Bonding of structures using high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU)

Abstract

Methods and systems for bonding structures using high intensity focused ultrasound are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method for assembling a component using ultrasound includes: positioning a first portion of an assembly relative to a second portion of the assembly; heating a region of the component by focusing ultrasound from an ultrasound transducer to the region of the component; and in response to heating the region of the component, bonding the first portion of the component to the second portion of the component.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 354,796, filed on June 23, 2022, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Background Art

[0003] In many industries, epoxy resins or other agents that cure at elevated temperatures are used to bond components together. Typically, the parts to be bonded are placed in an oven for a period of time until the epoxy cures and a bond is established. Typically, the oven heats a much larger volume than the part occupies, thus wasting a lot of energy. As an example, smaller high-tech electronic device products are typically conveyed through an oven in a batch process. Other examples of the use of epoxy resins in products are: petrochemical products, aerospace industry, and defense / space. What is shared between these industries is that epoxy resins are used to form a firmly tightened joint between components in a product or machine.

[0004] Typically, epoxy resins are located beneath several layers of metal, glass or plastic within a product. This requires a long diffusion time to conduct heat from the outside to the epoxy resin itself. Therefore, this workflow, which requires a higher energy load to cure the epoxy resin used within the product, is time and space limited. Therefore, there remains a need for systems and methods for improving the bonding of parts. Summary of the invention

[0005] This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.

[0006] In one embodiment, a method for assembling components using ultrasound includes: positioning a first portion of an assembly relative to a second portion of the assembly; heating a region of the assembly by focusing ultrasound from an ultrasonic transducer onto the region of the assembly; and in response to heating the region of the assembly, bonding the first portion of the assembly to the second portion of the assembly.

[0007] In one aspect, the first portion of the assembly and the second portion of the assembly are at least partially separated by a gap filled with a bonding agent, and heating the region includes heating the bonding agent.

[0008] In one aspect, the bonding agent is an epoxy resin.

[0009] In another aspect, the bonding agent is solder.

[0010] In one aspect, the method further comprises debonding the region of the component by focusing ultrasound from the ultrasound transducer to the region of the component.

[0011] In one aspect, the ultrasound is focused onto the binding agent.

[0012] In another aspect, the ultrasound is focused to the first portion of the component or the second portion of the component and heats the bonding agent through the first portion of the component or the second portion of the component.

[0013] In one aspect, the ultrasound is focused through interleaving materials of the assembly to the bonding agent, the first portion of the assembly, or the second portion of the assembly.

[0014] In one aspect, the ultrasound transducer is configured to transmit the ultrasound to the component via a liquid coupler coupling the ultrasound transducer to the component.

[0015] In one aspect, the method further includes: attaching the ultrasonic transducer to the assembly by vacuum; and cooling the liquid coupler or the ultrasonic transducer by a coolant.

[0016] In one aspect, the ultrasound transducer is configured to transmit the ultrasound to the component via a solid coupler coupling the ultrasound transducer to the component.

[0017] In another aspect, the ultrasound transducer is configured to transmit the ultrasound to the component through a lens.

[0018] In one aspect, the lens is a holographic lens.

[0019] In another aspect, the holographic features of the holographic lens are included on a surface of an internal component of the assembly, wherein the internal component is located in the path of the ultrasound.

[0020] In one aspect, the method further includes: determining a return echo of the ultrasound emitted by the ultrasound transducer; and determining whether bonding the first portion of the assembly to the second portion of the assembly is complete based on the return echo.

[0021] In another aspect, the method further includes: determining a return echo of the ultrasound emitted by the ultrasound transducer; and determining whether separation of the first portion of the assembly from the second portion of the assembly is complete based on the return echo.

[0022] In one embodiment, a system for assembling components using ultrasound includes: an ultrasonic transducer configured to transmit the ultrasound toward an assembly having a first portion and a second portion. The ultrasound is configured to heat the assembly by focusing the ultrasound from the ultrasonic transducer to the assembly. In response to heating the assembly, the first portion of the assembly is bonded to the second portion of the assembly.

