JP2016209925A - Welding method and welding device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a welding method which can suppress the occurrence of internal penetration when laser-welding a case and a lid member, and a welding device.SOLUTION: A welding device 100 radiates a main laser beam 51 to a boundary part 20 between a case 2 and a lid member 3. The welding device 100 radiates a sub-laser beam 52a to the lid member 3 at a front side in an advance direction of the laser beam with respect to a radiation position of the main laser beam 51. The welding device 100 radiates at least one of third laser beams (sub-laser beam 52b, end-part radiation laser beam 53) to the case 2 at a front side in the advance direction of the laser beam with respect to the radiation position of the main laser beam 51. At least one (sub-laser beam 52b, end-part radiation laser beam 53) of the third laser beams is an energy line which can form an evaporation part 18 which reaches an external wall face 2c of the case 2.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

  The present invention relates to a welding method and a welding apparatus.

  It is widely performed to weld two members by laser welding using laser light which is an energy beam. For example, a case and a lid member that closes the opening of the case, such as a battery outer can and an upper portion of the outer can, are welded by laser light.

  In relation to this technique, Patent Document 1 discloses a method for manufacturing a sealed battery. In the method for manufacturing a sealed battery according to Patent Document 1, keyhole welding with a laser beam is performed intermittently. Here, the keyhole welding is to perform welding in a state where the keyhole is formed by increasing the intensity of the laser beam. The keyhole is a hole formed by evaporating the metal by irradiating the molten portion of the metal with a strong laser beam.

  Moreover, when the intensity | strength of a laser beam is weak, there exists a possibility that the penetration depth of a fusion | melting part may become shallow and welding strength may become weak. On the other hand, by increasing the intensity of the laser beam, it is possible to ensure an appropriate penetration depth of the melted portion, thereby improving the welding strength.

JP 2009-245758 A

  When the opening of the case is closed with the lid member, a gap may be formed at the boundary between the case and the lid member. Here, when laser welding is performed on the boundary between the case and the lid member and the laser light enters the gap, the laser light may be reflected a plurality of times in the gap. Such reflection of laser light a plurality of times is called multiple reflection. When multiple reflection occurs, the absorptance of the laser beam into the melted portion rapidly increases, thereby increasing the heat input to the melted portion. Thereby, there exists a possibility that the penetration depth of a fusion | melting part may become deep deeply. When the penetration depth into the melted portion becomes deep, internal penetration through which the melted portion penetrates inside the case may occur.

  Further, if the intensity of the laser beam is increased so as to evaporate the metal in order to ensure the penetration depth of the melted part, a keyhole (evaporating part) may be generated. At this time, multiple reflection may occur in the keyhole due to the laser light applied to the keyhole. As a result, the penetration depth of the melted portion suddenly increases and internal penetration through which the melted portion penetrates inside the case may occur.

  And when internal penetration of a fusion | melting part generate | occur | produces, there exists a possibility that foreign materials, such as a sputter | spatter and the melted metal, may mix in the inside of a case. In particular, when the member to be welded is a battery, the inclusion of such foreign matter induces a short circuit failure or the like inside the battery case. Therefore, it is desirable that internal penetration does not occur when laser welding the case and the lid member.

  The present invention provides a welding method and a welding apparatus capable of suppressing the occurrence of internal penetration when laser welding a case and a lid member.

  A welding method according to the present invention is a welding method in which a laser beam is scanned to weld a case having an opening and a lid member that is inserted into the opening and closes the opening. A first laser beam, a second laser beam, and a third laser beam, the boundary between the case and the lid member is irradiated with at least one first laser beam; The lid member is irradiated with at least one second laser beam on the front side in the traveling direction of the laser beam with respect to the light irradiation position, and the laser beam proceeds with respect to the irradiation position of the first laser beam. The case is irradiated with at least one third laser beam on the front side in the direction, and at least one of the third laser beams is an energy ray that can form a keyhole reaching the outer wall surface of the case.

  A welding apparatus according to the present invention is a welding apparatus that scans a laser beam and welds a case having an opening and a lid member that is inserted into the opening and closes the opening. A laser light source for outputting; and laser light irradiation means for irradiating the opening and the lid member with the laser light, wherein the laser light includes a first laser light, a second laser light, and a third laser light. The laser beam irradiation means irradiates at least one first laser beam on a boundary portion between the case and the lid member, and a laser is applied to the irradiation position of the first laser beam. The lid member is irradiated with at least one second laser beam on the front side in the light traveling direction, and the case is disposed on the front side in the laser beam traveling direction with respect to the irradiation position of the first laser light. At least one third race Is irradiated with light, wherein at least one of the third laser beam, an energy ray capable of forming a key hole which reaches the outer wall surface of the case.

  With the configuration as described above, the boundary portion is formed by the second laser beam irradiated on the lid member and at least one of the third laser beams irradiated on the case on the front side of the first laser beam that melts the boundary portion. Since the material in the vicinity of the gap formed in the molten metal flows into the gap, the gap is filled. Accordingly, the first laser beam is suppressed from entering the gap. In addition, since the keyhole is formed to reach the outer wall surface by at least one of the third laser beams, the outer wall surface is opened. Therefore, since the laser light that has entered the keyhole escapes from the open portion of the outer wall surface, multiple reflection at the keyhole is suppressed. Thereby, internal penetration can be suppressed.

Preferably, the first laser beam, the second laser beam, and the third laser beam are irradiated by dispersing the laser beam output from the laser light source using a diffractive optical element.
With the above configuration, it is possible to irradiate the first laser beam, the second laser beam, and the third laser beam with a simple configuration.

Preferably, at least one intensity of the third laser beam capable of forming a keyhole reaching the outer wall surface of the case is higher than that of the first laser and the second laser.
With the configuration as described above, a keyhole reaching the outer wall surface is formed even when the distance from the irradiation position of the third laser beam for filling the gap to the outer wall surface is short and the edge irradiation laser beam cannot be irradiated. It becomes possible.
Further, by eliminating the need for the edge irradiation laser light, it is possible to reduce the size of the entire irradiation pattern composed of the first laser light, the second laser light, and the third laser light.

Preferably, the irradiation pattern composed of the first laser light, the second laser light, and the third laser light is symmetrical in the front-rear and left-right directions with respect to the traveling direction of the laser light.
With the configuration as described above, when laser light is scanned around the lid member, it is not necessary to change the direction of the irradiation pattern for each side. Therefore, it becomes possible to perform welding efficiently.
In addition, when a diffractive optical element is used, the design of the diffractive optical element can be made efficient.

Preferably, the third laser beam includes an outer irradiation laser beam that can form a keyhole reaching the outer wall surface of the case, and an inner irradiation laser beam that irradiates the lid member side with respect to the outer irradiation laser beam. Consists of
With the configuration as described above, the outer side irradiation laser light irradiates the outer wall surface side of the case, so that a keyhole reaching the outer wall surface can be formed more reliably.

