ULTRASONIC WELDING DEVICE WITH POSITION DETECTION OF JOINT PARTNERS

Abstract

An ultrasonic welding device includes a sonotrode, an anvil, a touching element, a lateral slide, a stop element and a receiving chamber in which joining partners are received and which is defined by bordering components of the ultrasonic welding device. The receiving chamber is defined on a first side by the sonotrode and on a second side by the anvil. The receiving chamber is further defined on a third side by the touching element and on a fourth side by the lateral slide. The receiving chamber is further defined on a fifth side, extending transverse to the first to fourth sides, by the stop element. The first stop element is electrically conductive on its surface directed toward the receiving chamber in order to form a first electrode.

Claims

1-13. (canceled)

14. An ultrasonic welding device for detecting a desired positioning of joining partners to be welded inside the ultrasonic welding device, comprising: a sonotrode; an anvil; a touching element; a lateral slide; a first stop element; and a receiving chamber in which joining partners are to be received and which is defined by bordering components of the ultrasonic welding device; wherein the receiving chamber is defined on a first side by a surface of the sonotrode and on a second side opposing the first side by a surface of the anvil; wherein the receiving chamber is further defined on a third side by a surface of the touching element and on a fourth side opposing the third side by a surface of the lateral slide; wherein the receiving chamber, at least in a positioning configuration which may be assumed by the first stop element, is further defined on a fifth side, extending transverse to the first to fourth sides, by a surface of the first stop element directed toward the receiving chamber; wherein the first stop element is electrically conductive on its surface directed toward the receiving chamber in order to form a first electrode; wherein at least one of the bordering components defining the receiving chamber, including the sonotrode, the anvil, the touching element and the lateral slide, is electrically conductive on its surface directed in each case toward the receiving chamber in order to form a second electrode; wherein the ultrasonic welding device is configured to detect an electrical closure between the first electrode and the second electrode and, based thereon, to detect the desired positioning of at least one joining partner to be welded.

15. The ultrasonic welding device according to claim 14, wherein an electrical insulation is arranged between the surface of the stop element directed toward the receiving chamber and the surface of the at least one of the bordering components defining the receiving chamber.

16. The ultrasonic welding device according to claim 14, wherein the surface forming the second electrode extends laterally adjacent to the receiving chamber.

17. The ultrasonic welding device according to claim 14, wherein the surface forming the second electrode extends vertically.

18. The ultrasonic welding device according to claim 14, wherein the touching element is arranged laterally adjacent to the receiving chamber and in the horizontal direction stationary with respect to the receiving chamber, and wherein the surface forming the second electrode is the surface of the touching element directed toward the receiving chamber.

19. The ultrasonic welding device according to claim 14, wherein the first stop element is displaceable between a pulled-in position and a pulled-out position; wherein in the pulled-in position the first stop element defines the receiving chamber on the fifth side and in the pulled-out position leaves the receiving chamber open on the fifth side.

20. Ultrasonic welding device according to claim 19, further comprising a drive device which is configured to actively displace the first stop element between the pulled-in position and the pulled-out position.

21. The ultrasonic welding device according to claim 14, further comprising a second stop element, wherein the receiving chamber, at least in a positioning configuration which may be assumed by the second stop element, is further defined on a sixth side, opposing the fifth side, by a surface of the second stop element directed toward the receiving chamber; wherein the second stop element is electrically conductive on its surface directed toward the receiving chamber in order to form a third electrode; wherein the ultrasonic welding device is configured to detect an electrical closure between the third electrode and the second electrode and, based thereon, to detect the desired positioning of at least one joining partner to be welded.

22. The ultrasonic welding device according to claim 21, wherein the second stop element is displaceable between a pulled-in position and a pulled-out position, wherein in the pulled-in position the second stop element defines the receiving chamber at least in certain areas on a sixth side and in the pulled-out position leaves the receiving chamber open on the sixth side.

23. The ultrasonic welding device according to claim 21, wherein the second stop element comprises a plurality of elongate segments, each extending in a direction along the sixth side and parallel to each other, wherein each of the segments is displaceable between the pulled-in position and the pulled-out position independently of adjacent segments.

24. The ultrasonic welding device according to claim 14, wherein the ultrasonic welding device is configured to emit a signal perceptible to an operator of the ultrasonic welding device on detecting an electrical closure between the first electrode and the second electrode.

25. The ultrasonic welding device according to claim 14, wherein the ultrasonic welding device is configured to enable execution of a welding operation exclusively on detecting an electrical closure between the first electrode and the second electrode.

