Device Performs Work On An Object (e.g., Welding, Cutting) Patents (Class 310/323.18)
  • Patent number: 7049730
    Abstract: An acoustic driver assembly for use with a spherical cavitation chamber is provided. The acoustic driver assembly includes at least one transducer, a head mass and a tail mass, coupled together with a centrally located threaded means (e.g., all thread, bolt, etc.). The head mass of the driver assembly is permanently attached to the exterior surface of the spherical cavitation chamber via brazing or diffusion bonding. In at least one embodiment, the transducer is comprised of a pair of piezo-electric transducers, preferably with the adjacent surfaces of the piezo-electric transducers having the same polarity. The surface of the head mass that is adjacent to the external surface of the chamber has a spherical curvature equivalent to the spherical curvature of the external surface of the chamber, thus providing maximum coupling efficiency between the acoustic driver and the cavitation chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2006
    Assignee: Impulse Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Ross Alan Tessien, Dario Felipe Gaitan, Daniel A. Phillips
  • Patent number: 6995498
    Abstract: An ultrasonic transducer having an ultrasonic conducting element with a plurality of arms extending from a common junction with some of the arms being provided with ultrasonic generators, at least one other arm carrying a bonding tool, especially for bonding a conductor to a chip and at least two of the arms including a straight angle of 180° with one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2006
    Assignee: Hesse & Knipps GmbH
    Inventors: Jörg Wallaschek, Piotr Vasiljev, Hans Hesse
  • Patent number: 6991573
    Abstract: A steering actuator of an independent type steer-by-wire system comprises a housing fixed to a vehicle body and an ultrasonic motor. The ultrasonic motor has a stator internally fixed to the housing and a rotator rotating relative to the stator when an electric current is applied. A steering rod having a first end and a second end penetrates through a center portion of the ultrasonic motor. The first end of the steering rod extends out of the housing for connection to a tie rod. In one embodiment, a ring gear, planetary gears, sun gear and/or racks formed at the steering rod are operably associated with converting rotating movement of the ultrasonic motor into linear movement of the steering rod. In another embodiment, a rotator ring, a plurality of pinions, worm gears and a plurality of racks formed at the steering rod are operably associated with converting rotating movement of the ultrasonic motor into linear movement of the steering rod.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2006
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventor: Jung-Rak Yun
  • Patent number: 6958568
    Abstract: An acoustic driver assembly for use with a spherical cavitation chamber is provided. The acoustic driver assembly includes at least one transducer, a head mass and a tail mass, coupled together with a centrally located threaded means (e.g., all thread, bolt, etc.). The driver assembly is permanently attached to the exterior surface of the spherical cavitation chamber via brazing or diffusion bonding. In at least one embodiment, the transducer is comprised of a pair of piezo-electric transducers, preferably with the adjacent surfaces of the piezo-electric transducers having the same polarity. The surface of the head mass that is adjacent to the external surface of the chamber has a spherical curvature equivalent to the spherical curvature of the external surface of the chamber, thus providing maximum coupling efficiency between the acoustic driver and the cavitation chamber. In at least one embodiment a void filling material is interposed between one or more pairs of adjacent surfaces of the driver assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2005
    Assignee: Impulse Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Ross Alan Tessien, Dario Felipe Gaitan, Daniel A. Phillips
  • Patent number: 6956316
    Abstract: An acoustic driver assembly for use with a spherical cavitation chamber is provided. The acoustic driver assembly includes at least one transducer, a head mass and a tail mass, coupled together with a centrally located threaded means (e.g., all thread, bolt, etc.). The driver assembly is either attached to the exterior surface of the spherical cavitation chamber with the same threaded means, a different threaded means, or a more permanent coupling means such as brazing, diffusion bonding or epoxy. In at least one embodiment, the transducer is comprised of a pair of piezo-electric transducers, preferably with the adjacent surfaces of the piezo-electric transducers having the same polarity. The surface of the head mass that is adjacent to the external surface of the chamber has a spherical curvature greater than the spherical curvature of the external surface of the chamber, thus providing a ring of contact between the acoustic driver and the cavitation chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2005
    Assignee: Impulse Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Ross Alan Tessien, Dario Felipe Gaitan, Daniel A. Phillips
