design the size of the container body based on this, which may reduce the size of the container body and reduce the capacity of the energy storage element. There is. On the other hand, if the height of the cover member from the container is made lower than the height of the connection terminal from the lid body, the size of the container can be determined based on the protruding height of the connection terminal without using the cover member as a reference. can be designed. Thereby, the container can be designed based on the connection terminal regardless of the cover member.

A power storage element according to a fifth aspect includes: a container; a liquid injection tube formed in a cylindrical shape so as to communicate with the inside of the container and protrude to the outside from the container; a cylindrical peripheral wall member that is fixed to and has a lower height from the container than the tip opening of the liquid injection tube; A resealing cover member attached to the peripheral wall member.

The electrolyte re-injection method of the present invention according to a sixth aspect includes a container, a liquid injection pipe formed in a cylindrical shape so as to communicate with the inside of the container and protrude outside from the surface of the container, and at least A method for re-injecting electrolyte into a power storage element comprising: a cover member that covers the tip opening of the liquid injection tube and is attached to the container or the liquid injection tube, the method comprising: a cover member that covers the tip opening of the liquid injection tube; , cutting a portion of the liquid injection tube closer to the container than the tip opening thereof to expose the liquid injection tube, injecting electrolyte from the liquid injection tube into the container, and opening at least the tip opening of the liquid injection tube. A resealing cover member is secured to at least one of the container, the cut remainder of the cover member, and the liquid injection tube so as to cover the container.

According to this method, it is possible to extend the life of the power storage element at low cost.

A method of manufacturing a power storage element of the present invention according to a seventh aspect includes: a container; a liquid injection tube formed in a cylindrical shape so as to communicate with the inside of the container and protrude to the outside from a surface of the container; a cover member that covers the tip opening of the liquid injection tube and is attached to the container or the liquid injection tube; cutting the side part to expose the liquid injection tube, injecting the electrolyte from the liquid injection tube into the container, and attaching a resealing cover member so as to cover at least the tip opening of the liquid injection tube, It is fixed to at least one of the container, the remainder of the cover member after cutting, and the liquid injection pipe.

This method of manufacturing energy storage elements uses, for example, a used energy storage element that has reached predetermined conditions such as usage time and remaining amount of electrolyte, and reinjects electrolyte into it to create a new energy storage element. This is a method of manufacturing. According to this manufacturing method, it is possible to extend the life of the power storage element at low cost.

Hereinafter, one embodiment of a power storage element according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the numerical values, shapes, materials, components, arrangement positions and connection forms of the components shown in the following embodiments and modifications thereof are merely examples, and do not limit the present invention. Moreover, each figure is a schematic diagram, and dimensions etc. are not necessarily shown strictly. Furthermore, in each figure, the same or similar components are designated by the same reference numerals.

Further, in the following description and drawings, for convenience of explanation, the description will be made in the direction shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. However, these directions are set for convenience of explanation, and do not limit the present invention. For example, if the electricity storage element is arranged so that the long side of the container faces down, the front-rear direction shown in FIG. 1 becomes the up-down direction.

Further, expressions indicating relative directions or orientations such as parallel and orthogonal include cases where the directions or orientations are not strictly speaking. For example, two directions being parallel does not only mean that the two directions are completely parallel, but also that they are substantially parallel, that is, with a difference of only a few percent, for example. It also means to include.

<1. Configuration of energy storage element>
First, with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, a general description of the power storage element 10 in this embodiment will be given. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a power storage element 10 according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the power storage element 10 according to the present embodiment.

This power storage element 10 is a secondary battery that can charge and discharge electricity, and specifically, is a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery such as a lithium ion secondary battery. The power storage element 10 can be used as a battery for driving or starting an engine of a moving object such as an automobile, a motorcycle, a watercraft, a ship, a snowmobile, an agricultural machine, a construction machine, or a railway vehicle for an electric railway. used. Examples of the above-mentioned vehicle include an electric vehicle (EV), a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV), a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), and a gasoline vehicle. Examples of the above-mentioned railway vehicles for electric railways include electric trains, monorails, linear motor cars, and hybrid electric trains equipped with both a diesel engine and an electric motor. Furthermore, the power storage element 10 can also be used as a stationary battery or the like used for home or business purposes.

