Abstract:
A sealed battery uses an outer can  15  with an opening and a sealing plate  16  provided with a rising part which rises perpendicularly from the middle of a flange on the entire circumference of or a part of the fitted face with the battery outer can  15 . A production method thereof includes inserting the sealing plate  16  into the opening of the battery outer can  15  so that the top faces of both the battery outer can  15  and the flange of the sealing plate  16  are substantially in the same plane, and irradiating the fitted part of the opening of the battery outer can  15  and the sealing plate  16  with a high energy beam for welding.

Description:
[0001]    This application is a divisional application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/398,282 filed Mar. 5, 2009, and is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2008-061019 filed on Nov. 3, 2008, the entire contents of which being incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to a sealed battery and a method for manufacturing the same, and especially relates to a sealed battery in which the flange of a sealing plate fitted with an opening of a battery outer can is welded by a high energy beam such as a laser beam and the welded part has a high breaking strength, and a method for manufacturing the same. 
       BACKGROUND ART 
       [0003]    In accordance with the rapid spread of portable electronic equipment, specifications required for batteries used in such equipment have become strict year after year. Especially, batteries with a compact and slim size, high-capacity, excellent cycle characteristics, and stable performance are required. In addition, in the field of secondary batteries, nickel hydrogen batteries and lithium nonaqueous electrolyte secondary batteries with higher energy density than other batteries have been drawing attention, and the market share of these secondary batteries in the secondary battery market has shown a large increase. 
         [0004]    In equipment using this kind of secondary batteries, since a space for containing the battery is often prismatic (flat box shape), sealed secondary batteries manufactured by sealing prismatic battery outer cans containing electric power generating elements are often used. An example of the prismatic sealed secondary batteries will be described using  FIGS. 1 to 3 . 
         [0005]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view showing a longitudinal section of a lithium nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery as a prismatic sealed battery manufactured in the related art.  FIG. 2  is a plan view showing a state where a sealing plate is fitted with a battery outer can.  FIG. 3  is a schematic sectional view showing a state of laser welding of the battery outer can and the sealing plate. 
         [0006]    A sealed secondary battery  10  is manufactured as follows: a positive electrode plate  12  and a negative electrode plate  11  with a separator  13  interposed therebetween are wound to form a flat spiral electrode  14 ; the electrode  14  is contained in a prismatic battery outer can  15 ; and the prismatic battery outer can  15  is sealed with a sealing plate  16 . The flat spiral electrode  14  is wound so that the positive electrode plate  12  is positioned on the outermost periphery to be exposed, and the exposed positive electrode plate  12  on the outermost periphery contacts directly and is electrically connected to the inner surface of the prismatic battery outer can  15  also serving as a positive electrode terminal. Furthermore, the negative electrode plate  11  is electrically connected to a negative electrode terminal  18  which is formed at the center of a sealing plate  16  and is attached to the sealing plate through an insulator  17 , through a collector  19 . Then, since the prismatic battery outer can  15  is electrically connected to the positive electrode plate  12 , in order to prevent short circuit between the negative electrode plate  11  and the prismatic battery outer can  15 , an insulating spacer  20  is inserted between the upper end of the flat spiral electrode  14  and the sealing plate  16 . Thus, the negative electrode plate  11  and the prismatic battery outer can  15  are in an electrically insulated state. 
         [0007]    The prismatic nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery is manufactured as follows: the flat spiral electrode  14  is inserted in the prismatic battery outer can  15 ; the sealing plate  16  is laser-welded to the opening of the prismatic battery outer can  15 ; a nonaqueous electrolyte is poured from an electrolyte injecting hole  21 ; and the electrolyte injecting hole  21  is sealed up. Such a method of fixing the sealing plate  16  to the prismatic outer can by laser welding is widely used due to the advantage that the opening of the battery outer can  15  can be sealed reliably without deterioration of volumetric efficiency (see JP-A-2000-268781, JP-A-2005-183360, and JP-A-2006-19089). 
         [0008]    As for the laser welding between the battery outer can  15  and the sealing plate  16 , as shown in  FIG. 3 , the battery outer can  15  and the sealing plate  16  are fitted so that both of the top faces are made horizontal, the integrated assembly is irradiated with a laser beam from above in a vertical direction, and the battery outer can and the sealing plate are melted and welded. As forming materials for the above-mentioned battery outer can  15  and the sealing plate  16 , aluminum or an aluminum alloy with good thermal conductivity is used for low cost and the purpose of weight reduction. 
