Systems and methods to improve weld quality are described. For example, certain systems and methods described use weld quality monitoring as feedback to an ultrasonic welding process to improve weld quality. Still other systems and methods provide improvement to double sided and single sided ultrasonic welding through the use of selected multiple pulses.

A ultrasonic welding method of joining dissimilar-material workpieces, such as sheet materials, and the joined components formed thereby. The method includes applying ultrasonic energy to a thermoplastic piece to fill a hole of a dissimilar piece to form a weld point that is made up with polymer from the thermoplastic piece. In general, the geometry of the thermoplastic piece is not altered during the process. The dissimilar piece generally has a higher melting temperate and can be metal, thermoset polymers, or other thermoplastic material. The welded pieces can be arranged in a lap, laminate, or double lap configuration. In some embodiments, the hole of the dissimilar sheet material includes undercut features that improve the mechanical interlock between the dissimilar pieces. In some embodiments, the weld point has a mushroom cap to improve mechanical interlock.

An apparatus and method of manufacturing a thermoplastic tube-to-tube-sheet joint is disclosed. The method provides at least one tube-sheet having a first aperture and a plurality of holes. Further, the at least one tube-sheet fixes into a welding fixture using a plurality of bolts through the holes. The welding fixture has a second aperture. The method inserts a tubular member within the first aperture and the second aperture and fills an adequate molten workpiece material, using an FSW process, in a clearance gap between the tubular member and the at least one tube-sheet. The apparatus includes at least one tube-sheet having a first aperture, a welding fixture having a second aperture, a tubular member inserted into the at least one tube-sheet, and an adequate molten workpiece material, using the FSW process, is filled in a clearance gap between the tubular member and the at least one tube-sheet.

A secondary battery includes an electrode assembly, a packaging bag, an electrode lead and an insulating member. The electrode assembly is housed in the packaging bag, an edge of the packaging bag has a sealing portion, and the electrode lead is connected to the electrode assembly and passes through the sealing portion; the sealing portion includes a main body region, a first step region and a first transition region, the first step region is located on two sides of the electrode lead in a thickness direction, the main body region and the first transition region are located on a same side of the first step region in a width direction, and the first transition region is connected between the first step region and the main body region; the insulating member surrounds an outer side of the electrode lead and isolates the sealing portion from the electrode lead.

The present invention provides a sealing apparatus having a structure in which an application area of pressure and heat is increased by a pair of sealing blocks and a pressurization part extending from the sealing block. In the sealing apparatus according to the present invention based on the structure, when the sealing-planned part is pressurized, heat and pressure may be applied to the sealing-planned part or an insulating film to be extended, and thus an electrode lead and the sealing-planned part adjacent thereto may be firmly bonded.

A flexible container incorporating flexible front and rear sheets with a perimeter seal in which at least one length or section of the perimeter seal can include a seal weld that has both a permanent seal section and a pressure absorbing seal section. The pressure absorbing seal section is configured to peel, fail, or split when the flexible container, filled with a solution or liquid, is dropped onto a hard surface to thereby absorb the impact of the drop. The flexible container can be provided with one or more dispensing and/or additive ports or without any port. The flexible container may include more than one compartments with a peelable seal separating two adjoining compartments of the flexible container.

An anvil of an ultrasonic sealing apparatus that includes a horn provided with a strip-shaped vibration applying surface at an end face thereof, the anvil being provided with an abutment surface at an end face thereof, the ultrasonic sealing apparatus sandwiching a laminate of two or more sheets between the vibration applying surface and the abutment surface and melting thermoplastic resin on the sheets by ultrasonic vibration delivered to the vibration applying surface, thereby bonding the laminate. The abutment surface includes a strip-shaped welding surface portion projected toward the horn, and the end face thereof is opposed to the vibration applying surface, and a plurality of block members arranged along the strip-shaped welding surface portion in an extending direction of the welding surface portion without being in contact with each other, and the plurality of block members has a height equal to or lower than the welding surface portion.

A compact pressing body with a pressing surface smaller in area than a welding range welds together sheet-like members over the whole area of the welding range by pressing the sheet-like members being reliably moved in a direction substantially orthogonal to a pressing direction of the pressing body.

A sonotrode and anvil are adapted for ultrasonic welding of work pieces, to produce a narrower weld region that exhibits greater durability, permitting use of less material per package. The horn-to-anvil contact is through a plurality of energy directors arranged into a three-dimensional grid pattern to be capable of distributed vibration-transmissive contact. The energy directors include a series of plateau surfaces regularly spaced apart in a first direction, and in a second direction that is orthogonal to the first direction, to form the grid pattern. The energy directors of the horn are configured to interlock with the energy directors of the anvil. The rectangular-shaped plateaus are spaced apart by angled side-surfaces that form valleys. A stepped transition to a corresponding region of reduced height for the energy directors of the sonotrode and anvil may form a cosmetic seal region with a lesser integrity, in addition to the main barrier seal.

An ultrasonic sealing apparatus which allows for easy maintenance of a horn and high cooling efficiency of the horn is provided. The ultrasonic sealing apparatus includes a horn that abuts on a cylindrical material and applies vibration thereto, and a horn cover which includes a small frames that cover a lateral surface of the horn and have slits through which a space in which the horn is enclosed communicates with outside, the horn cover being removably attached independently from the horn.