Note that the power storage element 10 is not limited to a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery, and may be a secondary battery other than a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery, or a capacitor. The power storage element 10 may be a primary battery that allows the user to use the stored electricity without charging it.

As shown in FIG. 1, power storage element 10 includes a container 100, a positive terminal 200, and a negative terminal 300. Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the container 100 accommodates a positive electrode current collector 120, a negative electrode current collector 130, an electrode body 140, and an insulating sheet 500. Further, the container 100 is provided with an electrolyte injection part 400. Note that although an electrolytic solution is sealed inside the container 100 of the power storage element 10, illustration of the liquid is omitted. Each member will be explained in detail below.

<1-1. Container＞
The container 100 includes a rectangular parallelepiped container body 111 having an opening at the top, and a lid 110 that is a plate-like member that closes the opening of the container body 111. The container body 111 has a pair of rectangular and planar long sides 111a on the side surfaces in the front and back direction, a pair of rectangular and planar short sides 111b on the left and right sides, and a lower side in the up and down direction. It has a rectangular and planar bottom surface 111c.

The inside of the container 100 is sealed by closing the upper opening of the container body 111 with a plate-shaped lid 110 by welding or the like. The materials of the lid 110 and the container body 111 are not particularly limited, but preferably are weldable metals such as stainless steel.

As shown in FIG. 2, a positive electrode terminal 200 and a negative electrode terminal 300 are attached to both ends of the lid 110 in the left and right direction. Further, in the lid body 110, an electrolyte injection part 400, which will be described later, is formed between the positive electrode terminal 200 and the negative electrode terminal 300. A plate-shaped positive electrode current collector 120 extending from the lower surface of the lid body 110 is electrically connected to the positive electrode terminal 200, and this positive electrode current collector 120 is electrically connected to the positive electrode of an electrode body 140, which will be described later. has been done. On the other hand, a plate-shaped negative electrode current collector 130 extending from the lower surface of the lid body 110 is electrically connected to the negative electrode terminal 300, and this negative electrode current collector 130 is electrically connected to the negative electrode of an electrode body 140, which will be described later. It is connected to the. Further, the positive electrode current collector 120 is arranged to face the left short side 111b of the container body 111, and the negative electrode current collector 130 is arranged to face the right short side 111b of the container main body 111. .

Further, the positive electrode current collector 120 is made of, for example, aluminum, and the negative electrode current collector 130 is made of, for example, copper.

<1-2. Electrolyte injection part＞
Next, the electrolyte injection section 400 will be explained with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the electrolyte injection part, and FIG. 4 is a sectional view of FIG. 3. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the electrolyte injection unit 400 includes a cylindrical liquid injection tube 410 that protrudes from the surface of the lid 110, and a cover member 420 that is fixed to the lid 110 and covers the liquid injection tube 410. It is equipped with. A through hole 112 communicating with the inside of the container 100 is formed in the lid 110, and a liquid injection pipe 410 extends from the edge of the through hole 112. An opening 411 is formed at the tip of the liquid injection tube 410, and the electrolytic solution is injected into the container 100 through this opening 411.

The cover member 420 has a cylindrical main body portion 421 whose upper end is closed and whose lower end is open. The inner diameter of the main body portion 421 is larger than the outer diameter of the liquid injection tube 410, and a gap is formed between the two. A circular first flange 422 extending radially outward is formed at the lower end of the main body 421, and this first flange 422 is welded to the surface of the lid 110 on the outside of the liquid injection pipe 410. , fixed with adhesive etc. Thereby, the liquid injection pipe 410 is sealed by the cover member 420, thereby preventing leakage of the electrolyte. Further, a circular second flange (cutting designation portion) 423 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the main body portion 421 and extends radially outward. This second flange 423 is formed at a position lower than the tip opening 411 of the liquid injection pipe 410. That is, the height from the surface of the lid 110 to the second flange 423 is lower than the height from the surface of the lid 110 to the opening 411 of the liquid injection tube 410.

