JP6515692B2 - Airtightness inspection device and airtightness inspection method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an airtightness inspection device and an airtightness inspection method for inspecting the airtightness of a battery cell.

  In the battery cell manufacturing process, after the case of the battery cell is sealed, air tightness of the case may be inspected before injecting the electrolytic solution into the case. For example, Patent Document 1 describes an airtightness inspection method for inspecting the airtightness of a battery cell. In the airtightness inspection method described in Patent Document 1, an injection pipe is connected to the battery cell, and the inspection gas is injected into the battery cell from an injection port provided in the battery cell. When the pressure in the battery cell detected by the pressure gauge decreases after the valve provided in the injection pipe is closed, it is determined that the airtightness of the battery cell is not good.

JP, 2009-26569, A

  In the airtightness inspection method as described above, not only when the airtightness of the battery cell is not good but also when the inspection gas leaks from between the battery cell and the injection pipe, the magnitude of the pressure in the battery cell is large. Decrease. For this reason, when the inspection gas leaks from between the battery cell and the injection pipe, there is a possibility that an erroneous determination may be made although the airtightness of the battery cell is actually good.

  On the other hand, it is conceivable to suppress the leakage of the test gas from between the battery cell and the injection pipe by providing a packing at the connection end of the injection pipe with the battery cell. However, even in this case, the inspection gas may leak from between the battery cell and the injection pipe due to the aged deterioration of the packing or the contact failure between the packing and the battery cell. Therefore, there is a need for a technology that can accurately judge the airtightness of the battery cell by separating the quality of the sealed state by the packing.

  An object of the present invention is to provide an airtightness inspection device and an airtightness inspection method capable of accurately judging the airtightness of a battery cell.

  An airtightness inspection device according to one aspect of the present invention includes a housing, and an injection pipe connected to a battery cell housed in the housing and injecting an inspection gas into the battery cell from an injection port provided in the battery cell. In the injection pipe, an annular first packing provided at the connection end with the battery cell, an annular second packing disposed outside the first packing at the connection end, and a space in the housing A first gas sensor for detecting a test gas present, a second gas sensor for detecting a test gas present in a space formed by the first packing and the second packing, and a first gas sensor And a determination unit that determines the airtightness of the battery cell based on the detection result of the inspection gas and the detection result of the inspection gas by the second gas sensor.

  In this airtightness inspection device, the first packing and the second packing disposed outside the first packing are provided at the connection end of the injection pipe with the battery cell. By the first packing and the second packing being in contact with the battery cell, a space different from the space in the housing is formed by the first packing and the second packing. Further, in this airtightness inspection device, the inspection gas existing in the space formed by the first gas sensor for detecting the inspection gas existing in the space in the housing, and the first packing and the second packing is detected. A second gas sensor is provided. With this configuration, in this airtightness inspection device, the airtightness of the battery cell can be judged by the first gas sensor, and the sealability by the first packing can be judged by the second gas sensor. It becomes. Therefore, in this airtightness inspection device, the quality of the sealed state by the first packing can be distinguished, and the airtightness of the battery cell can be judged with good precision.

  In addition, when neither the first gas sensor nor the second gas sensor has detected the inspection gas, the determination unit determines that the airtightness of the battery cell is good, and the first gas sensor performs an inspection. If the gas is detected and the second gas sensor does not detect the test gas, it may be determined that the airtightness of the battery cell is not good. By such a determination process, the quality of the sealing state by the first packing can be more reliably separated, and the quality determination of the airtightness of the battery cell can be performed with high accuracy.

  In addition, when the first gas sensor does not detect the inspection gas and the second gas sensor detects the inspection gas, the determination unit determines that the airtightness of the battery cell is good, while the first gas sensor detects the inspection gas. It may be determined that the sealing state by the packing is not good. By such a determination process, the quality of the sealing state by the first packing can be more reliably separated, and the quality determination of the airtightness of the battery cell can be performed with high accuracy. Further, since it is possible to grasp the sealing state by the first packing, it is possible to notify an abnormality of the sealing state by the first packing and the like.

  In addition, when both the first gas sensor and the second gas sensor detect the inspection gas, the determination unit determines that neither the airtightness of the battery cell nor the sealing state by the first packing is good. You may By such a determination process, the quality of the sealing state by the first packing can be more reliably separated, and the quality determination of the airtightness of the battery cell can be performed with high accuracy. Further, since it is possible to grasp the sealing state by the first packing, it is possible to notify an abnormality of the sealing state by the first packing and the like.