[0023] In one aspect, the first portion of the assembly and the second portion of the assembly are at least partially separated by a gap filled with a bonding agent, the bonding agent being configured to bond the first portion of the assembly and the second portion of the assembly in response to heating the area.

[0024] In one aspect, the bonding agent is an epoxy or a solder.

[0025] In one aspect, the system further comprises a holographic lens configured to focus the ultrasound on the component.

[0026] On the other hand, the holographic lens is part of the component.

[0027] In one aspect, the system further comprises a coupler configured to acoustically couple the ultrasonic transducer to the component, wherein the coupler is a liquid coupler or a solid coupler.

[0028] In one aspect, the system includes a coolant configured to cool the coupler.

[0029] In another aspect, the system includes a coupler containment shell configured to hold the coupler; a membrane configured to separate the coupler from the assembly; an outer containment shell; a vacuum conduit configured to connect a vacuum source to a space between the coupler containment shell and the outer containment shell; a vacuum seal configured to seal the outer containment shell against the assembly; a coolant inlet conduit configured to provide the coolant to the system; and a coolant outlet conduit configured to exhaust the coolant. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] The foregoing aspects of the present invention and many of the attendant advantages will be more readily appreciated as they become better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0031] Figure 1 is a partial schematic view of an ultrasonic bonding system according to an embodiment of the present technology;

[0032] Figure 2 is a partial schematic view of an ultrasonic bonding system according to an embodiment of the present technology;

[0033] Figure 3 is a partial schematic illustration of an ultrasonic bonding system placed in contact with a target component according to an embodiment of the present technology;

[0034] Figure 4 is a partial schematic view of an ultrasonic bonding system including liquid coupling according to an embodiment of the present technology;

[0035] Figure 5 is an isometric view of an ultrasonic bonding system capable of vacuum-based contact with a target component in accordance with an embodiment of the present technology;

[0036] Figure 6A-6D illustrates different bonding shapes according to embodiments of the present technology;

[0037] Figure 7 is a side cross-sectional view of an ultrasonic bonding system including a lens according to an embodiment of the present technology;

[0038] Fig. 7A yes Figure 7 Detail view of

[0039] Figure 8 is a side cross-sectional view of an ultrasound bonding system including a holographic lens according to an embodiment of the present technology;

[0040] Fig. 8A yes Figure 8 Detail view of

[0041] Figure 8B Shows Figure 8 The surface of the holographic lens;

[0042] Fig. 9A is a top view of a key FOB assembly according to an embodiment of the present technology; and

[0043] Fig. 9B is a heat map of a key FOB assembly according to an embodiment of the present technology. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0044] While illustrative embodiments have been illustrated and described, it will be appreciated that various changes can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

[0045] Sound waves can transfer energy to cause heating of a target placed in the acoustic field. Therefore, ultrasound can be used to transfer thermal energy from a transducer to a target area of ​​a component. High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) is a technique that uses one or more ultrasonic transducers to heat a small area at the focus of the transducer. For example, epoxy or solder can be applied between the parts of a component in the area where the bond is to be created. Next, one or more transducers or transducer elements of a phased array transducer can be focused on the bond site, thereby heating the epoxy and curing it in situ. The parts that can be bonded include metals and plastics, or composite materials, or other materials and combinations thereof.

[0046] In some embodiments, the parts may be joined without other bonding agents, based on, for example, local melting of the parts under an ultrasonic field, followed by solidification and joining of the parts. Such joining of the parts without a bonding agent may be applicable to parts or subassemblies made of rubber, plastic, or other materials with relatively low melting points. In various embodiments, conventional lenses and / or holographic lenses may be used.

[0047] Unlike ultrasonic welding, which is based on ultrasonically induced vibrations of parts resulting in local mechanical friction of the parts caused by relative motion of one part relative to another, the present technology is based on the conversion of ultrasonic acoustic energy into thermal energy by absorption of the acoustic energy at the focal zone. Typically, HIFU generates nonlinear acoustic waves composed of multiple frequencies (harmonics). Higher frequency components are absorbed more. Therefore, energy conversion occurs mainly near / at the focus of the ultrasound, where the energy density is highest and higher harmonics generated along the path are absorbed. This process also minimizes heating of nearby areas.