Further, the height of the cover member 420 from the lid 110 is formed lower than the height of the positive electrode terminal 200 and the negative electrode terminal 300 from the lid 110.

The cover member 420 seals the liquid injection pipe 410 and is made of any material that can be cut, such as metal or resin material, for example. Note that the liquid injection tube 410 may be formed integrally with the lid 110, or the liquid injection tube 410, which is a separate member, may be fixed to the lid 110.

<1-3. Electrode body＞
The electrode body 140 includes a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a separator. The positive electrode is formed of a long belt-shaped positive electrode base material foil made of aluminum or the like similar to the positive electrode current collector 120, and a positive electrode active material layer laminated on this positive electrode base material foil. On the other hand, the negative electrode is formed of a long strip-shaped negative electrode base material foil made of copper or the like, similar to the negative electrode current collector 130, and a negative electrode active material layer laminated on the negative electrode base material foil. The separator is a microporous sheet made of resin. The electrode body 140 is formed by winding layers arranged in layers such that a separator is sandwiched between a negative electrode and a positive electrode, with the left-right direction being the axial direction. In addition, in FIG. 2, the cross-sectional shape of the electrode body 140 is shown as an oval shape, but it may be circular or elliptical. Further, the shape of the electrode body 140 is not limited to the wound type, but may be a shape in which flat plates are laminated.

<1-4. Insulating sheet＞
Next, the insulating sheet 500 will be explained. As shown in FIG. 2, the insulating sheet 500 is formed in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped with an opening at the top, and the electrode body 140 is housed therein. The rectangular parallelepiped-shaped insulating sheet may be formed by combining a plurality of sheet materials, or may be formed by bending a single sheet material, as long as it can insulate the container 100 and the electrode body 140.

The insulating sheet 500 is preferably made of a synthetic resin material that has good insulation properties, does not easily wrinkle, and has high heat resistance. For example, it is made of a polyolefin resin material such as polypropylene or polyethylene, or polyester, polyphenylene sulfide, polyimide, etc. It can be suitably used.

Further, the thickness of the insulating sheet 500 is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, 100 to 300 μm.

<2. Manufacturing method of electricity storage element>
Next, a method for manufacturing power storage element 10 will be described. Note that in the following description, a case where an operator assembles the power storage element 10 will be exemplified, but it is also possible for an assembly device to assemble the power storage element 10.

First, an operator assembles the lid 110, the positive electrode terminal 200, the negative electrode terminal 300, the positive electrode current collector 120, the negative electrode current collector 130, and the electrode body 140.

Next, the operator inserts the positive electrode current collector 120, the negative electrode current collector 130, and the electrode body 140 through the upper opening of the insulating sheet 500, and then inserts these into the container body 111. Following this, the operator assembles the container 100 by welding the lid 110 to the container body 111.

Subsequently, the operator injects the electrolyte from the liquid injection pipe 410 to fill the container 100 with the electrolyte. Thereafter, the operator fixes the cover member 420 to the lid 110 so as to cover the liquid injection tube 410. In this way, power storage element 10 is completed.

<3. How to reuse energy storage elements>
Next, a method for reusing the power storage element 10 will be explained with reference to FIGS. 5 to 7. The reuse method referred to here is a method for re-injecting electrolyte into a power storage element that has reached predetermined conditions such as usage time and remaining amount of electrolyte to enable use for an even longer period of time. In other words, it is a method of manufacturing a new power storage element from an old power storage element that has reached a predetermined condition. First, as shown in FIG. 5, in the main body 421 of the electrolyte injection part 400, the upper side of the base end of the second flange 423 is cut using a cutting means 900 such as a laser or a cutter. This exposes the opening 411 of the liquid injection pipe 410. Next, as shown in FIG. 6, the electrolytic solution is injected from the opening 411 of the exposed liquid injection pipe 410. Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 7, a resealing cover member 600 is attached to the second flange 423. This resealing cover member 600 has a cylindrical main body portion 610 whose upper end is closed and whose lower end is open. The inner diameter of the main body portion 610 is approximately the same as the outer diameter of the main body portion 421 of the cover member 420. Further, a circular flange 620 extending radially outward is formed at the lower end of the main body portion 610. The material forming the resealing cover member 600 can be the same as the cover member 420.