         [0009]    When aluminum or the aluminum alloy with good thermal conductivity is used as a forming material for the battery outer can  15  and the sealing plate  16 , if sufficient welded part between the battery outer can  15  and the sealing plate  16  is not formed, the joint strength cannot be enhanced, and may lead to leakage of an electrolyte at the time of drop impact. One reason why such sufficient welded part cannot be formed is that melting patterns between the battery outer can  15  and the sealing plate  16  are different from each other because of the difference of the wall thicknesses between the battery outer can  15  and the sealing plate  16  on the fitted face or the difference of the materials thereof. Thus, stable sufficient welded part cannot be obtained. 
         [0010]    The inventors performed intensive studies in order to solve the problem which occurs when such prismatic battery outer cans  15  and the sealing plate  16  are welded by a high energy beam such as a laser beam. As a result, they found that, considering the focusing diameter of the laser beam, by designing wall thicknesses of both the battery outer can  15  and the sealing plate  16  so as to melt their entire top faces, and furthermore, in order not to deteriorate the strength of the base metal of the sealing plate  16 , by making the flange bottom thick enough and making the welded part of the prismatic battery outer can  15  and the sealing plate  16  to weld sufficiently, the strength of the welded part is improved and the base metal strength of the periphery can be maintained, whereby a sealed battery with high fall resistance reliability can be obtained. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0011]    That is, an advantage of some aspects of the invention is to provide a sealed battery with excellent fall resistance reliability and capable of inhibiting an electrolyte leak at the time of being subject to impact, while maintaining the strength of the peripheral base metal as well as having enough joint strength by causing sufficient welding, which is formed into a sufficient welded part between a battery outer can and a sealing plate. 
         [0012]    According to a first aspect of the present invention, a sealed battery of the above aspect of the invention includes a battery outer can and a sealing plate for sealing an opening of the battery outer can, a fitted face of the battery outer can and the sealing plate being joined by a high energy beam welding. A cross section of a welded part of the battery outer can and the sealing plate is mound shape that is raised from a bottom face of a melted and solidified part toward the outside of the battery outer can and has a top located on a fitted line of the battery outer can and the sealing plate, and a melted and solidified part on the battery outer can side and the sealing plate side is, at the bottom face thereof, on the same face and substantially parallel to a top face of the sealing plate and is formed to be led to a tapered part on a top face side of a flange of the sealing plate. 
         [0013]    In the sealed battery of the above aspect of the invention, since the cross section of the welded part of the outer can and the sealing plate is the mound shape which starts from the outside of the battery outer can on the bottom face of the melted and solidified part and has its top on the fitted line of the battery outer can and the sealing plate, the distance between the surface of the melted and solidified part and the fitted position of the battery outer can and the sealing plate is long. In addition, in the sealed battery of the above aspect of the invention, the flange base of the sealing plate does not melt and the base metal strength is maintained, so that the welded part has enough strength. Thus, according to the sealed battery of the above aspect of the invention, even if the battery is subjected to drop impact and the like, breaking at the boundary between the base metal of the sealing plate and the welded part or a crack in the welded part is unlikely to occur, so that a sealed battery with excellent fall resistance reliability, less electrolyte leakage at the moment of impact, and high safety, can be obtained. In the above aspect of the invention, the term, “substantially parallel”, includes states which are not necessarily completely parallel but apparently close to parallel. 
         [0014]    Furthermore, in the sealed battery of the above aspect of the invention, it is preferable that the battery outer can and the sealing plate are made of aluminum or an aluminum alloy. 
         [0015]    The aluminum and the aluminum alloy are low cost and lightweight, but have high thermal conductivity. Thus, in related-art examples, in a welded part of a battery outer can and a sealing plate made of the aluminum and the aluminum alloy, since sufficient welded part cannot be formed, the welding strength cannot be enhanced, so that an electrolyte is apt to leak at the moment of drop impact. In contrast, in the sealed battery of the above aspect of the invention, since the battery outer can and the sealing plate are welded sufficiently, the strength of the welded part is improved and the strength of the peripheral base metal can be maintained, so that a low cost and lightweight sealed battery with excellent fall resistance reliability is realized. 
         [0016]    Furthermore, a method for manufacturing a sealed battery of the above aspect of the invention includes a battery outer can and a sealing plate having a terminal part, and having a flange on all circumferences of or a part of a fitted face with the battery outer can. The wall thickness at a top face of a leading end of the flange is thinner than that at a base of the flange and the wall thickness is constant. The flange has a perpendicular part from the top face toward a bottom part and a tapered part formed next to the perpendicular part which has a base wider than the perpendicular part. The method includes welding an electrode body to the terminal part of the sealing plate, inserting the electrode body into the battery outer can and simultaneously aligning top faces of the battery outer can and the sealing plate in a same plane, and welding a fitting part of the battery outer can and the sealing plate with high energy beam irradiation while focusing on the fitted part. 