Preferably, an irradiation pattern composed of the first laser beam, the second laser beam, and the third laser beam is point-symmetric.
With the configuration as described above, it is not necessary to change the direction of the irradiation pattern when the laser beam is scanned around the lid member. Therefore, it becomes possible to perform welding efficiently.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the welding method and welding apparatus which can suppress generation | occurrence | production of internal penetration when laser welding a case and a cover member can be provided.

It is a perspective view which shows the welding processed article obtained by the welding method concerning Embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a welded product obtained by the welding method according to the first embodiment. It is a cross-sectional detailed view in the short side part of a battery. It is a figure which shows the welding apparatus which enforces the welding method concerning Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a figure which shows that the welding apparatus concerning Embodiment 1 scans a laser beam. It is a flowchart which shows the process of a control apparatus. It is a figure which illustrates the irradiation pattern of the laser beam with which a battery is irradiated with the welding apparatus concerning Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a figure which shows the state which irradiated the laser beam to the short side part of the battery with the irradiation pattern illustrated in FIG. It is a figure which shows sectional drawing of the battery welded by the welding apparatus concerning Embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 8 illustrates a state in which laser light is scanned along the boundary portion around the battery lid member with the irradiation pattern illustrated in FIG. 7. It is a figure which shows the state which irradiated the laser beam to the short side part of the battery with the irradiation pattern concerning the 1st comparative example. It is a figure which shows the multiple reflection which generate | occur | produces in a clearance gap. It is a figure which shows the state which irradiated the laser beam to the short side part of the battery with the irradiation pattern concerning the 2nd comparative example. It is a figure which shows sectional drawing of the battery welded with the laser beam comprised by the irradiation pattern concerning a 2nd comparative example. It is a figure which shows the multiple reflection which generate | occur | produces in a keyhole in the 2nd comparative example. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a state where an evaporation portion is formed on the outer wall surface of the case in the first embodiment. It is a figure which shows the comparison with Embodiment 1 and a comparative example. 7 is a diagram illustrating an irradiation pattern according to a first modification of the first embodiment. FIG. It is a figure which illustrates the irradiation pattern concerning the 2nd modification of Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a figure which illustrates the irradiation pattern concerning Embodiment 2. FIG. It is a figure which shows sectional drawing of the battery welded with the laser beam comprised by the irradiation pattern concerning Embodiment 2. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an irradiation pattern according to a first modification of the second embodiment. FIG. It is a figure which illustrates the irradiation pattern concerning the 2nd modification of Embodiment 2. FIG.

(Embodiment 1)
Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
1 and 2 are diagrams illustrating a welded product obtained by the welding method according to the first embodiment. In the present embodiment, an example in which the welded product is a battery will be described, but the welded product is not limited to a battery.

  1 and 2 show a battery 1 which is a welded product. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the battery 1, and FIG. 2 is a plan view of the battery 1. The battery 1 includes a case 2, a lid member 3, a positive terminal 4 and a negative terminal 5. Preferably, the material of the case 2 and the lid member 3 is aluminum. The positive terminal 4 and the negative terminal 5 are provided on the top of the lid member 3.

  The case 2 is a substantially rectangular parallelepiped container for accommodating an electrode winding body (not shown) and the like therein. One surface (for example, the upper surface) of the case 2 is open, and an opening 2a is formed. The lid member 3 is a plate-like member for closing the opening 2a, and is inserted into the opening 2a. The lid member 3 is formed in a shape corresponding to the shape of the inner periphery of the opening 2a. Further, the battery 1 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape when viewed from above as shown in FIG. 2, and has a short side portion 10 (10a, 10b) and a long side portion 12 (12a, 12b).

FIG. 3 is a detailed cross-sectional view of the short side portion 10 of the battery 1. In the short side portion 10, a gap 22 is formed at the boundary portion 20 between the case 2 and the lid member 3. That is, in the short side portion 10, (inner dimension of the case 2)> (outer dimension of the lid member 3). The gap 22 is formed in the boundary portion 20 in the short side portion 10 when the electrode winding body and the lid member 3 are inserted into the opening 2 a of the case 2 and the inner wall surface 2 b of the case 2 in the boundary portion 20. This is to prevent foreign matter from being generated by rubbing against the outer peripheral surface 3b of the lid member 3. In addition, in the long side part 12, the clearance gap does not need to be formed. That is, in the long side portion 12, (inner dimension of the case 2) ≧ (outer dimension of the lid member 3). Furthermore, (gap in the short side portion 10)> (gap in the long side portion 12).
The case 2 has an outer wall surface 2 c on the opposite side of the gap 22. The case 2 includes an upper end surface 2d and a corner 2e formed by intersecting the outer wall surface 2c and the upper end surface 2d.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a welding apparatus 100 that performs the welding method according to the first embodiment. The welding apparatus 100 welds the case 2 and the lid member 3 of the battery 1. Thereby, the battery 1 is sealed. As shown in FIG. 4, the welding apparatus 100 includes a laser oscillator 101, a laser light irradiation unit 102 (laser light irradiation means), and a control device 120. The laser beam irradiation unit 102 includes an optical fiber 104, a collimate lens 106, a diffractive optical element 108, a galvano scanner 110 (scanning means), an Fθ lens 112, and a protective glass 114.

  The control device 120 is an information processing device such as a computer, for example. As will be described later, the control device 120 controls the operations of the laser oscillator 101 and the galvano scanner 110 by executing a program.

  The laser oscillator 101 is a laser light source that oscillates a laser beam 50 that is an energy beam under the control of the control device 120. Laser light 50 emitted from the laser oscillator 101 passes through the optical fiber 104 and enters the collimate lens 106. The laser beam 50 that has passed through the collimate lens 106 is incident on the diffractive optical element 108. The laser beam 50 that has passed through the diffractive optical element 108 is incident on the galvano scanner 110.

  The collimate lens 106 is a lens for adjusting the luminous flux of the laser light that is incident light in parallel. A diffractive optical element (DOE: Differactive Optical Element) 108 is a lens for splitting laser light 50 that has become parallel light by a collimate lens 106 into laser light having a plurality of muscles. The laser beam 50 split into a plurality of lines by the diffractive optical element 108 is incident on the galvano scanner 110.

  The galvano scanner 110 is a device for scanning a laser beam at a high-speed and accurate position. The galvano scanner 110 includes a pair of reflecting mirrors (galvano mirrors) 110a and 110b. The reflecting mirrors 110a and 110b are supported on a motor shaft (not shown). The galvano scanner 110 changes the reflection angle of the reflecting mirrors 110a and 110b at high speed by driving a motor under the control of the control device 120, thereby realizing scanning of the laser beam 50 at high speed.