  The information processing apparatus may further include a notification unit that notifies that the sealing state by the first packing is not good when the judgment part judges that the sealing state by the first packing is not good. According to this configuration, it is possible to notify the user or the like of the abnormality in the sealing state by the first packing. By performing adjustment, replacement, etc. of the first packing in accordance with the notification, the sealed state by the first packing at the time of the inspection can be favorably maintained.

  The airtightness inspection method according to one aspect of the present invention uses the above-described airtightness inspection apparatus, connects an injection pipe to a battery cell housed in a housing, and injects an inspection gas into the battery cell from an inlet provided in the battery cell. And determining the airtightness of the battery cell based on the detection result of the inspection gas by the first gas sensor and the detection result of the inspection gas by the second gas sensor.

  In this airtight inspection method, the first packing and the second packing provided at the connection end with the battery cell in the injection pipe come into contact with the battery cell, whereby a space different from the space in the housing is the first It is formed by the packing and the second packing. In addition, a detection result by a first gas sensor for detecting an inspection gas present in a space in a housing, and a second detection object for detecting an inspection gas present in a space formed by the first packing and the second packing. The airtightness of the battery cell is judged based on the detection result of the gas sensor. As a result, the first gas sensor can determine the airtightness of the battery cell, and the second gas sensor can determine the quality of the sealed state by the first packing. Therefore, in this airtightness inspection method, the quality of the sealed state by the first packing can be separated to judge the airtightness of the battery cell with high accuracy.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an airtightness inspection device and an airtightness inspection method capable of accurately performing the quality determination of the airtightness of a battery cell.

It is a schematic block diagram of the airtight inspection device concerning an embodiment. It is sectional drawing of the connection part of the battery cell and injection pipe in the airtight inspection apparatus of FIG. It is a flowchart showing the process sequence in the airtightness inspection method using the airtightness inspection apparatus of FIG. It is a figure showing the relationship between the quality of the sealing state by the 1st packing and the 2nd packing, and the detection result of the inspection gas by the 1st gas sensor and the 2nd gas sensor. It is a figure showing the relationship between the detection result of the test | inspection gas by a 1st gas sensor and a 2nd gas sensor, the quality of the airtightness of a battery cell, and the quality of the sealing state by a 1st packing. It is a flowchart showing the process sequence in determination of the airtightness of a battery cell.

  Hereinafter, embodiments according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same or corresponding elements will be denoted by the same reference symbols, without redundant description.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the airtightness inspection apparatus 1 includes a housing (chamber) 10 that accommodates the battery cell 2 and an injection pipe 20 connected to the battery cell 2. The airtightness inspection apparatus 1 is configured as an apparatus for inspecting the airtightness of the battery cell 2. In the airtightness inspection device 1, the inspection gas G is injected from the injection pipe 20 into the battery cell 2 housed in the housing 10. Then, the airtightness of the battery cell 2 is determined based on the presence or absence of the leak of the test gas G into the housing 10.

  As the inspection gas G, for example, a gas whose detection accuracy by the first gas sensor 41 and the second gas sensor 42 described later is good, the abundance in the air is sufficiently small, and no toxicity or low It is preferred to use. As such a test gas G, for example, an inert gas such as helium or argon may be mentioned.

  The battery cell 2 is a battery in which an electrode assembly is accommodated in the case 3 and is, for example, a lithium ion secondary battery. The case 3 has, for example, a rectangular box-shaped main body 4 that opens on one side, and a rectangular flat cover member 5 that closes the opening of the main body 4. The case 3 is sealed by housing the electrode assembly and the like in the main body 4 and then bonding the lid member 5 to the main body 4 by laser welding or the like. In a substantially central portion of the lid member 5, an injection port 6 (see FIG. 2) having a circular cross section or a cross sectional oval used for injection of the test gas G is provided. The injection port 6 is also used as a liquid injection port for injecting an electrolytic solution into the case 3 after sealing, and is sealed by a sealing plug after the electrolytic solution is injected. In the airtightness inspection apparatus 1, the case 3 after the sealed can and before the injection of the electrolytic solution is to be inspected.