Then, the flange 620 of this resealing cover member 600 is fixed to the second flange 423 of the cover member 420 by welding or the like. Thereby, the liquid injection pipe 410 is sealed again by the remaining part of the cover member 420 (peripheral wall member) and the resealing cover member 600, and can be reused as the power storage element 10.

<4. Features＞
The power storage element 10 configured as described above has the following effects.
(1) In order to reuse the electricity storage element 10 that has been used for a long period of time, it is necessary to replenish the electrolyte. Therefore, in the power storage element 10 of the present embodiment, a liquid injection pipe 410 for replenishing the electrolyte solution is provided in the lid body 110, and the electrolyte solution can be replenished from the liquid injection pipe 410. Furthermore, before replenishing the electrolytic solution, a cover member 420 that covers the liquid injection tube 410 is attached to seal the area around the liquid injection tube 410 so that the electrolytic solution does not leak from the liquid injection tube 410. When replenishing the electrolyte, the cover member 420 is cut to expose the liquid injection tube 410, but the second flange 423 indicating the cut point is moved to a location lower than the opening 411 of the liquid injection tube 410. That is, it is provided on the lid body 110 side. Thereby, if the main body portion 421 is cut near the second flange 423, cutting powder generated by cutting can be prevented from entering the opening 411 of the liquid injection pipe 410.

After cutting, the liquid injection pipe 410 is covered with the newly prepared resealing cover member 600, and the resealing cover member 600 is attached to the second flange of the cover member 420 so as to seal the area around the liquid injection pipe 410. 423, the power storage element 10 can be reused. As a result, it is possible to extend the life of the power storage element 10 at low cost.

(2) Since the second flange 423 protrudes radially outward from the main body portion 421, it is easy to fix the resealing cover member 600. Another advantage is that it is easy to visually recognize the cut location.

(3) Since a gap is formed between the outer peripheral surface of the liquid injection pipe 410 and the cover member 420, when cutting the cover member 420, the liquid injection pipe 410 is also prevented from being cut at the same time. Can be done.

(4) In this embodiment, the height of the cover member 420 from the lid 110 is formed lower than the heights of the positive electrode terminal 200 and the negative electrode terminal 300 from the lid 110. For example, if the cover member 420 protrudes beyond the positive electrode terminal 200 and the negative electrode terminal 300, it is necessary to design the size of the container 100 based on this, which reduces the size of the container body 111 and The capacitance of the element may become smaller. On the other hand, if the height of the cover member 420 from the lid body 110 is lowered as described above, the height of the protrusion of the positive electrode terminal 200 and the negative electrode terminal 300 is used as a reference, without using the cover member 420 as a reference. 100 sizes can be designed. Thereby, regardless of the size of the cover member 420, the container 100 can be designed based on the positive electrode terminal 200 and the negative electrode terminal 300.

<5. Modified example>
Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to this, and various changes can be made without departing from the spirit thereof. Note that the following modifications can be combined as appropriate.

<1>
In the above embodiment, the second flange 423 provided on the cover member 420 constitutes the cutting designation part of the present invention, but the cutting designation part is at least at a position lower than the distal end opening of the liquid injection tube 410 (lid Any member may be used as long as it protrudes from the outer circumferential surface of the main body portion 421 on the body 110 side). Therefore, unlike a flange, it does not need to protrude over the entire circumference of the main body part 421, but may be provided on a part of the entire circumference of the main body part 421, and the shape is not particularly limited. Further, the resealing cover member 600 does not necessarily need to be fixed to the second flange 423 as long as it can seal the liquid injection pipe 410. For example, it may be fixed to the lid 110 in the same way as the cover member 420. You can also do it.