26. The ultrasonic welding device according to claim 14, wherein the ultrasonic welding device is configured to automatically initiate execution of a welding operation on detecting an electrical closure between the first electrode and the second electrode.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0059] Advantageous embodiments of the invention are further explained below with reference to the accompanying drawings, and neither the drawings nor the explanations are to be construed as limiting the invention in any way.

[0060] FIG. 1 shows a greatly simplified lateral view of an ultrasonic welding device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0061] FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of an ultrasonic welding device according to an embodiment of the present invention in a first configuration with a first stop element in its pulled-in position.

[0062] FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of an ultrasonic welding device according to an embodiment of the present invention in a second configuration with a second stop element in its pulled-in position.

[0063] The figures are merely schematic and not to scale. Identical reference numerals in the various drawings denote identical features or features having the same effect.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0064] FIG. 1 shows a greatly simplified view of an ultrasonic welding device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The ultrasonic welding device 1 is also shown in two different configurations in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 in a specific embodiment in perspective view and with somewhat more detail regarding some main components.

[0065] The ultrasonic welding device 1 comprises a sonotrode 3, an anvil 5, a touching element 7 and a lateral slide 9. Said components surround in a frame-like manner a receiving chamber 13 in which joining partners 15, such as a first strand 17 of a first cable and second strand 19 of a second cable, may be received. A first side (at the bottom in the example shown) of the receiving chamber 13 is defined in this case by a surface 21 of the sonotrode 3. A second side (at the top in the example shown) opposing the first side of the receiving chamber 13 is defined by a surface 23 of the anvil 5. A third side (on the right in the example shown) of the receiving chamber 13 is defined by a surface 25 of the touching element 7. And a fourth side (on the left in the example shown) opposing the third side of the receiving chamber 13 is defined by a surface 27 of the lateral slide 9. In the example shown, the surfaces 21 and 23 of the sonotrode 3 and the anvil 5 each extend horizontally and parallel to each other, whereas the surfaces 25 and 27 of the touching element 7 and the lateral slide 9 each extend vertically and again parallel to each other. The receiving chamber 13 defined by said surfaces 21, 23, 25, 27 is thus approximately cuboid.

[0066] As may easily be seen in particular in the perspective views of FIGS. 2 and 3, a first stop element 11 is provided behind the lateral slide 9. This first stop element 11 may be arranged, as shown in FIG. 2, in a pulled-in position in which it defines the receiving chamber 13 on a fifth side (at the back in the example shown). If necessary, the first stop element 11 may be displaced into a pulled-out position in which it leaves the receiving chamber 13 open on the fifth side.

[0067] For reasons of clarity, FIGS. 2 and 3 show only a few of the main components of the ultrasonic welding device but some of the optional components explained below are only schematically illustrated in FIG. 1 and are omitted in FIGS. 2 and 3.

[0068] The first stop element 11 may be displaced along a displacement direction 31 between the pulled-in position and the pulled-out position by means of a drive device 29. For this purpose, the drive device 29 may be controlled by a control system 35. The control system 35 may be a separate component or may be integrated in the drive device 29.

[0069] Furthermore, the control system 35 may also control displacement movements of the displaceable anvil 5 and/or of the displaceable lateral slide 9. In addition, the control system 35 may control operation of the sonotrode 3.

[0070] To be able to detect, for example, whether an operator of the ultrasonic welding device 1 has arranged the two strands 17, 19 acting as joining partners 15 in a position within the receiving chamber 13 that is considered advantageous for this purpose, the ultrasonic welding device 1 is equipped with a functionality by means of which such a positioning may be detected.

[0071] For this purpose, in the example shown, at least the surface 37 of the first stop element 11 directed toward the receiving chamber 13 is electrically conductive and thus acts as the first electrode 39. In addition, in the example shown, the surface 25 of the touching element 7 directed toward the receiving chamber 13 is electrically conductive and thus acts as the second electrode 41. In this case, the two electrodes 39, 41 formed in this manner in the ultrasonic welding device 1 are arranged or are separated from each other by electrically insulating materials or components in such a way that no electrical connection exists between them through components of the ultrasonic welding device 1 itself.

[0072] In this case, the ultrasonic welding device 1 is configured to detect an electrical closure between these two electrodes 39, 41. To this end, for example, the control system 35 may be electrically connected to the components forming the electrodes 39, 41 and detect when an electrical path between these two components closes.

[0073] Such an electrical closure may be produced, as shown in FIG. 2, by the stripped strand 17 of a cable serving as joining partner 15. When the cable is arranged in a preferred position for this inside the receiving chamber 13, on the one hand, the strand 17 on its front face contacts the first electrode 39 in the form of the surface 37 of the stop 11 directed toward the receiving chamber 13 and, on the other hand, contacts the second electrode 41 in the form of the surface 25 of the touching element 7 directed toward the receiving chamber 13.

