Insulation failure inspecting apparatus, insulation failure inspecting method using same, and method for manufacturing electrochemical cell

• US 9,977,090 B2
• Filed: 06/01/2015
• Issued: 05/22/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dai Nippon Printing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Dai Nippon Printing Company Limited
• Inventors: Yamashita, Takanori, Akita, Hirohisa, Akiyama, Noboru, Okushita, Masataka
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Paul D
• Application Number:
  US14/726,898
• Publication Number:
  US 20150260797A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,086 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/12 Testing dielectric strength or breakdown voltage ; Testing or monitoring effectiveness or level of insulation, e.g. of a cable or of an apparatus, for example using partial discharge measurements; Electrostatic testing G01R31/08, G01R31/327 and G01R31/72 take precedence; measuring in plasmas G01R19/0061; measuring dielectric constants G01R27/2617; ESD, EMC or EMP testing of circuits G01R31/002
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/1263 of solid or fluid materials, e.g. insulation films, bulk material; of semiconductors or LV electronic components or parts; of cable, line or wire insulation
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3865 related to manufacture, e.g. testing after manufacture
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/52 Testing for short-circuits, leakage current or ground faults
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 11/06 with one of the electrodes allowing ions to be reversibly doped thereinto, e.g. lithium ion capacitors [LIC]
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 11/14 Arrangements or processes for adjusting or protecting hybrid or EDL capacitors emergency protective circuit arrangements specially adapted for capacitors, and effecting automatic switching in the event of an undesired change from normal working conditions H02H7/16; emergency protective circuit arrangements for limiting excess current or voltages without disconnection H02H9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 11/20 Reformation or processes for removal of impurities, e.g. scavenging
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 11/80 Gaskets; Sealings
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 11/82 Fixing or assembling a capacitive element in a housing, e.g. mounting electrodes, current collectors or terminals in containers or encapsulations
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0525 Rocking-chair batteries, i.e. batteries with lithium insertion or intercalation in both electrodes; Lithium-ion batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/058 Construction or manufacture
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/48 Accumulators combined with arrangements for measuring, testing or indicating the condition of cells, e.g. the level or density of the electrolyte constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals, H01M50/569
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/13 Energy storage using capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49004 including measuring or testing of device or component part

Abstract

Disclosed is a method for manufacturing an electrochemical cell, wherein an insulation failure product can be accurately rejected, and an electrochemical cell can be used again after the insulation failure inspection. In the method for manufacturing the electrochemical cell (1), which is configured by hermetically housing an electrochemical cell main body (20) such that the leading end of a metal terminal (21) protrudes to the outside of the outer housing (10), an impulse voltage is applied between the metal terminal (21) and a metal foil layer (12), the waveform of the voltage applied to the capacitance between the metal terminal (21) and the metal foil layer (12) is measured, and the insulation failure inspection step is performed.

Claims

1. An insulation failure inspecting apparatus for inspecting whether or not there is an insulation failure in an electrochemical cell, wherein the electrochemical cell includes:

an electrochemical cell main body including;

a positive electrode that is composed of a positive electrode active material and a positive electrode current collector provided with a first metal terminal at an end portion thereof;

a negative electrode that is composed of a negative electrode active material and a negative electrode current collector provided with a second metal terminal at an end portion thereof; and

an electrolyte filled between the positive electrode and the negative electrode; and

an outer packaging body made of a packaging material formed by sequentially laminating at least a metal foil layer and a heat-sealable resin layer, the insulation failure inspecting apparatus comprising;

a voltage generation unit operable to apply an impulse voltage—

between the first metal terminal and the metal foil layer or between the second metal terminal and the metal foil layer; and

a voltage measurement unit operable to measure temporal change in a voltage held in the electrochemical cell after the impulse voltage stops being applied.

2. The insulation failure inspecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the impulse voltage applied by the voltage generation unit is 10 volts or less.

5. An insulation failure inspecting method for inspecting, using the inspection failure inspecting apparatus according to claim 2, whether or not there is an insulation failure in an electrochemical cell, wherein the electrochemical cell includes:

an electrochemical cell main body including;

a positive electrode that is composed of a positive electrode active material and positive electrode current collector provided with a first metal terminal at an end portion thereof;

a negative electrode that is composed of a negative electrode active material and a negative electrode current collector provided with a second metal terminal at an end portion thereof;

an electrolyte filled between the positive electrode and the negative electrode; and

an outer packaging body made of a packaging material formed by sequentially laminating at least a metal foil layer and a heat-sealable resin layer,

the method comprising

applying an impulse voltage between the first metal terminal and the metal foil layer or between the second metal terminal and the metal foil layer, and

measuring temporal change in a voltage held in the electrochemical cell after the impulse voltage stops being applied.

3. An insulation failure inspecting method for inspecting whether or not there is an insulation failure in an electrochemical cell, wherein the electrochemical cell includes:

an electrochemical cell main body including;

a positive electrode that is composed of a positive electrode active material and positive electrode current collector provided with a first metal terminal at an end portion thereof;

a negative electrode that is composed of a negative electrode active material and a negative electrode current collector provided with a second metal terminal at an end portion thereof;

an electrolyte filled between the positive electrode and the negative electrode; and

an outer packaging body made of a packaging material formed by sequentially laminating at least a metal foil layer and a heat-sealable resin layer,

using an insulation inspection apparatus comprising a voltage generation unit operable to apply an impulse voltage—

between the first metal terminal and the metal foil layer or between the second metal terminal and the metal foil layer; and

a voltage measurement unit operable to measure temporal change in a voltage held in the electrochemical cell after the impulse voltage stops being applied,

the method comprising

(a) applying an impulse voltage between the first metal terminal and the metal foil layer or between the second metal terminal and the metal foil layer, and

(b) measuring temporal change in a voltage held in the electrochemical cell after the impulse voltage stops being applied.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein the method further comprises in (a) applying first impulse voltage of about 1000 V for 90 milliseconds;

followed by the measuring step (b);

(c) repeating step (a) but applying a second impulse voltage of 10 V or less; and

(d) repeating a measuring step (b) after step (c).