  The Fθ lens 112 and the protective glass 114 are provided on the output side of the galvano scanner 110. The Fθ lens 112 is a lens for correcting the scanning speed of the laser light 50 to be constant. The laser light that has passed through the Fθ lens 112 and the protective glass 114 is scanned on the battery 1.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating that the welding apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment scans the laser beam. The welding apparatus 100 reflects the laser beam 50 while independently changing the angles of the reflecting mirrors 110a and 110b of the galvano scanner 110, so that the laser beam 50 is converted into the case 2 of the battery 1 as indicated by an arrow A. And scanning along the boundary 20 between the lid member 3 and the lid member 3. Then, as shown by an arrow B, the welding apparatus 100 scans the laser light along the gap 22 between the short side portion 10a, the long side portion 12a, the short side portion 10b, and the long side portion 12b with respect to the periphery of the lid member 3. By doing so, the case 2 and the lid member 3 are welded, and the battery 1 is sealed.

  FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing processing of the control device 120. FIG. 6 shows a process when laser welding the short side part 10a to the long side part 12a, but the process when laser welding the short side part 10b to the long side part 12b is substantially the same. .

  The control device 120 instructs the set value in the short side portion 10a to the laser oscillator 101 (S102). Specifically, the control device 120 instructs the laser oscillator 101 to output the laser beam output value (energy value) and output time at the short side portion 10a. Thus, the laser oscillator 101 irradiates the short side portion 10a with a laser for a set time and a set output value. Here, the “output time” can be calculated from the length of the short side portion 10a and a scanning speed described later.

  The control device 120 instructs the galvano scanner 110 about the position and scanning speed in the short side portion 10a (S102). Specifically, the control device 120 instructs the galvano scanner 110 to control the reflecting mirrors 110a and 110b at such an angle as to irradiate the position of the short side 10a with the laser beam. In addition, the control device 120 instructs the galvano scanner 110 at a scanning speed at which the short side portion 10a can be appropriately welded. Thus, the galvano scanner 110 adjusts the angles of the reflecting mirrors 110a and 110b. In this way, the welding apparatus 100 irradiates the target position in the short side portion 10a with the laser beam having the set intensity.

  The control device 120 instructs the laser oscillator 101 to set the value in the long side portion 12a in the same manner as S102 (S108). As a result, the laser oscillator 101 irradiates the long side portion 12a with the laser for the set time and the set output value.

  The control device 120 instructs the galvano scanner 110 about the position and scanning speed in the long side portion 12a in the same manner as in S104 (S110). Thus, the galvano scanner 110 adjusts the angles of the reflecting mirrors 110a and 110b. In this manner, the welding apparatus 100 irradiates the target position in the long side portion 12a with the laser beam having the set intensity.

  FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an irradiation pattern of laser light irradiated to the battery 1 by the welding apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment. The irradiation pattern illustrated in FIG. 7 is configured by arranging a plurality of laser beams in a substantially X shape. The irradiation pattern illustrated in FIG. 7 includes main laser light 51 (51a, 51b, 51c, 51d), sub laser light 52 (52a, 52b, 52c, 52d), and end irradiation laser light 53 (53b, 53c). Are combined.

  This irradiation pattern can be realized by dividing the laser beam by the diffractive optical element 108. That is, the laser beam 50 output from the laser oscillator 101 by the diffractive optical element 108 is the main laser beam 51a, 51b, 51c, 51d, the auxiliary laser beam 52a, 52b, 52c, 52d, and the end irradiation laser beam 53b. , 53c. The same applies to other irradiation patterns described later.

  The main laser beam 51 (first laser beam) is a main laser beam (main heat source) that is irradiated to sufficiently melt the material and secure a necessary penetration depth. The sub laser beam 52 is forward of the laser beam traveling direction (indicated by arrow X1) with respect to the irradiation position of the main laser beam 51 when the laser beam scans the boundary 20 of the short side portion 10. Including laser light. The edge irradiation laser beam 53 irradiates the case 2 on the front side in the traveling direction of the laser beam with respect to the irradiation position of the main laser beam 51 when the laser beam scans the boundary portion 20 of the short side portion 10. Laser light to be included. At this time, the end portion irradiation laser beam 53 (outside irradiation laser beam) is irradiated to a position closer to the end portion (corner portion 2 e) of the case 2 than the sub laser beam 52 irradiated to the case 2. In other words, the secondary laser light 52 (inner irradiation laser light) irradiated to the case 2 is irradiated to the lid member 3 side of the case 2 relative to the end irradiation laser light 53.

  FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the short side portion 10 of the battery 1 is irradiated with laser light with the irradiation pattern illustrated in FIG. 7. FIG. 8 shows a state in which the short side portion 10a is irradiated with laser light. The welding apparatus 100 (laser beam irradiation unit 102) irradiates the boundary 20 with the main laser beam 51. Further, the welding apparatus 100 (laser beam irradiation unit 102) irradiates the cover member 3 and the case 2 with the sub laser beam 52 on the front side and the rear side with respect to the irradiation position of the main laser beam 51. Further, the welding apparatus 100 (laser beam irradiation unit 102) irradiates the case 2 and the lid member 3 with the end irradiation laser beam 53 on the front side and the rear side with respect to the irradiation position of the main laser beam 51, respectively. As a result, a welded portion 14 (bead) is formed. The welded portion 14 is a portion that has solidified after the material has been melted by the laser beam.

  The amount of heat applied by the main laser beam 51 sufficiently melts the material around the gap 22, thereby ensuring the depth of penetration of the material around the gap 22. Therefore, the necessary welding strength can be ensured at the boundary portion 20.

  Here, the main laser beam 51a is irradiated in the vicinity of the gap 22 of the lid member 3 on the front side in the traveling direction of the laser beam (indicated by the arrow X1). The main laser beam 51b is irradiated in the vicinity of the gap 22 of the case 2 on the front side in the traveling direction of the laser beam. The main laser beam 51c is applied to the vicinity of the gap 22 of the lid member 3 on the rear side in the traveling direction of the laser beam. The main laser beam 51d is applied to the vicinity of the gap 22 of the case 2 on the rear side in the traveling direction of the laser beam.

  Of the sub laser light 52, the sub laser light 52 a is irradiated to the lid member 3 on the front side in the traveling direction of the laser light with respect to the irradiation position of the main laser light 51. The sub laser beam 52b is applied to the case 2 on the front side in the traveling direction of the laser beam with respect to the irradiation position of the main laser beam 51. The sub laser beam 52 c is irradiated to the lid member 3 on the rear side in the traveling direction of the laser beam with respect to the irradiation position of the main laser beam 51. The sub laser light 52d is applied to the case 2 on the rear side in the traveling direction of the laser light with respect to the irradiation position of the main laser light 51.

