Degassing hole formation process and degassing hole formation apparatus for secondary battery

1. A degassing hole formation process for a secondary battery manufacturing method, the secondary battery manufacturing method comprising:

a first sealing process in which outer peripheral edges of overlapped films are joined to form a casing having a joint portion formed on an outer peripheral edge thereof and a storage element is housed in an interior of the casing;

a degassing process in which gas in the interior of the casing is discharged to an exterior of the casing through a degassing hole; and

a second sealing process in which the degassing hole is sealed,

wherein the degassing hole formation process comprises:

forming the degassing hole in a site located between the joint portion on the outer peripheral edge of the casing and the storage element such that the degassing process is performed through the degassing hole, by pressing a region including the site of the casing in which the degassing hole is formed from respective sides of the casing so that the overlapped films are pressed tightly together gradually in a direction approaching the storage element from a position distant from the storage element while reducing a pressing force gradually toward the storage element, and forming the degassing hole in a pressed region.

2. The degassing hole formation process as defined in claim 1 , further comprising:

supporting one side of the surface of the casing by a restraining pad in the region including the site of the casing in which the degassing hole is formed;

pressing a roller against another side of the surface on a side far from the storage element so as to exert the pressing force thereon; and

causing the roller to roll toward a side close to the storage element side while reducing the pressing force gradually as the roller approaches the storage element.

3. The degassing hole formation process as defined in claim 1 , further comprising:

exerting the pressing force by clamping respective sides of the casing in a part far from the storage element using a pair of rollers; and

causing the rollers to roll toward a side close to the storage element side while reducing the pressing force gradually as the rollers approach the storage element.

4. The degassing hole formation process as defined in claim 1 , further comprising:

exerting the pressing force by clamping the region including the site of the casing in which the degassing hole is formed from respective sides of the surface of the casing using a pair of elastic pads respectively having inclined surfaces that are closer to the surface of the casing in a site located farther from the storage element than a site located nearer to the storage element and gradually separate from the surface of the casing toward the storage element such that the pressing force that decreases gradually toward the storage element.

5. A degassing hole formation apparatus applied to a degassing hole formation process performed by a secondary battery manufacturing apparatus, wherein the secondary battery manufacturing apparatus is configured to perform:

a first sealing process in which outer peripheral edges of overlapped films are joined to form a casing having a joint portion formed on an outer peripheral edge thereof and a storage element is housed in an interior of the casing; and

a degassing process in which gas in the interior of the casing is discharged to an exterior of the casing;

wherein the degassing hole formation apparatus is configured to form a degassing hole in a site located between the joint portion on the outer peripheral edge of the casing and the storage element such that the degassing process is performed through the degassing hole, and

wherein the degassing hole formation apparatus comprises:

a pressing device configured to press a region including the site of the casing in which the degassing hole is formed from respective sides of a surface of the casing so that the overlapped films are pressed together gradually in a direction approaching the storage element from a position located at a distance from the storage element while reducing a pressing force gradually toward the storage element; and

a cutter configured to form the degassing hole in a pressed region.

6. The degassing hole formation apparatus as defined in claim 5 , wherein the pressing device comprises:

a restraining pad configured to support one side of the surface of the casing in the region including the site of the casing in which the degassing hole is formed; and

a roller configured to exert the pressing force on another side of the surface of the casing while rolling from a side far from the storage element toward a side close to the storage element; and

wherein the pressing device is configured to reduce the pressing force of the roller gradually toward the storage element.

7. The degassing hole formation apparatus as defined in claim 5 , wherein the pressing device comprises:

a pair of rollers configured to clamp the casing from respective sides of the casing and roll from a side far from the storage element toward a side close to the storage element while exerting the pressing force thereon; and

wherein the pressing device is configured to reduce the pressing force of the rollers gradually toward the storage element.

8. The degassing hole formation apparatus as defined in claim 5 , wherein the pressing device comprises:

a pair of elastic pads respectively having inclined surfaces that are closer to the surface of the casing in a site located farther from the storage element than in a site located nearer to the storage element and gradually separate from the casing toward the storage element,

wherein the pressing device is configured to exert the pressing force that decreases gradually toward the storage element by clamping the region including the site of the casing in which the degassing hole is formed from respective sides of the casing using the pair of elastic pads.