  • Patent number: 6841899
    Abstract: A potential difference is applied between a movable electrode disposed a facing surface of a movable member, which the facing surface confronts a substrate extended in a predetermined direction or a vibrating member supported on the substrate vibratably in the predetermined direction, and a counter electrode disposed on the substrate or the vibrating member so as to confront the movable electrode. The applied potential difference causes an electrostatic force to act such that an apparent friction between the vibrating member and the movable member is greater than an apparent friction between the substrate and the movable member when displacing the vibrating member in a desired direction relatively on the substrate by vibrating in the predetermined direction, and thereby the movable member is relatively moved in the desired direction on the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2005
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventor: Shinji Kaneko
  • Publication number: 20040251780
    Abstract: Ultrasonic processes and systems demonstrate enhanced performance when various elements and/or components of an ultrasonic device are formed from Advanced Ceramic materials. An ultrasonic tool formed of an Advanced Ceramic can vibrate at the same frequency as the ultrasonic transducer(s) used to supply the ultrasonic energy, such that the tool functions as a single, fully-integrated transducerized entity. Piezo ceramics such as PZTs can be used to provide the ultrasonic energy, and can be directly attached to the tool, individually or in stacks. The resonance characteristics of the ultrasonic tool can be further enhanced by setting a thickness of the tool to an optimum thickness, whereby the tool can resonate uniformly upon excitation. In addition to providing enhanced performance, Advanced Ceramic tools do not demonstration the erosion or cavitation found in other existing tools.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2004
    Publication date: December 16, 2004
    Inventor: J. Michael Goodson
  • Patent number: 6776563
    Abstract: An elliptical vibratory cutting apparatus includes a control mechanism which applies a sinusoidal voltage having a predetermined phase difference to piezoelectric elements. Flexure vibrations are accordingly generated in X and Y directions. The vibrations in the X direction cause interference with the vibrations in the Y direction and vice versa. An amount of interference, caused by vibrations in one direction, with vibrations in another direction, is correctively eliminated by the control mechanism (interference eliminating unit. A workpiece is thus cut by means of a cutting tool through elliptical vibrations with high precision.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2004
    Inventors: Eiji Shamoto, Norikazu Suzuki, Toshimichi Moriwaki, Makoto Matsuo
  • Patent number: 6762535
    Abstract: The present invention is to provide a spindle structure of an ultrasonic machine which can reduce the number of assembling steps, can improve working accuracy, and can reduce heat generation due to an ultrasonic wave leakage during the working process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2004
    Assignee: Takesho Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Take, Masayoshi Kawanami
  • Patent number: 6719183
    Abstract: A transducer vibrated by a vibrator and used in a bonding apparatus, the transducer including holding portions provided so as to protrude at at least two locations that correspond to the nodes of vibration of a transducer main body, and connecting portions each connecting the tip ends of two protruding holding portions to each other. The transducer main body, holding portions and connecting portions are integrally formed from a single material member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2004
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Shinkawa
    Inventors: Ryuichi Kyomasu, Yoshihiko Seino
  • Patent number: 6617760
    Abstract: An ultrasonic resonator comprising a wire member with an elongated shaft having a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end further including a filler material disposed within the proximal end; a crimp screw with an annular end and a threaded end, the annular end adapted to receive and fixedly secure the proximal end of the wire member, the annular end being crimped after the proximal end of the wire member is inserted within the annular end of the crimp screw; an ultrasonic transducer adapted to receive the threaded end of the crimp screw; and the ultrasonic transducer operatively connected to an ultrasonic generator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2003
    Assignee: Cybersonics, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas Peterson, Dhamendra Pal
  • Publication number: 20030001456
    Abstract: A device for operating a tool has an ultrasound adapter with an capacitive electro-acoustic transducer (4) connected to an electrical ultrasonic frequency generator (8) for producing ultrasonic wave for a tool (2) driven by the device, wherein the capacitive electro-acoustic transducer (4) is connected with a secondary winding (5) and the ultrasonic frequency generator (8) is connected with a primary winding (7) of a transformer (6).