  The sub laser light 52 a and the sub laser light 52 b supply the melted material to the gap 22 in front of the irradiation position of the main laser light 51. As a result, the material around the gap 22 is melted and the gap 22 is filled. That is, the welding apparatus 100 fills the gap 22 with the sub laser beam 52a (second laser beam) and the sub laser beam 52b (third laser beam), and irradiates the position of the buried gap 22 with the main laser beam 51. .

  The edge irradiation laser beam 53 b is irradiated to the vicinity of the corner 2 e (end) of the case 2 on the front side with respect to the irradiation position of the main laser beam 51. Here, the end irradiation laser beam 53b (outside irradiation laser beam) is irradiated to a position on the corner 2e (end) side of the sub laser beam 52b. In other words, the auxiliary laser beam 52b (inner irradiation laser beam) is irradiated to a position closer to the lid member 3 than the end irradiation laser beam 53b. Further, the end portion irradiation laser beam 53 c is irradiated to the lid member 3 on the rear side with respect to the irradiation position of the main laser beam 51. The case 2 is melted to the outer wall surface 2c by the edge irradiation laser beam 53b (third laser beam). That is, in the case 2, the welded portion 14 reaches the outer wall surface 2c (corner portion 2e).

  FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the battery 1 welded by the welding apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 9 shows a cross-sectional view of the short side portion 10 of the battery 1. As shown in FIG. 9, the welded portion 14 is formed up to the outer wall surface 2 c of the case 2 by the edge irradiation laser beam 53 b. In other words, the material is melted up to the outer wall surface 2c of the case 2 by the welding apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment. The fact that the material has melted up to the outer wall surface 2c of the case 2 will be described in detail later in comparison with a comparative example described later.

  FIG. 10 shows a state in which the laser beam is scanned along the boundary portion 20 around the lid member 3 of the battery 1 with the irradiation pattern illustrated in FIG. 7. As shown in FIG. 10, the welding apparatus 100 performs laser beam irradiation without changing the direction of the irradiation pattern illustrated in FIG. 7 for each of the short side portion 10 a, the long side portion 12 a, the short side portion 10 b, and the long side portion 12 b. Scan. That is, the welding apparatus 100 changes only the traveling direction of the laser beam configured with the irradiation pattern illustrated in FIG. 7 for each of the short side portion 10a, the long side portion 12a, the short side portion 10b, and the long side portion 12b.

  Thereby, in the short side part 10b, the sub laser beam 52d is irradiated to the cover member 3 on the front side in the traveling direction of the laser beam with respect to the irradiation position of the main laser beam 51. Further, the case 2 is irradiated with the sub laser light 52c on the front side in the traveling direction of the laser light with respect to the irradiation position of the main laser light 51. Further, the sub laser beam 52 b is irradiated to the lid member 3 on the rear side in the traveling direction of the laser beam with respect to the irradiation position of the main laser beam 51. Further, the case 2 is irradiated with the auxiliary laser beam 52a on the rear side in the traveling direction of the laser beam with respect to the irradiation position of the main laser beam 51. The same applies to the main laser beam 51.

  Therefore, in the short side portion 10b, the front gap 22 with respect to the irradiation position of the main laser beam 51 is filled with the sub laser beam 52d and the sub laser beam 52c. That is, the welding apparatus 100 fills the gap 22 with the sub laser beam 52d (second laser beam) and the sub laser beam 52c (third laser beam; inner irradiation laser beam) and fills the main laser beam 51 with the gap 22 filled. Irradiate the position.

  In the short side portion 10 b, the end portion irradiation laser beam 53 c is irradiated in the vicinity of the corner portion 2 e of the case 2 on the front side with respect to the irradiation position of the main laser beam 51. The case 2 is melted to the outer wall surface 2c by the edge irradiation laser beam 53c (third laser beam; outer irradiation laser beam).

  Further, in the long side portion 12a, the sub laser beam 52c and the end irradiation laser beam 53c are on the front side in the laser beam traveling direction (indicated by the arrow X2) with respect to the irradiation position of the main laser beam 51. The member 3 is irradiated. Further, the case 2 is irradiated with the auxiliary laser beam 52a on the front side in the traveling direction of the laser beam with respect to the irradiation position of the main laser beam 51. Further, the sub laser beam 52d is irradiated to the lid member 3 on the rear side in the traveling direction of the laser beam with respect to the irradiation position of the main laser beam 51. Further, the sub laser beam 52b and the edge irradiation laser beam 53b are irradiated to the case 2 on the rear side in the traveling direction of the laser beam with respect to the irradiation position of the main laser beam 51. The same applies to the main laser beam 51.

  Therefore, in the long side portion 12a, the front gap 22 is filled with respect to the irradiation position of the main laser beam 51 by the sub laser beam 52c (end irradiation laser beam 53c) and the sub laser beam 52a. That is, the welding apparatus 100 fills the gap 22 and fills the main laser beam 51 with the sub laser beam 52c (edge irradiation laser beam 53c) (second laser beam) and the sub laser beam 52a (third laser beam). Irradiate the position of the gap 22.

  Here, as described above, the size of the gap 22 of the long side portion 12 is much smaller than the size of the gap 22 of the short side portion 10. Therefore, in the long side portion 12a, the boundary portion 20 is arranged between the main laser beams 51a and 51b irradiated to the case 2 and the main laser beams 51c and 51d irradiated to the lid member 3. When the laser beam is irradiated with the irradiation pattern illustrated in FIG. 7, the sub laser beam 52 a can be irradiated near the corner 2 e of the case 2. Thereby, also in the long side part 12a, the case 2 is fuse | melted to the outer wall surface 2c.

(Comparative example)
Next, a comparative example for comparison with the present embodiment will be described.
FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the short side portion 10 of the battery 1 is irradiated with laser light with the irradiation pattern according to the first comparative example. FIG. 11 shows a state in which the short side portion 10a is irradiated with laser light. The irradiation pattern according to the first comparative example is composed of only one main laser beam 51. In the case of such an irradiation pattern, the main laser beam 51 is irradiated to a position overlapping with the gap 22, and after waiting for the material melted by the main laser beam 51 to melt into the gap 22, the laser beam traveling direction (indicated by the arrow X 1) The irradiation position of the main laser beam 51 is displaced. In the irradiation pattern according to the first comparative example, if the traveling speed of the laser light is increased, the laser light may enter the gap 22. In this case, multiple reflection occurs in the gap 22.