         [0017]    The sealing plate used for the method for manufacturing the sealed battery of the above aspect of the invention has the flange on the fitted face with the battery outer can. The wall thickness at the top face on the leading end of the flange is thinner than that at the base and is constant. The flange has a perpendicular part from the top face toward the bottom part and a tapered part formed next to a perpendicular part which has a base wider than the perpendicular part. When the sealing plate is fitted to the battery outer can, and the top faces of the battery outer can and the sealing plate are aligned in the same plane, and then the battery outer can and the sealing plate are welded with high energy beam irradiation while focusing on the fitting part thereof, the battery outer can and the perpendicular part from the top face toward the bottom part of the flange of the sealing plate melt and a part of the tapered part of the flange of the sealing plate on the top face side melts. However, since the wall thickness of the tapered part of the flange of the sealing plate gradually becomes thick, the temperature decreases due to the thermal conductivity, so that the melting stops on the middle of the tapered part. That is, the flange base of the sealing plate does not melt. 
         [0018]    Accordingly, if the method for manufacturing the sealed battery of the above aspect of the invention is employed, the cross section of the welded part of the outer can and the sealing plate becomes the mound shape that is raised from a bottom face of a melted and solidified part toward the outside the battery outer can and has its top located on the fitted line of the battery outer can and the sealing plate, and the flange base of the sealing plate does not melt. Thus, according to the method for manufacturing the sealed battery of the above aspect of the invention, since the battery outer can and the sealing plate are welded sufficiently, the strength of the welded part is strong, and the strength of the peripheral base metal can be maintained, so that a low cost and lightweight sealed battery with excellent fall resistance reliability can be obtained. 
         [0019]    In the method for manufacturing the sealed battery of the above aspect of the invention, as the high energy beam, not only a laser beam but also an electron beam may be used. 
         [0020]    Furthermore, in the method for manufacturing the sealed battery of the above aspect of the invention, it is preferable that the battery outer can and the sealing plate are both made of aluminum or an aluminum alloy, the battery outer can has a wall thickness of 0.2 to 0.3 mm, the flange of the sealing plate has a total height of 0.2 to 0.3 mm, the leading end of the flange has a wall thickness of 0.2 to 0.35 mm and a height of 0.05 to 0.15 mm, and the thickest part of the flange base has a wall thickness of 0.4 to 0.45 mm. 
         [0021]    If the opening of the battery outer can has a wall thickness of less than 0.2 mm, the strength of the battery outer can becomes weak, and if the opening has a wall thickness of more than 0.3 mm, since the melt depth of the battery outer can becomes shallow, the strength of the welded part deteriorates. Furthermore, if the flange part of the sealing plate has a total height of less than 0.2 mm, since the thermal conductivity to the base metal of the sealing plate is too large, and the melt depth becomes shallow, the strength of the welded part deteriorates, and if the flange has a total height of more than 0.3 mm, the internal volume of the sealed battery decreases. Furthermore, if the leading end of the flange of the sealing plate has a wall thickness of less than 0.2 mm, since the height of the mound shape of the melted and solidified part becomes low, the strength of the welded part deteriorates, and if the leading end has a wall thickness of more than 0.35 mm, since the spot diameter of the laser beam is around 0.6 mm, the tapered part of the flange dose not melt, and the strength of the welded part deteriorates. 
         [0022]    Furthermore, if the leading end of the sealing plate has a height of less than 0.05 mm, the flange of the sealing plate is substantially the same as the flange without a leading end being formed, and if the leading end has a height of more than 0.15 mm, since the whole of the leading end of the flange of the sealing plate may not melt, the strength of the welded part deteriorates. Furthermore, if the bottom of the flange of the sealing plate has a wall thickness of less than 0.4 mm, the strength of the sealing plate base metal is hard to maintain, and if the base has a wall thickness of more than 0.45 mm, the thermal diffusion to the sealing plate base metal becomes large, so that the effect of thermal concentration to the flange decreases. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0023]    The invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like numbers reference like elements. 
           [0024]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view showing a longitudinal section of a lithium nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery as a prismatic sealed battery. 
           [0025]      FIG. 2  is a plan view showing the state where a sealing plate is fitted with a battery outer can. 
           [0026]      FIG. 3  is a schematic sectional view showing the state where the battery outer can and the sealing plate are laser-welded. 
           [0027]      FIG. 4A  is a schematic sectional view showing the state before welding in Example, and  FIG. 4B  is a schematic sectional view showing the state after the welding in Example. 
           [0028]      FIG. 5  is a partially enlarged plan view showing the state after the welding in Example. 