  The housing 10 is, for example, a rectangular box-shaped sealable container. The injection pipe 20 is a pipe for injecting the test gas G. The injection pipe 20 has a pipe portion 21 and a connection portion 22 provided at one end of the pipe portion 21. The piping unit 21 is introduced into the housing 10 from the top surface 10 a side of the housing 10, for example. The other end of the piping portion 21 is connected to, for example, a supply device of the test gas G and a suction device for evacuating the inside of the case 3 outside the case 3. In addition, the connection portion 22 provided at one end of the piping portion 21 is drawn toward the arrangement position of the battery cell 2 to be inspected in the housing 10.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the connection portion 22 is formed in a cylindrical shape. A hole 24 communicating with the inside of the piping portion 21 is provided in a substantially central portion of the connection portion 22. Further, in the connection portion 22, a hole 25 having a diameter smaller than the hole 24 is provided substantially parallel to the hole 24 at a position outside the hole 24. One end of a connection pipe 35 extending to the outside of the housing 10 is connected to the hole 25, and the other end of the connection pipe 35 is connected to a second gas sensor 42 described later.

  The tip of the connection portion 22 is a connection end 27 with the battery cell 2. The connection end 27 is provided with a first packing 31 and a second packing 32. The first packing 31 and the second packing 32 are, for example, seal members formed in an annular shape of rubber. The first packing 31 is disposed at the connection end 27 inside the hole 25 so as to surround the hole 24. The inner diameter of the second packing 32 is larger than the inner diameter of the first packing 31. The second packing 32 is disposed outside the first packing 31 so as to surround the holes 24 and 25 at the connection end 27. The first packing 31 and the second packing 32 are fixed to the connection end 27, for example, by being fitted into a mounting groove provided in the connection end 27.

  The connection end 27 is abutted against the peripheral portion of the inlet 6 in the lid member 5 of the battery cell 2 via the first packing 31 and the second packing 32. The connecting end 27 is in contact with the lid member 5 so that the piping portion 21 and the inside of the case 3 communicate with each other through the hole 24 and the inlet 6, and the communication space is isolated from the space S1 in the housing 10. C is formed. Further, a substantially annular space S2 is formed between the connection end 27 and the lid member 5 by the first packing 31 and the second packing. The space S2 is isolated from the communication space C by the first packing 31, and isolated from the space S1 in the housing 10 by the second packing 32. Also, the space S2 communicates with the connection pipe 35 via the hole 25 of the connection portion 22.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the airtightness inspection apparatus 1 further includes a first gas sensor 41, a second gas sensor 42, and a processing unit 50. The first gas sensor 41 is a sensor that detects the test gas G present in the space S1 in the housing 10. The first gas sensor 41 sequentially detects the concentration of the test gas G, for example, and determines that the test gas G is detected when the concentration becomes larger than a predetermined threshold. The first gas sensor 41 is disposed in the housing 10. The first gas sensor 41 is attached to the inside of the upper surface 10 a of the housing 10 so as to easily detect the test gas G in this example, assuming that the test gas G having a density smaller than that of air is used. There is.

  The second gas sensor 42 is a sensor that detects the test gas G present in a space S2 (see FIG. 2) formed by the first packing 31 and the second packing 32. For example, the second gas sensor 42 sequentially detects the concentration of the test gas G, and determines that the test gas G is detected when the concentration is larger than a predetermined threshold. The second gas sensor 42 is attached to the outside of the top surface 10 a of the housing 10, for example. In this example, the second gas sensor 42 is connected to the hole 25 of the connection portion 22 via the connection pipe 35, so that the test gas G present in the space S2 can be detected.

  The processing unit 50 includes a determination unit 51 and a notification unit 52. The determination unit 51 is connected to the first gas sensor 41 and the second gas sensor 42. The determination unit 51 receives the detection result of the test gas G by the first gas sensor 41 and the detection result of the test gas G by the second gas sensor 42, and the detection result of the test gas G by the received first gas sensor 41 The quality of the airtightness of the battery cell 2 is determined based on the detection result of the test gas G by the second gas sensor 42 and the second gas sensor 42.