  FIG. 12 is a diagram showing the multiple reflection that occurs in the gap 22. When the main laser beam 51 enters the gap 22, the laser beam is reflected a plurality of times on the inner wall surface 2 b of the case 2 and the outer circumferential surface 3 b of the lid member 3. When the main laser beam 51 is irradiated, the material of the gap 22 is melted to form the melted portion 16, but the absorption rate of the laser beam to the melted portion 16 is caused by multiple reflections in which the laser beam repeatedly reflects in the gap 22. Rises rapidly. That is, since the amount of heat input to the melting part 16 increases rapidly, the penetration depth of the melting part 16 increases rapidly. Thereby, there is a possibility that internal penetration through which the melting part 16 penetrates inside the case 2 occurs. Therefore, when laser welding is performed on the boundary portion 20 where the gap 22 is formed between the case 2 and the lid member 3 with the irradiation pattern according to the first comparative example, internal penetration is caused by multiple reflection in the gap 22. May occur.

  FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the short side portion 10 of the battery 1 is irradiated with laser light with the irradiation pattern according to the second comparative example. FIG. 13 shows a state in which the short side portion 10a is irradiated with laser light. Similar to the irradiation pattern according to the first embodiment illustrated in FIG. 8, in the irradiation pattern according to the second comparative example, the main laser beam 51 (51 a, 51 b, 51 c, 51 d) is irradiated onto the boundary portion 20, and Laser light 52 (52a, 52b, 52c, 52d) is applied to the lid member 3 and the case 2 on the front side and the rear side with respect to the irradiation position of the main laser light 51. On the other hand, unlike the irradiation pattern according to the first embodiment illustrated in FIG. 8, the edge irradiation laser beam 53 does not exist in the irradiation pattern according to the second comparative example. The arrangement of the main laser beams 51a, 51b, 51c, 51d and the sub laser beams 52a, 52b, 52c, 52d is substantially the same as the irradiation pattern illustrated in FIG.

  As described above, the sub laser light 52 a and the sub laser light 52 b supply the melted material to the front gap 22 with respect to the irradiation position of the main laser light 51. As a result, the material around the gap 22 is melted and the gap 22 is filled. Thereby, the main laser beam 51 is prevented from entering the gap 22. Therefore, in the second comparative example, unlike the first comparative example, multiple reflection in the gap 22 is suppressed.

  FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a cross-sectional view of the battery 1 welded by the laser beam configured with the irradiation pattern according to the second comparative example. FIG. 14 shows a cross-sectional view of the short side portion 10 of the battery 1. As indicated by an arrow C in FIG. 14, in the second comparative example, unlike the case of the first embodiment (shown in FIG. 9), the welded portion 14 reaches the outer wall surface 2 c (corner portion 2 e) of the case 2. Not done. In other words, in the second comparative example, the material does not melt up to the outer wall surface 2c of the case 2. As a result, in the second comparative example, there is a possibility that multiple reflection occurs in the keyhole generated by the intense laser beam. This will be described below.

  FIG. 15 is a diagram showing multiple reflections occurring in the keyhole in the second comparative example. As described above, the laser beam 50 (the main laser beam 51 and the sub laser beam 52) having a strength (energy density) that is strong enough to evaporate the metal is applied to the case 2 and the lid member 3 in order to ensure the penetration depth of the material. When irradiated, first, the material of the case 2 and the lid member 3 is melted to form the melted portion 16. Then, the molten metal in the melting part 16 evaporates by irradiation with high-intensity laser light, and an evaporation part 18 (keyhole) is formed inside the melting part 16. Further, when the laser beam is irradiated onto the inner wall 18a of the evaporation unit 18, multiple reflection occurs in the evaporation unit 18, where the laser beam repeats reflection a plurality of times, as indicated by arrows in FIG. Due to this multiple reflection, the absorption rate of the laser light into the melted portion 16 increases rapidly. That is, since the amount of heat input to the melting part 16 increases rapidly, the penetration depth of the melting part 16 increases rapidly. Thereby, there is a possibility that internal penetration through which the melting part 16 penetrates inside the case 2 occurs.

  Here, as described above with reference to FIG. 14, when laser welding is performed with the irradiation pattern according to the second comparative example, the metal is not melted to the outer wall surface 2 c of the case 2. Therefore, in the second comparative example, when the evaporation unit 18 is generated by the main laser beam 51 or the sub laser beam 52, the inner wall 18a of the evaporation unit 18 is not opened. That is, the main laser beam 51 or the sub laser beam 52 cannot escape from the side surface of the evaporation unit 18. Therefore, the multiple reflection described above may occur. Thereby, when laser welding is performed with the irradiation pattern according to the second comparative example, there is a possibility that internal penetration may occur due to multiple reflection in the evaporation portion 18 generated by high-intensity laser light.

  On the other hand, in the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9, the metal is melted to the outer wall surface 2 c (corner portion 2 e) of the case 2 by the edge irradiation laser beam 53. At this time, the evaporation part 18 will be formed in the edge part (outer wall surface 2c, corner | angular part 2e) of case 2, as demonstrated below. In other words, the end irradiation laser beam 53 is an energy beam that can form the evaporation unit 18 reaching the end (outer wall surface 2c, corner 2e) of the case 2.

  FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the evaporation unit 18 is formed on the outer wall surface 2 c of the case 2 in the first embodiment. When the evaporation part 18 is formed so as to reach the outer wall surface 2c, a part of the inner wall 18a of the evaporation part 18 is opened, and an opening part 18b is formed. Thereby, even if the laser beam 50 enters the evaporation unit 18, the reflected light of the laser beam 50 escapes from the opening unit 18 b to the outside of the evaporation unit 18. Therefore, in this case, the occurrence of multiple reflections is suppressed.

  Here, in the irradiation pattern according to the first embodiment (FIG. 7), the laser beams (51, 52, 53) are adjacent to each other. Thereby, the evaporating part 18 generated by each laser beam can be integrated. Therefore, even if each laser beam (51, 52, 53) is incident on the evaporation unit 18, before the multiple reflection occurs, the evaporation unit 18 formed by the end irradiation laser beam 53 (53b) The incident laser light can escape from the evaporating unit 18 from the opening 18b. Therefore, in the first embodiment, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of multiple reflections in the evaporation unit 18. Therefore, in the first embodiment, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of internal penetration.

  FIG. 17 is a diagram showing a comparison between the first embodiment and a comparative example. As described above, when laser light enters the gap 22 between the case 2 and the lid member 3, multiple reflections may occur in the gap 22. Accordingly, as a first requirement for suppressing internal penetration, the gap 22 needs to be filled before the main laser beam 51 is irradiated in the vicinity of the gap 22 (requirement 1). Further, the evaporation portion 18 (keyhole) is generated by increasing the intensity of the laser beam as the metal evaporates, and multiple reflection may occur due to the laser beam incident on the evaporation portion 18. Therefore, as a second requirement for suppressing internal penetration, it is necessary to form the evaporation portion 18 so as to reach the end portion (outer wall surface 2c) of the case 2 (requirement 2).