           [0029]      FIG. 6A  is a schematic sectional view showing the state before welding in First Comparative Example, and  FIG. 6B  is a schematic sectional view showing the state after the welding in First Comparative Example. 
           [0030]      FIG. 7A  is a schematic sectional view showing the state before welding in Second Comparative Example, and  FIG. 7B  is a schematic sectional view showing the state after the welding in Second Comparative Example. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS 
       [0031]    Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the invention will be described in detail with examples and comparative examples of taking a prismatic sealed battery and the case using a laser beam as a high energy beam. However, the example described below is an illustrative example for embodying the technical concept of the invention, is not intended to limit the invention to the example, and may be equally applied to various modified batteries and methods, for example the case using an electron beam as a high energy beam, without departing from the technical concept described in the appended claims. 
         [0032]      FIG. 4A  is a schematic sectional view showing the state before welding in Example, and  FIG. 4B  is a schematic sectional view showing the state after the welding in Example.  FIG. 5  is a partially enlarged plan view showing the state after the welding in Example.  FIG. 6A  is a schematic sectional view showing the state before welding in First Comparative Example, and  FIG. 6B  is a schematic sectional view showing the state after the welding in First Comparative Example.  FIG. 7A  is a schematic sectional view showing the state before welding in Second Comparative Example, and  FIG. 7B  is a schematic sectional view showing the state after the welding in Second Comparative Example. 
         [0033]    In Example and First and Second Comparative Examples, a prismatic battery outer can and a sealing plate having shapes similar to those shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2  were used, and in  FIGS. 4 to 7 , the identical elements as in  FIGS. 1 and 2  are represented by the same reference mark as in  FIGS. 1 and 2  to be explained. 
         [0034]    Here, in each Example and First and Second Comparative Examples, a prismatic battery outer can  15  having a width of the top face of 0.2 mm was used. Furthermore, as a sealing plate  16 , a substantially rectangular sealing plate  16  made of a pure aluminum shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2  was used. The sealing plate  16  had a flange  22  on its periphery and an electrolyte injecting hole  21 , and was provided with a negative electrode terminal  18  attached at the central part with an insulator  17  interposed. In First and Second Comparative Examples, sealing plates with the same material and the same size as the sealing plate  16  in Example were used except for having the flange  22  with different shapes from that in Example. 
         [0035]    That is, the structure difference between the flanges of First and Second Comparative Examples was as follows: the flange  22  of First Comparative Example had a wall thickness of 0.2 mm which was the same width as that of the top face of the battery outer can  15 ; on the other hand, the flange  22  of Second Comparative Example had a wall thickness of 0.4 mm, which was two times the width of the top face of the battery outer can  15 . However, the sizes of all of the other parts were the same and neither of the flanges  22  of First and Second Comparative Examples had a tapered part. On the contrary, the flange  22  of the sealing plate  16  in Example had a wall thickness of 0.3 mm, which was between those of First and Second Comparative Examples, and had a tapered part, and the whole width of the flange including the tapered part was 0.4 mm, which was the same as that in Second Comparative Example. 
         [0036]    Each of the specific structures and the sizes of the battery outer cans  15  and the flanges  22  in Example and First and Second Comparative Examples is shown in  FIGS. 4A ,  6 A, and  7 A. All units of numerals described in these drawings are “mm”. Then, in each of Example and First and Second Comparative Examples, the sealing plate was attached to an inner edge of the opening of the predetermined sized outer can  15  with a wall thickness of 0.20 mm so that both top faces became flat, fifteen pieces of each dummy battery without an electrode body and an electrolyte were prepared, then the overall circumference of the joint area between the sealing plate  16  and the battery outer can  15  was welded by a pulse laser beam from the top face side of the flange  22 . Cross section shapes of the welded parts after the welding in Example and First and Second Comparative Examples are shown in  FIGS. 4B ,  6 B, and  7 B, respectively, and a partially enlarged plan view after the welding in Example is shown in  FIG. 5 . The outer dimensions of each of the manufactured dummy batteries were 5.8 mm (thickness)×34 mm (width)×43 mm (height). 
         [0037]    Ten pieces of each dummy battery after the welding were cut down beside the negative electrode terminal  18  perpendicularly, and each of the welding depths Wd of the melted and solidified parts on the cross sections was measured. Furthermore, for 5 pieces of each dummy battery of Example and First and Second Comparative Examples, each of the negative electrode terminals was pressurized by using a round bar with a leading end diameter of 3 mm and a load (the maximum applied load was 500 N) and a displacement when the battery was broken were measured to determine the strength of the welded part (the test is referred to as the push-in test). The summarized results are shown in Table 1. In Table 1, the upper values represent the mean values and the values in parentheses show the measured ranges. 
         [0000]    
       
