Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
5~
The inVentiQn ~el~tes to a battery havin~ a sealed
structure and a, hi~h sealing pe~formance.
The present invention will be illustrated by way
of the accompanyIng d~awings, in which:-
Fig. 1 is a cross-sectioanl view of a conventional
sealed battery;
Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a sealed
portion of the conventional sealed battery of Fig. l;
~ tg. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a sealed battery
according to one embodiment of the present invention wherein a
ring-shaped projection is provided on both a flange of the
opposite polarity terminal pin and an aperture edge of a metal
sealing cover;
Fig. 4 is a partially broken perspective view of the terminal
pin of opposite.-polarity of the battery of Fig. 3 as seen from the lower part;
Fiys. 5 to 7 are cross-sectional views of sealed por-
tions of batteries according to various embodiments wherein
a ring-shaped projection in provided on an aperture edge of the
metal sealing cover or on the metal sealing cover adjacent
the aperture;
~ ig. 8 is:a cross-sectional vlew of a sealed portion
of a battery accordingto ~further embodiment wherein a ring-
shaped projection is provided on the flange of the termanal
pin of opp~slte polarity; and
Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view of a sealed portion
of a ~atter~ according to.an even further embodiment wherein a ring-
shaped proiectio~ is provided only on th.e ~etal washer.
A conventiona,l sea,Led b.atter comprises a,n outer
jacket can (b~ serving as a~ terminal with one polarity and
includin~ an elect~ode as~e~bly (a,), ,a,nd a metal $ealing coVer
(c~, as sh.own in Fi~g. 1~ Th~e sealed ba,tter~ is. provided with
a sealed structure b~ inserting a terminal pin (g) with the
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opposite polaxit~ into an ~e~ture (d~ of the cover (c~ th~ough
insulating pack~ngs (e~ and (~), and enlarging and crimpin~ a
top of an extexnal p~ojection (.hl of the terminal pin (g)
~etween a metal washer (i) disposed on the external projection
(h) and an internal flange (j2 of the terminal pin (g), thereby
attaching the sealin~ co~er (c~ and insulating packings (e)
and (f) therebetween.
I~n such a sealed structure, however, a portion (c')
adjacent the aperture (d) of the sealing cover (c) is flat
making a planar contact with the respective insulating packings
(e) and ~f). Therefore, even when the crimping force for the
terminal- pin (g) is increased, it may be dispersed at the fla~
surface of the portion ~c~, whereby the electrolyte in the el-
ectrode assembly may leak out as shown by the arrows in Fig. 2.
The present invention provides a sealed battery having
a sealed structure with high sealing performance preventing
undesired leakage of the electrolyte.
The present inVentlon thus provides a battery which
comprises an outer jacket can serving as a terminal with one
polarity and including the electrode assembly, and a metal
sealing cover on the can, and which is provided with means for
attachlng the sealing cover and insulating packings between a
metal washer disposed on an e~tended portion of a terminal pin
and a flange of the terminal pin by inserting the terminal
pin of opposite polarity into an aperture of the sealing cover
throu~ the insulating packings and at least one ring-shaped
projection b~ting xnto the insula~ting packings diSposed on at
le~St one of the ~ealing coveX~s., the flange of the terminal
~in, and the metal washex.
3Q The batter~ acco~ding to th.e pre~ent invention is
characterized in that a ring-shaped p~ojection having a simple
structure is provided at at least one portion of three members
-- 2 --
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descxihed above to bite into the insul~ting packings. ~s a
result, once the crimping force is not dispersed over the en-
tire contact sux~ace between the sealing cover and the insula-
ting packings and is centered at the ring-shaped projection, the
sealing performance is gxeatl~ improved preventing leakaye
of the electrolyte.
Such sealed batteries have been inparticular used by
incorporating them into electrical appliances. According to
the present invention, however, by the prevention of the leak-
a~e of electrolyte, the life of the batteries will be length-
ened, and undesired contact faults between the batteries and
contacts of electrical appliances,the corrosion of the elect-
rical appliances and the lowering of function of electrical
appliances will be also prevented.
