JP6823702B2 - Secondary battery manufacturing equipment and manufacturing method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a secondary battery manufacturing apparatus and manufacturing method.

A secondary battery such as a lithium ion battery used in an electric vehicle or the like is formed by encapsulating a power generation element such as an electrode and an electrolytic solution in a bag-shaped exterior body formed by stacking exterior films.

In the manufacture of such a secondary battery, the power generation element and the electrolytic solution are sealed in the exterior body, and then the initial charge is performed. In the initial charge, gas such as hydrogen is generated from the power generation element by a chemical reaction. Therefore, a gas vent hole is provided in the exterior body to release the gas from the exterior body to prevent the exterior body from expanding due to the gas. On the other hand, in the state where the gas vent hole is formed in the outer body, water vapor may enter from the outside, and if the moisture is present above a certain level, the performance of the battery deteriorates. Therefore, the secondary battery is manufactured in a building in a dry environment with low humidity so that moisture does not enter the inside of the exterior body.

The gas released to the outside of the exterior body is sucked by a suction pump from a suction port provided in the building and sent out of the building. Since the gas diffuses throughout the building, if you try to suck the gas, the dry air inside the building will also be sucked at the same time. As a result, the amount of suction by the suction pump increases and the amount of dry air supplied increases, which leads to an increase in manufacturing cost.

On the other hand, in Patent Document 1 below, a dry gas supply device and a gas suction device (evacuation device) are provided in a chamber which is a closed space surrounding the secondary battery, and a gas vent hole is formed in the chamber. And the gas is sent out to the outside of the chamber. As a result, the gas can be retained in the narrow chamber, so that the gas can be relatively easily sent out to the outside of the chamber.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2015-88324

However, in the above-mentioned method, it is necessary to form a closed space from the outside around the secondary battery, which increases the equipment cost. Further, since the chamber is filled with dry gas to form a closed space for each secondary battery, there is a problem that the time required for manufacturing becomes long.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and is a secondary battery that can be introduced into existing equipment relatively easily and can efficiently send the gas generated in the manufacturing process to the outside of the building. It is to provide the manufacturing method and manufacturing apparatus of.

The secondary battery manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention that achieves the above object is arranged in a building to which dry air is supplied, and a secondary battery is manufactured from a subassembly having a flat shape in which a power generation element is enclosed in an exterior body. It is a manufacturing equipment. The secondary battery manufacturing apparatus includes a holding portion that holds the subassembly in a vertically placed state in which the peripheral edge of the exterior body is on both the upper side, the lower side, and the left and right sides, and the upper side side of the exterior body in the subassembly. A cut that cuts a part of the exterior body to form a gas vent hole that has a shape extending along the upper side of the subassembly and discharges a gas having a density lower than that of the dry air to the outside of the exterior body. A gas reservoir that covers the upper part of the subassembly and has an open bottom to form a storage space for storing the gas released from the gas vent hole, and a suction port that communicates with the storage space. It has a suction pump connected to the suction port and sucks the gas accumulated in the storage space. The suction port is arranged laterally on one end side of the upper part of the subassembly in the length direction of the upper side of the subassembly. The operation of the suction pump causes the gas on the upper side of the subassembly opposite to the suction port to flow toward the suction port along the upper side of the subassembly.

The method for manufacturing a secondary battery according to the present invention that achieves the above object is a method for manufacturing a secondary battery from a subassembly having a flat shape in which a power generation element is enclosed in an exterior body. In the method of manufacturing a secondary battery, first, the subassembly is arranged vertically in a building to which dry air is supplied, in which the peripheral edges of the exterior body are the upper side, the lower side, and both the left and right sides. Next, a gas having a shape extending along the upper side of the subassembly by cutting a part of the outer body on the upper side side of the outer body in the subassembly and having a density lower than that of the dry air. Is formed as a degassing hole for discharging to the outside of the exterior body. After that, it was arranged on the side of one end side of the upper part of the subassembly in the length direction of the upper side of the subassembly by a suction process by a suction pump from a gas pool portion which covered the upper part of the subassembly and opened the bottom part. A side gas at the end of the upper part of the subassembly opposite to the suction port is flowed along the upper side of the subassembly so as to be directed toward the suction port.

