The present disclosure relates to ultrasonic tube sealers and tooling therefor.
This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.
A model of a typical ultrasonic tube sealer 100 is shown in
The mechanical vibration that results on an ultrasonic horn tip 110 is the motion that performs the task of sealing the tube 108 by ultrasonically welding tube 108. Ultrasonic horn tip 110 illustratively includes one or more forming tools 111 on sides of ultrasonic horn tip 110. A portion 112 of the tube 108 to be cut and sealed is placed between one of the forming tools 111 of ultrasonic horn tip 110 and a forming tool 114 of anvil 116 and supported by forming tool 114. The forming tool 111 of ultrasonic horn tip 110 is brought into contact with portion 112 of tube 108 pinching portion 112 between the forming tool 111 of ultrasonic horn tip 110 and the forming tool 114 of anvil 116. In some ultrasonic tube sealers, anvil 116 is mounted on an anvil arm 120 that is moved by an actuator (not shown) to bring horn tip 110 and anvil 116 together. Typically, ultrasonic horn tip 110 is brought to a pre-determined distance from anvil 116 so that there is a pre-set gap between the forming tools 111, 114 of ultrasonic horn tip 110 and anvil 116 in which the portion 112 of tube 108 to be sealed is situated. Ultrasonic vibrations are applied via the ultrasonic horn tip 110 to the portion 112 of tube 108 where tube 108 is to be sealed. The ultrasonic vibrations generate heat to ultrasonically weld the material of the portion 112 of tube 108 together where portion 112 is pinched between the forming tools 111, 114 of ultrasonic horn tip 110 and anvil 116. The forming tools 111, 114 of ultrasonic horn tip 110 and anvil 116 also cut the tube 108 and typically do so during active welding which is when ultrasonic vibrations are being applied to portion 112 of tube 108 by ultrasonic horn tip 110. The electrical energy provided by power supply 103 is then stopped and the portion 112 of tube 108 held closed between the forming tools of ultrasonic horn tip 110 and anvil 116 for a dwell period which is a brief period of time. An example of such a prior art ultrasonic tube sealer is the Branson Ultraseal® Ultrasonic Tube Welding System available from Branson Ultrasonics Corporation, Danbury, Conn.
The ultrasonic tube sealer 100 is controlled by a controller 118 that has inputs and outputs coupled to the applicable components of ultrasonic tube sealer 100. It should be understood that power supply 103 can include controller 118 (as shown in
Typically, the forming tools of ultrasonic horn tip 110 and the anvil 116 cut and seal the tube 108 in a straight line perpendicularly across the tube at portion 112 of tube 108, relying on a back stop for orientation of the tube.
This section provides a general summary of the disclosure, and is not a comprehensive disclosure of its full scope or all of its features.
In accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure, tooling for an ultrasonic tube sealer includes an ultrasonic horn tip and an anvil. The ultrasonic horn tip and the anvil each have at least one forming tool. The forming tool of the anvil includes a center member extending from a base with the base having sealing members on opposed sides of the center member. The center member includes at least one V-shaped recess having opposed sides that angle outwardly away from each other from an apex of the V-shaped recess at an acute angle. In an aspect, the forming tool of the ultrasonic horn tip is a U-shaped channel member that extends axially along the ultrasonic horn tip having opposed sides with a channel therebetween.
In an aspect, the center member of the forming tool of the anvil has a plurality of V-shaped recesses.
In an aspect, the horn tip includes a plurality of the forming tools of the ultrasonic horn tip that are channel members.
In an aspect, a tooling kit includes the ultrasonic horn tip and the anvil.
In an aspect, the ultrasonic tooling is used in an ultrasonic sealer to cut and seal tube. The tube is placed laterally across one of the V-shaped recesses of the center member of the forming tool of the anvil with a section of the tube received in the V-shaped recess. With an ultrasonic transducer of the ultrasonic sealer de-energized, the anvil and horn tip are brought together. In an aspect, the anvil and horn tip are brought together with a cutting force to an interim pre-set distance to cut at least ninety percent through the tube. When the horn tip and anvil have been are brought together to the interim pre-set distance, the ultrasonic transducer is energized and the horn tip and anvil are continued to be brought together to a final pre-set distance. Once the horn tip and anvil have been brought together to the final pre-set distance, they are held at a welding force at that final pre-set distance until welding is completed. The horn tip and anvil are then moved apart.
In a variation, the horn tip and anvil are brought together with the cutting force to the final pre-set distance with the transducer de-energized to cut one hundred percent through the tube. When the horn tip and anvil have been brought together to the final pre-set distance, they are held at the welding force at that final pre-set distance until welding is completed. The horn tip and anvil are then moved apart.
The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only of selected embodiments and not all possible implementations, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.
Corresponding reference numerals indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.
Example embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings.
With reference to
Each forming tool 208 of horn tip 202 is illustratively a U-shaped channel member that extends longitudinally along ultrasonic horn tip 202 having opposed sides 212 with a channel 214 therebetween. Opposed sides 212 have outer edges 216. Each forming tool 208 thus has a U-shaped cross-section.