  The notification unit 52 is a device for notifying of the result of the determination of the airtightness of the battery cell 2 by the determination unit 51. Further, the notification unit 52 may have a function of notifying, for example, the user etc. of the sealing state by the first packing 31. The notification unit 52 is configured by, for example, a display unit for displaying the sealing result of the first packing 31 or the result of the determination of the airtightness of the battery cell 2. The processing unit 50 is configured by, for example, a computer that includes a CPU that functions as the determination unit 51 and a display (display unit) that functions as the notification unit 52. In addition, the notification part 52 may notify the sealing state by the 1st packing 31 by other notification means, such as an audio | voice.

  With reference to FIG. 3, the processing procedure in the airtightness inspection method using the airtightness inspection device 1 will be described. In this airtightness inspection method, Case 3 after sealing and before injection of the electrolytic solution is to be inspected, and the airtightness of Case 3 is judged. For example, in the case 3, in the case where welding of the lid member 5 to the main body 4 is not well performed and the airtightness in the case 3 is not maintained, it is determined that the airtightness is not good.

  In step S11, first, the case 3 is disposed in the housing 10. Subsequently, the injection pipe 20 is abutted against the lid member 5 of the case 3 at the connection portion 22, and the injection pipe 20 is connected to the case 3. As a result, the injection pipe 20 and the inside of the case 3 communicate with each other to form a communication space C, and a space is formed between the connection portion 22 and the lid member 5 by the first packing 31 and the second packing 32. S2 is formed.

  Next, the inside of the case 3 is depressurized and evacuated by the suction device described above. This is because the gas in the case 3 is discharged and the quality determination in step S12 is performed well. Then, the test gas G is supplied to the injection pipe 20 by the above-described supply device, and the test gas G is injected into the battery cell 2 from the injection port 6.

  In step S12, on the basis of the detection result of the test gas G by the first gas sensor 41 and the detection result of the test gas G by the second gas sensor 42, it is determined whether the airtightness of the battery cell 2 is good or bad. The quality determination is performed by the determination unit 51. The details of the quality determination will be described below.

First, referring to FIG. 4, the quality of the sealing state by the first packing 31 and the second packing 32 and the detection result of the inspection gas G by the first gas sensor 41 and the second gas sensor 42. Explain the relationship. The following four patterns exist as a combination of the quality of the sealing state by the first packing 31 and the second packing 32.
Pattern 1: The case where all of the sealing states by the first packing 31 and the second packing 32 are good.
Pattern 2: Case where the sealing state by the first packing 31 is not good and the sealing state by the second packing 32 is good.
Pattern 3: The sealed state by the first packing 31 is good, and the sealed state by the second packing 32 is not good.
Pattern 4: When neither the sealing state by the 1st packing 31 nor the 2nd packing 32 is favorable.

  The condition in which the sealing of the first packing 31 or the second packing 32 is not good is equivalent to the internal pressure of the battery cell 2 in the state where the inspection gas G is supplied to the battery cell 2 in each packing. When pressure is applied, the test gas G passes through the packing. The main causes for such a state are a looseness due to aging and a fine scratch on the surface.

  In the pattern 1, when the airtightness of the battery cell 2 is good, the space between the main body 4 of the case 3 and the lid member 5 is well sealed, and the communication space C and the space S1 in the housing 10 are separated. Be done. For this reason, the test gas G does not leak from the communication space C to the space S1, and the first gas sensor 41 does not detect the test gas G. Further, the space between the connection portion 22 and the lid member 5 is favorably sealed by the first packing 31, and the communication space C and the space S2 are isolated. Therefore, the test gas G does not leak from the communication space C to the space S2, and the second gas sensor 42 also does not detect the test gas G. On the other hand, in the pattern 1, when the airtightness of the battery cell 2 is not good, the communication space C and the space S1 communicate with each other between the main body 4 and the lid member 5. For this reason, the test gas G leaks from the communication space C to the space S1, and the first gas sensor 41 detects the test gas G. In addition, the second gas sensor 42 does not detect the inspection gas G, as in the case where the airtightness of the battery cell 2 is good.

  In the pattern 2, when the airtightness of the battery cell 2 is good, the first gas sensor 41 does not detect the inspection gas G as in the pattern 1. Further, in this case, the sealed state by the first packing 31 is not good, and the communication space C and the space S2 communicate with each other. Therefore, the test gas G leaks from the communication space C to the space S2, and the second gas sensor 42 detects the test gas G. On the other hand, when the airtightness of the battery cell 2 is not good in the pattern 2, the first gas sensor 41 detects the inspection gas G as in the pattern 1. Further, the second gas sensor 42 detects the inspection gas G, as in the case where the airtightness of the battery cell 2 is good.