According to the secondary battery manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention, it is possible to prevent the gas from diffusing into the building by blocking the gas released from the gas vent hole by the gas reservoir. Further, the gas accumulated in the storage space is sucked by the suction pump to form a gas flow flowing toward the suction port, so that the gas can be efficiently sent to the suction port. In addition, it can be introduced into existing equipment relatively easily, and the gas generated in the manufacturing process can be efficiently sent out of the building.

According to the method for manufacturing a secondary battery according to the present invention, it is possible to form a gas flow that flows toward a suction port by sucking with a suction pump before forming a gas vent hole. Therefore, the gas released from the gas vent hole can be put on the gas flow and efficiently sent out to the suction port.

1 (A) is a schematic view showing a secondary battery according to an embodiment, and FIG. 1 (B) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 1B-1B of FIG. 1 (A). It is the schematic which shows the subassembly which concerns on embodiment. It is a top view which shows the manufacturing apparatus of the secondary battery which concerns on embodiment. It is sectional drawing which follows the 4-4 line of FIG. It is sectional drawing which follows the 5-5 line of FIG. It is sectional drawing along the 4-4 line of FIG. 3, and shows the state of carrying in a subassembly. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of FIG. It is sectional drawing which follows the 4-4 line of FIG. 3, and shows the appearance of forming the degassing hole. It is a flowchart which shows the manufacturing process of the secondary battery which concerns on embodiment. It is a figure which shows the manufacturing apparatus of the secondary battery which concerns on the modification.

Hereinafter, the secondary battery manufacturing apparatus and manufacturing method according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to the attached drawings. The following description does not limit the technical scope and meaning of terms described in the claims. In addition, the dimensional ratios in the drawings are exaggerated for convenience of explanation and may differ from the actual ratios.

1 (A) is a schematic view showing the secondary battery 10 according to the embodiment, and FIG. 1 (B) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 1B-1B of FIG. 1 (A).

The secondary battery 10 according to the present embodiment is a laminated lithium ion secondary battery having a rectangular flat shape and used for a power unit of an electric vehicle or the like.

The secondary battery 10 is generally formed by enclosing the power generation element 30 in a bag-shaped exterior body 20 with reference to FIG. 1 (A). A positive electrode tab 60 and a negative electrode tab 61 for extracting electric power are drawn out from different sides of the exterior body 20. The side from which the positive electrode tab 60 and the negative electrode tab 61 are pulled out may be the same side. Hereinafter, the configuration of each part of the secondary battery 10 will be described in detail.

The exterior body 20 is formed by superimposing two exterior films 21. As shown in FIG. 1A, the exterior body 20 has a first fusion portion 22 in which the peripheral edges of two overlapping exterior films 21 are fused in a U shape, and a U-shaped opening. It has a second fused portion 23 that has been fused. The positive electrode tab 60 and the negative electrode tab 61 are sandwiched between the two overlapping exterior films 21. In the portion where the positive electrode tab 60 and the negative electrode tab 61 are sandwiched in the first fused portion 22, each exterior film 21 is adhered to the positive electrode tab 60 and the negative electrode tab 61, respectively. Further, the exterior body 20 is not limited to the structure formed by superimposing two exterior films 21. For example, the exterior body 20 may be formed by folding and superimposing one exterior film 21.

It is preferable that each exterior film 21 is made of a material that is thin and lightweight, can be easily fused by heat welding, ultrasonic welding, or the like, and has excellent airtightness and moisture impermeableness. The exterior film 21 may be, for example, a laminated film having a three-layer structure in which a metal layer is arranged between two polymer resin layers. The metal layer may be composed of, for example, a metal foil such as aluminum, stainless steel, nickel, or copper. The polymer resin layer may be composed of, for example, a heat-welding resin film such as polyethylene, polypropylene, modified polyethylene, modified polypropylene, ionomer, or ethylene vinyl acetate.

As shown in FIG. 1B, the power generation element 30 is formed by superimposing (laminating) a positive electrode 40a and a negative electrode 40b via a separator 50, and is enclosed in the exterior body 20.

The positive electrode 40a has a positive electrode current collector 41a and a positive electrode active material layer 42a formed by applying a positive electrode active material to a surface of the positive electrode current collector 41a facing the negative electrode 40b. As the positive electrode current collector 41a, for example, an aluminum foil can be used. As the positive electrode active material, for example, a lithium-transition metal composite oxide such as LiMn2O4 can be used. The positive electrode active material may contain a conductive auxiliary agent, a binder and the like.

