Automated welding assembly and method of using same

Abstract

An automated welding assembly includes an anvil table, a robot and a cut slide assembly. The robot has a robot arm configured whereby an end of arm tooling is engageable with the anvil table. The end of arm tooling includes an ultrasonic rotary horn welder. The welder includes a rotatable housing, an electrical slip ring, a converter, a booster and a welding horn. The welder is operably attached to a power supply. The electrical slip ring is operably connected to the power supply and is mounted in the rotatable housing. The converter is operably connected to the electrical slip ring. The converter is for producing ultrasonic vibrations from the power supply. The booster is operably connected to the converter and is for amplifying the ultrasonic vibrations. The welding horn is operably connected to the booster. The welding horn is for transmitting the ultrasonic vibrations to a workpiece.

1 . An isolation gown comprising:
 a front gown panel having a front body portion, a front left arm portion, a front right arm portion, a front neck edge, a front top edge, a front right side edge along the front body portion and the front right arm portion and a front left side edge along the front body portion and the front left arm portion;   a left back gown panel having a back left body portion, a back left arm portion, a back left top edge, a back left neck edge and a back left side edge along the back left body portion and the back left arm portion;   a right back gown panel having a back right body portion, a back right arm body portion, a back right top edge and a back right neck edge and a back right side edge along the back right body portion and back right arm portion;   a top left side seam and a left side seam connecting the front gown panel and the left back gown panel; and   a top right side seam and a right side seam connecting the front gown panel and the right back gown panel;   wherein the top left side seam, the left side seam, the top left seam and the right side seam are each triple weld seams.   
     
     
         2 . The isolation gown as claimed in  claim 1  wherein each triple weld seam is a continuous weld. 
     
     
         3 . The isolation gown as claimed in  claim 2  wherein the continuous weld is proximate to the front top edge, the front right side edge and the front left side edge. 
     
     
         4 . The isolation gown as claimed in  claim 2  wherein the front left arm portion and the front right arm portion are an integral portion of the front gown panel, the back left arm portion is an integral portion of the left back gown panel and the back right arm portion is integral portion of the right back gown panel. 
     
     
         5 . The isolation gown as claimed in  claim 2  further including a pair of neck ties integrally attached to the right back gown panel and left back gown panel respectively. 
     
     
         6 . The isolation gown as claimed in  claim 2  further including a pair of waist ties integrally attached to the right back gown panel and left back gown panel respectively. 
     
     
         7 . The isolation gown as claimed in  claim 1  further including one of a thumb hole, a thumb loop, a thumb slit and an elastic cuff formed in each of a left arm and a right arm respectively. 
     
     
         8 . A process for manufacturing an isolation gown comprising the steps of:
 providing gown material;   holding two layers of the gown material in place;   welding a front gown panel to a back gown panel along a top edge, a right side edge and a left side edge to create a top right seam, a top left seam, a right side seam and a left side seam respectively; and   cutting the two layers of the gown material into a gown having the front gown panel and the back gown panel;   cutting the back gown panel into a left back gown panel and a right back gown panel to create the isolation gown.   
     
     
         9 . The process for manufacturing an isolation gown as claimed in  claim 8  wherein the welding step and the cutting steps are done generally concurrently. 
     
     
         10 . The process for manufacturing an isolation gown as claimed in  claim 8  wherein the welding includes a plurality of welds. 
     
     
         11 . The process for manufacturing an isolation gown as claimed in  claim 8  wherein the welding includes a triple weld. 
     
     
         12 . The process for manufacturing an isolation gown as claimed in  claim 8  further including the step of cutting a pair of neck ties into the back left panel and the right back panel respectively. 
     
     
         13 . The process for manufacturing an isolation gown as claimed in  claim 12  further including the step of cutting a pair of waist ties into the back left panel and the right back panel respectively. 
     
     
         14 . The process for manufacturing an isolation gown as claimed in  claim 8  further including the step of providing a cuff treatment being one of cutting a thumb hole, cutting a thumb loop, cutting a thumb slit and providing an elastic cuff formed in each of a left arm and a right arm respectively. 
     
     
         15 . The process for manufacturing an isolation gown as claimed in  claim 8  including the step of removing the isolation gown and indexing the gown material and repeating the steps to create another isolation gown. 
     
