Dukane Ias, LLC

Petr Vasko

Leo Klinstein

Robert Edward Aldaz

Andrew Germaine

Joseph Re

Patrick Sean McNichols

Charles Leroy Leonard

Matthew James Dittrich

Jiri Vizek

Arnost Benda

John Putnam Hays, Iv

Iv John Putnam Hays

An ultrasonic weld/seal-cut system having an ultrasonic cut stack assembly, including an ultrasonic cutting horn with a transducer arranged to impart an ultrasonic energy to the ultrasonic cutting horn (sonotrode) and allow for wider cutting applications while minimizing deflections of the cutting horn under force. The cutting horn has a cutting feature configured to contact a part to be cut and a major surface adjacent to the cutting feature and a booster. The booster can have a generally flat shape and a major surface that is generally coplanar with the major surface of the ultrasonic cutting horn. One or more controllers can be operatively coupled to the ultrasonic cut stack assembly and configured to apply ultrasonic energy through the ultrasonic cut horn via the transducer to cause the cutting feature to move back and forth along its length as the ultrasonic energy is applied by the transducer to the cutting horn. The cutting horn and booster can be a unitary piece, and can be produced by machining a solid plate of metal into the cutting horn with integrated the booster.

High stiffness booster for ultrasonic welding apparatus with a cutting blade integrated into the horn

A method and an apparatus for ultrasonic staking a first part having a fastening portion to a second part having an opening corresponding to the fastening portion. The method comprises aligning the fastening portion of the first part with the corresponding opening in the second part, inserting a head of the fastening portion through the corresponding opening, and causing a horn of an ultrasonic staking stack to contact the head, apply ultrasonic energy oscillating at a frequency between 45 kHz and 75 kHz, and move along an axis of the fastening portion as the head melts to form a stake. The stake can include a melt-form that joins the first part and the second part to each other, and the fastening portion can have a geometry or a size disposed to flapping.

Apparatus and a method for targeted ultrasonic melt-forming or staking

A system includes a first horn, a first ultrasonic transducer, a second horn, a second ultrasonic transducer, a memory, and a controller. The first horn includes a first part-interfacing surface. The second horn includes a second part-interfacing surface and is positioned relative to the first horn such that a part to be welded can be positioned between the first and second part-interface surfaces. The controller is configured to cause a first ultrasonic energy to be applied through the first horn via the first transducer to cause the first part-interfacing surface to vibrate, cause the first horn to move in a first direction at a first time, cause a second ultrasonic energy to be applied through the second horn via the second transducer to cause the second part-interfacing surface to vibrate, and cause the second horn to move in a second direction at the first time.

Systems and methods using an ultrasonic transducer and scrubbing horn motion to seal a part

An apparatus for joining a first film portion and a second film portion together along a seal line. The apparatus includes a horn and anvil. The anvil is positioned close to the horn. The horn or anvil has a face that is rotatable about a rotation axis. The face has a raised profile, and a height thereof has a dimension corresponding to 50% to 150% of a thickness of the first film portion or the second film portion. The face is positioned such that the raised profile extends along the circumference such that continuous running contact is provided between the raised profile and the other of the one of the horn or the anvil when rotated about the rotation axis, to form the seal line without any external structure to control a distance between the horn/anvil. A tapered bonding profile, a traction pattern, and a cut-and-seal feature are also disclosed.

Depth control of seal line penetration for rotary ultrasonic horn/anvil welding without mechanical stop

An ultrasonic welding system. The system includes an ultrasonic transducer assembly having a horn and a first transducer and a second transducer arranged to impart ultrasonic energy into the horn. The horn has a first part-interfacing surface and a second part-interfacing surface opposite the first part-interfacing surface. An actuator assembly is operatively coupled to the ultrasonic transducer assembly and configured to cause rotation of the horn. A controller is configured to: cause the actuator assembly to rotate the horn so that the first part-interfacing surface applies the ultrasonic energy to a first part along an entire length of the first part-interface surface while a first ultrasonic energy is applied through the horn via the first transducer to cause the first part-interfacing surface to vibrate back and forth along its entire length as the first ultrasonic energy is applied by the first transducer to the horn.

An apparatus for joining a first film portion and a second film portion together along a seal line. The apparatus includes a horn and an anvil. The anvil is positionable in close proximity to the horn. Either the horn or the anvil has a face with a width dimension and a circumference and is rotatable about a rotation axis. The face has a raised profile, and a height of the raised profile has a dimension corresponding to 50% to 150% of a thickness of the first film portion or the second film portion. The face is positioned such that the raised profile extends along the circumference such that continuous running contact is provided between the raised profile and the other of the one of the horn or the anvil when rotated about the rotation axis, to form the seal line without any external structure to control a distance between the horn and the anvil.

An ultrasonic welding method for joining a first thermoplastic part and a second thermoplastic part without causing visible read-through on an exposed surface of the second part. The method includes arranging the first part on an inner surface of the second part. The inner surface is opposite the exposed surface. The first part has an interface portion contacting the inner surface. The method includes causing a horn of an ultrasonic welding stack to be pressed against the first part by applying ultrasonic energy oscillating at a frequency in a range of 45-70 kHz through the horn, to thereby join the first part and the second part together. The horn has at least one protruding distal portion configured to penetrate through the first part as the ultrasonic energy is imparted through the horn. The distal portion has a length longer than a thickness of the first part. A collapse distance of a weld formed at the interface portion is less than the thickness of the first part, to avoid read-through effects on the exposed surface of the second part.

Servo-driven ultrasonic welding system and method for welding to a thin part without read-through

An ultrasonic systems and methods for sealing complex interfaces or for metal forming. Complex interfaces, such as a Gable top, have multiple and a variety of layers across the interface, or an oval or round spout having a complex geometry. An example system includes two ultrasonic horns arranged opposite a gap between which the interface is provided. The frequency and phase of the ultrasonic energy are synchronized as the energy is applied simultaneously while the interface is pressed between a jaw and the energy is applied to both sides of the interface. Another example system includes two ultrasonic transducers synchronized in frequency and phase and used to vibrate a horn mechanically to facilitate a sealing or welding interface or to assist in a metal-forming process.

Systems and methods using multiple synchronized ultrasonic transducers to finish a part

An ultrasonic system and method for sealing a complex interface, such as a Gable top, having multiple and a variety of layers across the interface, or an oval or round spout having a complex geometry. The system includes two ultrasonic horns arranged opposite a gap between which the interface is provided. The frequency and phase of the ultrasonic energy are synchronized as the energy is applied simultaneously while the interface is pressed between a jaw and the energy is applied to both sides of the interface. Only one application of the frequency- and phase-synchronized ultrasonic energy is required to hermetically seal all the layers of the interface together.

Growing community of inventors

Velke Prilepy, Czechia

Petr Vasko