초록 ▼

Thermoplastic battery cover and container piece parts are fused together using vibratory energy, particularly ultrasonic welding, in which the horn has a depending skirt extending along an outer wall of the container and which serves to maintain the cover and container in mutual alignment and simult

Thermoplastic battery cover and container piece parts are fused together using vibratory energy, particularly ultrasonic welding, in which the horn has a depending skirt extending along an outer wall of the container and which serves to maintain the cover and container in mutual alignment and simultaneously contain the flow of the melt (flash). In another aspect, a particular interference joint between the components is described featuring a continuous ramp of 50-70 degrees and producing an interference fit for an improved weld. The invention is also directed to a cell or battery formed according to the method of the invention, as well as the horn.

대표청구항 ▼

A method for joining together in sealed relationship a heat sealable cover to a heat sealable open-mouthed container of an electrolyte-tight electrochemical cell or battery using vibratory energy, comprising: disposing the cover in mating relationship within the mouth of the container thereby defini

A method for joining together in sealed relationship a heat sealable cover to a heat sealable open-mouthed container of an electrolyte-tight electrochemical cell or battery using vibratory energy, comprising: disposing the cover in mating relationship within the mouth of the container thereby defining a mutual joint which extends to the outer wall of the container, one of said cover and container being provided with a ramped surface making an angle with the plane of the cover from about 50 to about 70 degrees, and the other said cover and container being provided with a multiple stepped surface including an energy concentrator portion; positioning a resonant tool adjacent the cover in the area of the joint, said tool being provided with a depending skirt which extends along the outer wall of the container and beyond and in immediate adjacent proximity to the joint; and energizing said tool causing the energy concentrator portion to make contact with the ramped surface and the cover and container to undergo relative reciprocating translating motion sufficient to melt the cover and container materials in the area of the joint and cause them to flow and fuse together in sealed relation, the depending skirt serving to maintain the cover and container in mutual alignment and to contain the flow of the melt at the outer wall of the container during energization of the tool. A fused together integral cover and container in an electrochemical cell or battery made in accordance with the method of claim 4.