<2>
Other examples of the electrolyte injection section 400 will be described below. However, in the following description, since the liquid injection pipe 410 has the same configuration as in the above embodiment, it will be described with the same reference numerals. In addition, in the following description, differences from the above embodiment will be mainly explained regarding the cover member and the resealing cover member. Therefore, descriptions of similar configurations may be omitted.

<2-1>
In the cover member 720 of Example 1 shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, an annular recess (cutting designated portion) 723 is formed on the surface of the main body portion 721 instead of the second flange 423 of the cover member 420 of the above embodiment. There is. The wall thickness of the main body portion 721 is thinner where the recessed portion 723 is formed. Further, as shown in FIG. 9, the portion where the recess is formed is formed at a position lower than the opening 411 of the liquid injection pipe 410. That is, the height from the surface of the lid 110 to the recess 723 is lower than the height from the surface of the lid 110 to the opening 411 of the liquid injection tube 410.

Next, a method for reusing this power storage element will be explained with reference to FIGS. 10 to 12. First, as shown in FIG. 10, the recess 723 in the main body 721 of the electrolyte injection part 700 is cut by a cutting means 900 such as a laser. This exposes the opening 411 of the liquid injection pipe 410. Since the portion of the main body portion 721 where the recessed portion 723 is formed is thin, cutting is easy. Next, the electrolytic solution is injected from the opening 411 of the exposed liquid injection pipe 410. Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 11, a resealing cover member 750 is attached to the first flange 722. This resealing cover member 750 has a cylindrical main body portion 751 whose upper end is closed and whose lower end is open. The inner diameter of the main body portion 751 is approximately the same as the outer diameter of the main body portion 721 of the cover member 720. Furthermore, a circular flange 752 that extends radially outward is formed at the lower end of the main body portion 751 .

Then, the flange 752 of this resealing cover member 750 is fixed to the first flange 722 of the cover member 720 by welding or the like. Thereby, the liquid injection pipe 410 is sealed again by the cover member 720 and the resealing cover member 750, and can be reused as the power storage element 10.

Further, a resealing cover member 760 as shown in FIG. 12 can also be used. This resealing cover member 760 has a cylindrical main body portion 751 whose upper end is closed and whose lower end is open. The outer shape of the main body portion 751 is approximately the same as the inner diameter of the main body portion 721 of the cover member 720.

The main body portion 761 of this resealing cover member 760 is fixed to the inner wall surface of the main body portion 721 of the cover member 720 by welding or the like. Thereby, the liquid injection pipe 410 is sealed again by the cover member 720 and the resealing cover member 760, and can be reused as the power storage element 10.

Note that the recessed portion 723 does not need to be formed over the entire circumferential direction of the outer peripheral surface of the main body portion 721, and may be formed in a part of the circumferential direction in order to make the cut location visible.

<2-2>
A cover member 820 of Example 2 shown in FIGS. 13 and 14 has a truncated cone-shaped main body 821, and a step (cutting designation portion) 823 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the main body portion 821. Further, as shown in FIG. 14, the portion where the step 823 is formed is formed at a position lower than the opening 411 of the liquid injection pipe 410. That is, the height from the surface of the lid 110 to the step 823 is lower than the height from the surface of the lid 110 to the opening 411 of the liquid injection tube 410.

Next, a method for reusing this power storage element will be explained with reference to FIGS. 15 to 17. First, as shown in FIG. 15, the step 823 in the main body portion 821 of the cover member 820 is cut by a cutting means 900 such as a laser. This exposes the opening 411 of the liquid injection pipe 410. Next, the electrolytic solution is injected from the opening 411 of the exposed liquid injection pipe 410. Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 16, a resealing cover member 850 is attached to the step 823. This resealing cover member 850 has a cylindrical main body portion 851 whose upper end is closed and whose lower end is open. The inner diameter of the main body portion 851 is approximately the same as the inner diameter of the step 823 of the cover member 820. Furthermore, a circular flange 852 extending radially outward is formed at the lower end of the main body portion 851 .