[0048] Thus, for HIFU, the total acoustic pressure amplitude has high values ​​only in the focal region where local heating occurs. The near-field intensity can be focused to a spot inside the component. Compared to HIFU heating, ultrasonic welding is characterized by high acoustic field intensity throughout the process from the ultrasonic welding electrode (the horn or transducer of the ultrasonic welding device) at the outer surface of the part to the welding position inside the component. For traditional ultrasonic welding, energy directors are essential elements in the process. One of the mating parts needs to have an energy director to allow the vibration energy to be focused at this location. In the absence of such a feature in the part, the ultrasonic welding process will not work. In addition, the location of the weld is located at the same location as this energy director feature. For the technology of the present invention, it is not necessary to have an energy director or other features to allow the process to occur. Ultrasonic sound energy is emitted by the transducer and is preferentially absorbed by the target object and / or the bonding agent in the focal zone, thereby creating thermal conditions for the bonding of the components. Such thermal conditions typically include reaching a predetermined temperature at the target area for a period of time.

[0049] Figure 1 and Figure 2 1 is a partial schematic view of an ultrasonic bonding system according to an embodiment of the present technology. The illustrated bonding system 1000 includes an ultrasonic transducer 100, which can be a monolithic ultrasonic transducer or a phased array ultrasonic transducer. In some applications, multiple ultrasonic transducers 100 can be used to direct the ultrasonic field onto the parts 210, 220 and / or the bonding agent 310. The parts 210, 220 can be flat or curved plastics, glass, metals or other materials. For simplicity, only two parts 210, 220 to be bonded are shown. However, a person of ordinary skill will understand that there can be several layers of similar or dissimilar materials, wherein the epoxy resin is disposed in one or more positions between the parts to be bonded.

[0050] For one or a few epoxy spots, a single element transducer 100 can be used. However, if multiple epoxy spots or larger epoxy areas need to be cured, the transducer or transducer 100 array can be manually or electronically scanned to heat a larger area or multiple epoxy "spots". The movement of one or more transducers, their operating frequency, amplitude, duty cycle, etc. can be controlled by the controller 20. In operation, the frequency can vary from, for example, 20kHz to 50MHz or more based on the amount and accuracy of the required cured area and the absorption of the epoxy. The intensity can vary from about 1W / cm2 to more than 10kW / cm2 at the focal area, where energy is applied to a single location for a duration of 10ms to 1000 seconds. Ultrasound can be applied continuously, or can be pulsed to modulate the time-averaged intensity with a duty cycle of 1-100%. The transducer can be designed to create a nonlinear waveform at the focus to maximize absorption with the same applied energy, thereby increasing the efficiency and potential accuracy of the process. These nonlinear waveforms act to transfer energy from the ultrasonic waveform to heat at the part and / or the bond located at the focus of the ultrasonic field. However, such energy transfer is not accompanied by ultrasonically induced vibrations that result in local mechanical friction of the parts caused by relative motion of one part relative to another, as typically occurs in ultrasonic welding of metal parts. By varying the degree of nonlinearity simultaneously with the duty cycle, the focus and precision of the energy can be varied over a range of parameters with a single transducer and applied frequency.

[0051] In some cases, a piezoelectric phased array transducer can be used to sequentially acoustically treat multiple different locations to produce uniform heating over a larger area than with a single focal volume. In another embodiment, a non-focused transducer can be used with a replaceable attached lens to produce focusing at different depths and to couple to different materials. In a further embodiment, the acoustic field 110 can be guided through a cone that acts as a waveguide structure, which concentrates the ultrasonic energy and couples the ultrasonic energy to similar materials for efficient energy transfer to adjacent objects. In some embodiments, standing waves may be preferred to control the precise axial position of the heating to precisely heat a thin layer while minimally affecting the directly adjacent material. In addition to combining parts based on the heat generated by focusing ultrasound at the target location, ultrasound-based separation is also possible. For example, such separation can be achieved by cavitation or by chemically degrading the bonding agent via heating, or by remelting the solder connecting the different parts.

