# US 11,897,207 B2 · Sealing device for secondary battery > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,897,207 B2 - Document ID: US11897207B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/971,522 - Filed: 2019-01-21 - Published: 2020-12-10 - Granted: 2024-02-13 - Earliest claimed: 2018-03-12 - Assignees: LG Energy Solution, Ltd. - Applicants: LG Chem, Ltd. - Inventors: Ik Soo Chae; Chang Bum Ahn - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11897207B2 ## CPC - B29C 65/18: using heated tools - H01M 10/0404: {Machines for assembling batteries} - B29C 65/305: {involving the use of cartridge heaters} - B29C 66/8145: {characterised by the constructional aspects of the pressing elements, e.g. of the welding jaws or clamps (B29C66/816 and B29C66/818 take precedence; adaptable for making articles or joints of different dimensions B29C66/841)} - B29C 66/816: {characterised by the mounting of the pressing elements, e.g. of the welding jaws or clamps} - B29C 66/83221: {cooperating reciprocating tools, each tool reciprocating along one axis} - B29C 66/91651: {by controlling or regulating the heat generated by Joule heating or induction heating} - H01M 10/04: Construction or manufacture in general (H01M10/058, H01M10/12, H01M10/28, H01M10/38 take precedence) - H01M 50/186: characterised by the disposition of the sealing members - B29C 66/1122: {Single lap to lap joints, i.e. overlap joints (B29C66/45, B29C66/472, B29C66/52272 take precedence)} - B29C 66/43121: {Closing the ends of tubular or hollow single articles, e.g. closing the ends of bags (closing tube ends B29C57/10)} - B29C 66/91423: {using joining tools having different temperature zones or using several joining tools with different temperatures} - B29L 2031/3468: {Batteries, accumulators or fuel cells (battery cases B29L2031/7146)} - B29L 2031/7128: {Bags, sacks, sachets (tea bags B29L2031/7122; medical bags B29L2031/7148)} - B29L 2031/7146: {Battery-cases} - Y02E 60/10: Energy storage using batteries - Y02P 70/50: Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product - B29C: SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING (making preforms B29B11/00; making laminated products by combining previously unconnected layers which become one product whose layers will remain together B32B37/00 - B32B41/00) - H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY - B29L: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASS B29C, RELATING TO PARTICULAR ARTICLES - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION - Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS ## Abstract The present invention relates to a sealing device for a secondary battery. The sealing device is configured to seal a battery case accommodating an electrode assembly therein to manufacture the secondary battery, the sealing device including a sealing block configured to press a sealing portion of the battery case, a flatness adjusting part configured to adjust a flatness of a pressing surface of the sealing block, and a heater part configured to transfer heat to the sealing block to thermally fuse the sealing portion of the battery case when the sealing portion is pressed by the sealing block. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A sealing device for a secondary battery, the sealing device configured to seal a battery case accommodating an electrode assembly therein to manufacture the secondary battery, the sealing device comprising: a sealing block configured to press a sealing portion of the battery case; a flatness adjusting part configured to adjust a flatness of a pressing surface of the sealing block, the flatness being closeness of a portion of the pressing surface to a plane defined by a remainder of the pressing surface; and a heater part configured to transfer heat to the sealing block to thermally fuse the sealing portion of the battery case when the sealing portion is pressed by the sealing block. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The sealing device of claim 1, wherein the flatness adjusting part comprises a plurality of adjusting screws that are configured to move in opposite vertical directions perpendicular to a horizontal plane substantially coincident with the pressing surface of the sealing block so that an end of each of the plurality of adjusting screws is configured to press the sealing block to adjust the flatness of the pressing surface of the sealing block. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The sealing device of claim 2, wherein the flatness adjusting part further comprises a support block to which each of the plurality of adjusting screws are coupled, and each of the plurality of adjusting screws is supported by the support block. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The sealing device of claim 3, wherein the plurality of adjusting screws are coupled to the support block in a grid arrangement having plurality of rows and columns. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The sealing device of claim 3, wherein, each of the plurality of adjusting screws is threadedly coupled to the support block, such that the sealing device is configured to move some or all of the adjusting screws in the vertical directions to selectively press respective locations on the sealing block to adjust the flatness of the pressing surface of the sealing block. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The sealing device of claim 5, wherein the flatness adjusting part further comprises a plurality of support screws that are threadedly coupled to the support block, the plurality of support screws passing through the support block in the vertical directions, ends of the plurality of support screws being threadedly coupled to the sealing block to support the sealing block. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The sealing device of claim 5, wherein the flatness adjusting part further comprises a plurality of support screws that pass through the support block in the vertical directions so as to be coupled to the support block, and ends of the plurality of support screws are threadedly coupled to the sealing block to support the sealing block. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The sealing device of claim 6, wherein the flatness adjusting part further comprises a plurality of flatness adjusting members, each of the plurality of flatness adjusting members being provided on the end of each of the plurality of adjusting screws, respectively, and wherein each of the plurality of flatness adjusting members has an insertion groove formed in a first side thereof into which the end of a respective one of the plurality of adjusting screws is inserted, and a planar part formed in a second side thereof that is configured to surface-contact a surface of the sealing block to be pressed. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The sealing device of claim 1, wherein the heater part is a plurality of heater parts, and the plurality of heater parts are disposed on first and second opposite sides of an inside of the sealing block. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The sealing device of claim 1, wherein the heater part comprises a plurality of main heaters disposed in a first common plane and a plurality of auxiliary heaters disposed in a second common plane that is spaced apart from the first common plane by a predetermined distance, wherein the plurality of main heaters comprises a first main heater disposed over a central portion of a first lateral side of the sealing block and a second main heater disposed over a central portion of a second lateral side of the sealing block, and the plurality of auxiliary heaters comprises a first auxiliary heater disposed at the first lateral side of the sealing block and a second auxiliary heater disposed at the second lateral side of the sealing block. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) A sealing assembly comprising first and second sealing devices, each of the first and second sealing devices being the sealing device of claim 1, wherein the sealing block of the first sealing device and the second sealing block of the second sealing device are configured to move in the opposite vertical directions, respectively, the sealing block of the first sealing device and the sealing block of the second sealing device facing each other and configured to press opposite respective side surfaces of the sealing portion of the battery case. ### Claim 12 (depends on 7) The sealing device of claim 7, wherein the flatness adjusting part further comprises a plurality of flatness adjusting members, each of the plurality of flatness adjusting members being provided on the end of each of the plurality of adjusting screws, respectively, and wherein each of the plurality of flatness adjusting members has an insertion groove formed in a first side thereof into which the end of a respective one of the plurality of adjusting screws is inserted, and a planar part formed in a second side thereof that is configured to surface-contact a surface of the sealing block to be pressed. ### Claim 13 A method of sealing a battery case of a secondary battery, the battery case accommodating an electrode assembly therein, the method comprising: pressing a sealing block against a sealing portion of the battery case; adjusting a flatness of a pressing surface of the sealing block by moving a flatness adjusting part, the flatness being closeness of a portion of the pressing surface to a plane defined by a remainder of the pressing surface; and transferring heat from a heater part to the sealing block to thermally fuse the sealing portion that is pressed by the sealing block. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, further comprising moving a plurality of adjusting screws in opposite vertical directions perpendicular to a horizontal plane substantially coincident with the pressing surface of the sealing block so that an end of each of the plurality of adjusting screws presses the sealing block to adjust the flatness of the pressing surface of the sealing block. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, further comprising selectively pressing some or all of the plurality of adjusting screws to respective locations on the sealing block to adjust the flatness of the pressing surface of the sealing block. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the pressing of the some or all of the plurality of adjusting screws to the respective locations on the sealing block is performed by pressing a plurality of flatness adjusting members onto a surface of the sealing block that is pressed, each of the plurality of flatness adjusting members being coupled to a respective one of the plurality of adjusting screws and being disposed between the respective one of the plurality of adjusting screws and the respective location on the sealing block. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the sealing block comprises a first sealing block and a second sealing block, the method further comprising moving the first sealing block and the second sealing block towards one another in opposite vertical directions and pressing opposite respective side surfaces of the sealing portion of the battery case.