CONNECTION MECHANISM FOR ULTRASONIC-VIBRATION GENERATING/TRANSMITTING UNIT AND PRODUCTION METHOD FOR ULTRASONIC-VIBRATION GENERATING/TRANSMITTING UNIT

1 . A connection mechanism for an ultrasonic-vibration generating/transmitting unit, the connection mechanism comprising:

a first member which has an end face at one end portion and which is provided with a first connection portion at the one end portion and which is configured to transmit ultrasonic vibration;

a second member which is provided with a diametrically protruding held portion at one end portion and which is configured to transmit the ultrasonic vibration; and

a cylindrical third member which connects the first member and the second member to each other,

the third member comprising a protrusion portion which protrudes inward from an inner circumferential surface at one end portion and which forms a space portion between the end face and the protrusion portion while the first member is inserted from the other end portion, and

a second connection portion which is provided on the inner circumferential surface of the other end portion and which is connected to the first connection portion so that the first connection portion is movable relative to the third member in the axial direction of the third member to adjust the length of the space portion formed between the end face and the protrusion portion,

the third member holds the held portion between the end face and the protrusion portion thereby the third member is moved the protrusion portion relative to the first member and the protrusion portion presses the held portion against the end face while the held portion of the second member is inserted from the one end portion and the held portion is disposed in the space portion between the protrusion portion and the end face.

2 . The connection mechanism for the ultrasonic-vibration generating/transmitting unit according to claim 1 , wherein the held portion has one end face and the other end face, and brings the other end face into abutment with the protrusion portion.

3 . The connection mechanism for the ultrasonic-vibration generating/transmitting unit according to claim 2 , wherein the end face of the first member is a first end face,

the second member has, at the one end portion, a second end face which comes into abutment with the first end face,

the second end face has at least the one end face of the held portion, and

the third member connects the first end face of the first member and the second end face of the second member to each other.

4 . The connection mechanism for the ultrasonic-vibration generating/transmitting unit according to claim 1 , wherein when the one end portion of the first member is inserted into the third member from the other end portion of the third member so that the first connection portion is connected to the second connection portion, the protrusion portion is provided at a distance greater than a width W1 of the held portion from the end face of the first member in the axial direction of the third member.

5 . The connection mechanism for the ultrasonic-vibration generating/transmitting unit according to claim 4 , further comprising an abutment portion which is provided on the outer circumferential surface of the one end portion of the second member and which comes into abutment with the protrusion portion in the circumferential direction of the third member when the held portion is held by the end face of the first member and the protrusion portion,

wherein when the one end portion of the first member is inserted into the third member from the other end portion of the third member along the axial direction of the third member,

the held portion is provided between the end face of the first member and a plane where the protrusion portion is provided in the axial direction of the third member, and

the abutment portion is provided collinearly with the protrusion portion in the circumferential direction of the third member.

6 . The connection mechanism for the ultrasonic-vibration generating/transmitting unit according to claim 5 , wherein when the one end portion of the second member is rotated relative to the third member around the axis of the third member after the insertion of the one end portion of the second member into the third member from the one end portion of the third member, in the circumferential direction of the third member,

the abutment portion comes into abutment with the protrusion portion, and in this abutment condition, the held portion is provided between the end face of the first member and the protrusion portion in the axial direction of the third member.

7 . The connection mechanism for the ultrasonic-vibration generating/transmitting unit according to claim 6 , wherein when the one end portion of the first member is rotated relative to the third member around the axis of the third member and then further inserted into the third member so that a distance W4 between the end face of the first member and the protrusion portion is reduced; the held portion is held by the end face of the first member and the protrusion portion.

8 . The connection mechanism for the ultrasonic-vibration generating/transmitting unit according to claim 7 , wherein the end face of the first member is a first end face, and

the second member has a second end face at the one end portion,

the connection mechanism further comprising a depression portion provided in one of the first end face and the second end face, and

a protrusion portion which is provided in the other of the first end face and the second end face and which is fitted into the depression portion when the one end portion of the first member and the one end portion of the second member are inserted into the third member.

9 . The connection mechanism for the ultrasonic-vibration generating/transmitting unit according to claim 4 , there are further provided a prevention mechanism which is provided on the inner circumferential surface of the one end portion of the third member and an outer circumferential surface of the one end portion of the second member and which prevents the one end portion of the second member inserted in the one end portion of the third member from being rotated relative to the third member around the axis of the third member,

wherein the third member further comprises an opening portion which is provided in the circumferential surface of the one end portion of the third member and which is in communication with the inside of the third member and the prevention mechanism provided on the inner circumferential surface of the third member, and

the opening portion is provided so that the one end portion of the second member slides on the third member via the opening portion in the diametrical direction of the third member and is thereby inserted into the third member, so that the inserted held portion is provided between the end face of the first member and the protrusion portion in the axial direction of the third member, and so that the rotation of the inserted one end portion of the first member relative to the third member around the axis of the third member is prevented by the prevention mechanism.