- In the battery according to the present invention at
least one ring-shaped projection is provided on the metal
sealing cover, the flange of the terminal pin of opposite
polarity and the metal washer.
Th~s ring-shaped projection is a continuous ring-
shaped projection which is provided on the surface for pressing
an insulating packing if a metal sealing cover is given as an
example, and its configuration is either a pointed end structure
or a slightly rounded wedge-shaped structure in cross section.
Further, the height of the projection is suitably selected in
such a manner that it is less than the thickness of the insul-
ating packing. ~n addition, the projection can be provided by
simple machining.
Battex~e~ accoxding to the present invention ~ill no~
be described w~th re~erence to the accompanying drawings.
First, as a typical strucutre of the batter~
accord~n~ to the ~xe$ent invention wherein the ring~shaped pro-
jection is provided on two portions of three members described
3 -
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above, one embodi~ent o the batter~, which includes the ring-
shaped projections provided on hoth the flange of the ter~inal
pin o opposIte polarity and the apertureedge of the metal
sealing coVer so as to be opposite to each other, has been
shown in Fig~ 3, and the ter~inal ~in of opposite polarity
used for the battery has been shown in Fig. 4. In these draw-
ings, (l) is an outer jacket can serving as one polarity term-
inal, which includes the electrode assembly (2) and is covered
with a metal sealing cover (3). In this case, an aperture edge
of the can (l) and the circumferential edge of the sealing cover
(3) are welded to each other by laser welding. The sealing
cover ~3) has an aperture (4) at the center thereof, and the
upward ring-shaped projection (5) is provided on the aperture
edge. An opposite polarity terminal pin (8) is inserted into
the aperture (4) through upper and lower insulating packings (6)
and (7). The terminal pin has a flange (9) and is inserted
into the aperture (4) in such a manner that the flange is ex-
ternally located. A metal washer (11) is disposed on an
extended portion (10) of the terminal pin (8) extending down-
wardly from the aperture. When the top of the extended portion(lp~ is crimped by collapsing, insulating packings (6) and (7)
disposed at upper and lower portions of the aperture circumference
(12), and the aperture circumference (12) are held by the flange
(9) and the metal washer (11).
In the embodiment, since a ring-shaped projection
(13) i~ also povided on t~e flan~e (9) as shown in Fig. 4, it
cuts into the insulating packing~ ~6l during crimping. There-
fore, a part (14l of the ~nsulating packing (6~ opposite the
ring-shaped pro~ection ~13l i~ ~t~ongl~ pres$ed to the sealing
coVe~ (3~ as co~pared w~th th~e ~e~a~ning portion, thereby pre-
~enting li~uid le~kage f~o~ -the electrode ~ssembl~ (2) past the
portion (14). Since the ~ing-shaped pro~ections ~13 and t5)
-- 4
"
53
cut i~to the ~nsl~tin~ packin~ ~6~ uid le~ka~e iS p~eyented
at two portions provided b~ the r~ng-shaped projection ~5~ and
the portion (14), thereb~ greatly improving the sealiny per-
formance. Fuxther, a terminal pin which is provided with the
flanye on the lower po~tion as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 may be
used instead of the terminal pin (8).
Further, the ring-shaped projections (5) and (133
are provided on both the metal sealing cover (3) and the flange
of the terminal pin (8~ in the embodiment described above, but
they may ~e oppositely provided on both the metal sealing cover
(~) and the metal washer (11), or on both the flange of the
terminal pin (8) and the metal washer (11).
The insulating packings (6) and (7) may be made of
polyethylene, polypropylene, polyimide, silicone resin, fluorine
resin, and the like which have liquid leakage resistance to the
electrolyte and elastic properties. The physical properties such
as the elast;~city, the hardness, and the like may be suit-
ably selected according to the batteries the present invention.