Then, the flange 852 of this resealing cover member 850 is fixed to the step 823 of the cover member 820 by welding or the like. Thereby, the liquid injection pipe 410 is sealed again by the cover member 820 and the resealing cover member 850, and can be reused as the power storage element 10.

Further, a resealing cover member 860 as shown in FIG. 17 can also be used. This resealing cover member 860 has a cylindrical main body portion 861 whose upper end is closed and whose lower end is open. The inner diameter of the main body portion 861 is approximately the same as the outer diameter of the lower end portion of the main body portion 821 of the cover member 820. Further, a circular flange 862 extending radially outward is formed at the lower end of the main body portion 861 .

The main body portion 861 of this resealing cover member 860 is fixed onto the first flange 822 of the cover member 820 by welding or the like. Thereby, the liquid injection pipe 410 is sealed again by the cover member 820 and the resealing cover member 860, and can be reused as the power storage element 10.

Note that the step 823 does not need to be formed over the entire circumferential direction of the outer peripheral surface of the main body portion 821, and may be formed in a part of the circumferential direction for the purpose of making the cut location visible.

<2-3>
A cover member 920 of Example 3 shown in FIG. 18 has a cylindrical main body portion 921 whose upper end is closed and whose lower end is open. The inner diameter of the opening 922 at the lower end of this main body portion 921 is approximately the same as the outer diameter of the liquid injection tube 410, and this lower end is fixed to the outer peripheral surface of the liquid injection tube 410. Thereby, the liquid injection pipe 410 is sealed, and leakage of the electrolyte can be prevented.

Further, a flange 923 is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the main body portion 921 and extends radially outward below the opening of the liquid injection pipe 410 . The role of this flange is the same as the second flange 423 of the above embodiment. Note that the above-mentioned recess or step may be provided instead of the flange.

In this way, the cover member can be attached not only to the surface of the lid 110 but also to the liquid injection pipe 410.

Although examples of the cover member and the resealing cover member have been described above, these are merely examples, and other forms are also possible. For example, the shapes of the cover member and the resealing cover member are not particularly limited, as long as the resealing cover member alone or together with the cut cover member can seal the liquid injection tube 410. Therefore, it does not have to be cylindrical, and may be, for example, a rectangular tube.

In addition, in the above description, the cover member itself is processed to form a portion where cutting is to be performed (cutting designation portion), but the cutting designation portion is not limited to these, and may include, for example, printed characters, etc. It can also be configured with a display such as a symbol. Furthermore, it is not necessary to provide such a cutting designation section, and for example, it may be specified manually to cut the main body of the cover member below the vicinity of the middle in the vertical direction. In this case, the opening 411 of the liquid injection pipe 410 needs to be formed above the designated cutting location.

The resealing cover member can also be fixed to at least one of the remaining part of the cover member described above, the lid 110, and the liquid injection tube 410.

<3>
In the above embodiment, the height of the cover member from the lid body 110 is made lower than the positive electrode terminal 200 and the negative electrode terminal 300, but it can also be made higher than the positive electrode terminal 200 and the negative electrode terminal 300.

<4>
In the above description, the electrolyte injection parts 400, 700, 800 are provided in the lid 110, but if the electrolyte can be injected into the container 100, the positions where the electrolyte injection parts 400, 700, 800 are formed are There are no particular limitations. Therefore, for example, it can also be formed on the surface of the container body 111.