10 . The connection mechanism for the ultrasonic-vibration generating/transmitting unit according to claim 9 , wherein when the one end portion of the first member is further inserted into the third member from the other end portion of the third member so that a width W4 which is the distance between the end face of the first member and the protrusion portion is reduced, the held portion is held by the end face of the first member and the protrusion portion.

11 . A production method for an ultrasonic-vibration generating/transmitting unit,

wherein there are provided:

a first member which has an end face at one end portion and which is provided with a first connection portion at the one end portion and which is configured to transmit ultrasonic vibration;

a second member which is provided with a diametrically protruding held portion at one end portion and which is configured to transmit the ultrasonic vibration; and

a cylindrical third member which connects the first member and the second member to each other,

the third member comprising a protrusion portion which protrudes inward from an inner circumferential surface at one end portion and which forms a space portion between the end face and the protrusion portion while the first member is inserted from the other end portion, and

a second connection portion which is provided on the inner circumferential surface of the other end portion and which is connected to the first connection portion so that the first connection portion is movable relative to the third member in the axial direction of the third member to adjust the length of the space portion formed between the end face and the protrusion portion,

the third member holds the held portion between the end face and the protrusion portion thereby the third member is moved the protrusion portion relative to the first member and the protrusion portion presses the held portion against the end face while the held portion of the second member is inserted from the one end portion and the held portion is disposed in the space portion between the protrusion portion and the end face,

the production method comprising a connection process, the connection process comprising inserting the one end portion of the second member into the third member from the one end portion of the third member so that the held portion is held by the end face of the first member and the protrusion portion in the axial direction of the third member, inserting the one end portion of the first member into the third member from the other end portion of the third member so that the second connection portion is connected to the first connection portion, and thereby connecting the one end portion of the first member and the one end portion of the second member to each other.

12 . The production method for the ultrasonic-vibration generating/transmitting unit according to claim 11 , wherein the end face of the first member is a first end face, and

the second member has, at the one end portion, a second end face which comes into abutment with the first end face,

the production method further comprising a process of temporarily connecting the first member and the third member wherein the one end portion of the first member is inserted into the third member from the other end portion of the third member while the first connection portion is connected to the second connection portion so that the end face of the first member is provided at a distance greater than a width W1 of the held portion from the protrusion portion in the axial direction of the third member.

13 . The production method for the ultrasonic-vibration generating/transmitting unit according to claim 12 , wherein there are further provided an abutment portion which is provided on the outer circumferential surface of the one end portion of the second member and which comes into abutment with the protrusion portion in the circumferential direction of the third member when the held portion is held by the end face of the first member and the protrusion portion,

the production method further comprising an insertion process wherein the one end portion of the second member is inserted into the third member from the one end portion of the third member so that the held portion is provided between the first end face of the first member and a plane where the protrusion portion is provided in the axial direction of the third member and so that the abutment portion is provided collinearly with the protrusion portion in the circumferential direction of the third member.

14 . The production method for the ultrasonic-vibration generating/transmitting unit according to claim 13 , further comprising a process of temporarily connecting to the third member wherein the one end portion of the second member is rotated relative to the third member around the axis of the third member after the insertion of the one end portion of the second member into the third member from the one end portion of the third member so that the abutment portion comes into abutment with the protrusion portion in the circumferential direction of the third member, and in this abutment condition, the held portion is provided between the first end face of the first member and the protrusion portion in the axial direction of the third member.

15 . The production method for the ultrasonic-vibration generating/transmitting unit according to claim 14 , further comprising a connection process wherein the one end portion of the first member is rotated relative to the third member around the axis of the third member and then further inserted into the third member so that a distance W4 between the end face of the first member and the protrusion portion is reduced and so that the held portion is held by the end face of the first member and the protrusion portion.

16 . The production method for the ultrasonic-vibration generating/transmitting unit according to claim 12 , there are further provided a prevention mechanism which is provided on the inner circumferential surface of the one end portion of the third member and an outer circumferential surface of the one end portion of the second member and which prevents the one end portion of the second member inserted in the one end portion of the third member from being rotated relative to the third member around the axis of the third member,

wherein the third member further comprises an opening portion which is provided in the circumferential surface of the one end portion of the third member and which is in communication with the inside of the third member and the prevention mechanism provided on the inner circumferential surface of the third member, and

the production method further comprising a process of inserting into and temporarily connecting to the third member wherein the one end portion of the second member slides on the third member via the opening portion in the diametrical direction of the third member and is thereby inserted into the third member.

17 . The production method for the ultrasonic-vibration generating/transmitting unit according to claim 16 , further comprising a connection process wherein the one end portion of the first member is rotated relative to the third member around the axis of the third member and then further inserted into the third member so that a width W4 which is the distance between the end face of the first member and the protrusion portion is reduced.