Patent Publication Number: US-8973246-B2

Title: Ultrasonic welding assembly and method of attaching an anvil to a bracket of the assembly

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/556,411 filed on Jul. 24, 2012, the entire contents of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     Ultrasonic welding devices have been utilized. However, when a contact portion of an ultrasonic welding anvil becomes degraded, the anvil is thrown away and a new welding anvil is utilized. A problem with this approach is that the ultrasonic welding anvils are relatively expensive. 
     Accordingly, the inventors herein have recognized a need for an improved ultrasonic welding assembly and method that reduces the above mentioned deficiency. 
     SUMMARY 
     An ultrasonic welding assembly in accordance with an exemplary embodiment is provided. The ultrasonic welding assembly includes an ultrasonic horn and an anvil. The anvil has first, second, and third plate portions. The first and second plate portions extend generally perpendicular to one another. The third plate portion is coupled between the first and second plate portions. The first, second, and third plate portions define first and second sides. The first plate portion has a first knurled region on the first side disposed proximate to the ultrasonic horn. The second plate portion has a second knurled region on the first side. The third plate portion has a first aperture extending therethrough. The ultrasonic welding assembly further includes a bracket configured to receive the second side of the anvil for holding the anvil thereon. The bracket has a second aperture extending therethrough that aligns with the first aperture, such that a coupling member extending through the first and second apertures removably couples the anvil to the bracket. 
     A method for attaching an anvil to a bracket of an ultrasonic welding assembly in accordance with another exemplary embodiment is provided. The anvil has first, second, and third plate portions. The first and second plate portions extend generally perpendicular to one another. The third plate portion is coupled between the first and second plate portions. The first, second, and third plate portions define first and second sides. The first plate portion has a first knurled region on the first side. The second plate portion has a second knurled region on the first side. The third plate portion has a first aperture extending therethrough. The method includes disposing the second side of the anvil against a portion of the bracket such that the first aperture aligns with a second aperture in the bracket, and a portion of the second plate portion is received in a notch of the bracket, and the first knurled region is configured to be disposed proximate to an ultrasonic horn. The method further includes disposing a coupling member through the first and second apertures to fixedly couple the anvil to the bracket. The method further includes when the first knurled region has a degraded configuration, removing the coupling member from the first and second apertures to remove the anvil from the bracket. The method further includes disposing the second side of the anvil against the portion of the bracket such that first aperture aligns with a second aperture in the bracket, and a portion of the first plate portion is received in the notch of the bracket, and the second knurled region is configured to be disposed proximate to the ultrasonic horn. The method further includes disposing the coupling member through the first and second apertures to fixedly couple the anvil to the bracket. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic of a ultrasonic welding assembly in accordance with an exemplary embodiment; 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic of a portion of the ultrasonic welding assembly of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view of the ultrasonic welding assembly of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is an enlarged view of an anvil utilizing in the ultrasonic welding assembly of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 5  is another enlarged view of the anvil utilizing in the ultrasonic welding assembly of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 6  is a flowchart of a method for attaching an anvil to a bracket of the ultrasonic welding assembly of  FIG. 1  in accordance with another exemplary embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring to the  FIGS. 1-5 , schematics of an ultrasonic welding assembly  10  in accordance with an exemplary embodiment are illustrated. The ultrasonic welding assembly  10  includes an ultrasonic horn  20 , an anvil  22 , a bracket  24 , a bracket  26 , an ultrasonic actuator  28 , a computer  30 , and bolts  31 ,  32 ,  33 . The ultrasonic welding assembly  10  is configured to ultrasonically weld work pieces together that are disposed between the ultrasonic horn  20  and the anvil  22 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 3 , the ultrasonic horn  20  is operably coupled to an ultrasonic actuator  28 . The ultrasonic actuator  22  is configured to vibrate the ultrasonic horn  20  when the ultrasonic actuator  28  receives a control signal from the computer  30 . The ultrasonic horn  20  includes a head portion  40 , a central portion  42 , and a tip portion  44 . The head portion  40  is operably coupled to the ultrasonic actuator  28 . The central portion  42  is coupled between the head portion  40  and the tip portion  44 . The tip portion  44  includes a knurled region  46  that faces a knurled region  74  of the anvil  22 . In one exemplary embodiment, the ultrasonic horn  20  is constructed of tool steel such as M2 steel for example. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2-5 , the anvil  22  is configured to hold work pieces (not shown) against the knurled region  46  of the tip portion  44  of the ultrasonic horn  20  for ultrasonically welding the work pieces together. The anvil  22  includes plate portions  60 ,  62 ,  64 . The plate portions  60 ,  62  extend generally perpendicular to one another. The plate portion  64  is coupled between the plate portions  60 ,  62 . The plate portion  60 ,  62 ,  64  define sides  70 ,  72 . The plate portion  60  includes the knurled region  74  on the side  70  that is disposed proximate to the ultrasonic horn  20 . The plate portion  62  has a knurled region  76  on the side  70 . The plate portion  64  has apertures  81 ,  82 ,  83  (shown in  FIG. 4 ) extending therethrough. The apertures  81 ,  82 ,  83  may be threaded for receiving corresponding threads of bolts  31 ,  32 ,  33 , respectively, therein. In one exemplary embodiment, the anvil  22  is constructed of M2 steel. Of course, in alternative embodiments, the anvil  22  could be constructed of other materials known to those skilled in the art. In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, the anvil  22  is removably coupled to the bracket  24  utilizing the bolts  31 ,  32 ,  33 . The structure of the bolts  31 ,  32 ,  33  have an identical structure so only the structure of the bolt  32  will be explained in greater detail. The bolt  32  has a tapered head portion  83  (shown in  FIG. 3 ) and a threaded portion  84 . The threaded portion  84  is received through the aperture  82  of the anvil  22  and the threaded aperture  100  of the bracket  24 . An advantage of the anvil  22  is that when the knurled region  74  has been wore down due to usage, the anvil  22  can be detached from the bracket  24  and then rotated and reattached to the bracket  24  such that the knurled region  76  is utilized, for ultrasonic welding. Accordingly, the anvil  22  provides at least twice the operational life as compared to other anvils. 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , the bracket  24  is configured to receive the anvil  22  thereon. The bracket  24  includes a body portion  90  defining a notch  92  extending therein and surfaces  94 ,  96 ,  98  for receiving the anvil  22  thereon. The bracket  24  further includes a threaded aperture  100  extending therein for receiving a threaded portion of the bolt  32  therein, and two additional apertures (not shown) for receiving threaded portions of the bolts  31 ,  33  therein. In the illustrated embodiment, the bracket  24  is constructed of steel. 
     The bracket  26  is configured to support the bracket  24 . In one exemplary embodiment, the bracket  26  is coupled to the bracket  24  utilizing one or more bolts. Further, the bracket  26  is constructed of steel. 
     Referring to  FIG. 6 , a flowchart of a method for attaching the anvil  22  to the bracket  24  of the ultrasonic welding assembly  10  will now be explained. For purposes of simplicity, only the bolt  32  will be discussed in attaching the anvil  22  to the bracket  24 . Of course, the bolts  31 ,  33  could also be utilized to attach the anvil  22  to the bracket  24 . 
     At step  200 , a user provides the anvil  22  having plate portions  60 ,  62 ,  64 . The plate portions  60 ,  62  extend generally perpendicular to one another. The plate portion  64  is coupled between the plate portions  60 ,  62 . The plate portions  60 ,  62 ,  64  define sides  70 ,  72 . The plate portion  60  has the knurled region  74  on the side  70 . The plate portion  62  has the knurled region  76  on the side  70 . The plate portion  64  has an aperture  82  extending therethrough. 
     At step  202 , the user disposes the side  72  of the anvil  22  against a portion of the bracket  24  such that the aperture  82  aligns with the aperture  100  in the bracket  24 , and a portion  100  of the plate portion  62  is received in the notch  92  of the bracket  24 . 
     At step  204 , the user disposes the coupling member  32  through the apertures  82 ,  100  to fixedly couple the anvil  22  to the bracket  24 . 
     At step  206 , the user positions the ultrasonic horn  20  proximate to the anvil  22  such that the knurled region  74  is disposed proximate to the knurled region  46  on the ultrasonic horn  20 . 
     At step  208 , the user makes a determination as to whether the knurled region  74  as a degraded configuration after welding usage of the anvil  22 . If the value of step  208  equals “yes”, the method advances to step  210 . Otherwise, the method returns to step  208 . 
     At step  210 , the user removes the coupling member  32  from the apertures  82 ,  100  to remove the anvil  22  from the bracket  24 . 
     At step  212 , the user disposes the side  72  of the anvil  22  against the portion of the bracket  24  such that aperture  82  aligns with an aperture  100  in the bracket  24 , and a portion  102  of the plate portion  60  is received in the notch  92  of the bracket  24 . 
     At step  214 , the user positions the ultrasonic horn  20  proximate to the anvil  22  such that the knurled region  76  is disposed proximate to the knurled region  46  on the ultrasonic horn  20 . 
     The ultrasonic welding assembly  10  disclosed herein provides a substantial advantage over other devices. In particular, the ultrasonic welding assembly  10  utilizes an anvil  22  having three plate portions for easily positioning the anvil  22  on a bracket and two knurled regions disposed a side of the anvil to obtain twice the operational life of the anvil  22 . 
     While the claimed invention has been described in detail in connection with only a limited number of embodiments, it should be readily understood that the invention is not limited to such disclosed embodiments. Rather, the claimed invention can be modified to incorporate any number of variations, alterations, substitutions or equivalent arrangements not heretofore described, but which are commensurate with the spirit and scope of the invention. Additionally, while various embodiments of the claimed invention have been described, it is to be understood that aspects of the invention may include only some of the described embodiments. Accordingly, the claimed invention is not to be seen as limited by the foregoing description.