     
         16 . An ultrasonic rotary horn welder, the ultrasonic rotary welder being operably attached to a power supply, and comprising;
 a rotatable housing;   an electrical slip ring operably connected to the power supply and mounted in the rotatable housing;   a converter operably connected to the electrical slip ring, the converter being for producing ultrasonic vibrations from the power supply;   a booster operably connected to the converter for amplifying the ultrasonic vibrations; and   a welding horn operably connected to the booster, the welding horn being for transmitting the ultrasonic vibrations to a workpiece.   
     
     
         17 . The ultrasonic rotary horn welder as claimed in  claim 16  wherein the rotatable housing includes an outer bearing housing, an inner bearing cylinder and bearings therebetween. 
     
     
         18 . The ultrasonic rotary horn welder as claimed in  claim 17  wherein the rotatable housing further includes an air-cooling slip ring. 
     
     
         19 . The ultrasonic rotary horn welder as claimed in  claim 16  wherein the welding horn includes a connector portion and a bell portion extending outwardly therefrom, the bell portion having a circular rim. 
     
     
         20 . The ultrasonic rotary horn welder as claimed in  claim 19  wherein the circular rim has three ridges formed therein to produce a triple weld seam. 
     
     
         21 . The ultrasonic rotary horn welder as claimed in  claim 19  wherein the bell portion having an inner profile that extends inwardly with a bell shaped curve. 
     
     
         22 . The ultrasonic rotary horn welder as claimed in  claim 21  wherein the inner profile further includes a cylindrical portion extending inwardly at a center portion of the bell shaped curve and the cylindrical portion ending in a point. 
     
     
         23 . The ultrasonic rotary horn welder as claimed in  claim 21  wherein the bell portion has an outer profile that curves inwardly and then curves outwardly to connect with the connector portion. 
     
     
         24 . An ultrasonic rotary horn welder assembly comprising the ultrasonic rotary horn welder of  claim 16  and further including a laser cutter. 
     
     
         25 . The ultrasonic rotary horn welder assembly as claimed in  claim 24  wherein the laser cutter is activatable separately from the ultrasonic rotary horn welder. 
     
     
         26 . The ultrasonic rotary horn welder assembly as claimed in  claim 24  further including mechanical grippers. 
     
     
         27 . A cut slide assembly for use with a cutting table and a robotic cutter comprising:
 a cut slide support;   a retractable plate operably connected to the cut slide support, the retractable plate being moveable between an advanced position and a retracted position over the cutting table; and   an actuator operably connected to the retractable plate for moving the plate from the advanced position to the retracted position.   
     
     
         28 . The cut slide assembly as claimed in  claim 27  wherein the cut slide support includes a stand connected to a carriage arm, the carriage arm having linear rails and a guide fixture operably attached thereto wherein the retractable plate moves from the advanced position to the retracted position within the guide fixture. 
     
     
         29 . The cut slide assembly as claimed in  claim 28  wherein the cut slide support further includes a shock absorber operably attached to the carriage arm. 
     
     
         30 . The cut slide assembly as claimed in  claim 27  wherein the actuator is a pneumatic actuator. 
     
     
         31 . An automated welding assembly comprising:
 an anvil table;   a robot positioned proximate to the anvil table having a robot arm configured whereby an end of arm tooling is engageable with the anvil table; and   a cut slide assembly being positioned proximate to the anvil table.   
     
     
         32 . The automated welding assembly as claimed in  claim 31  wherein the cut slide assembly comprises a cut slide support;
 a retractable plate operably connected to the cut slide support, the retractable plate being moveable between an advanced position and a retracted position over the cutting table; and 
 an actuator operably connected to the retractable plate for moving the plate from the advanced position to the retracted position. 
 
     
     
         33 . The automated welding assembly as claimed in  claim 32  wherein the anvil table is a vacuum anvil table. 
     
     
         34 . The automated welding assembly as claimed in  claim 33  wherein the end of arm tooling is the ultrasonic rotary horn welder assembly comprises;
 a rotatable housing; 
 an electrical slip ring operably connected to the power supply and mounted in the rotatable housing; 
 a converter operably connected to the electrical slip ring, the converter being for producing ultrasonic vibrations from the power supply; 
 a booster operably connected to the converter for amplifying the ultrasonic vibrations; and 
 a welding horn operably connected to the booster, the welding horn being for transmitting the ultrasonic vibrations to a workpiece and further including a laser cutter. 
 
     
     
         35 . The automated welding assembly as claimed in  claim 34  wherein the laser cutter is activatable separately from the ultrasonic rotary horn welder. 
     
     
         36 . The automated welding assembly as claimed in  claim 33  further including a roller fixture operably attached to the anvil table.