  In the pattern 3, when the airtightness of the battery cell 2 is good, the first gas sensor 41 does not detect the inspection gas G as in the pattern 1. Further, in this case, although the sealed state by the second packing 32 is not good, the space between the connection portion 22 and the lid member 5 is favorably sealed by the first packing 31, and the communication space C and the space S2 are Be isolated. For this reason, like the pattern 1, the second gas sensor 42 does not detect the test gas G. On the other hand, when the airtightness of the battery cell 2 is not good in the pattern 3, the first gas sensor 41 detects the inspection gas G as in the pattern 1. Also, the second gas sensor 42 does not detect the test gas G. In this case, it is conceivable that the second gas sensor 42 detects the test gas G when the test gas G having passed through the space S1 passes through the second packing 32. However, the pressure in the space S1, which is the atmospheric pressure, is lower than the internal pressure of the battery cell 2 to which the test gas G is supplied, and the volume is also large. Therefore, even if a small amount of the test gas G leaks from the battery cell 2 to the space S1, the pressure of the space S1 hardly changes, so the test gas G does not pass through the second packing 32.

  In the pattern 4, when the airtightness of the battery cell 2 is good, the first gas sensor 41 does not detect the inspection gas G as in the pattern 1. In addition, the second gas sensor 42 detects the test gas G as in the pattern 2. Also in this case, it is conceivable that the test gas G leaks into the space S1 via the second packing 32. However, since the amount of gas leaking out to the space S2 via the first packing 31 is small, the differential pressure between the space S2 and the space S1 is smaller than the differential pressure between the space S2 and the internal pressure of the battery cell 2, The test gas G does not pass through the second packing 32. On the other hand, when the airtightness of the battery cell 2 is not good in the pattern 4, the first gas sensor 41 detects the inspection gas G as in the pattern 1. Further, the second gas sensor 42 detects the inspection gas G, as in the case where the airtightness of the battery cell 2 is good.

  Next, referring to FIG. 5, detection results of inspection gas G by first gas sensor 41 and second gas sensor 42, goodness or badness of airtightness of battery cell 2, and sealing by first packing 31. The relationship between the condition and the quality will be described. These relationships are derived from the relationships shown in FIG. 4 described above.

  When neither the first gas sensor 41 nor the second gas sensor 42 detects the inspection gas G, both the airtightness of the battery cell 2 and the sealing state by the first packing 31 are good. . When the first gas sensor 41 detects the inspection gas G and the second gas sensor 42 does not detect the inspection gas G, the airtightness of the battery cell 2 is not good, but the sealing by the first packing 31 is performed. Stop condition is good. When the first gas sensor 41 does not detect the test gas G and the second gas sensor 42 detects the test gas G, the airtightness of the battery cell 2 is good, while the sealing by the first packing 31 is performed. Stop condition is not good. When neither the first gas sensor 41 nor the second gas sensor 42 detects the inspection gas G, neither the airtightness of the battery cell 2 nor the sealing state by the first packing 31 is good.

  Next, with reference to FIG. 6, the process procedure in the determination of the airtightness of the battery cell 2 will be described. This process is implemented in step S12 of the above-described airtightness inspection method.

  In step S21, it is determined whether the first gas sensor 41 has detected the test gas G. When the first gas sensor 41 does not detect the test gas G (NO in S21), the process proceeds to step S22, and when the first gas sensor 41 detects the test gas G (YES in S21) Go to S23.

  In step S22, it is determined whether the second gas sensor 42 has detected the test gas G. If the second gas sensor 42 does not detect the test gas G (NO in S22), the process proceeds to step S24, and it is determined that the airtightness of the battery cell 2 is good. On the other hand, when the second gas sensor 42 detects the inspection gas G (YES in S22), the process proceeds to step S25, and it is determined that the airtightness of the battery cell 2 is good. It is judged that the stop condition is not good. Then, in the subsequent step S26, the notification unit 52 notifies that the sealing state by the first packing 31 is not good.

