In a battery assembly including a first battery and a second battery, the first battery includes a negative terminal, and the negative terminal has a first metal section and a second metal section formed of a metal different from the first metal section. The second metal section is joined to the top of the first metal section with the dissimilar metal joining, and the second metal section is formed with a joint surface and a recessed portion. A method of manufacturing the battery assembly includes a process of inserting a welding assist member into the recessed portion, and a process of placing a bus bar on the joint surface of the negative terminal in which the welding assist member is inserted in the recessed portion, and joining the bus bar onto the joint surface of the negative terminal by laser welding.

In a battery assembly including a first battery and a second battery, the first battery includes a negative terminal, and the negative terminal has a first metal section and a second metal section formed of a metal different from the first metal section. The second metal section is joined to the top of the first metal section with the dissimilar metal joining, and the second metal section is formed with a joint surface and a recessed portion. A method of manufacturing the battery assembly includes a process of inserting a welding assist member into the recessed portion, and a process of placing a bus bar on the joint surface of the negative terminal in which the welding assist member is inserted in the recessed portion, and joining the bus bar onto the joint surface of the negative terminal by laser welding.

The invention relates to a device for electrically conductive connecting, by means of ultrasonic welding, of first electric conductors (140, 142) and second electric conductors (144, 146) in a compression space the cross section of which can be changed and which comprises at least one lateral slide, a sonotrode and a counter electrode, wherein firstly, blank ends of the first electric conductors (140, 142) are introduced into the compression space and are welded by means of ultrasonic action to form a first connection (148) and then after the first connection has been removed from the compression space, blank ends of the second electric conductors (144, 146) are introduced into same and are welded by means of ultrasonic action to form a second connection, wherein the first connection is fed to a retaining device (182, 184) before the second connection is welded.

The invention relates to a device for electrically conductive connecting, by means of ultrasonic welding, of first electric conductors (140, 142) and second electric conductors (144, 146) in a compression space the cross section of which can be changed and which comprises at least one lateral slide, a sonotrode and a counter electrode, wherein firstly, blank ends of the first electric conductors (140, 142) are introduced into the compression space and are welded by means of ultrasonic action to form a first connection (148) and then after the first connection has been removed from the compression space, blank ends of the second electric conductors (144, 146) are introduced into same and are welded by means of ultrasonic action to form a second connection, wherein the first connection is fed to a retaining device (182, 184) before the second connection is welded.

In a method of applying a weld to a target surface, a guide rail arrangement is attached to the target, the guide rail arrangement including at least one guide rail. A weld head carriage having a carriage housing, a rail follower assembly, and a sonotrode is movably mounted to the guide rail arrangement so that the follower assembly engages each guide rail for movement there-along. The weld head carriage is positioned adjacent the target surface, feedstock material is deposited onto the target surface, and the sonotrode is extended to engage the deposited feedstock material and apply a welding force to the feedstock material and the target. Relative movement between the carriage and the guide rail arrangement is initiated and ultrasonic vibrations are conducted into the feedstock material and the target, thereby welding the feedstock material to the target surface.

The invention relates to a sonotrode (218) of an ultrasonic welding device with a sonotrode body (224) with sonotrode head (220) with at least one working surface (230) extending in the longitudinal direction of the sonotrode head for welding or welding together and/or deforming and/or cutting at least one item of metallic welding material, wherein the sonotrode head has cross-sections which vary along the working surface in such a way that the cross-section of the sonotrode head in the end region of the working surface extending at the end face is greater than in the middle region of the working surface.

The invention relates to a sonotrode (218) of an ultrasonic welding device with a sonotrode body (224) with sonotrode head (220) with at least one working surface (230) extending in the longitudinal direction of the sonotrode head for welding or welding together and/or deforming and/or cutting at least one item of metallic welding material, wherein the sonotrode head has cross-sections which vary along the working surface in such a way that the cross-section of the sonotrode head in the end region of the working surface extending at the end face is greater than in the middle region of the working surface.

An ultrasonic welding system is provided. The ultrasonic welding system includes a support structure for supporting a workpiece. The ultrasonic welding system also includes a weld head assembly including an ultrasonic converter carrying a sonotrode. The ultrasonic welding system also includes a z-axis motion system carrying the weld head assembly. The z-axis motion system includes (i) a z-axis forcer for moving the weld head assembly along a z-axis of the ultrasonic welding system, and (ii) a z-axis overtravel mechanism disposed between the z-axis forcer and the weld head assembly.

An ultrasonic welding system is provided. The ultrasonic welding system includes a support structure for supporting a workpiece. The ultrasonic welding system also includes a weld head assembly including an ultrasonic converter carrying a sonotrode. The ultrasonic welding system also includes a z-axis motion system carrying the weld head assembly. The z-axis motion system includes (i) a z-axis forcer for moving the weld head assembly along a z-axis of the ultrasonic welding system, and (ii) a z-axis overtravel mechanism disposed between the z-axis forcer and the weld head assembly.

Prior electrochromic devices frequently suffer from high levels of defectivity. The defects may be manifest as pin holes or spots where the electrochromic transition is impaired. This is unacceptable for many applications such as electrochromic architectural glass. Improved electrochromic devices with low defectivity can be fabricated by depositing certain layered components of the electrochromic device in a single integrated deposition system. While these layers are being deposited and/or treated on a substrate, for example a glass window, the substrate never leaves a controlled ambient environment, for example a low pressure controlled atmosphere having very low levels of particles. These layers may be deposited using physical vapor deposition.