The negative electrode 40b has a negative electrode current collector 41b and a negative electrode active material layer 42b formed by applying a negative electrode active material to a surface of the negative electrode current collector 41b facing the positive electrode 40a. As the negative electrode current collector 41b, for example, a copper foil can be used. As the negative electrode active material, for example, hard carbon, a graphite-based carbon material, or a lithium-transition metal composite compound can be used.

The plurality of positive electrode current collectors 41a and negative electrode current collectors 41b are connected to each other with the same electrodes, and are connected to the positive electrode tab 60 and the negative electrode tab 61.

The separator 50 has a configuration in which the electrolytic solution E is held as an electrolyte in the central portion in the plane direction of the separator 50 while physically separating the positive electrode active material layer 42a and the negative electrode active material layer 42b. The separator 50 is, for example, a thin film made of a polyolefin such as polyethylene or polypropylene, or a material such as polyamide or polyimide.

The electrolytic solution E contains an organic solvent and a supporting salt. As the organic solvent, for example, cyclic carbonates such as propylene carbonate (PC), ethylene carbonate and (EC), chain carbonates such as dimethyl carbonate, and ethers such as tetrahydro can be used. As the supporting salt, for example, an inorganic acid anion such as a lithium salt (LiPF6) and an organic acid ion such as LiCF3SO3 can be used.

The positive electrode tab 60 and the negative electrode tab 61 are pulled out of the exterior body 20 via the first fused portion 22 of the exterior body 20.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing the subassembly 70. When the power generation element 30 is enclosed in the exterior body 20 and the initial charge is performed, gas is generated from the power generation element 30 by a chemical reaction. This gas contains hydrogen and the like and has a lower density than dry air. In order to release the gas generated in the exterior body 20 to the outside of the exterior body 20, a part of the exterior body 20 is cut to form a gas vent hole 72. In the present specification, the assembly before the power generation element 30 is enclosed in the exterior body 20 to form the degassing hole 72 is referred to as a “subassembly 70”. The configuration of the subassembly 70 will be described in detail below.

As shown in FIG. 2, the exterior body 20 of the subassembly 70 is a first fusion in which the peripheral edges of two exterior films 21 that are overlapped with the positive electrode tab 60 and the negative electrode tab 61 sandwiched between them are fused in a U shape. It has a portion 22 and an auxiliary fusion portion 71 in which a U-shaped opening is fused on the peripheral edge side of the exterior body 20.

In the secondary battery 10 shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, a degassing hole 72 is formed between the auxiliary fusing portion 71 of the subassembly 70 and the power generation element 30, and after the gas is discharged, the second battery 10 is second. It is formed by forming the fused portion 23 and cutting along the cutting line 73 shown in FIG. The second fused portion 23 is formed between the gas vent hole 72 and the power generation element 30. The cutting line 73 is located between the second fused portion 23 and the degassing hole 72.

In the present embodiment, since the target for forming the degassing hole 72 is the subassembly 70, the auxiliary fusing portion 71 corresponds to the edge portion on which the exterior film 21 overlaps in the exterior body 20. Further, an intermediate portion between the edge portion (auxiliary fusional portion 71) of the exterior body 20 including the portion forming the degassing hole 72 and the power generation element 30 is referred to as a “gas venting portion 74”. The degassing portion 74 has a shape inflated by the gas generated from the power generation element 30 in the initial charge.

FIG. 3 is a top view showing the manufacturing apparatus 100 of the secondary battery 10 according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of FIG. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of FIG. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of FIG. 3, showing how the subassembly 70 is carried in. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of FIG. 3, showing a state in which the electrolytic solution E in the exterior body 20 is brought toward the power generation element 30 by the ironing portion 130. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of FIG. 3, showing how the degassing hole 72 is formed.

In the figure, the stacking direction of the positive electrode 40a, the negative electrode 40b, and the separator 50 of the power generation element 30 is indicated by an arrow X, the direction orthogonal to the arrow X (the depth direction in FIG. 4) is indicated by an arrow Y, and the arrows X and Y The direction orthogonal to is indicated by an arrow Z.