  As shown in FIG. 17, in the first comparative example (FIG. 11), requirement 1 is not satisfied because the main laser beam 51 is irradiated to a position overlapping the gap 22 in a state where the gap 22 is not filled. Further, when the intensity of the main laser beam 51 is increased, the evaporation unit 18 is generated. However, in the first comparative example, the evaporation unit 18 is only formed at a position corresponding to the gap 22. It is not formed to reach the end (outer wall surface 2c). Therefore, requirement 2 is not satisfied. Therefore, multiple reflection occurs in the first comparative example.

  In the second comparative example (FIG. 13), requirement 1 is satisfied because the main laser beam 51 is irradiated in the vicinity of the gap 22 with the gap 22 filled. On the other hand, in the second comparative example, the evaporation portion 18 is not formed on the end portion (outer wall surface 2c) of the case 2 as described above. Therefore, requirement 2 is not satisfied. Accordingly, multiple reflection occurs in the second comparative example.

  On the other hand, in the first embodiment, as in the second comparative example, the main laser beam 51 is irradiated in the vicinity of the gap 22 in a state where the gap 22 is filled, so that the requirement 1 is satisfied. Further, the evaporation portion 18 is formed by the end portion irradiation laser beam 53 so as to reach the end portion (outer wall surface 2 c) of the case 2. Therefore, requirement 2 is also satisfied. Therefore, in Embodiment 1, multiple reflection does not occur.

  As described above, in the first embodiment, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of multiple reflections even when the evaporation unit 18 (keyhole) is generated. Therefore, in order to ensure the penetration depth of the material, it is possible to suppress the dropout (internal penetration) of the melted portion 16 even if the intensity of the laser beam is increased as the metal evaporates. Therefore, in the first embodiment, it is possible to realize a stable penetration depth that can ensure welding strength.

  Moreover, the irradiation pattern concerning Embodiment 1 is comprised by the substantially X shape. That is, the irradiation pattern according to the first embodiment has a point-symmetric arrangement. Therefore, as described with reference to FIG. 10, the welding apparatus 100 performs irradiation only by changing the traveling direction of the laser beam for each of the short side portion 10a, the long side portion 12a, the short side portion 10b, and the long side portion 12b. Laser light can be scanned without changing the direction of the pattern. Therefore, since control for changing the direction of the irradiation pattern is not required, it is possible to efficiently perform the welding process.

  Furthermore, the irradiation pattern according to the first embodiment is configured in a substantially X shape, and the sub laser beam 52 is irradiated also on the rear side of the main laser beam 51. Thereby, since the integral evaporation part 18 can be formed in a wide range, it becomes possible to ensure more fully the penetration depth of the raw material in the vicinity of the gap 22. This also makes it possible to increase the scanning speed of the laser light.

  In the irradiation pattern illustrated in FIG. 8, the number of main laser beams 51 is four, but is not limited thereto. The number of main laser beams 51 may be one (the same applies to FIG. 20 described later). In addition, since the bigger energy is supplied to the boundary part 20 by making the number of the main laser beams 51 into plurality, the penetration depth can be ensured more reliably.

(Modification of Embodiment 1)
Next, a modification of the first embodiment will be described. In the modification of the first embodiment, the arrangement of the laser light in the irradiation pattern is different from that in the first embodiment.

  FIG. 18 is a diagram illustrating an irradiation pattern according to the first modification of the first embodiment. FIG. 18 shows a state in which the short side portion 10a is irradiated with laser light. The irradiation pattern illustrated in FIG. 18 is configured by arranging a plurality of laser beams in a substantially X shape. Moreover, the irradiation pattern illustrated in FIG. 18 includes one main laser beam 51, sub laser beam 52 (52a, 52b, 52c, 52d), end irradiation laser beam 53 (53b, 53c), and additional laser beam. 54 (54a, 54b, 54c, 54d).

  In the irradiation pattern illustrated in FIG. 18, one main laser beam 51 is irradiated to a position overlapping the gap 22 of the boundary portion 20. Further, additional laser beams 54a, 54b, 54c, and 54d are disposed between the main laser beam 51 and the sub laser beams 52a, 52b, 52c, and 52d, respectively. Further, the end portion irradiation laser beam 53b is irradiated to the vicinity of the end portion (corner portion 2e) of the case 2 on the oblique front side in the traveling direction (indicated by the arrow X1) of the laser beam with respect to the irradiation position of the sub laser beam 52b. Is done. Moreover, the edge part irradiation laser beam 53c is irradiated to the position on the oblique rear side in the traveling direction of the laser beam with respect to the irradiation position of the sub laser beam 52c. Thereby, the end irradiation laser beam 53c, the sub laser beam 52c, the additional laser beam 54c, the main laser beam 51, the additional laser beam 54b, the sub laser beam 52b, and the end irradiation laser beam 53b are arranged on a substantially straight line. .

  As illustrated in FIG. 18, by arranging the additional laser beam 54 between the main laser beam 51 and the sub laser beam 52, the time required for melting the material can be shortened. As a result, high-speed laser welding can be realized, and a sufficient penetration depth can be obtained, so that the welding quality can be improved. Further, since the evaporation part 18 is formed at the end part (corner part 2e, outer wall surface 2c) of the case 2 by the end irradiation laser beam 53, the multiple reflection in the evaporation part 18 is suppressed as in the first embodiment. it can. Therefore, internal penetration can be suppressed.

  In addition, the irradiation pattern illustrated in FIG. 18 has a point-symmetric arrangement with the main laser beam 51 as a symmetric point, similarly to the irradiation pattern illustrated in FIG. Therefore, as in the first embodiment, it is possible to scan the laser light around the battery 1 (lid member 3) without changing the direction of the irradiation pattern. Therefore, it becomes possible to perform a welding process efficiently.

  In the irradiation pattern illustrated in FIG. 18, the number of main laser beams 51 is one, but is not limited to this (the same applies to FIG. 22 described later). Similarly to the irradiation pattern and the like illustrated in FIG. 8, the number of main laser beams 51 may be four. Further, in the irradiation pattern illustrated in FIG. 18, the end portion irradiation laser light 53b is irradiated obliquely forward in the traveling direction of the laser light of the sub laser light 52b, but is not limited thereto. If there is an irradiation space, the end irradiation laser beam 53b may be irradiated to the side of the sub laser beam 52b (on the end (corner portion 2e) side of the case 2). The same applies to the edge irradiation laser beam 53c.

  FIG. 19 is a diagram illustrating an irradiation pattern according to the second modification of the first embodiment. FIG. 19 shows a state where the short side portion 10a is irradiated with laser light. Further, the irradiation pattern illustrated in FIG. 19 is configured by arranging a plurality of laser beams in a substantially V shape. The irradiation pattern illustrated in FIG. 19 is configured by combining one main laser beam 51, sub laser beams 52 (52 a and 52 b), and one end irradiation laser beam 53.

