# US 9,437,862 B2 · Container for energy storage device including full penetration welded sealing member and method of producing the same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,437,862 B2 - Document ID: US9437862B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/077,972 - Filed: 2013-11-12 - Published: 2014-05-15 - Granted: 2016-09-06 - Earliest claimed: 2012-11-15 - Assignees: GS Yuasa International Ltd. - Applicants: GS Yuasa International Ltd. - Inventors: Yu Shiraishi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9437862B2 ## CPC - H01M 10/04: Construction or manufacture in general (H01M10/058, H01M10/12, H01M10/28, H01M10/38 take precedence) - H01M 50/636: Closing or sealing filling ports, e.g. using lids - Y02E 60/10: Energy storage using batteries - Y02P 70/50: Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product - H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY - 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 An energy storage device having a container containing an electrolyte includes: a through hole formed in the container, for injecting the electrolyte; a sealing member that covers the through hole; and a full penetration weld portion formed by full penetration welding the sealing member to the container. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An energy storage device including a container containing an electrolyte, the energy storage device comprising: a through hole, formed in the container, for injecting the electrolyte; a sealing member that covers the through hole; and a full penetration weld portion formed by full penetration welding the sealing member to the container, wherein the sealing member includes a fixing portion arranged outside the container, the fixing portion including a thin-walled portion which is thinner than a remaining portion of the fixing portion, wherein the full penetration weld portion is formed by full penetration welding the thin-walled portion to the container, and wherein an entirety of the full penetration weld portion is located away from an outer edge of the sealing member, the full penetration weld portion penetrating into the sealing member in a thickness direction of the sealing member. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The energy storage device according to claim 1, wherein the full penetration weld portion is formed in a loop around the through hole. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The energy storage device according to claim 1, wherein the sealing member includes a groove portion formed in a loop around the through hole, and wherein the thin-walled portion is formed at a location corresponding to the groove portion. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The energy storage device according to claim 1, wherein the sealing member includes a projecting portion which is inserted into the through hole, and wherein the full penetration weld portion is formed in a loop around the projecting portion. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The energy storage device according to claim 1, wherein the full penetration weld portion is formed at a location closer to an outer edge of the sealing member than to a center of the sealing member. ### Claim 6 A method of producing an energy storage device including a container containing an electrolyte, the method comprising: positioning a sealing member on the container to cover a through hole formed in the container for injecting the electrolyte; and forming a full penetration weld portion by full penetration welding the sealing member to the container, wherein the sealing member includes a fixing portion arranged outside the container, the fixing portion including a thin-walled portion which is thinner than a remaining portion of the fixing portion, wherein the full penetration weld portion is formed by full penetration welding the thin-walled portion to the container, and wherein an entirety of the full penetration weld portion is located away from an outer edge of the sealing member, the full penetration weld portion penetrating into the sealing member in a thickness direction of the sealing member. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The energy storage device according to claim 1, wherein the full penetration weld portion comprises a portion of the thin-walled portion and the container full penetration welded into the container. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The energy storage device according to claim 1, wherein the thin-walled portion comprises a depression in a central part of the sealing member, in a cross-sectional view, the depression extending between opposing walls of the remaining portion of the fixing portion that has a thickness more than a thickness of the thin-walled portion. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The energy storage device according to claim 8, wherein the full penetration weld portion is disposed in outer edges of the thin-walled portion and in inner edges of the opposing walls of the remaining portion of the fixing portion. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The energy storage device according to claim 1, wherein the thin-walled portion comprises a step portion located in an outer periphery of the sealing member, in a cross-sectional view, the remaining portion of the fixing portion being located in a central part of the sealing member and the step portion extending from outer edges of the remaining portion of the fixing portion to outer edges of the sealing member. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The energy storage device according to claim 10, wherein the full penetration weld portion is disposed in inner edges of the thin-walled portion and in the outer edges of the remaining portion of the fixing portion. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The energy storage device according to claim 1, wherein the remaining portion of the fixing portion comprises: a first thick-walled portion surrounding a first periphery of the thin-walled portion; and a second thick-walled portion surrounding a second periphery of the thin-walled portion, wherein a thickness of the first thick-walled portion and the second thick-walled portion are more than a thickness of the thin-walled portion. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The energy storage device according to claim 12, wherein the full penetration weld portion is disposed in the thin-walled portion between the first thick-walled portion and the second thick-walled portion. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The energy storage device according to claim 13, wherein the sealing member further comprises a groove, disposed in the thin-walled portion, and located between the first thick-walled portion and the second thick-walled portion, the full penetration weld portion being disposed in the groove and penetrating below an upper surface of the container. ### Claim 15 An energy storage device, comprising: a container; a through hole formed in the container for injecting an electrolyte; a sealing member that covers the through hole, the sealing member being located outside the container and comprising a thin-walled portion and a thick-walled portion surrounding a periphery of the thin-walled portion, the thick-walled portion having a thickness more than a thickness of the thin-walled portion; and a full penetration weld portion that welds the thin-walled portion to the container by a full penetration welding, through the thin-walled portion, into the container, wherein an entirety of the full penetration weld portion is located away from an outer edge of the sealing member, the full penetration weld portion penetrating into the sealing member in a thickness direction of the sealing member. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The energy storage device according to claim 15, wherein the sealing member further comprises another thick-walled portion surrounding another periphery of the thin-walled portion and having a thickness more than the thickness of the thin-walled portion. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The energy storage device according to claim 16, wherein the full penetration weld portion is disposed in the thin-walled portion between the thick-walled portion and said another thick-walled portion. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The energy storage device according to claim 16, wherein the sealing member further comprises a groove, disposed in the thin-walled portion, and located between the thick-walled portion and said another thick-walled portion, the full penetration weld portion being disposed in the groove and penetrating below an upper surface of the container. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The energy storage device according to claim 18, wherein, in a cross-sectional view, a distance between a centerline of the groove to an outer edge of the sealing member is less than a distance between the centerline of the groove and a centerline of the sealing member.