Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.

Kouichi Nishihara

Katsuhisa Wadasaki

Takeharu Nakanose

Seiichi Katou

A cylindrical guide sleeve has a larger-diameter portion formed at an upper portion thereof, a smaller-diameter portion formed at a lower portion thereof, and a tapered portion formed therebetween. The smaller-diameter portion has an inner diameter substantially identical with or slightly larger than an outer diameter of a cylindrical battery casing. A lower spindle supports a bottom surface of the cylindrical battery casing. An upper spindle pushes a seal plate downward along an inner surface of the cylindrical guide sleeve. In this case, the seal plate is inclined in a floating condition with respect to an axial direction of the cylindrical guide sleeve and connected via a lead to an electrode assembly accommodated in the cylindrical battery casing. A guide actuator shifts the cylindrical guide sleeve upward so as to surround the seal plate in the larger-diameter portion. An upper spindle actuator shifts the upper spindle downward to cause a spherical bottom surface of the upper spindle to push and guide the seal plate toward an upper opening of the cylindrical battery casing via the tapered portion.

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Moriguchi, Japan

Kouichi Nishihara