The manufacturing apparatus 100 for the secondary battery 10 according to the present embodiment is arranged in the building R to which the dry air is supplied, and enables the gas generated by the initial charge to be efficiently sent out of the building R. is there. The gas sent out of the building R is sent to a gas treatment device for processing, and then released to the atmosphere.

The manufacturing apparatus 100 for the secondary battery 10 according to the present embodiment is outlined with reference to FIGS. 4, 5 and 6, a holding unit 110 for holding the subassembly 70 and a transporting unit 120 for transporting the subassembly 70. And a squeezing portion 130 that brings the electrolytic solution E closer to the power generation element 30 side. The manufacturing apparatus 100 communicates with the cutting portion 140 forming the gas vent hole 72, the gas collecting portion 150 forming the storage space 154 for storing gas, the driving unit 160 for driving the gas collecting portion 150, and the storage space 154. It further includes a suction port 170, a suction pump 180 for sucking gas, and a control unit 190. The control unit 190 controls the operation of the entire manufacturing apparatus 100.

As shown in FIG. 4, the holding portion 110 holds the subassembly 70 between the ironing portion 130 and the cutting portion 140, which will be described later. The holding portion 110 holds the portion of the exterior body 20 on which the power generation element 30 is arranged so as to be sandwiched from both sides so as not to interfere with the operation of the ironing portion 130 and the cutting portion 140. On the side of the holding portion 110 facing the subassembly 70, for example, a pad 111 having cushioning properties may be provided.

As shown in FIG. 6, the transport unit 120 is composed of, for example, a robot arm or the like. The transport unit 120 carries in the subassembly 70 from above the holding unit 110.

As shown in FIG. 7, the ironing portion 130 has an ironing roller 131 in contact with the degassing portion 74, a pair of arms 132 to which the ironing roller 131 is attached to the tip side, and a support member 133. The ironing roller 131 sandwiches the degassing portion 74 between the degassing portion 74 and the supporting member 133, and presses the degassing portion 74 against the supporting member 133. In the pressed state, the degassing portion 74 is moved from above to below to apply a pressing pressure to the degassing portion 74. The pressing force brings the electrolytic solution E in the degassing portion 74 closer to the power generation element 30 side. As a result, when the gas vent hole 72 is opened, it is possible to prevent the electrolytic solution E in the exterior body 20 from scattering to the outside. Further, the support member 133 includes an insertion hole 134 through which a cutting portion 140 described later is inserted.

The cutting portion 140 is composed of a cutter, and cuts a part of the exterior body 20 in the subassembly 70 to form a gas vent hole 72 that discharges gas to the outside of the exterior body 20. The cutting portion 140 has a standby position behind the support member 133 (see FIG. 7) and an operating position (see FIG. 8) that projects through the insertion hole 134 provided in the support member 133 and protrudes forward of the support member 133. ) And is configured to be movable. Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the cutting portion 140 is configured to be capable of traveling along the insertion hole 134 along the arrow Y direction at the operating position.

As shown in FIG. 4, the gas reservoir 150 is composed of a first wall (corresponding to a “split wall”) 151 and a second wall (corresponding to a “split wall”) 152 divided into two parts. It has a partition wall 153. The first wall 151 and the second wall 152 are configured so that they can move relatively close to each other. The partition wall 153 has a structure that covers the upper part of the gas vent hole 72 and has an open bottom. The partition wall 153 is arranged in the building R filled with dry air. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 5, dry air can be sent from the lower side toward the partition wall 153 from the open bottom portion by the gas flow toward the suction port 170 described later.

On the lower side of the partition wall 153, a storage space 154 for storing the released gas is formed above the gas vent hole 72. The partition wall 153 has a shape in which the upper position of the gas vent hole 72 is the highest position. Since the gas released from the degassing hole 72 moves upward, the storage space 154 is formed most widely at the position above the degassing hole 72 by making the position above the degassing hole 72 the highest. As a result, it takes time for the storage space 154 to be filled with gas, so that it is possible to prevent the gas from leaking from the storage space 154 and diffusing above the partition wall 153.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the first wall 151 and the second wall 152 include upper walls 151u and 152u and side walls 151s and 152s. The first wall 151 and the second wall 152 move relatively close to each other in the direction of arrow X to form a storage space 154 that covers the upper part of the degassing hole 72. In the present specification, the positions of the first wall 151 and the second wall 152 forming the storage space 154 are shown as the position X1 in the drawing, and are referred to as "first position X1".

