Laser apparatus and manufacturing method of a battery

• US 7,646,794 B2
• Filed: 04/14/2008
• Issued: 01/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Sakurai, Tsutomu, Funami, Koji
• Primary Examiner(s): Harvey; Minsun
• Assistant Examiner(s): CARTER, MICHAEL W
• Application Number:
  US12/102,135
• Publication Number:
  US 20080253410A1
• Time in Patent Office: 638 Days
• Field of Search: 372/38.02, 372/25, 372/38.05, 372/38.08, 219/121.76, 219/121.67, 296/232
• US Class Current: 372/25
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/0613 having a common axis B23K26/0619 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/0622 by shaping pulses
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/0736 into an oval shape, e.g. elliptic shape
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/206 Laser sealing
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/052 Li-accumulators
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2010/0495 Nanobatteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/183 Sealing members
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4911 including sealing

Abstract

A laser apparatus is provided which is capable of achieving deep penetration into an aluminum-like metal material without causing welding defects such as spatters or cracks and performing high-speed pulse seam welding. The laser apparatus includes a pulse power source that generates a current signal and a mask signal for masking a fluctuation component included in the current signal, and which supplies a current signal in which a fluctuation component has been masked by the mask signal to a YAG pulsed laser oscillator. In addition, the laser apparatus sets the spot shape of a CW laser light oscillated by a CW laser oscillator to a rhombic streamlined shape, and causes a focus spot of the CW laser light to include a circular focus spot of a pulsed laser light.

Claims

1. A laser apparatus comprising:

a first laser oscillator for oscillating a pulsed laser light;

a pulse power source for generating a current signal and a mask signal for masking a fluctuation component included in the current signal, and for supplying the current signal whose fluctuation component is masked by the mask signal to the first laser oscillator;

a second laser oscillator for oscillating a continuous wave laser light;

a first optical system that generates a superimposed laser light by superimposing the pulsed laser light with the continuous wave laser light, and for focusing the superimposed laser light;

a second optical system for shaping a focus spot of the pulsed laser light to a circular shape; and

a third optical system for shaping a focus spot of the continuous wave laser light to a rhombic streamlined shape, wherein

the first optical system is for forming a focus spot for the superimposed laser light in which the circular-shaped focus spot for the pulsed laser light is included in the rhombic-streamlined-shaped focus spot for the continuous wave laser light;

the pulse power source comprising;

a chopper/inverter power source for generating the current signal;

a switch element for receiving the current signal from the chopper/inverter power source and supplying the current signal to the first laser oscillator; and

a mask circuit for generating the mask signal and, by the switch element, suspending supplying of the current signal to the first laser oscillator.

2. The laser apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pulse power source is capable of causing the first laser oscillator to oscillate a pulsed laser light having a rise time of 0.1 ms or less and a pulse width of 0.4 ms or less.

3. A method of sealing a battery casing, said method comprising:

providing a battery container having an opening and a sealing member fitted into the opening, thereby defining a junction line between the container opening and the sealing member; and

welding the sealing member to the container by irradiating along the junction line using a superimposed laser light generated by the laser apparatus according to claim 1.