Method for checking for leakage from tubular batteries

1. A method for checking for leakage from tubular batteries, comprising:

feeding tubular batteries with respective axial centers thereof aligned in parallel to each other to pass through a leakage check section placed opposite to a detection window of a leakage check mechanism;

irradiating a sealed end face of the tubular battery in the leakage check section with an X-ray through the detection window and allowing a fluorescent X-ray coming out of the sealed end face to enter a fluorescent X-ray detector through the detection window; and

analyzing whether a fluorescent X-ray associated with an electrolyte component is contained in the incident fluorescent X-ray to thereby determine whether leakage occurs from the tubular battery, wherein

the detection window is defined in such a shape that a length thereof in a direction of feed of the tubular batteries is less than a spacing between the tubular batteries being fed, and a length thereof in an orientation orthogonal to the direction of feed is slightly larger than an outer size of the cross-sectional shape of the tubular batteries in an orientation orthogonal to their axial center.

2. The method for checking for leakage from tubular batteries according to claim 1 , wherein occurrence of leakage is detected in accordance with an intensity per unit time of the fluorescent X-ray successively entering the fluorescent X-ray detector from each tubular battery which sequentially comes to oppose the detection window while being fed, or in accordance with an intensity per unit area of the sealed end face of the tubular battery.

3. The method for checking for leakage from tubular batteries according to claim 1 , wherein: the detection window of the leakage check mechanism is disposed to oppose the sealed end face of the tubular battery being fed at a predetermined distance therebetween; a housing of the check mechanism contains an X-ray source for emitting an X-ray to a tubular battery, a mask for condensing a fluorescent X-ray emitted from the X-ray source into a beam, and the fluorescent X-ray detector upon which the fluorescent X-ray is incident; and the inside of the housing is kept in a helium gas atmosphere.

4. The method for checking for leakage from tubular batteries according to claim 1 , wherein the tubular batteries are fed while being held on transfer disks in parallel to each other at regular intervals.

5. The method for checking for leakage from tubular batteries according to claim 4 , wherein a housing which accommodates an X-ray source, a mask, and the fluorescent X-ray detector is installed in front of an apparatus casing, to which the transfer disks for feeding the tubular batteries are attached, so that the detection window provided on the housing opposes the transfer disks.

6. The method for checking for leakage from tubular batteries according to claim 5 , wherein each of the tubular batteries is held in position on the transfer disks to pass through the leakage check mechanism so that a defective tubular battery which is determined to be leaky as a result of a check in the leakage check mechanism is rejected from the transfer disks onto a detectives collection path in order to be separated from a good-battery feed path.

7. The method for checking for leakage from tubular batteries according to claim 1 , wherein an alkaline battery made up of an electrolyte containing a potassium hydroxide solution is checked to determine occurrence of leakage based on whether a fluorescent X-ray associated with a potassium component is contained in the fluorescent X-ray incident upon the fluorescent X-ray detector.

8. The method for checking for leakage from tubular batteries according to claim 3 , wherein the mask formed of a metal that does not transmit an X-ray is allowed to condense an X-ray emitted from the X-ray source into a beam, and the beam is then transmitted through the detection window on the housing to the sealed end face of the tubular batteries being fed, and wherein at least a length of the detection window in the direction of feed of the tubular batteries is made variable.