         
               
               
               
               
             
               
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
                 TABLE 1 
               
               
                   
                   
               
               
                   
                   
                 Comparative 
                 Comparative 
               
               
                   
                 Example 
                 Example 1 
                 Example 2 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
               
             
          
           
               
                 Welding depth 
                 0.278 mm 
                 0.270 mm 
                 0.204 mm 
               
               
                 n = 10 P 
                 (0.250 to 
                 (0.239 to 0.314) 
                 (0.186 to 0.248) 
               
               
                   
                 0.318) 
               
               
                 Load at the time 
                 All 500 N or 
                 430 N 
                 383 N 
               
               
                 of breakage 
                 more 
                 (396 to 450) 
                 (356 to 422) 
               
               
                 n = 5 P 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0038]    Furthermore, 15 pieces of each battery were manufactured by the following method: each sealing plate of Example and First and Second Comparative Examples was attached to an electrode body, and the electrode body was inserted into the outer can and the sealing plate was fitted to the opening of the outer can. The outer can and the sealing plate were welded with a pulse laser beam, then an electrolyte was poured, and the battery was sealed. Among them, 10 pieces of each battery were subjected to a drop test under condition 1 (the batteries were dropped from a height of 1 m to a surface of an iron plate in a random manner), and 5 pieces of each battery were subjected to a drop test under condition 2 (the batteries were dropped from a height of 30 cm to a surface of an iron plate with the negative terminal facing downward). The summarized results are shown in Table 2. In Table 2, the upper values represent the mean values, and the values in parentheses show the measured ranges. 
         [0000]    
       
         
               
               
               
               
             
               
               
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
                 TABLE 2 
               
               
                   
                   
               
               
                   
                   
                 Comparative 
                 Comparative 
               
               
                   
                 Example 
                 Example 1 
                 Example 2 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 Condition I 
                 All cleared 500 
                 400 times 
                 270 times 
               
               
                   
                 n = 10 P 
                 times 
                 (250 to 600) 
                 (150 to 450) 
               
               
                   
                 Condition 
                 All cleared 500 
                 140 times 
                 250 times 
               
               
                   
