Advanced ultrasonic welding components of co-pending application Ser. No. 12/925,652 are readily incorporated into new form-fill-seal machines, but owners of existing machines utilizing heat-seal stations were unsuccessful at swapping the sealing packages. Retrofit kits to a replace heat sealing station with an advanced ultrasonic sonotrode and anvil comprise: a housing; a linear rail fixed thereto; first and second bearing carriages being slidable upon the rail; and first and second fluidic muscles. Each of the fluidic muscles is mounted with a first end fixed to a respective housing wall, and a second end fixed to a respective bearing carriage, permitting actuation of each carriage through pressurization and depressurization of the muscles. The advanced anvil and sonotrode may be secured to respective carriages. In-line arrangements of anvil/sonotrode, bearing carriages, the first fluidic muscle, and the second fluidic muscle provides a narrow profile, permitting side-by-side kit installations for retrofits accomplishing duplex sealing on a horizontal machine.

A method for joining two objects by anchoring an insert portion provided on one of the objects in an opening provided on the other one of the objects. The anchorage is achieved by liquefaction of a thermoplastic material and interpenetration of the liquefied material and a penetrable material, the two materials being arranged on opposite surfaces of the insert portion and the wall of the opening. Before such liquefaction and interpenetration, an interference fit is established in which such opposite surfaces are pressed against each other, and, for the anchoring, mechanical vibration energy and possibly a shearing force are applied, wherein the shearing force puts a shear stress on the interference fit.

A method for joining two objects by anchoring an insert portion provided on a first object in an opening provided on a second object. The anchorage is achieved by liquefaction of a thermoplastic material and interpenetration of the liquefied material and a penetrable material, the two materials being arranged on opposite surfaces of the insert portion and the wall of the opening. During the step of inserting the insert portion in the opening and/or during anchorage a clamping force is applied to opposing surfaces of the second object to prevent the second object from cracking or bulging.

The sonotrode and anvil of copending application Ser. No. 12/925,652, 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 further improved sonotrode and anvil disclosed herein, comprise: a housing; a linear 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 comprise a corresponding plurality of energy directors arranged into a three-dimensional grid pattern to produce a narrower weld region, but one exhibiting greater durability, thereby permitting use of less packaging material, and which may also weld a company logo into the workpieces.

A personal-care applicator comprising at least one stem having a longitudinal axis, a proximal end including a handle, and a distal end opposite to the proximal end, and at least a first plurality of bristles ultrasonically welded to the stem and outwardly extending therefrom according to a first pre-determined pattern, wherein the elongated stem and the at least first plurality of bristles comprise ultrasonically compatible materials, and wherein the bristles are ultrasonically bonded to the stem through a direct ultrasonic bond between a surface of the stem and a lengthwise portion of each of the bristles. Process comprises providing a stem strip, wrapping a continuous yarn around a moving endless band, juxtaposing the continuous stem strip with the band's edge, ultrasonically welding the yarn portions adjacent to the band's edge to the stem strip at a predetermined density, removing the stem strip having the yarn ultrasonically welded thereto from the endless band, and cutting the stem strip into a plurality of applicator components.

A tube seal apparatus including a sealing iron having a tube sealing end, an insulating shroud having a tube clamping end, wherein the sealing iron is at least partially disposed within the insulating shroud. The apparatus further includes an anvil having a cutting detail and a non-stick membrane disposed between the anvil and the tube clamping end of the insulating shroud. The sealing iron and insulating shroud are configured to advance towards a tube to be sealed positioned between the non-stick membrane and the anvil. The tube clamping end is configured to clamp the tube through the non-stick membrane. The sealing iron is configured to advance towards the tube to melt and seal the tube against the cutting detail through the non-stick membrane.

Weld seam, method and device for connecting plastic films (10) by thermal joining, wherein the plastic films (10) are connected between welding jaws (2, 4) along a weld seam (12). According to the invention, the device comprises a pair of unheated welding jaws (2, 4) between which the plastic films (10) are arranged parallel to each other for thermal joining. A device for impulse generation (30) applies an impact impulse to one of the welding jaws (2, 4) with a penetration time into the plastic films (10) of less than 10 ms with a first intensity (Fi1). The impact impulse acts on the plastic films (10), wherein a heating in the material caused by deformation is produced and the weld seam (12) is formed in an effective area of the welding jaws (2, 4); use of a blow-forging press.

Described is an ultrasonic device for sealing material (1) in strips, comprising: a generator (9) of electrical power signals; a converter (9a) for converting the electrical power signals into mechanical vibrations; a sonotrode (2) rotating about a first axis (X2); an anvil (4) rotating about a second axis (X4) parallel to the first axis (X2); the sonotrode (2) having a circular groove (6) and the anvil (4) having a protruding element (7) which is annular in shape; the protruding element (7) is configured to operate in conjunction with the groove (6) along directions parallel to the first axis (X2) and to the second axis (X4) in such a way as to seal the sheet or strip of material (1) moved along a direction (A) transversal to the first (X2) and second (X4) axis of rotation and passing between the sonotrode (2) and the anvil (4) engaging the groove (6) and the protruding element (7).

The sonotrode and anvil of co-pending application Ser. No. 12/925,652, 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 further improved sonotrode and anvil disclosed herein, comprise: a housing; a linear 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 comprise a corresponding plurality of energy directors arranged into a three-dimensional grid pattern to produce a narrower weld region, but one exhibiting greater durability; thereby permitting use of less packaging material, and which may also weld a company logo into the workpieces.

Advanced ultrasonic welding components of co-pending application Ser. No. 12/925,652 are readily incorporated into new form-fill-seal machines, but owners of existing machines utilizing heat-seal stations were unsuccessful at swapping the sealing packages. Retrofit kits to a replace heat sealing station with an advanced ultrasonic sonotrode and anvil comprise: a housing; a linear rail fixed thereto; first and second bearing carriages being slidable upon the rail; and first and second fluidic muscles. Each of the fluidic muscles is mounted with a first end fixed to a respective housing wall, and a second end fixed to a respective bearing carriage, permitting actuation of each carriage through pressurization and depressurization of the muscles. The advanced anvil and sonotrode may be secured to respective carriages. In-line arrangements of anvil/sonotrode, bearing carriages, the first fluidic muscle, and the second fluidic muscle provides a narrow profile, permitting side-by-side kit installations for retrofits accomplishing duplex sealing on a horizontal machine.