In a state where the first wall 151 and the second wall 152 are moved to the first position X1, the edges 151a and 152a of the upper walls 151u and 152u on the side where the first wall 151 and the second wall 152 face each other Arranged so as to overlap each other. At this time, the edge portion 151a of the first wall 151 is arranged so as to overlap the edge portion 152a of the second wall 152 on the upper side. The first wall 151 on which the suction port 170 is provided is located on the downstream side in the direction of the gas flow toward the suction port 170, which will be described later. The edge 151a of the first wall 151 located on the downstream side in the gas flow direction overlaps the edge 152a of the second wall 152 on the upper side, so that the gas leaks from the gap where the edges 151a and 152a overlap each other. Can be suppressed.

As shown in FIG. 6, the first wall 151 and the second wall 152 move to a position where the upper part of the holding portion 110 is opened by relatively moving away from each other in the direction of arrow X. In the present specification, the positions of the first wall 151 and the second wall 152 that open above the holding portion 110 are shown as position X2 in the drawing, and are referred to as "second position X2".

With the first wall 151 and the second wall 152 moved to the second position X2, the transport unit 120 can carry in the subassembly 70 from above the holding unit 110 (in the direction of arrow Z). .. Since the holding portion 110 has a configuration in which both sides of the subassembly 70 are sandwiched in the arrow X direction, it is difficult to carry in the subassembly 70 from the arrow X direction. Further, in order to carry in from the direction of the arrow Y, an installation space for the transport device is required, which increases the cost of capital investment. Therefore, by carrying in the subassembly 70 from above the holding portion 110 (in the direction of arrow Z), the subassembly 70 can be relatively easily arranged in the holding portion 110, and an increase in capital investment cost can be suppressed.

The second wall 152 has a tapered sloping portion 155 that gradually increases in height toward the vent hole 72. The second wall 152 is located on the upstream side in the direction of the gas flow toward the suction port 170 described later. That is, dry air is sent from below the side wall 152s of the second wall 152 toward the upper wall 152u. By having the inclined portion 155, the dry air flows along the inclined portion 155, so that a smoother gas flow can be formed.

The drive unit 160 moves the first wall 151 and the second wall 152 relatively close to each other between the first position X1 and the second position X2. As the drive unit 160, for example, a known linear motion mechanism such as a stretchable shaft can be used.

As shown in FIG. 5, the suction port 170 is provided on the side wall 151s of the first wall 151. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, it is provided on the side wall 151s of the first wall 151 located in a direction orthogonal to the direction in which the first wall 151 and the second wall 152 approach and separate from each other. The suction port 170 communicates with a gas treatment device (not shown) outside the building R via a flexible bellows-shaped hose. The suction port 170 may be provided on a member different from the first wall 151.

The suction port 170 is preferably provided at a position higher than the gas vent hole 72. Since the gas has a lower density than the dry air, it diffuses upward when it is released from the degassing hole 72. By providing the suction port 170 at a position higher than the gas vent hole 72, the direction of the gas flow is from the lower side to the upper side from the gas vent hole 72 toward the suction port 170. Therefore, the gas can be smoothly sent to the suction port 170.

The suction pump 180 is composed of a negative pressure generator such as a vacuum pump. The suction pump 180 sucks the gas accumulated in the storage space 154 through the suction port 170 communicating with the storage space 154. As a result, a gas flow toward the suction port 170 as shown by the thick arrow in FIG. 5 can be formed.

The control unit 190 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a memory as its main configuration, and controls the operations of the holding unit 110, the transport unit 120, the ironing unit 130, the cutting unit 140, the drive unit 160, and the suction pump 180.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a manufacturing process of the secondary battery 10 according to the embodiment.

The method for manufacturing the secondary battery 10 is outlined with reference to FIGS. 9, the subassembly 70 forming step (S10 to S12), the initial charging step (S20), the degassing step (S30 to S33), and the gas. The punching hole 72 has a sealing step (S40) and a trimming step (S50). Hereinafter, each step will be described in detail.

In the process of forming the subassembly 70, a step of forming the first fused portion 22 (S10), a step of injecting the electrolytic solution E (S11), and a step of forming the auxiliary fused portion 71 (S12) are performed. To do.