                 II n = 5 P 
                 times 
                  (90 to 180) 
                 (170 to 300) 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0039]    As shown in  FIG. 4B , the cross section of a welded part  30   a  of the dummy battery in Example is a mound shape that is raised from a bottom face of a melted and solidified part  31   a  toward the outside of the battery outer can  15  and has its top located on a fitted line  32   a  of the battery outer can  15  and the sealing plate  16 , and the melted and solidified part on the battery outer can  15  side and that on the sealing plate  16  side are, at the melted and solidified part  31   a , on the same face and substantially parallel to the top face  33   a  of the sealing plate  16  and led to a tapered part  34   a  on the top face side of the flange of the sealing plate  16 . On the other hand, in the cross section of a welded part  30   b  of the dummy battery in First Comparative Example, as shown in  FIG. 6B , since the flange  22  of the sealing plate  16  has the same width as that of the battery outer can  15 , the whole flange  22  melts and the bottom face of the melted and solidified part  31   b  is inclined downward from the flange  22  side toward the battery outer can  15  side. Furthermore, in the cross section of a welded part  30   c  of the dummy battery in Second Comparative Example, as shown in  FIG. 7B , since the flange  22  of the sealing plate  16  has a wider width than that of the battery outer can  15 , the flange  22  melts only partly. In addition, the bottom face of the melted and solidified part  31   c  of the welded part  30   c  in Second Comparative Example is inclined downward from the flange  22  side toward the battery outer can  15  side and has an inflection point at the position of a fitted line  32   c  of the battery outer can  15  and the sealing plate  16 . 
         [0040]    Furthermore, the following are found from the results shown in Table 1. The welding depth Wd of First Comparative Example is much larger than that of Second Comparative Example, and that of Example is a little larger than that of First Comparative Example. On the other hand, as for the push-in test result, all the batteries in Example were not broken under a load of 500 N or less, but the batteries in First Comparative Example were broken under a load of 430 N and the batteries in Second Comparative Example were broken under a load of 383 N. Furthermore, all broken-out sections in First Comparative Example were in the base metal of the sealing plate  16 , and all broken-out sections in Second Comparative Example were in the welded part  30   c.    
         [0041]    That is, in First Comparative Example, the strength of the welded part was improved, but the base metal of the sealing plate  16  was broken because the wall thickness of the flange  22  is thin. Accordingly, when the flange  22  has no tapered part being formed, from the viewpoint of the strength of the base metal of the sealing plate, it is preferred that the flange  22  of the sealing plate  16  has a wall thickness of 0.2 mm or more, but when the flange  22  has a wall thickness of 0.4 mm, the strength of the welded part deteriorates, conversely. Thus, when the tapered part is formed in the flange  22 , considering the spot diameter of the laser beam is around 0.6 mm, in order to melt the tapered part of the flange  22 , it is preferred that the upper limit of the wall thickness of the leading end of the flange  22  of the sealing plate  16  is 0.35 mm. 
