US 4,975,133 AGranted

Apparatus for welding components together with the use of ultrasound

AssigneeLicentia Patent-Verwaltungs-G.m.b.H.

InventorHans Gochermann

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Abstract

An apparatus for receiving components having overlapping surfaces and welding the components together with the use of ultrasound. An ultrasound emitter receives a high frequency current and converts it into mechanical ultrasonic vibrations having the same frequency. A transmitter transmits the ultrasonic vibrations to a sonotrode which focuses the ultrasonic vibrations on the components to be welded together. The sonotrode is provided with a circumferential collar and means are provided for lowering the collar during the welding process so that a part of the collar tangentially contacts the overlapping surface of one of the components. The part of the collar which tangentially contacts the overlapping surface introduces ultrasonic energy into the components. The ultrasonic emitter, transmitter and sonotrode are rotatably mounted via a vibration node of the transmitter. Means are provided for rotation of the sonotrode and movement of the sonotrode relative to the components such that the collar rolls over the components during the welding process.

Claims16

Dependent claims

An apparatus for welding a conductive welding tape to a solar cell on which the tape is positioned, comprising:

means for supplying a high frequency current;
an ultrasonic emitter coupled to said high frequency current supply means for producing mechanical ultrasonic vibrations having a frequency corresponding to the frequency of the high frequency current;
a transmitter coupled to said ultrasonic emitter for transmitting the ultrasonic vibrations;
a sonotrode coupled to said transmitter and responsive to the transmitted ultrasonic vibrations for focussing the ultrasonic vibrations on the tape and solar cell, said sonotrode being provided with a circumferential collar having a periphery with corrugations;
means coupled to said sonotrode for lowering said collar during the welding process so that said periphery of said collar tangentially contacts the tape, wherein only said periphery of said collar transfers ultrasonic energy to said tape and solar cell;
means for rotatably mounting said ultrasonic emitter, said transmitter and said sonotrode and being located in at least one vibration node of said transmitter;
and
displacement means for effecting linear displacement of said sonotrode relative to the tape and cell in a direction parallel to a line that is tangent to said collar where said periphery of said collar contacts the tape, said collar being caused to roll over the tape during the welding process by a force that is transmitted exclusively through the cell and tape during such linear displacement,
wherein the tangential contact between said collar and the tape is a friction contact, augmented by said corrugations on said periphery of said collar, and wherein the relative movement between said collar and the tape produced by said displacement means, combined with the friction contact therebetween, causes said sonotrode to rotate via said rotatable mounting means.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.