  In step S23, it is determined whether the second gas sensor 42 has detected the test gas G. If the second gas sensor 42 does not detect the test gas G (NO in S23), the process proceeds to step S27, and it is determined that the airtightness of the battery cell 2 is not good. On the other hand, when the second gas sensor 42 detects the inspection gas G (YES in S23), the process proceeds to step S28, and neither the airtightness of the battery cell 2 nor the sealing state by the first packing 31 is good. I will judge. Then, in the subsequent step S29, the notification unit 52 notifies that the sealing state by the first packing 31 is not good. In the above steps S24, S25, S27, and S28, for example, the result of determination of the airtightness of the battery cell 2 is displayed on the display unit (notification unit 52) to present the determination result to the user or the like.

  As described above, in the airtightness inspection device 1 and the airtightness inspection method using the airtightness inspection device 1, the first packing 31 and the first packing 31 are provided at the connection end 27 of the injection pipe 20 to the battery cell 2. A second packing 32 is provided, which is disposed further outside. When the first packing 31 and the second packing 32 contact the battery cell 2, a space S2 different from the space S1 in the housing 10 is formed by the first packing 31 and the second packing 32. Be done. That is, the seal portion between battery cell 2 and injection tube 20 has a double structure. In the airtightness inspection apparatus 1, a first gas sensor 41 for detecting the inspection gas G present in the space S1 and a second gas sensor 42 for detecting the inspection gas G present in the space S2 are provided. . With this configuration, the airtightness inspection apparatus 1 determines the airtightness of the battery cell 2 by the first gas sensor 41, and determines the quality of the sealed state by the first packing 31 by the second gas sensor 42. It is possible to Therefore, in the airtightness inspection apparatus 1, the quality of the sealed state by the first packing 31 can be separated to determine the airtightness of the battery cell 2 with high accuracy.

  In addition, when none of the first gas sensor 41 and the second gas sensor 42 detects the inspection gas G (NO in S22), the determination unit 51 determines that the airtightness of the battery cell 2 is good. If the first gas sensor 41 detects the test gas G and the second gas sensor 42 does not detect the test gas G (NO in S23), the airtightness of the battery cell 2 is determined (S24). It is judged that it is not good (S27). By such a determination process, the quality of the sealing state by the first packing 31 can be more reliably separated, and the quality determination of the airtightness of the battery cell 2 can be performed accurately.

  In addition, when the first gas sensor 41 does not detect the test gas G and the second gas sensor 42 detects the test gas G (YES in S22), the determination unit 51 determines that the battery cell 2 is airtight. It is judged that the sealing state by the 1st packing 31 is not good while judging that it is favorable (S25). By such a determination process, the quality of the sealing state by the first packing 31 can be more reliably separated, and the quality determination of the airtightness of the battery cell 2 can be performed accurately. Further, since the sealing state by the first packing 31 can be grasped, notification of abnormality in the sealing state by the first packing 31 or the like is possible.

  In addition, when both the first gas sensor 41 and the second gas sensor 42 detect the inspection gas G (YES in S23), the determination unit 51 determines the airtightness of the battery cell 2 and the first packing 31. It is determined that none of the sealed states is good (S28). By such a determination process, the quality of the sealing state by the first packing 31 can be more reliably separated, and the quality determination of the airtightness of the battery cell 2 can be performed accurately. Further, since the sealing state by the first packing 31 can be grasped, notification of abnormality in the sealing state by the first packing 31 or the like is possible.

  Further, when the judging unit 51 judges that the sealing state by the first packing 31 is not good (S25, S28), the notifying unit 52 notifies that the sealing state by the first packing 31 is not good. (S26, S29). As a result, it is possible to notify the user or the like of an abnormality in the sealing state by the first packing 31. By performing adjustment, replacement, etc. of the first packing 31 in accordance with the notification, the sealed state by the first packing 31 at the time of inspection can be favorably maintained.

  The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, but the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims. May be

  For example, in the above embodiment, the notification unit 52 notifies that the sealing state by the first packing 31 is not good (S26, S29), but may not notify, even if steps S26, S29 are omitted. Good. In this case, the airtightness inspection device 1 may not include the notification unit 52.