  In the irradiation pattern illustrated in FIG. 19, one main laser beam 51 is irradiated to a position overlapping the gap 22 of the boundary portion 20. The sub laser beam 52 a is irradiated to the lid member 3 on the front side in the traveling direction of the laser beam with respect to the irradiation position of the main laser beam 51. The sub laser beam 52b is applied to the case 2 on the front side in the traveling direction of the laser beam with respect to the irradiation position of the main laser beam 51. Further, the end irradiation laser beam 53 is irradiated to the vicinity of the end portion (corner portion 2e) of the case 2 on the oblique front side in the traveling direction of the laser beam (indicated by the arrow X1) with respect to the irradiation position of the sub laser beam 52b. Is done.

  Also in the substantially V-shaped irradiation pattern illustrated in FIG. 19, the gap 22 is filled with the sub laser light 52a and the sub laser light 52b, so that multiple reflections in the gap 22 can be suppressed. Moreover, since the evaporation part 18 is formed in the edge part (corner part 2e, outer wall surface 2c) of the case 2 by the edge part irradiation laser beam 53, the multiple reflection in the evaporation part 18 is suppressed similarly to Embodiment 1. it can. Therefore, also in the substantially V-shaped irradiation pattern illustrated in FIG. 19, internal penetration can be suppressed as in the first embodiment.

  Note that the irradiation pattern illustrated in FIG. 19 is not point-symmetrical. Therefore, unlike Embodiment 1, when laser light is scanned around the battery 1 (lid member 3), each of the short side portion 10a, the long side portion 12a, the short side portion 10b, and the long side portion 12b, In addition to changing the traveling direction, it is necessary to rotate the irradiation pattern (diffractive optical element 108) by approximately 90 degrees.

  In the irradiation pattern illustrated in FIG. 19, the number of main laser beams 51 is one, but is not limited thereto (the same applies to FIG. 23 described later). Similarly to the irradiation pattern and the like illustrated in FIG. 8, the number of main laser beams 51 may be four. In the irradiation pattern illustrated in FIG. 19, the end irradiation laser beam 53 is irradiated obliquely forward in the traveling direction of the laser beam of the sub laser beam 52b. However, the present invention is not limited to this. If there is an irradiation space, the end irradiation laser beam 53 may be irradiated to the side of the sub laser beam 52b (on the end (corner portion 2e) side of the case 2).

(Embodiment 2)
Next, a second embodiment will be described. The second embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that the edge irradiation laser light and the sub laser light are integrated in the irradiation pattern. In addition, since the welding method concerning Embodiment 2 is realizable using the welding apparatus 100 concerning Embodiment 1, description about the welding apparatus 100 is abbreviate | omitted.

  FIG. 20 is a diagram illustrating an irradiation pattern according to the second embodiment. The irradiation pattern according to FIG. 20 is substantially the same in the arrangement of the laser light as the irradiation pattern illustrated in FIG. That is, in the irradiation pattern according to FIG. 20, the laser beam is arranged in a substantially X shape. On the other hand, in the second embodiment, the intensity (energy density) of the auxiliary laser beams 52b and 52c is stronger than the other laser beams. Increasing the intensity of the sub laser beams 52b and 52c can be realized by changing the structure of the diffractive optical element 108, for example.

  By increasing the intensity of the secondary laser beams 52b and 52c, the secondary laser beam 52b (third laser beam) can reach the end portion (corner portion 2e, outer wall surface 2c) of the case 2 so that the evaporation section 18 (keyhole). ). That is, the auxiliary laser beam 52b also has the function of the edge irradiation laser beam 53 according to the first embodiment. In the short side portion 10b, the sub laser beam 52c (third laser beam) melts the end portion (corner portion 2e, outer wall surface 2c) of the case 2 to form the evaporation portion 18.

  FIG. 21 is a cross-sectional view of the battery 1 welded by the laser beam configured with the irradiation pattern according to the second embodiment. FIG. 21 shows a cross-sectional view of the short side portion 10 of the battery 1. In the second embodiment, since the distance L from the irradiation position of the sub laser beam 52b to the corner 2e of the case 2 is short, the end irradiation laser beam 53 cannot be irradiated. On the other hand, in Embodiment 2, since the distance L from the irradiation position of the sub laser light 52b to the corner 2e of the case 2 is short, the end portion (corner) of the case 2 is increased by increasing the intensity of the sub laser light 52b. It is possible to melt the part 2e and the outer wall surface 2c).

  Therefore, in the second embodiment, the intensity of the sub laser beam 52b is increased to such an extent that the end portion (corner portion 2e, outer wall surface 2c) of the case 2 can be melted and the evaporation portion 18 can be formed. An evaporation portion 18 is formed so as to reach the end of the. That is, in the second embodiment, it is possible to form the evaporation unit 18 at the end of the case 2 without arranging the end irradiation laser beam 53. Therefore, also in the second embodiment, it is possible to suppress multiple reflections in the evaporation unit 18.

  As in the first embodiment, the sub laser light 52a and the sub laser light 52b fill the gap 22 on the front side in the traveling direction of the main laser light 51 (indicated by the arrow X1 in FIG. 20). Therefore, also in the second embodiment, it is possible to suppress the multiple reflection in the gap 22 as in the first embodiment. Therefore, also in Embodiment 2, it becomes possible to suppress internal penetration.

  Moreover, in Embodiment 2, it becomes unnecessary to arrange | position the edge part irradiation laser beam 53. FIG. Thereby, the overall size (area) of the irradiation pattern can be reduced as compared with the first embodiment. If the irradiation pattern is large, the periphery of the region irradiated with the laser light may be burned. However, in Embodiment 2, since the size of the irradiation pattern can be reduced, it is possible to suppress the periphery from being burnt.

  Furthermore, in the second embodiment, it is not necessary to arrange the end irradiation laser beam 53, so that the irradiation pattern can be symmetric with respect to the traveling direction of the laser beam. Here, the design of the diffractive optical element 108 can be made efficient by making the irradiation pattern symmetric in the front-rear and left-right directions. Specifically, in the design of the diffractive optical element 108, when the irradiation pattern is not symmetric in the front-rear direction, the laser beam may not be dispersed at the target position, and the laser beam may leak to an unintended position. On the other hand, by making the irradiation pattern symmetric in the front-rear and left-right directions, it becomes possible to irradiate the target position with laser light more reliably.

  In addition, the irradiation pattern illustrated in FIG. 21 has a point-symmetric arrangement similar to the irradiation pattern illustrated in FIG. Therefore, as in the first embodiment, it is possible to scan the laser light around the battery 1 (lid member 3) without changing the direction of the irradiation pattern. Therefore, it becomes possible to perform a welding process efficiently.