[0052] In operation, acoustic energy is transmitted through any interleaved materials and is focused at or near the bond area. Figure 1 The case where ultrasound is focused onto the epoxy resin itself is illustrated. Figure 2This illustrates a situation where the ultrasound is focused to a region near the epoxy, yet still sufficiently heats the surrounding area including the pre-located epoxy (or other bonding agent).

[0053] The bonding agent may be an adhesive such as solder or epoxy. Other heat activated adhesives are also possible. Some examples of adhesives used in the medical implant industry are: polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), polyurethane, and glass ionomer cement.

[0054] Epoxies are generally provided in one of two general categories: two-part epoxies and one-part epoxies, which differ in chemical composition and how polymerization is initiated. In the case of two-part epoxies, the second part is a hardener that is mixed into the first part just before use. For one-part epoxies, a thermal initiator is premixed with the resin and provided to the user in the form of a single part in one container. One-part epoxies are generally characterized by a slightly higher curing temperature, usually at or above 100°C.

[0055] One-part epoxies can be stored for long periods of time at room temperature as well as at fairly high storage temperatures. In other words, refrigeration is not required in most cases. In some embodiments, this behavior of one-part epoxies can be advantageous because the end user can cure the epoxy as needed, thus allowing greater flexibility when implementing the technology of the present invention on an assembly line. Similarly, two-part epoxies can also be used. When implementing high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) in conjunction, a process involving robotic application of the epoxy can also be used.

[0056] In operation, one or more ultrasonic transducers 100 emit ultrasound in the ultrasound field 100, which is focused on the bonding agent (e.g., epoxy or solder) 310, such as Figure 1 or in an area close to the bonding agent 310, such as in Figure 2 In either scenario, the ultrasonic acoustic field increases the temperature of the bonding agent 310 to a value that initiates the bonding process. The endpoint of the process can be determined by providing a previous study of the time / intensity profile for curing (as currently done with ovens) or by monitoring the curing in real time using, for example, pulsed acoustic echoes. For example, as the epoxy cures, the echo (i.e., the amplitude and / or phase of the returning ultrasound) will change. Previous calibration of the echo signal relative to the cured state of the epoxy allows monitoring of the curing process. Therefore, ultrasonic imaging (echo-based or otherwise) can be used to guide the ultrasonic bonding process. Ultrasound can be applied until the epoxy cures, or until a predetermined temperature or curing time is reached. The ultrasonic transducer 100 may include an acoustic lens for improved focusing and / or coupling of ultrasound.

[0057] Figure 3 2 is a partial schematic view of an ultrasonic bonding system placed in contact with a target component according to an embodiment of the present technology. Here, the transducer 100 is placed against the bottom portion of the portion 210. A layer of bonding agent (e.g., epoxy resin) 310 is disposed between the portion 210 and the portion 220. When the bonding agent 310 is cured, the portion 210 and the portion 220 are bonded together. In different embodiments, the portions 210, 220 can be made of plastic, metal, rubber, glass or other materials.

[0058] In operation, the transducer 100 focuses acoustic energy through the coupling medium 130, through the portion 210, and onto the focal region 140 where the bonding agent is heated by the ultrasonic acoustic waveform. Figure 2 As explained, in some cases, the focus of the ultrasound field may extend into one or more portions 210, 220 already heated by the ultrasound field, heating the bonding agent 310. In some embodiments, this indirect heating method may be preferred.

[0059] The coupling medium 130 may be a liquid, a gel, or a solid. Different coupling media will be suitable for different types of transducers 100 and / or portions 210, 220. Some examples of liquid coupling media include water, oil, and perfluorocarbons. However, other coupling media may be suitable for coupling ultrasound between a transducer and a component against which the transducer is placed.

[0060] Figure 4 is a partial schematic view of an ultrasonic bonding system including liquid coupling according to an embodiment of the present technology. This embodiment is similar to Figure 3 , however, in this embodiment illustrated, the transducer 100 is separated from the portion 210 by a coupler housing shell (also referred to as a cone) 135. In some embodiments, the additional distance from the ultrasonic transducer 100 to the bonding agent 310 can improve the focusing of the ultrasound. If the outer surfaces of the portions have different sizes, proportions, or unusual shapes, the separation with the cone 135 can allow for greater design latitude (e.g., in terms of shape, size) for the transducer 100. The coupler housing shell 135 can be made of plastic, metal, or other materials. The illustrated bonding system can also include a membrane 150 that seals the space between the coupler 130 and the portions 210, 220.