In the step (S10) of forming the first fused portion 22, first, the power generation element 30, the positive electrode tab 60, and the negative electrode tab 61 are sandwiched between the two exterior films 21. Then, the peripheral edge of the exterior body 20 is fused in a U shape, leaving one side of the peripheral edge of the exterior body 20 on which the two exterior films 21 overlap so as to have an opening. As a result, the first fused portion 22 is formed.

In the step (S11) of injecting the electrolytic solution E, the electrolytic solution E is injected into the exterior body 20 through the opening formed in step S10. The method for injecting the electrolytic solution E is not particularly limited, and for example, a tube or nozzle may be inserted into the opening and directly injected.

In the step (S12) of forming the auxiliary fused portion 71, first, the openings formed in step S10 are fused to form the auxiliary fused portion 71. As a result, the power generation element 30 and the electrolytic solution E are sealed in the exterior body 20. As a result, the subassembly 70 shown in FIG. 2 is formed.

In the initial charging step (S20), charging is performed until the power generation element 30 generates a voltage obtained when the battery capacity of the power generation element 30 is charged to a predetermined ratio. Gas is generated from the power generation element 30 by the initial charge. Further, in the initial charging step (S20), in order to stabilize the battery characteristics, the power generation element 30 may be held for a certain period of time in a charged state. Even when the power generation element 30 is held for a certain period of time, more gas is generated from the power generation element 30.

In the degassing step, a step of bringing the subassembly 70 into the manufacturing apparatus 100 (S30), a step of squeezing the degassing portion 74 (S31), a step of sucking with the suction pump 180 (S32), and a degassing hole 72 are provided. The step of forming (S33) is carried out.

In the step (S30) of carrying in the subassembly 70, first, the subassembly 70 for which the initial charge has been completed is carried into the building R from another manufacturing apparatus that carries out the initial charging step (S20). Dry air is supplied to the inside of the building R in a series of steps of the degassing step (S30 to S33) and the sealing step (S40) of the degassing hole 72. Next, the drive unit 160 moves the first wall 151 and the second wall 152 from the first position X1 to the second position X2 to open the upper part of the holding unit 110. After that, the subassembly 70 is carried in from above by the transport unit 120 and held by the holding unit 110.

In the step (S31) of squeezing the degassing portion 74, the degassing portion 74 is sandwiched between the support member 133 and the squeezing roller 131. The ironing roller 131 is moved from above to below the degassing portion 74. As a result, the electrolytic solution E accumulated on the auxiliary fusion portion 71 side of the degassing portion 74 is brought closer to the power generation element 30 side.

In the step (S32) of sucking with the suction pump 180, a suction process of sucking the gas and sending it to the suction port 170 is performed. The suction treatment is started before the step of forming the degassing hole 72 (S32), which will be described later, and is maintained until after the step of forming the degassing hole 72 (S32). As a result, a gas flow toward the suction port 170 as shown in FIG. 5 can be formed before the gas vent hole 72 is formed. Therefore, the gas released from the gas vent hole 72 is placed on the gas flow and the suction port is formed. It can be efficiently sent up to 170.

In the step of forming the degassing hole 72 (S33), the cutting portion 140 is advanced from the standby position (see FIG. 7) to the operating position (see FIG. 8), and the cutter is driven along the insertion hole 134 at the operating position. Let me. The cut portion 140 cuts a part of the exterior body 20 to form a degassing hole 72. As a result, gas is discharged from the gas vent hole 72 to the outside of the exterior body 20. Since the gas has a lower density than the dry air, it diffuses into the partition wall 153 that covers the upper part of the degassing hole 72. After the degassing hole 72 is formed, the portion where the ironing roller 131 comes into contact with the degassing portion 74 and the exterior film 21 overlaps may be separated by the suction pad. This makes it easier for the gas to escape.

In the sealing step (S40) of the degassing hole 72, as shown in FIG. 2, the exterior body 20 between the degassing hole 72 and the power generation element 30 is fused to form the second fused portion 23. ..

In the trim step (S50), the edge side of the exterior body 20 is cut off from the second fused portion 23 along the cutting line 73 shown in FIG. As a result, the secondary battery 10 shown in FIG. 1 (A) is obtained.

