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EP-4117107-B1 - BATTERY

EP4117107B1EP 4117107 B1EP4117107 B1EP 4117107B1EP-4117107-B1

Inventors

  • WATANABE, KENSUKE
  • NONAKA, TAIKI

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20220615

Claims (2)

  1. A battery comprising: an electrode assembly (200) and an electrolyte solution; an exterior container (100) that accommodates the electrode assembly (200) and the electrolyte solution and that is provided with an injection hole (121) for the electrolyte solution; a sealing member (900) that seals the injection hole (121); and a seal component (1000) that has an annular shape and that is located between the exterior container (100) and the sealing member (900), wherein the sealing member (900) includes: a stem portion (910) inserted into the injection hole (121), a flange portion (920) that is located outside the exterior container (100) and that is located on an outer side with respect to the stem portion (910) in a radial direction of the stem portion (910), and a protrusion (930) that has a substantially annular shape and that protrudes from the flange portion (920) to the exterior container (100) side, characterized in that the protrusion (930) of the sealing member (900) and the seal component (1000) are in abutment with each other, thereby forming a communication path (940) in the protrusion (930) of the sealing member (900) to communicate inner and outer circumferences of the protrusion (930) with each other, wherein the communication path (940, 1010) is provided (i) with a through hole (940) extending in a radial direction of the protrusion (930), the through hole (940) being formed in a portion of the protrusion (930) that is located in a protruding direction of the protrusion (930) and that is located on a root side of the protrusion (930), or (ii) with a cutout portion (940) formed in a portion of the protrusion (930) that is located in a peripheral direction of the protrusion (930), or a communication path (1010) in the seal component (1000) to communicate inner and outer circumferences of the seal component (1000) with each other, wherein the communication path (1010) is provided with a recess (1010) obtained by reducing a thickness of a portion of the seal component (1000) in a peripheral direction of the seal component (1000), the communication path (940, 1010) communicating a space inside the exterior container (100) and a space outside the exterior container (100) with each other, and the sealing member (900) is fixed to the exterior container (100) by swaging and at least a tip side of the protrusion (930) is embedded in the seal component (1000) so that the communication path (940, 1010) is closed.
  2. The battery according to any one of claims 1, wherein a cross sectional area of the communication path (940, 1010) is 5% or more and 10% or less of a product of a peripheral length of an outermost periphery of the protrusion (930) and a height (H2) of the protrusion (930).

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present technology relates to a battery. Description of the Background Art Conventionally, a structure has been employed in which an electrolyte solution is injected into an exterior container of a battery and then an electrolyte solution injection hole is sealed by a sealing member. Such a structure is described in, for example, JP 2010-277936 A, JP 2014-11074 A, and WO 2014/033822 A1. In some cases such as the structure described in JP 2010-277936 A, the sealing member is fixed to the exterior container by swaging, whereas in other cases such as each of the structures described in JP 2014-11074 A and WO 2014/033822 A1, the sealing member is fixed to the exterior container by welding. Sealed batteries and methods for manufacturing the same are furthermore known from US 2010/0304214 A1 which forms the basis for the preamble of claim 1, US 2008/0160393 A1, and US 2015/0236336 A1. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In the case where the sealing member is fixed to the exterior container by swaging, it is required to avoid occurrence of insufficient swaging in order to secure the sealing of the exterior container. It is an object of the present technology to provide a battery in which occurrence of insufficient swaging is suppressed. This object is solved with the battery according to claim 1. A battery according to the present technology includes: an electrode assembly and an electrolyte solution; an exterior container that accommodates the electrode assembly and the electrolyte solution and that is provided with an injection hole for the electrolyte solution; a sealing member that is fixed to the exterior container by swaging and that seals the injection hole; and a seal component that has an annular shape and that is located between the exterior container and the sealing member. The sealing member includes a stem portion inserted into the injection hole, a flange portion that is located outside the exterior container and that is located on an outer side with respect to the stem portion in a radial direction of the stem portion, and a protrusion that has a substantially annular shape and that protrudes from the flange portion to the exterior container side. In a state in which the sealing member is fixed to the exterior container by swaging, at least a tip side of the protrusion is embedded in the seal component. In a state before the sealing member is fixed to the exterior container by swaging, when the protrusion of the sealing member and the seal component are brought into abutment with each other, a communication path is formed in the protrusion or the seal component to communicate a space inside the exterior container and a space outside the exterior container with each other. The foregoing and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a prismatic secondary battery.Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view taken along II-II in Fig. 1.Fig. 3 is a plan view of a positive electrode plate included in an electrode assembly.Fig. 4 is a plan view of a negative electrode plate included in the electrode assembly.Fig. 5 is a plan view showing the electrode assembly including the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate.Fig. 6 is a diagram showing a structure of connection between the electrode assembly and each of a positive electrode current collecting member and a negative electrode current collecting member.Fig. 7 is a diagram showing a structure of attaching of the positive electrode current collecting member and the negative electrode current collecting member on a sealing plate.Fig. 8 is a cross sectional view taken along VIII-VIII in Fig. 7.Fig. 9 is a cross sectional view taken along IX-IX in Fig. 7.Fig. 10 is a diagram showing a state in which the sealing plate and the electrode assembly are connected to each other.Fig. 11 is a diagram showing a state before the sealing member is fixed to the exterior container by swaging.Fig. 12 is a diagram showing a state in which the sealing member is fixed to the exterior container by swaging.Fig. 13 is a diagram showing the sealing member to be fixed by swaging.Fig. 14 is a cross sectional view of the sealing member.Figs. 15 to 19 are perspective views each showing an exemplary sealing member.Fig. 20 is a diagram showing the sealing member and a washer before the fixation by swaging.Fig. 21 is a top view showing an exemplary washer.Fig. 22 is a perspective view showing the exemplary washer. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of the present technology will be described. It should be noted that the same or corresponding portions are denoted by the same reference characters, and may not be described repeatedly. It should be noted that in the emb