Sonotrode and Anvil Energy Director Grids for Narrow/Complex Ultrasonic Welds of Improved Durability

A horn and anvil combination, said horn and anvil combination being particularly adapted for use in ultrasonic welding of thin work pieces, for improved integrity in the packaging of solids and liquids with narrow welds to reduce per-package material usage and costs:

• said horn comprising:
• a plurality of energy directors, said plurality of energy directors being spaced in a first direction and in a second direction to form a pattern, each of said plurality of energy directors comprising a rectangular-shaped plateau surface with each side of said rectangular-shaped plateau surfaces configured to transition into an angled side surface to create a first, a second, a third, and a fourth angled side surface for each said plateau surface;
• each of said angled side surfaces of each said plateau surface being connected with another side surface of an adjacent plateau surface, except at an outer periphery of said horn;
• said anvil comprising:
• a plurality of energy directors being spaced in a first direction and in a second direction to form a pattern, each of said plurality of energy directors comprising a rectangular-shaped plateau surface with each side of said rectangular-shaped plateau surfaces configured to transition into an angled side surface to create a first, a second, a third, and a fourth angled side surface for each said plateau surface;
• each of said angled side surfaces of each said plateau surface being connected with another side surface of an adjacent plateau surface, except at an outer periphery of said anvil;
• and
• wherein said energy directors of said horn and said energy directors of said anvil are configured for alignment to ultrasonically weld the thin work pieces, whereby said side surfaces of said horn plateaus interlock with said side surfaces of said anvil plateaus in a pattern, in both said first direction and said second direction, to provide improved weld integrity permitting substantially narrower welds to reduce per-package material usage and costs.

A sonotrode and anvil combination, said sonotrode and anvil combination being configured for use on a form-fill-seal machine to ultrasonically weld thin work pieces:

• said sonotrode comprising:
• a plurality of energy directors, said plurality of energy directors being spaced in a first direction and spaced in a second direction, each of said plurality of energy directors comprising a rectangular-shaped plateau surface with each side of said rectangular-shaped plateau surfaces configured to transition into an angled side surface to create a first, a second, a third, and a fourth angled side surface for each said plateau surface;
• each of said angled side surfaces of each said plateau surface being connected with another side surface of an adjacent plateau surface, except at an outer periphery of said sonotrode;
• said anvil comprising:
• a plurality of energy directors being spaced in a first direction and spaced in a second direction, each of said plurality of energy directors comprising a rectangular-shaped plateau surface with each side of said rectangular-shaped plateau surfaces configured to transition into an angled side surface to create a first, a second, a third, and a fourth angled side surface for each said plateau surface;
• each of said angled side surfaces of each said plateau surface being connected with another side surface of an adjacent plateau surface, except at an outer periphery of said anvil;
• and
• wherein said energy directors of said sonotrode and said energy directors of said anvil are configured for alignment to ultrasonically weld the thin work pieces, whereby said side surfaces of said sonotrode plateaus interlock with said side surfaces of said anvil plateaus in a pattern in both said first direction and said second direction.