Pedestal-Mounted Ultrasonic Welding Device

Abstract

The sonotrode and anvil of Applicant's issued U.S. Pat. No. 8,376,016, for advanced ultrasonic welding of work pieces, are readily incorporated into new form-fill-seal machines, but existing machines with heat-seal stations pose difficult problems for swapping of the sealing packages. Kits enabling heat station replacement with the Applicant's patented sonotrode and anvil include: a housing; a rail fixed thereto; anvil and sonotrode support members; and a parallel gripper. Each of the anvil and sonotrode support members is slidably attached to the rail(s) and are also connected to a respective piston of the gripper, permitting actuation of each through cycling of the gripper pistons. The improved sonotrode/anvil combination each include corresponding pluralities of energy directors arranged into a three-dimensional grid pattern that produces narrower weld regions, which exhibit greater durability, permitting use of less packaging material.

We claim: 
     
         1 . An ultrasonic welding device, for use in ultrasonic welding of a pouch at a sealing station of a form-fill-seal machine, said ultrasonic welding device comprising:
 a housing;   a parallel gripper secured to a portion of said housing;   a linear rail fixedly secured to a portion of said housing;   an anvil support member, said anvil support member slidably received upon at least a portion of said linear rail, said anvil support member connected to a first piston of said parallel gripper; said anvil support member configured to secure an anvil thereto;   a sonotrode support member, said sonotrode support member slidably received upon at least a portion of said linear rail, said sonotrode support member connected to a second piston of said parallel gripper; said sonotrode support member configured to secure a sonotrode thereto;   wherein said first and second pistons of said parallel gripper are configured to cause respective translation of said anvil support member and said sonotrode support member, relative to said housing, from a first respective position to a second respective position, said respective translation of said anvil support member and said sonotrode support member to said second respective positions comprising convergent translation.   
     
     
         2 . The ultrasonic welding device according to  claim 2  further comprising: a pedestal assembly, and one or more cradle brackets configured to secure said pedestal assembly to said housing; said pedestal assembly comprising means for causing a height adjustment to said housing. 
     
     
         3 . The ultrasonic welding device according to  claim 1  further comprising:
 an anvil secured to said anvil support member; 
 a sonotrode secured to said sonotrode support member; and 
 wherein said respective securement of said anvil and sonotrode to said anvil support member and said sonotrode support member is configured to cause engagement, from said convergent translation of said support members, between a surface of said anvil and a surface of said sonotrode. 
 
     
     
         4 . The ultrasonic welding device according to  claim 2  wherein said convergent translation is configured to cause engagement of said surface of said sonotrode and said surface of said anvil at a mid-plane therebetween. 
     
     
         5 . The ultrasonic welding device according to  claim 2  further comprising:
 one or more sensors configured to indicate when said sonotrode is in a disengaged position with respect to said anvil; and 
 one or more pouch presence sensors configured to prevent said convergent translation of said support members, when no pouch is present between said surface of said sonotrode and said surface of said anvil. 
 
     
     
         6 . The ultrasonic welding device according to  claim 2  further comprising: a plurality of leveling feet configured to threadably secure said anvil to said anvil support member, to permit threaded adjustments to a position of said surface of said anvil, to provide a uniform depth of engagement with respect to said surface of said sonotrode. 
     
     
         7 . The ultrasonic welding device according to  claim 2  wherein said sonotrode secured to said sonotrode support member comprises a releasable attachment comprising: a pair of clamp blocks secured to said sonotrode support member using a fastening means. 
     
     
         8 . The ultrasonic welding device according to  claim 1  wherein said anvil support member configured to slide relative to said linear rail is a sliding arrangement from the group of sliding arrangements consisting of:
 said anvil support member configured to slide upon said linear rail; and 
 said anvil support member fixedly secured to one or more bearing carriages, with said one or more bearing carriages configured to slide upon said linear rail. 
 
     
     
         9 . The ultrasonic welding device according to  claim 8  wherein said sonotrode support member configured to slide relative to said linear rail is a sliding arrangement from the group of sliding arrangements consisting of:
 said sonotrode support member configured to slide upon said linear rail; and 
 said sonotrode support member fixedly secured to one or more bearing carriages, with said one or more bearing carriages configured to slide upon said linear rail. 
 
     
     
         10 . The ultrasonic welding device according to  claim 2  further comprising a booster and a converter; and wherein said sonotrode support member is further configured to support said booster and said converter.