(Modification of Embodiment 2)
Next, a modification of the second embodiment will be described. The modification of the second embodiment differs from the second embodiment in the arrangement of laser light in the irradiation pattern.

  FIG. 22 is a diagram illustrating an irradiation pattern according to the first modification of the second embodiment. FIG. 22 shows a state in which the short side portion 10a is irradiated with laser light. The irradiation pattern illustrated in FIG. 22 is obtained by removing the end irradiation laser beam 53 from the irradiation pattern illustrated in FIG. Further, the intensities of the sub laser beams 52b and 52c are higher than those of the other laser beams. That is, the irradiation pattern illustrated in FIG. 22 is configured by arranging a plurality of laser beams in a substantially X shape.

  In the irradiation pattern illustrated in FIG. 22 as well, in the same manner as in the second embodiment, the evaporation portion 18 is formed at the end portion (corner portion 2e, outer wall surface 2c) of the case 2 by the sub laser light 52b. Similar to the second mode, it is possible to suppress the multiple reflection in the evaporation unit 18, and thus it is possible to suppress the internal penetration. Furthermore, in the irradiation pattern illustrated in FIG. 22 as well, it is not necessary to arrange the end irradiation laser beam 53 as in the second embodiment, and therefore, with respect to the traveling direction of the laser beam (indicated by the arrow X1). The irradiation pattern can be symmetrical in the front-rear and left-right directions. Therefore, it is possible to irradiate the target position with laser light more reliably.

In addition, the irradiation pattern illustrated in FIG. 22 has a point-symmetric arrangement similar to the irradiation pattern illustrated in FIG. Therefore, as in the first embodiment, it is possible to scan the laser light around the battery 1 (lid member 3) without changing the direction of the irradiation pattern. Therefore, it becomes possible to perform a welding process efficiently.
In FIG. 22, the sub laser beams 52b and 52c have higher intensities than the other laser beams, but the additional laser beams 54b and 54c may have higher intensities.

  FIG. 23 is a diagram illustrating an irradiation pattern according to the second modification of the second embodiment. FIG. 23 shows a state in which the short side portion 10a is irradiated with laser light. The irradiation pattern illustrated in FIG. 23 is obtained by excluding the edge irradiation laser beam 53 from the irradiation pattern shown in FIG. Furthermore, the intensity of the sub laser beam 52b is higher than that of the other laser beams. That is, the irradiation pattern illustrated in FIG. 23 is configured by arranging a plurality of laser beams in a substantially V shape.

  Also in the irradiation pattern illustrated in FIG. 23, as in the second embodiment, the evaporation portion 18 is formed at the end portion (corner portion 2e, outer wall surface 2c) of the case 2 by the sub laser light 52b. Similar to the second embodiment, multiple reflections in the evaporation unit 18 can be suppressed. Therefore, internal penetration can be suppressed.

(Modification)
The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be changed as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, in the embodiment described above, when the battery 1 is welded, the laser light is scanned in the order of the short side portion 10a, the long side portion 12a, the short side portion 10b, and the long side portion 12b. The order is arbitrary. For example, the laser beam may be scanned in the order of the long side portion 12a, the short side portion 10a, the long side portion 12b, and the short side portion 10b.

  In the above-described embodiment, the laser light irradiation pattern is realized by using the diffractive optical element 108 to split the laser light output from the laser oscillator 101 into a plurality of streaks of laser light. It is not restricted to such a structure. You may provide the laser beam irradiation part 102 (laser beam irradiation means) separately about each of the several laser beam which comprises an irradiation pattern. On the other hand, by performing spectroscopy using the diffractive optical element 108, the irradiation pattern according to the present embodiment can be realized with a simple configuration. Thereby, the structure of the welding apparatus 100 can be simplified.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Battery 2 Case 2a Opening part 2c Outer wall surface 2e Corner part 3 Lid member 10 Short side part 12 Long side part 14 Welding part 16 Melting part 18 Evaporating part 18a Inner wall 18b Opening part 20 Boundary part 22 Gap 50 Laser light 51 Main laser light 52 Sub laser beam 53 Edge irradiation laser beam 100 Welding apparatus 101 Laser oscillator 102 Laser beam irradiation unit 108 Diffractive optical element 110 Galvano scanner

Claims (8)

A welding method that scans a laser beam and welds a case having an opening and a lid member that is inserted into the opening and closes the opening. The laser beam includes a first laser beam, a second laser beam, and a second laser beam. A laser beam and a third laser beam;
Irradiating the boundary between the case and the lid member with at least one first laser beam;
Irradiating the lid member with at least one second laser beam on the front side in the traveling direction of the laser beam with respect to the irradiation position of the first laser beam;
Irradiating the case with at least one third laser beam on the front side in the traveling direction of the laser beam with respect to the irradiation position of the first laser beam;
At least one of the third laser beams is an energy beam that can form a keyhole reaching the outer wall surface of the case. The welding method according to claim 1, wherein the first laser light, the second laser light, and the third laser light are irradiated by splitting laser light output from a laser light source using a diffractive optical element. The welding method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein at least one intensity of the third laser beam capable of forming a keyhole reaching the outer wall surface of the case is stronger than the intensity of the first laser and the second laser. The welding method according to claim 3, wherein an irradiation pattern composed of the first laser beam, the second laser beam, and the third laser beam is symmetrical in the front-rear and left-right directions with respect to the traveling direction of the laser beam. The third laser beam includes an outer irradiation laser beam that can form a keyhole reaching an outer wall surface of the case, and an inner irradiation laser beam that irradiates the lid member side with respect to the outer irradiation laser beam. Item 3. The welding method according to Item 1 or 2. The welding method according to claim 5, wherein an irradiation pattern composed of the first laser beam, the second laser beam, and the third laser beam is point-symmetric. A welding device that scans a laser beam and welds a case having an opening and a lid member that is inserted into the opening and closes the opening,
A laser light source for outputting laser light;
Laser light irradiation means for irradiating the laser light to the opening and the lid member,
The laser beam includes a first laser beam, a second laser beam, and a third laser beam,
The laser beam irradiation means is
Irradiating the boundary between the case and the lid member with at least one first laser beam;
Irradiating the lid member with at least one second laser beam on the front side in the traveling direction of the laser beam with respect to the irradiation position of the first laser beam;
Irradiating the case with at least one third laser beam on the front side in the traveling direction of the laser beam with respect to the irradiation position of the first laser beam;
At least one of the third laser beams is an energy beam that can form a keyhole reaching the outer wall surface of the case. The welding according to claim 7, wherein the laser beam irradiation unit includes a diffractive optical element that splits the laser beam output from the laser light source into the first laser beam, the second laser beam, and the third laser beam. apparatus.

Images