As described above, the secondary battery 10 manufacturing apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment manufactures the secondary battery 10 from the subassembly 70 arranged in the building R to which the dry air is supplied. The manufacturing apparatus 100 has a cutting portion 140 that cuts a part of the exterior body 20 in the subassembly 70 to form a gas vent hole 72 that discharges a gas having a density lower than that of dry air to the outside of the exterior body 20, and a gas vent. A gas storage portion 150 that forms a storage space 154 for storing gas released from the gas vent hole 72 by a partition wall 153 that covers the upper part of the hole 72 and has an open bottom, a suction port 170 that communicates with the storage space 154, and suction. It has a suction pump 180, which is connected to the port 170 and sucks the gas accumulated in the storage space 154.

According to the manufacturing apparatus 100 of the secondary battery 10 configured in this way, the gas pool portion 150 is formed in the building R, which is an existing facility, and the gas released from the gas vent hole 72 is blocked to block the building. It is possible to prevent the gas from diffusing into R. Further, the gas accumulated in the storage space 154 is sucked by the suction pump 180 to form a gas flow flowing toward the suction port 170, so that the gas can be efficiently sent out to the suction port 170. In addition, it can be introduced into existing equipment relatively easily, and the gas generated in the manufacturing process can be efficiently sent out of the building R.

Further, a first position X1 that covers the holding portion 110 for holding the subassembly 70 and the partition wall 153 of the gas collecting portion 150 above the holding portion 110, and a second position X2 that opens the upper part of the holding portion 110. Controls the operation of the drive unit 160 to be moved between the two, the transport unit 120 for loading and unloading the subassembly 70 from above the gas reservoir 150 to the holding unit 110, and the operation of the holding unit 110, the drive unit 160, and the transport unit. Further includes a control unit 190 and a control unit 190. The control unit 190 moves the partition wall 153 of the gas reservoir 150 to the second position X2 by the drive unit 160, and the subassembly 70 is carried in and out of the holding unit 110 by the transport unit 120.

Since the holding portion 110 has a configuration in which both sides of the subassembly 70 are sandwiched in the arrow X direction, it is difficult to carry in the subassembly 70 from the arrow X direction. Further, in order to carry in from the direction of the arrow Y, an installation space for the transport device is required, which increases the cost of capital investment. According to the manufacturing apparatus 100 of the secondary battery 10 configured as described above, by carrying in the subassembly 70 from above the holding portion 110 (direction of arrow Z), the arrangement on the holding portion 110 becomes relatively easy, and the equipment The increase in investment costs can also be suppressed.

Further, the suction port 170 is provided at a position higher than the gas vent hole 72. Since the gas released from the gas vent hole 72 moves upward, the gas can be more efficiently sent out to the suction port 170 by locating the suction port 170 upward.

Further, the partition wall 153 of the gas reservoir 150 has a shape in which the upper position of the gas vent hole 72 is the highest position. Since the gas released from the degassing hole 72 moves upward, the storage space 154 is formed most widely at the position above the degassing hole 72 by making the position above the degassing hole 72 the highest. As a result, it takes time for the storage space 154 to be filled with gas, so that it is possible to prevent the gas from leaking from the storage space 154 and diffusing above the partition wall 153.

Further, the partition wall 153 of the gas reservoir 150 is composed of the first wall 151 and the second wall 152, and the drive unit 160 relatively approaches and separates the first wall 151 and the second wall 152. It has a flexible configuration. As a result, the upper part of the holding portion 110 can be covered or opened depending on the relative positional relationship between the first wall 151 and the second wall 152. Therefore, the partition wall 153 can be easily arranged at the first position X1 and the second position X2.

Further, the partition wall 153 of the gas reservoir 150 moves to the first position X1 due to the relative close movement of the first wall 151 and the second wall 152, and the plurality of partition walls move relatively apart. By doing so, it has a configuration of moving to the second position X2. As a result, the first position X1 forming the storage space 154 and the second position X2 for carrying the subassembly 70 into the holding portion 110 from above can be easily switched, so that the work efficiency is improved. The manufacturing time can be shortened.

Further, the first wall 151 and the second wall 152 have a structure in which their edge portions 151a and 152a overlap in the vertical direction when they are relatively close to each other. The edge 151a of the first wall 151 located on the downstream side in the direction of the gas flow in which the gas flows toward the suction port 170 overlaps the upper side of the edge 152a of the second wall 152 located on the upstream side. As a result, it is possible to prevent gas from leaking from the gap where the edges 151a and 152a overlap each other.