[0061] Figure 51 is an isometric view of an ultrasonic bonding system capable of contacting a target component based on a vacuum according to an embodiment of the present technology. In the illustrated ultrasonic bonding system, an ultrasonic transducer 100 is mounted to a watertight coupler housing 135, which can be filled with a coupler 130. In some applications, the coupler 130 can be a liquid, such as water, which provides coupling between the ultrasonic transducer 100 and the part to be bonded. In operation, acoustic energy enters the part to be bonded via a membrane 150, which can be a thin rubber or plastic (e.g., a saran wrap). In some applications, the coupler 130 can be a gel. Depending on the viscosity and density of the coupler 130, these couplers may or may not require a coupler housing 135 to keep the coupler between the ultrasonic transducer 100 and the part to be bonded. In other embodiments, the coupler 130 can be made of plastic or metal that allows acoustic energy to propagate through the coupler and enter the part to be bonded.

[0062] In some applications, the ultrasonic energy generated by the ultrasonic transducer 100 can be partially dissipated within the coupler 130. Thus, the coupler 130 can be cooled by, for example, water 170, which is provided to the outer containment shell 145 through a coolant inlet conduit (e.g., a hose or tube) 172 and a coolant outlet conduit 174 (e.g., a hose or tube), thereby convectively cooling the coupler containment shell 135. The illustrated ultrasonic system can be attached to the parts to be joined by the vacuum 170 between the membrane 150 and the vacuum seal 155. The vacuum conduit (e.g., a hose or tube) 162 can connect a vacuum source to the space between the coupler containment shell 135 and the outer containment shell 145.

[0063] Figure 6A-6D Different bonding shapes according to embodiments of the present technology are illustrated; in each figure, a bonding agent (e.g., epoxy, solder) is disposed on a flat surface, however, in different embodiments, the target bonding surface may be flat or curved. In some embodiments, the physical application of the bonding agent on the target part may be accompanied by updating the so-called digital twin of the product. For example, computer-aided design software may have a 3D model of the target product in its memory. The bonding process may rely on a predefined datum scheme to control the alignment of the parts to be bonded. Next, after the bonding agent is applied and cured, the 3D model is updated to reflect the newly established physical reality of the target part.

[0064] Fig. 6A The bonding agent is illustrated as being applied in the form of dots 312 . Figure 6B The bonding agent is illustrated as being applied in a series of dots forming suture 314 . Figure 6CThe bonding agent is illustrated as being applied as a series of points that are connected such that those points form a curve 316 . Fig.6D The bonding agent is illustrated as being applied in a region 318. Such a region 318 may be two-dimensional (2D) or three-dimensional (3D).

[0065] Figure 7 is a side cross-sectional view of an ultrasound bonding system including a lens according to an embodiment of the present technology. With the illustrated bonding system, the ultrasound transducer 100 is planar, but non-planar ultrasound transducers are also possible. The illustrated target object 240 is a smartphone, however, in different embodiments, different target objects are possible.

[0066] Fig. 7A yes Figure 7 Detail view of . Here, the bonding agent 310 is disposed between the internal component 252 and the internal component 254, the internal component 252 can be a plastic enclosure, and the internal component 254 can be made of molded plastic. The ultrasonic transducer 100 is connected to the target object 240 via the coupler 130. In operation, the acoustic field is focused onto the bonding agent 310 disposed between the internal components 252, 254 (e.g., molded plastic, plastic enclosure, sheet metal, glass, etc.) to heat the bonding agent 310. During this process, the heat-sensitive component 256 is protected from excessive heating by being away from the focus of the acoustic field. With conventional oven-based heating, such thermal protection of the component 256 would not be possible.