[0074] Due to the electrical closure caused by this, the control system 35, for example, may control a signal generating device 43 to emit a signal perceptible to the operator of the ultrasonic welding device 1. Alternatively or additionally, it may be provided that the control system 35 allows a welding operation to be performed exclusively if said electrical closure between the two electrodes 39, 41 is detected and thus desired positioning of the joining partners 15 may be assumed. It may even be possible to initiate a welding operation automatically as a result.

[0075] FIG. 3 illustrates a configuration of the ultrasonic welding device 1 in which a second stop element 45 has been displaced at least in certain regions into its pulled-in position. The second stop element 45 extends adjacent to the receiving chamber 13 on the sixth side opposing the fifth side. Thus, the second stop element 45 may serve as a mechanical stop for joining partners 15 which have been inserted into the receiving chamber 13 from the fifth side.

[0076] The second stop element 45 is not configured as a simple one-piece plate like the first stop element 11 but has a plurality of elongate segments 47. The segments 47 may be displaced into the pulled-in and/or the pulled-out position independently of each other. For this purpose, each of the segments 47 is coupled to a segment-moving element 49 which may be displaced by a drive device (not shown).

[0077] However, the segment-moving element 49 does not transmit a movement of the drive device rigidly to the associated segment 47. Instead, the segment 47 is coupled to the segment-moving element 49 via a spring 51. In this way, it may be achieved that the respective segment 47, when it is force-actuated by its segment-moving element 49 toward the pulled-in position, is elastically biased toward the pulled-in position but in fact does not necessarily move toward the pulled-in position. Instead, segments 47 which encounter an obstacle, such as joining partners 15 arranged in the receiving chamber 13, during a movement toward the pulled-in position may be stopped by this obstacle. These segments 47 then press against the obstacle in an elastically biased manner. This may be used to temporarily secure joining partners 15 already arranged in the receiving chamber 13. This is illustrated in FIG. 3 for the lower three segments 47. Those segments 47 which do not encounter an obstacle are displaced toward the pulled-in position. There they then form a boundary of the receiving chamber 13, on which joining partners inserted from the opposite side may abut mechanically and thus be aligned. This is illustrated in FIG. 3 for the upper four segments 47.

[0078] The second stop element 45 is again electrically conductive on its surface 53 directed toward the receiving chamber 13 in order to form a third electrode 55 in this manner. The ultrasonic welding device 1 or its control system 35 is configured in this case to also detect an electrical closure between this third electrode 55 and the second electrode 41 on the touching element 7.

[0079] In this way, it may also be detected for strands of cables that are to be inserted into the receiving chamber 13 from the rear sixth side whether they have been positioned in a desired manner adjacent to the touching element 7 as well as abutting on the second stop element 45.

[0080] With the approach described herein of a functionality for detecting a desired positioning of joining partners 15 to be welded inside an ultrasonic welding device 1, it is possible to achieve easier operability of the ultrasonic welding device 1, in particular for less practiced operators, while maintaining consistent quality of the weld. In particular, it may be detected whether a weld splice is in the correct position. As a result, it is possible to achieve constant quality in the weld splices produced. This may largely prevent the production of defective parts.

[0081] Finally, it should be noted that terms such as having, comprising, etc. do not exclude any other elements or steps and that terms such as one or a do not exclude a plurality. It should further be pointed out that features or steps which have been described with reference to one of the above exemplary embodiments may also be used in combination with other features or steps of other exemplary embodiments described above. Reference numerals in the claims are not to be regarded as a limitation.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0082] 1 Ultrasonic welding device [0083] 3 Sonotrode [0084] 5 Anvil [0085] 7 Touching element [0086] 9 Lateral slide [0087] 11 First stop element [0088] 13 Receiving chamber [0089] 15 Joining partner [0090] 17 First strand [0091] 19 Second strand [0092] 21 Surface of the sonotrode [0093] 23 Surface of the anvil [0094] 25 Surface of the touching element [0095] 27 Surface of the lateral slide [0096] 29 Drive device [0097] 31 Displacement direction of the first stop element [0098] 33 Displacement direction of the lateral slide [0099] 35 Control system [0100] 37 Surface of the first stop element [0101] 39 First electrode [0102] 41 Second electrode [0103] 43 Signal generating device [0104] 45 Second stop element [0105] 47 Segments [0106] 49 Segment-moving element [0107] 51 Springs [0108] 53 Surface of the second stop element [0109] 55 Third electrode