As best shown in
In an aspect, anvil 204 includes upwardly extending guide posts 240 (shown in
When a tube 108 is to be cut and sealed by an ultrasonic tube sealer such as ultrasonic tube sealer 100 of
Ultrasonic horn tip 202 and anvil 204 are then brought together to cut and seal tube 108. As ultrasonic horn tip 202 and anvil 204 come together, center member 218 of forming tool 210 of anvil 204 is received in channel 214 of one of forming tools 208 of ultrasonic horn tip 202. As ultrasonic horn tip 202 and anvil 204 are brought together, forming tool 208 of ultrasonic horn tip 202 and forming tool 210 of anvil 204 cooperate to cut portion 112 of tube 108, with cut ends 236 (
Ultrasonic tube sealer 100 having ultrasonic tooling 200 is controlled by power supply 103 to bring ultrasonic horn tip 202 and anvil 204 partially together with a cutting force, illustratively to an interim pre-set distance apart, to cut tube 108 at least ninety percent through before energizing ultrasonic transducer 102 with power supply 103 to ultrasonically vibrate ultrasonic horn 206 and thus ultrasonic horn tip 202. Ultrasonic horn tip 202 and anvil 204 are then continued to be brought together to a final pre-set distance apart. As ultrasonic horn tip 202 and anvil 204 are brought to the final pre-set distance apart, portion 112 of tube 108 is pinched between edges 216 of opposed sides 212 of forming tool 208 of ultrasonic horn tip 202 and sealing members 222 of base 220 of forming tool 210 of anvil 204. Bringing ultrasonic horn tip 202 and anvil 204 to the final pre-set distance apart completes cutting portion 112 of tube 108. Ultrasonic horn tip 202 and anvil 204 are held at the final pre-set distance with a weld force until active welding is completed. When ultrasonic horn tip 202 and anvil 204 are at the final pre-set distance apart, tube 108 has been cut through at portion 112 and cut ends 236 (
In an aspect, ultrasonic horn tip and anvil are brought together with the cutting force to the final pre-set distance apart to cut tube 108 one-hundred percent the way through before ultrasonic transducer 102 is energized. Once ultrasonic horn tip and anvil have been brought together to the final pre-set distance, thus cutting tube 108 one-hundred percent the way through, they are then held together with the weld force at the final pre-set distance and ultrasonic transducer 102 energized to ultrasonically weld cut ends 236 of tube 108 together. After completion of the weld, ultrasonic horn tip 202 and anvil 204 are moved away from each other.
In an aspect, a tooling kit 238 includes ultrasonic horn tip 202 and anvil 204. In the example embodiment shown in
The V-shaped recess 226 positions tube 108 when portion 112 of tube 108 is nested in V-shaped recess 226 in a proper orientation for cutting and sealing, which in an aspect is with the longitudinal axis 232 of tube 108 perpendicular to longitudinal axis 234 of center member 218. In an aspect, surfaces 229 of sides 228 of V-shaped recess 226 have a width sufficient to self-align portion 112 of tube 108 therein so that the longitudinal axis 232 of tube 108 is perpendicular to longitudinal axis 234 of center member 218. In an example, when tube 108 has a 1/4 inch diameter, surfaces 229 have a width of at least ⅛ inch. In an aspect, surfaces 229 have a width that is at least fifty percent that of a diameter of tube 108 at portion 112.
Tube 108 may, for example, be a copper charge tube leading to a refrigerant charge inlet of a compressor of a refrigeration or air conditioning unit. As discussed above, tube 108 may also be an aluminum tube.
As used herein, the term controller, control module, control system, or the like may refer to, be part of, or include an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC); an electronic circuit; a combinational logic circuit; a field programmable gate array (FPGA); a processor (shared, dedicated, or group) that executes code; a programmable logic controller, programmable control system such as a processor based control system including a computer based control system, a process controller such as a PID controller, or other suitable hardware components that provide the described functionality or provide the above functionality when programmed with software as described herein; or a combination of some or all of the above, such as in a system-on-chip. The term module may include memory (shared, dedicated, or group) that stores code executed by the processor. When it is stated that such a device performs a function, it should be understood that the device is configured to perform the function by appropriate logic, such as software, hardware, or a combination thereof.
Spatially relative terms, such as “inner,” “outer,” “beneath,” “below,” “lower,” “above,” “upper,” and the like, may be used herein for ease of description to describe one element or feature's relationship to another element(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. Spatially relative terms may be intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures is turned over, elements described as “below” or “beneath” other elements or features would then be oriented “above” the other elements or features. Thus, the example term “below” can encompass both an orientation of above and below. The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein interpreted accordingly.
The foregoing description of the embodiments has been provided for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure. Individual elements or features of a particular embodiment are generally not limited to that particular embodiment, but, where applicable, are interchangeable and can be used in a selected embodiment, even if not specifically shown or described. The same may also be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the disclosure, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the disclosure.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/364,383, filed on Jul. 20, 2016. The entire disclosure of the above application is incorporated herein by reference.
Number | Date | Country | |
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62364383 | Jul 2016 | US |