US2005110370A1PendingUtilityA1

Ultrasonic horn assembly stack component connector

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Assignee: KIMBERLY CLARK COPriority: Nov 4, 2002Filed: Nov 24, 2004Published: May 26, 2005
Est. expiryNov 4, 2022(expired)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Norman R. Stegelmann
B29C 66/83411B29C 66/41B29C 66/73921B29C 66/83413B23K 20/106B29L 2031/4878B29C 66/9513B29K 2101/12B29C 66/9517B29C 65/085B29C 66/951B29C 66/8167B06B 3/00B06B 3/02B29C 65/087
52
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Claims

Abstract

An ultrasonic horn assembly for applying ultrasonic energy at an operating location which assembly includes a connector between horn assembly components which provides uniform clamping pressure between transfer faces of the components.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
1 . An ultrasonic horn assembly for transporting ultrasonic energy to an operating location to apply the ultrasonic energy to at least one article at the operating location, the horn assembly comprising: 
 a first stack component having at least one transfer face, an opening, and internal threads in the opening;    a second stack component having at least one transfer face adapted to engage the transfer face of the first stack component at an interface for transmitting ultrasonic energy from one of the first and second stack components to the other, the second stack component having an opening and internal threads in the opening; and    a threaded stud adapted to connect the first and second stack components together with their transfer faces in engagement, the threaded stud extending through the interface and being free of directly engaging gripping connection to at least one of the first and second stack components along a segment of the stud passing through the interface.    
     
     
         2 . The ultrasonic horn assembly of  claim 1  wherein the threaded stud is free of directly engaging gripping connection to the first stack component along the segment of the stud passing through the interface, and wherein the threaded stud is free of directly engaging gripping connection to the second stack component along the segment of the stud passing through the interface.  
     
     
         3 . The ultrasonic horn assembly of  claim 1  wherein the first stack component is an ultrasonic horn booster and the second stack component is an ultrasonic horn.  
     
     
         4 . The ultrasonic horn assembly of  claim 1  wherein the first stack component is a first ultrasonic horn booster and the second stack component is a second ultrasonic horn booster.  
     
     
         5 . The ultrasonic horn assembly of  claim 1  wherein the first stack component is an ultrasonic horn assembly drive mechanism and the second stack component is an ultrasonic horn booster.  
     
     
         6 . The ultrasonic horn assembly of  claim 1  wherein the segment of the stud passing through the interface is threadless.  
     
     
         7 . The ultrasonic horn assembly of  claim 1  wherein the segment of the stud passing through the interface is a threadless segment which constitutes a segment length between about 50% and about 75% of an overall length of the stud.  
     
     
         8 . An ultrasonic horn assembly for transporting ultrasonic energy to an operating location to apply the ultrasonic energy to at least one article at the operating location, the horn assembly comprising: 
 a first stack component having at least one transfer face;    a second stack component having at least one transfer face adapted to engage the transfer face of the first stack component at an interface for transmitting ultrasonic energy from one of the first and second stack components to the other; and    a connector connecting the second stack component to the first stack component, which connector grips the stack components at locations remote from the interface, pulls the stack components toward each other, and does not grip at least one of the first and second stack components at the interface.    
     
     
         9 . The ultrasonic horn assembly of  claim 8  wherein the connector does not grip the first stack component at the interface and wherein the connector does not grip the second stack component at the interface.  
     
     
         10 . The ultrasonic horn assembly of  claim 8  wherein the first stack component is an ultrasonic horn booster and the second stack component is an ultrasonic horn.  
     
     
         11 . The ultrasonic horn assembly of  claim 8  wherein the first stack component is a first ultrasonic horn booster and the second stack component is a second ultrasonic horn booster.  
     
     
         12 . The ultrasonic horn assembly of  claim 8  wherein the first stack component is an ultrasonic horn assembly drive mechanism and the second stack component is an ultrasonic horn booster.  
     
     
         13 . The ultrasonic horn assembly of  claim 9  wherein the connector does not grip the first or second stack component along a length which constitutes between about 50% and about 75% of an overall length of the connector.  
     
     
         14 . An ultrasonic horn assembly for transporting ultrasonic energy to an operating location to apply the ultrasonic energy to at least one article at the operating location, the horn assembly comprising: 
 a first stack component having at least one transfer face;    a second stack component having at least one transfer face adapted to engage the transfer face of the first stack component at an interface for transmitting ultrasonic energy from one of the first and second stack components to the other; and    a connector connecting the second stack component to the first stack component, which connector passes through the interface without producing a high-pressure center contact area at a location where the connector passes through the interface.    
     
     
         15 . The ultrasonic horn assembly of  claim 14  wherein the connector is free of directly engaging gripping connection to the first stack component along a segment of the connector passing through a plane defined by the interface, and wherein the connector is free of directly engaging gripping connection to the second stack component along the segment of the connector passing through the interface.  
     
     
         16 . The ultrasonic horn assembly of  claim 14  wherein the first stack component is an ultrasonic horn booster and the second stack component is an ultrasonic horn.  
     
     
         17 . The ultrasonic horn assembly of  claim 14  wherein the first stack component is a first ultrasonic horn booster and the second stack component is a second ultrasonic horn booster.  
     
     
         18 . The ultrasonic horn assembly of  claim 14  wherein the first stack component is an ultrasonic horn assembly drive mechanism and the second stack component is an ultrasonic horn booster.  
     
     
         19 . The ultrasonic horn assembly of  claim 14  wherein the connector has a connector segment which is free of directly engaging gripping connection to the stack components and which connector segment constitutes between about 50% and about 75% of an overall length of the connector.  
     
     
         20 . An ultrasonic horn assembly for transporting ultrasonic energy to an operating location to apply the ultrasonic energy to at least one article at the operating location, the horn assembly comprising: 
 a first stack component having at least one transfer face;    a second stack component having at least one transfer face adapted to engage the transfer face of the first stack component at an interface for transmitting ultrasonic energy from one of the first and second stack components to the other; and    a connector connecting the second stack component to the first stack component, which connector produces a contact pressure between the first and second stack components at the interface, which contact pressure varies by no more than about 30% across the interface.    
     
     
         21 . The ultrasonic horn assembly of  claim 20  wherein the contact pressure varies by no more than about 15% across the interface.  
     
     
         22 . The ultrasonic horn assembly of  claim 20  wherein the connector is free of directly engaging gripping connection to the first stack component along a segment of the connector passing through a plane defined by the interface, and wherein the connector is free of directly engaging gripping connection to the second stack component along the segment of the connector passing through the interface.  
     
     
         23 . The ultrasonic horn assembly of  claim 20  wherein the first stack component is an ultrasonic horn booster and the second stack component is an ultrasonic horn.  
     
     
         24 . The ultrasonic horn assembly of  claim 20  wherein the first stack component is a first ultrasonic horn booster and the second stack component is a second ultrasonic horn booster.  
     
     
         25 . The ultrasonic horn assembly of  claim 20  wherein the first stack component is an ultrasonic horn assembly drive mechanism and the second stack component is an ultrasonic horn booster.

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