ELECTRONIC COMPONENT AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME

• US 20120214049A1
• Filed: 02/14/2012
• Published: 08/23/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Shimizu, Toshiaki, IWAMOTO, Tadashi, Tashiro, Tomoyuki, Honda, Kazumitsu, Yamane, Tadashi, Chijimatsu, Makoto
• Granted Patent: US 8,795,879 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 429/178
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 9/008 Terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 9/012 specially adapted for solid capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 9/02 Diaphragms; Separators
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 9/145 Liquid electrolytic capacitors H01G11/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0431 Cells with wound or folded electrodes H01M10/045 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/55 on the same side of the cell
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/559 Terminals adapted for cells having curved cross-section, e.g. round, elliptic or button cells H01M50/553 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/562 characterised by the material
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/566 by welding, soldering or brazing
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49224 with coating

Abstract

An electronic component includes an electrochemical element, an electrolyte and an outer housing. The electrochemical element includes leading terminals, an anode, a cathode, a separator, and an insulating member. Respective first ends of the leading terminals are connected to the anode and the cathode. The separator is provided between the anode and the cathode. The insulating member is provided in at least one of the separator, the anode and the cathode. The electrochemical element, impregnated with the electrolyte, has a first end face formed by laminating the anode, the separator and the cathode in sequence, and second ends of the leading terminals are led out of the first end face. The outer housing accommodates the electrochemical element and the electrolyte. The insulating member covers the separator in positions corresponding to the first ends of the leading terminals. An end of the insulating member protrudes from the first end face.

Claims

1. An electronic component comprising:

a plurality of leading terminals each of which has a first end and a second end;

an anode and a cathode to which each of the first end of the leading terminals is connected;

a separator provided between the anode and the cathode;

an insulating member provided to at least one of the separator, the anode and the cathode;

an electrochemical element having a first end face formed by laminating the anode, the separator and the cathode in sequence, the second end of the leading terminals being led from the first end face;

an electrolyte with which the electrochemical element is impregnated; and

an outer housing for accommodating the electrochemical element and the electrolyte,

wherein the insulating member covers the separator at least at a position corresponding to the first ends of each of the leading terminals and one of ends of the insulating member protrudes from the first end face.

2. The electronic component according to claim 1, wherein the end of the insulating member protrudes by 0.1 mm or more from each end of the anode, the cathode and the separator, which each end constitutes the first end face.

3. A method of manufacturing an electronic component, comprising the steps of:

connecting first ends of respective leading terminals to an anode and a cathode;

laminating the anode and the cathode together with a separator interposed therebetween with second ends of the respective leading terminals led outside;

fabricating an electrochemical element in such a manner that one of ends of an insulating member provided in at least one of the separator, the anode and the cathode is protruded from a first end face where the second ends of the respective leading terminals are led outside;

fixing the insulating material to at least one of the separator, the anode and the cathode in order to cover the separator at least at a position corresponding to the leading terminals when fabricating the electrochemical element; and

visually recognizing a positional relation between the end of the insulating member and the second ends of the leading terminals from above the first end face while irradiating the second ends of the leading terminals and the end of the insulating member with a straight light in parallel with the first end face, and the straight light being scattered, thereby determining whether or not the insulating member is fixed to at least one of the separator, the anode and the cathode, and then eliminating the electrochemical element based on a result of the determination.

4. The method of manufacturing an electronic component according to claim 3, wherein the positional relationship between the end of the insulating member and the second ends of each of the leading terminals is visually recognized by means of an image recognition camera.

5. The method of manufacturing an electronic component according to claim 3, wherein it is decided whether the insulating member covers the separator at least at a portion corresponding to the first ends of the leading terminals based on a protruding length of the end of the insulating member from the first end face and a length of the second end of each of the leading terminals.

6. The method of manufacturing an electronic component according to claim 3, wherein the straight light is irradiated in two directions or more, and at least two of them are irradiated almost oppositely to each other.

7. The method of manufacturing an electronic component according to claim 3, wherein a light emitting diode is used as a light source for the straight light.