Bonding objects together

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10662992-B2
Application number	US-201916517871-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 22, 2019
Priority date	Feb 4, 2014
Publication date	May 26, 2020
Grant date	May 26, 2020

Abstract

A method of bonding a connector to a first object includes providing the connector, the connector being separate from the first object and including a thermoplastic material; arranging the first object and the connector relative to one another so that the connector reaches from a proximal side of the object through a first opening in the object; generating and applying vibrations and mechanical pressure to the connector until a flow portion of the thermoplastic material is liquefied and caused to flow sideways radially into an open space; and removing the source of the vibrations and causing the liquefied thermoplastic material to re-solidify, resulting in the connector with a foot portion, a head portion, and a shaft portion between the foot portion and the head portion. The shaft portion extends along an axis through the first opening, and secures the connector to the first object.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of bonding a connector to a first object, comprising the steps of:
providing the first object with a first opening, the first opening being a through opening;
providing a connector comprising a thermoplastic material and a core element of a material that is not liquefiable or liquefiable only at substantially higher temperatures than the thermoplastic material;
arranging the first object and the connector relative to one another so that the connector reaches from a proximal side through the first opening;
using a source of mechanical vibrations to generate vibrations, and applying the vibrations and mechanical pressure to the connector until, under the effect of the vibrations and the pressure, a flow portion of the thermoplastic material is liquefied and caused to flow; and
removing the source of the vibrations and causing the liquefied thermoplastic material to re-solidify;
wherein the core element has on a surface at least one locking feature;
wherein after the step of removing, the connector comprises a foot portion, a head portion, and a shaft portion between the foot portion and the head portion, the shaft portion extending along an axis through the first opening, and thereby securing the connector to the first object;
wherein the flow portion forms at least a part of the foot portion or the head portion or both, the foot portion and the head portion; and
wherein after the step of removing, the core element is secured to the thermoplastic material by a positive fit connection caused by the locking feature.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the locking feature comprises at least one of an indentation, a protrusion, a corrugation, an open porosity.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the locking feature is embedded in the thermoplastic material prior to the step of applying the vibrations and the mechanical pressure.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the flow portion of the thermoplastic material comprises a portion that flows relative to the locking feature to embed the locking feature.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the locking feature and the thermoplastic material after the step of removing form an axial positive fit.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the locking feature comprises a least one circumferential ridge or circumferential indentation.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein in the step of providing the connector, the core element and the thermoplastic material together form a pre-assembled connector element with the thermoplastic material embedding the locking feature.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein in the step of providing the connector, the core element and the thermoplastic material are separate elements.

9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein in the step of using the source of the mechanical vibrations, the core element is used to couple the mechanical vibrations and the mechanical pressure into the thermoplastic material.

10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein a force that causes the mechanical pressure is coupled into the core element as a tensile force.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein applying the vibrations and the mechanical pressure comprises compressing the connector between two sonotrodes.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein applying the vibrations and the mechanical pressure comprises compressing the connector between a sonotrode and a non-vibrating counter element.

13. The method according to claim 12 , wherein at least one of the sonotrode and of the counter element has a mold feature.

14. The method according to claim 1 , comprising further providing a second object with a second opening, the second object being separate from the connector, wherein the step of arranging comprises arranging the first and second objects and the connector relative to one another so that the first and second openings are aligned and that the connector reaches from a proximal side through the first opening distally into the second opening.

15. The method according to claim 14 comprising, wherein after the step of removing, the core element reaches through a shear plane between the first object and the second object.

16. The method according claim 14 , comprising, wherein one or more of the following conditions holds:
the first and second objects are of different materials;
at least one of the first object and of the second object comprises a fiber reinforced composite material.

17. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the core element has a shape deviating from rotationally symmetrical about an axis.

18. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the source of mechanical vibrations is coupled to a sonotrode, the sonotrode comprising a distal coupling-out face, wherein in the step of applying the vibrations the coupling-out face is coupled to a proximal end face of the connector, and wherein the method comprises transmitting the vibrations to the distal side through the connector from its proximal end face to a distal end face to form the foot portion by the flow portion.

19. The method according to claim 18 , wherein the connector in an initial state comprises the head portion, the head portion forming a distally facing shoulder that forms a stop when the connector is inserted from the proximal side into the first opening.

20. The method according to claim 1 , wherein after the step of removing, the core element is sheathed by the thermoplastic material.

21. The method according to claim 1 , wherein after the step of removing, the core element is completely surrounded by the thermoplastic material.

22. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of applying and pressing is carried out until material of the flowing portion coats a circumferential wall of the first opening at least along a full circumference.

23. The method according to claim 1 , wherein an outer contour of the connector and a cross section of the first opening do not have circular symmetry.

24. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the locking feature comprises an indentation in a lateral outer surface of the core element.

25. A method of bonding a first object and a second object together by a connector, the method comprising the steps of:
providing the first object with a first opening, the first opening being a through opening;
providing the second object with a second opening, the second opening being a through opening
providing a connector comprising a thermoplastic material and a core element of a material that is not liquefiable or liquefiable only at substantially higher temperatures than the thermoplastic material;
arranging the first object, the second object and the connector relative to one another so that the first and second openings are aligned with each other and the connector reaches from a proximal side through the first opening and the second opening;
using a source of mechanical vibrations to generate vibrations, and applying the vibrations and mechanical pressure to the connector until, under the effect of the vibrations and the pressure, a flow portion of the thermoplastic material is liquefied and caused to flow; and
removing the source of the vibrations and causing the liquefied thermoplastic material to re-solidify;
wherein the core element has on a surface at least one locking feature;
wherein after the step of removing, the connector compris

Assignees

• Woodwelding Ag

Inventors

• Germann Jonas
• Mayer Jörg
• Kvist Joakim
• Poschner Patricia

Classifications

• B29C66/474

  said single elements being substantially non-flat · CPC title

• B29C65/603

  the rivets being pushed in blind holes · CPC title

• B29C65/601

  using extra riveting elements, i.e. the rivets being non-integral with the parts to be joined · CPC title

• B29C65/562

  using extra joining elements, i.e. which are not integral with the parts to be joined (using plastic snap elements B29C65/58; using plastic rivets B29C65/601) · CPC title

• B29C66/81431

  comprising a single cavity, e.g. a groove · CPC title