These ~nsulating packings may be similarly employed in the follow-
ing e~odiments~
As batteries of the present invention wherein the
ring-shaped projection is provided on one member of these three
members described above, embodiments of batteries, which are
provided with the ring-shaped projection formed at or adjacent
the aperture edge of the sealing cover, will be described with
reference to the accompanying drawings. Figs. 5 to 7 are cross-sectional
views of the sealed portions of respective em~x~ments
In ~ig. 5, a down~a~rd ~ing-shaped projection (30al
~s pxoY~ded ~t an ~perture ed~e (23b) of a sealing coveX (23)
~y mea~s of ~swa~n~ oX press~n~ techni~ues. ~hen an cutwardl~
extendrng portion (28l of opposite polaxit~ terminal pin (27~
is enlarged and crimped, the ring-shaped projection (30a) cuts
'7~
into a lowex insluatin~ packin~ (25~, thereby preyenting li~uid
leakage of electrol~te ~rom the electxode assembl~ ~21~ through
the aperture (24~.
The b~tter~ shown in Fig. 6 has a ring-shaped pro-
3ection (40a) extending upwardly on the aperture edge (33b)
as a structu~e oppo~ite to that o~ F~g. 5. The ring-shaped
projection (40a) cuts into the upper insluating packing (36)
dur;ng cr~mptng o~ the terminal pin (37), thereby preventing
leakage of the electrolyte.
Tn the battery shown in Fig. 7 a ring-shaped pro-
jection (~50c) is provided on a portion (43a) positioned ad
jacent the aperture (44) of a sealing cover (43). The ring-
shaped projection (50c) cuts into the insulating packing (45)
during crimp;ng of the terminal pin (47~, thereby preventing
leakage of the electrolyte.
The batteries according to the embodiments have ad-
vantages that the mechanical strength of the respective~ sealing cover
(23) (33)ox (43~ is increased by providing the ring-shaped pro-
jection ~30a)(40a) ox (50c), respectively, and the projection
is provided on the sealing covers by simple machining.
Further, a plurality of ring-shaped projections may
be formed in the sealing cover. The present invention may
contain such a structure that two ring-shaped projections, for
example, are provided on one sealing cover as shown in Figs.
6 and 7
Next, a battery ~howing $till another embodiment of
the present inventi~n ~hexein the ring-shaped proiection is pro-
vided on only the flan~e of the te~minal pin will be described.
F~ 8 ~S a cxo$s-sectiQnal Yiew o~ a sealed poxt~on according
to the embodiment.
Tn Fig. 8, since a ring~shaped projection (63) is pro-
vided on a flan~e (59) of opposite polarity terminal pin (58),
{)'75~
~it cutS ~nto the insul~tin~ pack~n~ (56) during crimpin~.
Therefore a part (G4) of the ;~nsul~ting packing (~6)~ opposite
to the ring-shaped projection (63) is strongly pressed to the
sealin~ cove~ (53) as compared ~ith the other portions, thereby
preventing leakage of the electrolyte from the electrode assembly
(52) at the portion (64). ~n addition, the ring-shaped pro-
jection may be provided on a side contacting to the insulating
packing (57~ of the metal washer (61) instead of the projec-
tion described aBo~e.
Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view of a battery according
to still further embodiment of the present invention wherein a
ring-shaped projection (831 has been provided only on the metal
washer (81).
Further, a plurality of ring-snaped projections may
be formed on the flange of the opposite polarity terminal pin
and the metal washer, respectively.
~ ccording to the present invention as described
above in detail, the ring-shaped projeection is provided on
at least the metal sea]ing cover, the flange of the opposite
polarity terminal pin, and~or the metal washer, and the sealing
coverand the insulating packings are strongly pressed to one
another by cutting the projection into the insulating packings,
thereby preventing the leakage of the electrolyte~ Consequent-
ly, batteries with very high sealing performacne are provided.
~ 7
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