The method for manufacturing the secondary battery 10 according to the present embodiment includes a step of arranging the subassembly 70 in the building R to which the dry air is supplied, and cutting a part of the exterior body 20 in the subassembly 70 to make it more than the dry air. A step of forming a gas vent hole 72 that discharges a gas having a low density to the outside of the exterior body 20, and a suction process by a suction pump 180 from a gas reservoir 150 that covers the upper part of the gas vent hole 72 and opens the bottom. It has a step of starting before forming the degassing hole 72 and maintaining it until after the degassing hole 72 is formed.

According to the method for manufacturing the secondary battery 10 configured in this way, the gas flow toward the suction port 170 can be formed before the gas vent hole 72 is formed, so that the gas released from the gas vent hole 72 can be formed. It can be efficiently delivered to the suction port 170 on the gas flow.

Although the secondary battery manufacturing apparatus and manufacturing method according to the present invention have been described above through the embodiments, the present invention is not limited to each of the described configurations, and is appropriately modified based on the description of the claims. It is possible to do.

In the above-described embodiment, the case where the secondary battery 10 is a lithium ion secondary battery has been described, but the present invention is not limited to the lithium ion secondary battery, and any secondary battery that generates gas during initial charging may be used.

Further, although the partition wall 153 is said to be formed by the first wall 151 and the second wall 152, it may be formed by one partition wall or as a divided structure formed by three or more walls. May be good. For example, when the partition wall 153a is formed by one partition wall 153a as in the manufacturing apparatus 100a according to the modified example of the above-described embodiment shown in FIG. 10, the partition wall 153a is moved by the drive unit 160 to cover the holding unit 110. It can be moved to a position and a second position that opens above the holding portion 110. Further, the partition wall 153a can be formed so that the position of the partition wall 153a becomes higher in a tapered shape toward the upper side of the gas vent hole 72.

10 Rechargeable battery,
20 exterior body,
30 power generation elements,
40a positive electrode,
40b negative electrode,
50 separator,
70 subassembly,
72 vent hole,
100 manufacturing equipment,
110 holder,
120 transport section,
140 cutting part,
150 gas reservoir,
151 First wall (split wall),
152 Second wall (split wall),
151a The edge of the first wall (edge),
152a The edge of the second wall (edge),
153 partition wall,
154 storage space,
160 drive unit,
170 Suction port 180 Suction pump,
190 Control unit,
R building.

Claims (2)

It is a manufacturing device that manufactures a secondary battery from a subassembly that is placed inside a building to which dry air is supplied, has a power generation element enclosed in the exterior, and has a flat shape.
A holding portion that holds the subassembly in a vertical position in which the peripheral edges of the exterior body are the upper side, the lower side, and both the left and right sides.
A gas having a shape extending along the upper side of the subassembly by cutting a part of the outer body on the upper side of the outer body in the subassembly and having a density lower than that of the dry air is applied to the exterior. A cut that forms a vent hole that releases to the outside of the body,
A gas reservoir that covers the top of the subassembly and has an open bottom to form a reservoir space for the gas released from the degassing hole.
A suction port that communicates with the storage space and
It has a suction pump connected to the suction port and sucks the gas accumulated in the storage space.
The suction port is arranged laterally on one end side of the upper part of the subassembly in the length direction of the upper side of the subassembly.
The operation of the suction pump causes the gas on the upper part of the subassembly opposite to the suction port to flow toward the suction port along the upper side of the subassembly. Secondary battery manufacturing equipment. A manufacturing method for manufacturing a secondary battery from a subassembly having a flat shape in which a power generation element is enclosed in an exterior body.
In the building where dry air is supplied, the subassembly is arranged vertically so that the peripheral edges of the exterior body are the upper side, the lower side, and both the left and right sides.
A gas having a shape extending along the upper side of the subassembly by cutting a part of the outer body on the upper side of the outer body in the subassembly and having a density lower than that of the dry air is applied to the exterior. Forming a vent hole to release to the outside of the body,
A suction port arranged on one end side of the upper part of the subassembly in the length direction of the upper side of the subassembly by a suction process by a suction pump from a gas reservoir that covers the upper part of the subassembly and has an open bottom. A method of manufacturing a secondary battery, wherein a gas on the upper part of the subassembly opposite to the suction port is allowed to flow along the upper side of the subassembly.