<5>
The shape of the container shown in the above embodiment is an example, and it is sufficient that the container includes at least a positive electrode terminal 200, a negative electrode terminal 300, a positive electrode current collector 120, a negative electrode current collector 130, and an electrode body 140, and its configuration can be changed as appropriate. Can be changed. For example, in the above embodiment, the positive electrode, the negative electrode, and the separator of the electrode body 140 are wound around the axis extending in the left-right direction, but the present invention is not limited to this. It can also be wound around an extending axis. Further, the shape of the insulating sheet 500 is not particularly limited as long as it can insulate the electrode body 140 and the container body 111.

The present invention can be applied to power storage elements such as lithium ion secondary batteries.

10 Energy storage element 100 Container 110 Lid body 111 Container body 140 Electrode body 200 Positive terminal (connection terminal)
300 Negative terminal (connection terminal)
400, 700, 800 Electrolyte injection part 410 Liquid injection pipe 420 Cover member 423 Second flange (protrusion)
500 Insulating sheet 600 Cover member for resealing 720 Cover member 723 Recesses 750, 760 Cover member for resealing 820 Cover member 823 Steps 850, 860 Cover member for resealing

Claims (7)

a container and
a liquid injection pipe formed in a cylindrical shape so as to communicate with the inside of the container and protrude to the outside from the container;
a cover member that covers at least the tip opening of the liquid injection tube and is attached to the container or the liquid injection tube;
Equipped with
In order to cut the cover member, a cutting designation portion is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the cover member to designate a cutting location closer to the container than the tip opening of the liquid injection tube.
Energy storage element. a container and
a liquid injection pipe formed in a cylindrical shape so as to communicate with the inside of the container and protrude to the outside from the container;
a cover member that covers at least the tip opening of the liquid injection tube and is attached to the container or the liquid injection tube;
Equipped with
A power storage element, wherein a protrusion, a recess, a step, or a display is provided on the outer circumferential surface of the cover member closer to the container than the tip opening of the liquid injection tube. The container is
a container body having an opening;
a lid that closes the opening of the container body;
Equipped with
the liquid injection tube and the cover member are provided on the lid;
The electricity storage element according to claim 1 or 2. The container includes a connection terminal protruding to the outside,
The height of the cover member from the surface of the container is lower than the height of the connection terminal from the surface of the container.
The electricity storage element according to claim 1 or 2. a container and
a liquid injection pipe formed in a cylindrical shape so as to communicate with the inside of the container and protrude to the outside from the container;
a cylindrical peripheral wall member fixed to the container around the liquid injection tube and having a lower height from the container than the tip opening of the liquid injection tube;
a resealing cover member that covers at least the tip opening of the liquid injection tube and is attached to the container, the liquid injection tube, or the peripheral wall member;
Equipped with
Energy storage element. a container, a liquid injection tube formed in a cylindrical shape so as to communicate with the inside of the container and protrude to the outside from the surface of the container, and a liquid injection tube that covers at least the tip opening of the liquid injection tube and connects to the container or the liquid injection tube. A method for re-injecting an electrolyte into a power storage element including a cover member to be attached, the method comprising:
cutting a portion of the outer peripheral surface of the cover member closer to the container than the tip opening of the liquid injection tube to expose the liquid injection tube;
Injecting an electrolyte from the liquid injection pipe into the container,
fixing a resealing cover member to at least one of the container, the remainder of the cover member after cutting, and the liquid injection tube so as to cover at least the tip opening of the liquid injection tube;
How to re-inject electrolyte. a container, a liquid injection tube formed in a cylindrical shape so as to communicate with the inside of the container and protrude to the outside from the surface of the container, and a liquid injection tube that covers at least the tip opening of the liquid injection tube and connects to the container or the liquid injection tube. preparing a power storage element including a cover member to be attached;
cutting a portion of the outer peripheral surface of the cover member closer to the container than the tip opening of the liquid injection tube to expose the liquid injection tube;
Injecting an electrolyte from the liquid injection pipe into the container,
fixing a resealing cover member to at least one of the container, the remainder of the cover member after cutting, and the liquid injection tube so as to cover at least the tip opening of the liquid injection tube;
A method for manufacturing a power storage element.

Images