  Further, the arrangement of the first gas sensor 41 and the second gas sensor 42 and the detection mode of the test gas G are not limited, and the first gas sensor 41 can detect the test gas G present in the space S1. The second gas sensor 42 only needs to detect the test gas G present in the space S2. For example, the first gas sensor 41 may be attached to the side surface or the bottom surface of the housing 10 or the like. Further, instead of pulling out the other end of the connection pipe 35 from the top surface 10a, the second gas sensor 42 may be attached to the tip end of the connection tube 35 from the side surface or bottom surface of the housing 10. Also, the second gas sensor 42 may be disposed in the housing 10.

  In the pattern 3 described above, when the airtightness of the battery cell 2 is not good, the sealed state by the second packing 32 is not good, and the space S1 and the space S2 are in communication. There is a possibility that the test gas G leaked out to the space S1 may enter the space S2, although the amount is very small. In order to accurately determine the airtightness of the battery cell 2, it is preferable that the second gas sensor 42 does not detect the test gas G even in such a case. Therefore, it is preferable to adjust the detection threshold value and the arrangement of the test gas G in the second gas sensor 42 so that the second gas sensor 42 does not detect the test gas G even in such a case.

  Moreover, in the pattern 4 mentioned above, when the airtightness of the battery cell 2 is good, neither of the sealing state by the 1st packing 31 and the 2nd packing 32 is good, and space S1 and space S2 are Since the space S2 and the communication space C communicate with each other, there is a possibility that the test gas G may enter the space S1 from the communication space C although it is a very small amount. In order to accurately determine the airtightness of the battery cell 2, it is preferable that the first gas sensor 41 not detect the inspection gas G even in such a case. Therefore, it is preferable to adjust the detection threshold value, the arrangement, and the like of the test gas G in the first gas sensor 41 so that the first gas sensor 41 does not detect the test gas G even in such a case.

  Moreover, although the pressure reduction inside case 3 was performed before the test | inspection gas G was supplied in the airtight test method mentioned above, it is also possible to abbreviate | omit pressure reduction. In this case, since the test gas G becomes relatively difficult to detect, it is preferable to use a gas sensor with higher detection sensitivity or to lengthen the test time.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Airtightness inspection apparatus, 2 ... Battery cell, 6 ... Injection port, 10 ... Housing | casing, 20 ... Injection pipe, 27 ... Connection end, 31 ... 1st packing, 32 ... 2nd packing, 41 ... 1st Gas sensor 42: second gas sensor 51: determination unit 52: notification unit G: inspection gas S1: space S2: space.

Claims (6)

And
An injection pipe connected to a battery cell housed in the housing and injecting an inspection gas into the battery cell from an inlet provided in the battery cell;
In the injection pipe, an annular first packing provided at a connection end with the battery cell;
An annular second packing disposed outside the first packing at the connection end;
A first gas sensor that detects the test gas present in a space in the housing;
A second gas sensor for detecting the inspection gas present in a space formed by the first packing and the second packing;
An airtightness judgment unit which judges the airtightness of the battery cell based on the detection result of the inspection gas by the first gas sensor and the detection result of the inspection gas by the second gas sensor; Inspection device. The judgment unit
When none of the first gas sensor and the second gas sensor detects the inspection gas, it is determined that the airtightness of the battery cell is good,
When the first gas sensor detects the test gas and the second gas sensor does not detect the test gas, it is determined that the airtightness of the battery cell is not good. Airtight inspection device. The judgment unit
When the first gas sensor does not detect the inspection gas and the second gas sensor detects the inspection gas, it is determined that the airtightness of the battery cell is good, while the first gas sensor does not detect the inspection gas. The airtightness inspection device according to claim 1 or 2 which judges that the sealed state by packing is not good. The judgment unit
When neither the first gas sensor nor the second gas sensor detects the inspection gas, it is determined that neither the airtightness of the battery cell nor the sealing state by the first packing is good. The airtightness inspection device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.   5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a notification unit that notifies that the sealing state by the first packing is not good when the judgment unit judges that the sealing state by the first packing is not good. Airtightness inspection device as described. Using the airtightness inspection device according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
Connecting the injection pipe to the battery cell housed in the housing, and injecting the inspection gas into the battery cell from the inlet provided in the battery cell;
Determining the quality of the airtightness of the battery cell based on the detection result of the inspection gas by the first gas sensor and the detection result of the inspection gas by the second gas sensor Method.

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