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 17, 2001
    Publication date: January 2, 2003
    Inventors: Adrian Kauf, Stefan Tichy, Walter Littmann, Jorg Wallaschek
  • Patent number: 6498421
    Abstract: An ultrasonic suture device is provided for drilling arc shaped holes through hard materials, such as metals, glass, or bone. The ultrasonic suture device includes a transducer, horn and probe. The probe is constructed of three sections including a stem section, extension section and arc section. The stem section extends along the longitudinal axis of the ultrasonic suture device, while the arc section is constructed in the shape of an arc of a circle and is positioned concentrically with the stem's axis. At the distal extremity of the probe is a tip constructed for drilling into hard materials.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2002
    Assignee: Amega Lab, L.L.C.
    Inventors: Jisoo Oh, Ben Hur
  • Patent number: 6402499
    Abstract: A vibration drive particularly suited for a mold for producing concrete molded bodies comprises of at least one piezoelectric vibration exciter which is fixedly attached onto the mold. The vibration exciter comprises a housing in which an unbalance mass is movably supported and is drivingly connected to a piezoelement which is also located in the housing to produce vibration. When an AC voltage is applied to the vibration exciter a deformation movement occurs which is converted into an oscillating motion of the unbalance mass and which thus produces vibrations of the mold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2002
    Assignee: Kobra Formen- und Anlagenbau GmbH
    Inventors: Rudolf Braungardt, Erwin Schmucker
  • Patent number: 6373170
    Abstract: A piezoelectric motor has a head to movably engage a separate member, and one or more piezoelectric blocks coupled to the head, and displacing the head and separate member by selectively expand and contract in response to an applied electric field. An electrode extends between the head and the piezoelectric block. One or more apertures are formed in the electrode to create a space between the head and the at least one piezoelectric block to receive an adhesive to join the head and the piezoelectric block. A joint is formed between the piezoelectric block and head which has a first rigid zone to displace as the piezoelectric block expands, and a second compliant zone to comply. The electrode extends only through a portion of the joint, or the rigid zone, and the adhesive extends through at least another portion of the joint, or the compliant zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2002
    Assignee: EDO Electro-Ceramic Products
    Inventor: Chris Hills
  • Patent number: 6342750
    Abstract: The vibration drive for a mold for producing concrete mold bodies has four piezoelectric vibration exciters which are located in the four corner areas of a vibrating table of a molding machine and connected to the machine frame. A vertically movable mold with several mold cavities which are open to the top and bottom is deposited on the vibrating table. After filling the mold cavities with concrete, the vibration exciters are activated and are caused to vibrate by shaking, these vibrations being transferred to the vibrating table and the mold. The vibration exciters are electrically connected to a microprocessor which controls the vibration frequency and other parameters of the vibration drive by corresponding, preselectable computer programs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2002
    Assignee: KOBRA Formen-und Anlagenbau GmbH
    Inventors: Rudolf Braungardt, Erwin Schmucker
  • Patent number: 6204592
    Abstract: A highly efficient and effective ultrasonic nailing and drilling apparatus for various precision use, such as medical or dental surgery, comprises of a piezoelectric transducer means to give an axial thrust and a motor to give a rotation to a bit. Therefore, this ultrasonic nailing and drilling apparatus combines the best of the ultrasound nailing or drilling bit and the best of the rotational drill. The ultrasonic nailing and drilling apparatus further comprises of an elongated horn having an operative tip, wherein a bit can be fixedly attached. The operative tip can be in any form designed to for ultrasonic machines, and even can be in a similar shape as a flat screwdriver tip, as a Phillips head tip, or even as a conventional drill bit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2001
    Inventor: Ben Hur
  • Patent number: 6177755
    Abstract: An air cooled ultrasonic apparatus comprises a housing having an air inlet, an air outlet, a first periphery, and a second periphery. A plurality of first and second protrusions radially extend from the first and second peripheries. The housing houses a piezoelectric transducer means and an elongated horn which is operably supported by the first and second protrusions, so that a cooling air is supplied through the air inlet into the housing and discharged through the air outlet, thereby significantly enhancing effectiveness and efficiency for its application to medical, dental and plastic surgery as well as industrial use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2001
    Inventor: Ben Hur