Removable bonding working portions for an ultrasonic welder

• US 5,931,367 A
• Filed: 05/15/1997
• Issued: 08/03/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ultex Corporation
• Original Assignee: Ultex Corporation
• Inventors: Nakai, Seiya, Sato, Shigeru, Katsumi, Mitsugu
• Primary Examiner(s): Ryan, Patrick
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gamino, Carlos J.
• Application Number:
  US08/856,583
• Time in Patent Office: 810 Days
• Field of Search: 228/1.1, 228/110.1, 156/580.2, 156/580.1, 156/73.1, 425/174.2
• US Class Current: 228/1.1
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 20/106 Features related to sonotrodes
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/08 using ultrasonic vibrations non-plastics element to plastics elements B29C65/645
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/081 having a component of vibration not perpendicular to the welding surface
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/80 General aspects of machine operations or constructions and parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/81433 being toothed, i.e. comprising several teeth or pins comprising a single tooth B29C66/81429, or being patterned
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/8167 Quick change joining tools or surfaces

Abstract

A resonator for an ultrasonic bonding apparatus, which comprises an ultrasonic horn having a recessed portion in the exterior surface and a threaded hole, a bonding working portion having a chip base fitted in the recessed portion and a chip body provided on the chip base, and a screw member having a screw portion to fit into the threaded hole and a through-hole through which the chip body is put without contact with said screw member so that the screw member is screwed into the threaded hole, the bonding portion is fixed to the ultrasonic horn, with the chip body projecting through the through-hole for contact with a workpiece.

Claims

1. A resonator for an apparatus having a transducer for bonding workpieces with ultrasonic vibration, comprising:

an ultrasonic horn which is to be connected to said transducer for generating ultrasonic vibration and has a recessed portion in an exterior surface thereof at a maximum vibration amplitude point and a threaded portion provided on an upper part of said recessed portion;

a bonding working portion having a chip base fitted in said recessed portion and a chip body provided on said chip base; and

a screw member movable in a direction perpendicular to a vibration direction of said ultrasonic vibration and having a screw portion to fit into said threaded portion and a through-hole through which said chip body is put without contact with said screw member so that when said screw portion is screwed into said threaded portion, said bonding working portion is fixed to said ultrasonic horn by said screw member at the maximum vibration amplitude point of said ultrasonic horn such that a front end of said chip body projects through said through-hole and contacts a workpiece while said chip base is held between said screw member and a bottom of said recessed portion.

2. A resonator according to claim 1, wherein said screw member is provided with a tool application portion around said through-hole.

3. A resonator according to claim 1, wherein said chip base is provided with a first inclined surface at an upper circumferential edge thereof and said screw member is provided with a second inclined surface at a lower edge of said through-hole such that said first and second inclined surfaces have equal inclination angles.

4. A resonator according to claim 1, wherein said recessed portion has a square bottom shape with its diagonal distance smaller than a diameter of said threaded portion and said chip base has a square shape to be fitted in said square chip base.

5. A resonator according to claim 1, wherein said recessed portion is provided with a rectangular hole in a bottom thereof and said chip base is provided with a rectangular projection on a bottom thereof such that said rectangular projection is fitted in said rectangular hole for facilitating positioning said bonding working portion.

6. A resonator for an apparatus having a transducer for bonding workpieces with ultrasonic vibration, comprising:

an ultrasonic horn which is to be connected to said transducer for generating ultrasonic vibration and has a recessed portion in an exterior surface thereof at a maximum vibration amplitude point and a through-hole provided on a bottom of said recessed portion;

a bonding working portion having at least one chip body fitted in said recessed portion such that a front end of said chip body projects from said exterior surface for contact with a workpiece and at least one screw portion extending downwardly from a bottom of said chip body and through said through-hole; and

a screw member movable in a direction perpendicular to a vibration direction of said ultrasonic vibration and having a threaded hole therein so that when said strew member is screwed to said screw portion, with the front end of said chip body projects from said ultrasonic horn.

7. A resonator according to claim 6, wherein said through-hole of said ultrasonic horn is provided with a first inclined surface at a lower edge thereof and said screw member is provided with a second inclined surface at an upper edge thereof such that said first and second inclined surfaces have equal inclination angles.

8. A resonator according to claim 6, wherein said through-hole of said ultrasonic horn is provided with a first inclined surface at an upper edge thereof and said chip body is provided with a second inclined surface at a junction with said screw portion such that said first and second inclined surfaces have equal inclination angles.

9. A resonator according to claim 6, wherein said chip body is provided with a pair of flat rotation-stop side faces so that when said chip body is fitted in said recessed portion, said side faces abut against side walls of said recessed portion.

10. A resonator for an apparatus having a transducer for bonding workpieces with ultrasonic vibration, comprising:

an ultrasonic horn which is to be connected to said transducer for generating ultrasonic vibration and has a recessed portion in an exterior surface thereof at a maximum vibration amplitude point and at least one through-hole provided on a bottom of said recessed portion, said recessed portion having a pair of first inclined side faces, between which a distance decreases as a depth of said recessed portion increases;

a bonding working portion having a chip base fitted in said recessed portion and at least one chip body provided on said chip base so that a front end thereof projects from said exterior surface of said ultrasonic horn for contact with a workpiece, and at least one threaded hole provided in a bottom of said chip base, said bonding working portion having a pair of second inclined side faces to match said first inclined side faces; and

a screw member movable in a direction perpendicular to a vibration direction of said ultrasonic vibration and having a head portion and a screw portion to fit into said threaded portion of said bonding working portion to bring said first and second inclinded surfaces together to thereby fix said bonding working portion to said ultrasonic horn with a gap between said bottoms of said chip base and said recessed portion.

11. A resonator according to claim 10, wherein a plurality of said chip bodies are interconnected at an area where they are fitted in said recessed portion.

12. A resonator according to claim 10, wherein said chip base is an elongated plate that fits in said recessed portion and a plurality of chip bodies provided on top of said chip base.