         [0042]    Furthermore, from the results shown in Table 2, the following are found. That is, in the result of the random drop test under condition 1, in the case of Example, when the batteries were dropped 500 times, the electrolyte did not leak from any batteries, but in First Comparative Example, the electrolyte leaked when the batteries were dropped 400 times on average, and in Second Comparative Example, the electrolyte leaked when the batteries were dropped 270 times on average. On the other hand, under condition 2 when dropping onto the negative electrode terminal side, in the case of Example, when the batteries were dropped 500 times, the electrolyte did not leak from any batteries, but in First Comparative Example, the electrolyte leaked when the batteries were dropped 140 times on average, and in Second Comparative Example, the electrolyte leaked when the batteries were dropped 250 times on average. In all broken batteries of First Comparative Example, the electrolyte leaked from the broken position of the base metal of the sealing plate  16 , and in all broken batteries of Second Comparative Example, the electrolyte leaked from the broken position of the welded part  30   a . Also from the results, since the strength of the welded part of First Comparative Example was improved, the wall thickness of the flange  22  was thin and the strength of the base metal was insufficient, so the base metal of the sealing plate  16  was broken to leak the electrolyte. On the other hand, in Example, it is found that the whole of the leading end of the flange  22  melted and the wall thickness of the base was sufficient, so that both the welded part and the sealing plate base metal had sufficient strength. 
         [0043]    In Example and First and Second Comparative Examples, a battery outer can  15  with an opening wall thickness of 0.2 mm was used, but if the battery outer can  15  has a thickness of less than 0.2 mm, the strength of the obtained battery becomes weak, and if the battery outer can  15  has a thickness of more than 0.3 mm, since the melt depth of the battery outer can  15  becomes shallow, the strength of the welded part deteriorates. Thus, it is preferred that the opening wall thickness of the battery outer can  15  is in a range of 0.2 to 0.3 mm. Furthermore, if the flange part of the sealing plate has a total height of less than 0.2 mm, since the thermal conductivity to the base metal of the sealing plate  16  is too large and the melt depth becomes shallow, the strength of the welded part deteriorates, and if the flange part has a total height of more than 0.3 mm, the internal volume of the sealed battery is reduced. Thus, it is preferred that the total height of the flange part of the sealing plate is in a range of 0.2 to 0.3 mm. 
         [0044]    Furthermore, if the leading end of the flange  22  of the sealing plate  16  has a wall thickness of less than 0.2 mm, since the height of the mound shape of the melted and solidified part becomes low, the strength of the welded part deteriorates, and if the leading end has a wall thickness of more than 0.35 mm, since the spot diameter of the laser beam is around 0.6 mm, the tapered part of the flange dose not melt, so that the strength of the welded part deteriorates. Thus, it is preferred that the leading end of the flange  22  of the sealing plate  16  has a wall thickness of 0.2 to 0.35 mm. Furthermore, if the leading end of the sealing plate  16  has a height of less than 0.05 mm, the flange of the sealing plate is substantially the same as a flange without a leading end being formed, and if the leading end has a height of more than 0.15 mm, since the whole of the leading end of the flange of the sealing plate may not melt, the strength of the welded part deteriorates. Thus, it is preferred that the leading end of the sealing plate  16  has a height of 0.05 to 0.15 mm. 
         [0045]    Furthermore, if the base of the flange of the sealing plate has a wall thickness of less than 0.4 mm, it is difficult to maintain the strength of the base metal, and if the base has a wall thickness of more than 0.45 mm, the thermal conductivity to the base metal of the sealing plate becomes large and the effect of thermal concentration to the flange part becomes small. Thus, it is preferred that the base of the flange of the sealing plate has a wall thickness of 0.4 to 0.45 mm. 
         [0046]    In the above experiments, the laser welding method was employed as a welding method, but the welding method is not limited and well-known high energy beams such as electron beam welding may be used. Furthermore, in Example, an example where the shape of the flange is improved over the entire circumference of the sealing plate is shown, but the shape may be provided intermittently.