[0067] Figure 8 is a side cross-sectional view of an ultrasound bonding system including a lens according to an embodiment of the present technology. The illustrated target object 240 is a phone. In operation, the ultrasound transducer 100 emits an ultrasound field 110 toward the target object.

[0068] Fig. 8A yes Figure 8 Detail view of. In the illustrated embodiment, the holographic lens is configured in the path of the ultrasound field 110. For example, the surface 255 of the internal component 254 can act as a holographic lens. Generally, the holographic lens includes a series of holographic features (e.g., differently shaped mountains, valleys, gratings, etc.) on its surface, so that when exposed to the sound field, these holographic features act as additional refraction sources for the sound waves, which cause the amplitude of the sound field to combine constructively or destructively at the target area, which in this application is the area of ​​the binder 310. Based on this constructive / destructive amplitude combination, different acoustic characteristics can be imparted on the binder 310, resulting in different thermal and / or pressure fields.

[0069] Thus, as explained above, one of the parts of the target object 240, for example, the interior component 254, may have the additional functionality of a holographic lens. In other embodiments, the holographic lens may be an additional component that is purposefully added to the components of the target object 240. In different applications, such an added holographic lens may be removable after assembly, or may remain within the target object 240 after assembly. Figure 8B A surface 255 of a holographic lens (or internal component) 254 is shown.

[0070] Fig. 9A is a top view of a key FOB assembly 240 according to an embodiment of the present technology. In this particular application, the bonding of the internal parts must be performed so that the thermally fragile components (lithium-ion batteries) are kept at a relatively low temperature during the application of the ultrasonic sound field. In order to measure the temperature of the internal parts, the upper part of the key FOB is exposed by removing the cover. The bottom of the FOB is in contact with water, which acts as a coupler for the ultrasonic transducer, while the top surface of the FOB is exposed to air. In operation, the acoustic field source (HIFU) is positioned below the key FOB and is focused at the key FOB. In some applications, Figure 4 The embodiment illustrated in may be more suitable for the illustrated purpose, since the parts will not have to come into contact with the liquid couplant. The thermal camera records the surface temperature during the bonding process. Fig. 9B The temperature fields obtained during the bonding process are discussed.

[0071] Fig. 9B is a thermal image of a bond FOB assembly according to an embodiment of the present technology.As explained above, ultrasound is transmitted through the water (coupler) and then through the different layers of the bond FOB before heating the top exposed surface of the bond FOB.

[0072] Epoxies are typically maintained at approximately 100F in an oven to cure. In the illustrated operation, target region 241 reached a temperature of 136.7F, which is above the typical 100F required to cure epoxy, while region 246 of lithium-ion battery 245 was maintained at 80F, which is within the allowed temperature range for such batteries. Thus, the measurement results demonstrate that the inventive technique is able to selectively heat target regions while maintaining sensitive regions within a safe temperature range.

[0073] The terms used in the embodiments of the present disclosure are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments, and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. Unless otherwise specified, the singular terms "a", "an", "the" and "said" in the embodiments of the present disclosure and the appended claims are also intended to include their plural forms.

[0074] Many embodiments of the technology described above can take the form of computer executable or controller executable instructions, and the instructions include routines executed by programmable computers or controllers. It will be understood by those skilled in the relevant art that the present technology can be practiced on computer / controller systems other than those shown and described above. The technology can be embodied in a special-purpose computer, controller or data processor that is specially programmed, configured or constructed to perform one or more of the computer executable instructions described above. Such computers, controllers and data processors can include non-temporary computer-readable media with executable instructions. Therefore, the terms "computer" and "controller" generally used herein refer to any data processor, and may include Internet devices and handheld devices (including palmtop computers, wearable computers, cellular or mobile phones, multiprocessor systems, processor-based or programmable consumer electronics, network computers, minicomputers, etc.).

[0075] In light of the foregoing, it will be understood that specific embodiments of the present technology have been described herein for illustrative purposes, but various modifications may be made without departing from the present disclosure. In addition, although various advantages and features associated with specific embodiments have been described above in the context of those embodiments, other embodiments may also exhibit such advantages and / or features, and not all embodiments need to necessarily exhibit such advantages and / or features to fall within the scope of the present technology. In the case of describing a method, the method may include more, less, or other steps. In addition, the steps may be performed in any suitable order. Therefore, the present disclosure may encompass other embodiments not explicitly shown or described herein. In the context of the present disclosure, the terms "about," "approximately," and the like mean + / - 5% of the stated value.

