Apparatus for forming a metallic container

• US 8,052,027 B2
• Filed: 04/23/2010
• Issued: 11/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: New Sonic Technologies, LLC
• Original Assignee: New Sonic Technologies, LLC
• Inventors: Williamson, James T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Stoner; Kiley
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gamino; Carlos
• Application Number:
  US12/766,315
• Publication Number:
  US 20100199484A1
• Time in Patent Office: 564 Days
• Field of Search: 228 11- 23, 2281101-1145, 156 731- 734, 156/76.3, 156/73.5, 156/580, 156/580.1, 156/580.2, 156/358, 533/29, 533/292, 533/53, 533/718
• US Class Current: 228/1.1
• CPC Class Codes: B21D 51/26 cans or tins; Closing same in a permanent manner making outlet arrangements B21D51/38; welding or soldering B23K
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 20/106 Features related to sonotrodes
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 2101/125 Cans
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49908 Joining by deforming
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49936 Surface interlocking
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49945 by driven force fit
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53322 Means to assemble container
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53961 with work-holder for assembly
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53978 including means to relatively position plural work parts

Abstract

An apparatus for attaching the lid and body portions of a metallic container includes a base to support the body, a support assembly to support a flange of the body, and a sonotrode for contacting a flange of the lid, wherein the flanges of the lid and body are held together between the support assembly and the sonotrode. A motor reciprocally rotates the sonotrode relative to the support assembly, thereby moving the flanges relative one another to generate frictional heat and create a friction weld therebetween.

Claims

1. An apparatus for attaching a lid portion to a body portion of a metallic container comprising:

a base adapted to support the body portion of the metallic container when placed thereon;

a support assembly, movable relative to the base, and including a support surface adapted to support an outer surface of a flange of the body of the metallic container;

a reciprocally rotatable sonotrode, including a friction surface and being moveable linearly, along a longitudinal axis, relative to the support assembly between a retracted position, and an engaged position, such that when the lid portion is placed onto the body portion of the metallic container, and the support assembly engages the outer surface of the flange of the body portion of the metallic container, and the sonotrode is moved to the engaged position, portions of the lid and the body of the metallic container are held in contact with one another between the support surface of the support assembly and the friction surface of the sonotrode; and

a motor adapted to reciprocally rotate the sonotrode relative to the support assembly, thereby moving the lid portion of the metallic container relative to the body portion of the metallic container such that frictional heat generated from the reciprocal relative motion creates a friction weld between the lid portion and the body portion of the metallic container,

wherein the support assembly includes a frame, and a clamshell anvil, the clamshell anvil comprising two halves that are pivotally mounted onto opposing portions of the frame for pivotal movement between an open position and a closed position, and springs biasing the two halves of the clamshell anvil to the open position, and

wherein the sonotrode is supported on a shaft, the shaft having a cammed outer surface, portions of the pivotally mounted clamshell anvil halves engaging the cammed outer surface, such that when the sonotrode is in the retracted position, the pivotally mounted clamshell anvil halves engage the shaft at a point where the shaft allows the clamshell anvil halves to pivot to the open position, and when the shaft and the sonotrode begin to move downward, the cammed outer surface of the shaft forces the clamshell anvil halves to pivot to the closed position wherein the support surface engages the flange of the body portion of the metallic container.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the motor is adapted to reciprocally rotate the sonotrode at a rate of between 15 KHz and 25 KHz.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further including an actuator for advancing and retracting the sonotrode between the engaged position and the retracted position, wherein when the sonotrode is moved to the engaged position, the actuator moves the sonotrode downward such that the sonotrode exerts a downward force to hold portions of the lid portion and the body portion of the metallic container in contact with one another between the support surface of the support assembly and the friction surface of the sonotrode, the actuator being adapted to provide a downward force between approximately 1300 N and approximately 7200 N.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cammed outer surface of the shaft is shaped such that the clamshell anvil halves are forced to pivot to the closed position prior to the sonotrode reaching the engaged position.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the clamshell anvil halves includes a stop extending from an inner surface of the clamshell anvil half, positioned vertically above the support surface, such that when the sonotrode retracts from the lid portion of the metallic container after welding, if the lid portion sticks to the friction surface of the sonotrode, the stop will contact the lid portion, thereby holding the metallic container down as the sonotrode retracts upward.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the support surface of the support assembly has a textured surface such that the support surface will frictionally engage the outer surface of the flange portion of the body of the metallic container to prevent sliding movement of the flange of the body portion relative to the support assembly.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the friction surface of the sonotrode has a textured surface such that the friction surface will frictionally engage the lid portion of the metallic container to prevent sliding movement of the lid relative to the sonotrode.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein at least one of the support surface of the support assembly and the friction surface of the sonotrode has a knurled pattern formed therein.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the knurled pattern comprises a triangular knurl pattern.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein at least one of the support surface and the friction surface are grit blasted.

11. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein at least one of the support surface and the friction surface each have a raised ridge in a serpentine pattern.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein an interior surface of the body portion and the lid portion of the metallic container include a coating applied thereto, wherein when the sonotrode is moved to the engaged position, the sonotrode exerts a downward force to hold portions of the lid portion and the body portion of the metallic container in contact with one another between the support surface of the support assembly and the friction surface of the sonotrode, the downward force of the sonotrode and the frequency of reciprocal rotation of the sonotrode being such that the frictional heat generated from the reciprocal relative motion between the lid portion and the body portion is sufficient to create a friction weld between the lid portion and the body portion of the metallic container.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the friction surface of the sonotrode and the support surface of the support assembly are angled relative to the longitudinal axis of the apparatus, along which the sonotrode moves.

14. An apparatus for attaching a lid portion of a metallic container to a body portion of the container, the container body portion including a flange having an inner surface and an outer surface, the apparatus comprising:

a base, and a support assembly movable relative to the base, the support assembly including a support surface for engaging the flange outer surface of the metallic container body portion,

a sonotrode having a friction surface, the sonotrode being movable relative to the base between a retracted position where the friction surface is spaced from the metallic container, and an engaged position where the friction surface frictionally engages the lid portion of the metallic container in order to prevent sliding movement of the lid relative to the sonotrode, and

a motor coupled to the sonotrode and adapted to reciprocally rotate at a frequency around a longitudinal axis of the metallic container, and movable relative to the support assembly to situate the sonotrode in the engaged position to move the lid portion relative to the body portion such that frictional heat generated from the reciprocal rotation is capable of welding together the lid portion and the flange of the metallic container body,

wherein the support assembly includes a frame and a clamshell anvil, the clamshell anvil comprising two halves that are pivotally mounted onto opposing portions of the frame for pivotal movement between an open position and a closed position, and springs biasing the two halves of the clamshell anvil to the open position, and

wherein the sonotrode is supported on a shaft, the shaft having a cammed outer surface, when the sonotrode is in the retracted position, portions of the pivotally mounted clamshell anvil halves engages the shaft at a point to allow the clamshell anvil halves to pivot to the open position, and

when the shaft and the sonotrode move to the engaged position, said portions of the pivotally mounted clamshell anvil halves engage the shaft at a different point to allow the clamshell anvil halves to pivot to the closed position where the support surface of the support assembly engages the flange of the body portion of the metallic container.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the sonotrode is moved in the engaged position to confront the support surface so that portions of the lid and the body of the metallic container are held in contact with one another between the support surface of the support assembly and the friction surface of the sonotrode.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the motor is adapted to reciprocally rotate the sonotrode at a rate of between 15 KHz and 25 KHz.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, further including an actuator coupled to the sonotrode to linearly move the sonotrode between the engaged position and the retracted position, wherein when the sonotrode is moved to the engaged position, the actuator is adapted to cause the sonotrode to exert a force to hold portions of the lid portion and the body portion of the metallic container in contact with one another between the support surface of the support assembly and the friction surface of the sonotrode, the actuator capable of providing a force between approximately 1300 N and approximately 7200 N.

18. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said portion of the pivotally mounted clamshell anvil halves that engages the shaft comprises a rolling contact.

19. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the cammed outer surface of the shaft is shaped to urge the clamshell anvil halves to pivot to the closed position prior to the sonotrode reaching the engaged position.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein at least one of the clamshell anvil halves includes a stop extending from an inner surface of the clamshell anvil half, the stop is positioned vertically above the support surface, the stop oriented to contact the lid portion to hold the metallic container against the base as the sonotrode moves away from the metallic container.

21. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the support surface of the support assembly comprises a roughened surface to frictionally engage the outer surface of the flange portion of the body of the metallic container in order to prevent sliding movement of the flange of the body portion relative to the support assembly.

22. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein each of the inner surface of the flange of the body portion and the lid portion of the metallic container includes a coating,

wherein when the sonotrode is moved to the engaged position, the actuator is adapted to cause said sonotrode to exert a first force to hold the lid portion against the inner surface of the flange of the body portion, the first force and the frequency of reciprocal rotation of the sonotrode capable of creating a first frictional heat to at least partially remove the coating of each of the inner surface of the flange of the body portion and the lid portion of the metallic container.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the lid portion has a shape sized to close an open end of the body portion, said lid portion including an angled flange extending circumferentially therearound;

wherein when the sonotrode is moved to the engaged position, the lid portion is placed onto the body portion so that a surface of the flange of the lid portion contacts the inner surface of the flange of the body portion.

24. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein after the sonotrode is moved to the engaged position, the actuator is capable of increasing the force of the sonotrode to a second force to hold the lid portion against the inner surface of the flange of the body portion, the second force and the frequency of reciprocal rotation of the sonotrode capable of creating a second frictional heat, greater than the first frictional heat, to weld the inner surface of the flange of the body portion to the lid portion of the metallic container.

25. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein after the sonotrode is moved to the engaged position, the motor is capable of increasing the frequency of reciprocal rotation of the sonotrode to a second frequency, the first force and the second frequency of reciprocal rotation of the sonotrode capable of creating a second frictional heat, greater than the first frictional heat, to weld the inner surface of the flange of the body portion to the lid portion of the metallic container.