[0076] For purposes of the present disclosure, a list of two or more elements of the form (e.g., “at least one of A, B, and C”) is intended to mean (A), (B), (C), (A and B), (A and C), (B and C), or (A, B, and C), and all similar permutations are included when any other number of elements is listed.

Claims

1. A method for assembling components using ultrasound, the method comprising: positioning a first portion of the assembly relative to a second portion of the assembly; heating the region of the component by focusing ultrasound from an ultrasound transducer onto the region of the component; as well as In response to heating the region of the assembly, the first portion of the assembly is bonded to the second portion of the assembly.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The first portion of the assembly and the second portion of the assembly are at least partially separated by a gap filled with a bonding agent, and wherein heating the region includes heating the bonding agent.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein: The bonding agent is epoxy resin.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein: The bonding agent is solder.

5. The method according to claim 2, further comprising: The region of the component is separated by focusing ultrasound from the ultrasound transducer to the region of the component.

6. The method according to claim 2, wherein: The ultrasound is focused onto the binding agent.

7. The method according to claim 2, wherein: The ultrasound is focused to the first portion of the component or the second portion of the component, and wherein the bonding agent is heated by the first portion of the component or the second portion of the component.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein: Heating the region of the component by focusing the ultrasound from the ultrasound transducer to the region of the component further includes transmitting the ultrasound through interleaved material between the ultrasound transducer and the region of the component.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The ultrasonic transducer is configured to transmit the ultrasound to the component through a liquid coupler coupling the ultrasonic transducer to the component.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising: attaching the ultrasonic transducer to the assembly via a vacuum; as well as The liquid coupler or the ultrasonic transducer is cooled by a coolant.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The ultrasonic transducer is configured to transmit the ultrasound to the component via a solid coupler coupling the ultrasonic transducer to the component.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The ultrasound transducer is configured to transmit the ultrasound to the component through a lens.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein: The lens is a holographic lens.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein: The holographic features of the holographic lens are included on a surface of an internal component of the assembly, wherein the internal component is located in the path of the ultrasound.

15. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: determining a return echo of the ultrasound emitted by the ultrasound transducer; Based on the return echo, it is determined whether joining the first portion of the assembly to the second portion of the assembly is complete.

16. The method according to claim 5, further comprising: determining a return echo of the ultrasound emitted by the ultrasound transducer; Based on the return echo, it is determined whether separation of the first portion of the assembly from the second portion of the assembly is complete.

17. A system for assembling components using ultrasound, comprising: an ultrasonic transducer configured to transmit said ultrasound toward a component having a first portion and a second portion, wherein the ultrasound is configured to heat the region of the component by focusing the ultrasound from the ultrasound transducer onto the region of the component, and wherein the first portion of the component is bonded to the second portion of the component in response to heating the region of the component.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein: The first portion of the assembly and the second portion of the assembly are at least partially separated by a gap filled with a bonding agent configured to bond the first portion of the assembly and the second portion of the assembly in response to heating the region.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein: The bonding agent is epoxy resin or solder.

20. The system of claim 17, further comprising a holographic lens configured to focus the ultrasound on the component.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein: The holographic lens is part of the assembly.

22. The system of claim 17, further comprising a coupler configured to acoustically couple the ultrasonic transducer to the component, wherein The coupler is a liquid coupler or a solid coupler.

23. The system of claim 22, further comprising a coolant configured to cool the coupler.

24. The system of claim 23, further comprising: a coupler receiving housing configured to hold the coupler; a membrane configured to separate the coupler from the assembly; an outer containment shell; a vacuum conduit configured to connect a vacuum source to the space between the coupler containment shell and the outer containment shell; a vacuum seal configured to seal the outer containment shell against the assembly; a coolant inlet conduit configured to provide the coolant to the system; as well as The coolant outlet conduit is configured to discharge the coolant.

Images