Method of anchoring a first object in a second object

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10780644-B2
Application number	US-201515313245-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 28, 2015
Priority date	May 28, 2014
Publication date	Sep 22, 2020
Grant date	Sep 22, 2020

Abstract

A method for joining two objects by anchoring an insert portion provided on a first object in an opening provided on a second object. The anchorage is achieved by liquefaction of a thermoplastic material and interpenetration of the liquefied material and a penetrable material, the two materials being arranged on opposite surfaces of the insert portion and the wall of the opening. During the step of inserting the insert portion in the opening and/or during anchorage a clamping force is applied to opposing surfaces of the second object to prevent the second object from cracking or bulging.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of anchoring a first object in a second object, the method comprising the steps of:
providing the first object comprising a first material and providing the second object comprising a second material, wherein the first material is solid and comprises thermoplastic properties and wherein the second material is solid, has pores and is thereby penetrable by the first material when in a liquefied state, the second object having an end face;
wherein the second object further comprises an opening having a mouth in the end face, the opening having an opening axis and a depth and the first object further comprising an insert portion having a length,
wherein the opening and the insert portion are adapted to each other for the insert portion to be positioned in the opening, and wherein said first and second materials constitute at least part of opposite surface areas of the insert portion and the opening capable of being pressed against each other,
applying a clamping force to the second object while the insert portion is at least partially inserted in the opening, the clamping force acting between clamping elements acting on opposing surfaces arranged so that the opening is between the opposing surfaces when the clamping force is applied, the clamping force acting in a direction non-parallel to the opening axis,
anchoring the insert portion of the first object in the opening by transferring energy suitable for at least partial liquefaction of the first material to a vicinity of said opposite surface areas in an amount and for a time sufficient, for liquefaction of the first material and interpenetration of the first and second materials in the vicinity of said opposite surface areas by the first material filling at least some of the pores of the second material, wherein in the step of anchoring, the second material remains solid and is interpenetrated by the first material;
stopping the transfer of the energy for a time sufficient for the first material liquefied during the step of anchoring to re-solidify, whereby after re-solidification a positive-fit connection between the first and the second materials results by the first material interpenetrating the second material.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of applying the clamping force is carried out at least during an initial stage of the step of anchoring.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the opening and the insert portion are adapted to each other for the insert portion to be positioned in the opening with an interference fit, and wherein the opposite surface areas of the insert portion and the opening are pressed against each other in the interference fit.

4. The method according to claim 3 , comprising the further step of establishing the interference fit by placing the insert portion in the opening and applying an interference force prior to the step of anchoring.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the step of applying the clamping force is carried out at least during an initial stage of the step of establishing the interference fit.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the step of applying the clamping force is carried out continuously during the step of establishing the interference fit and continuing also during at least an initial stage of the step of anchoring.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the second object has a board shaped section defining two broad surfaces and a narrow side face between the broad surfaces, wherein said end face is the narrow side face of the board shaped section.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the direction of the clamping force is perpendicular to the opening axis.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the clamping force is controlled by controlling a pressure of a gas or fluid exerting its pressure on the clamping elements.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a clamping pressure exceeds 0.4 N/mm2.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein, in the step of anchoring, the transferred energy is mechanical vibration energy.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the clamping force follows a controlled time dependent profile.

13. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the clamping force is applied by holding the clamping elements at a fixed position relative to one another.

14. The method according to claim 13 , comprising holding the clamping elements at the fixed position relative to one another by controlling a knee lever comprising a first lever arm and a second lever arm connected to at least one of the clamping elements.

15. The method according to claim 1 , wherein for at least one of the clamping elements a clamping surface area, which is an area of an interface between said clamping element and a surface portion of the second object against which it is pressed during clamping, is smaller than an area of the one of the opposing surfaces, against which it is pressed, by at least a factor of 5.

16. The method according to claim 1 , wherein for at least one of the clamping elements a clamping surface area corresponds to at most 20 times an area of the insert portion as seen in a projection on a plane perpendicular to a direction of the clamping force, and at least 1.5 times said area of the insert portion as seen in the projection on the plane perpendicular to the direction of the clamping force.

17. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the opening of the second object comprises a plurality of openings, the step of providing the first object comprising providing a corresponding number of first objects, wherein the step of applying the clamping force comprises applying the clamping force for each of the plurality of openings individually, simultaneously or in sequence.

18. The method according to claim 1 , comprising the step of at least partially inserting the insert portion in the opening prior to the step of anchoring, wherein during the step of anchoring the second object is at a substantially same location as during the step of inserting.

19. The method according to claim 1 , comprising the step of at least partially inserting the insert portion in the opening, and further comprising moving the second object from an insertion station to an anchoring station after the step of inserting and prior to the step of anchoring.

20. The method according to claim 19 , comprising applying the clamping force during the step of at least partially inserting the insert portion and maintaining the clamping force applied at least until the step of anchoring sets in, keeping the clamping force applied during at least a portion of the step of anchoring.

21. The method according to claim 1 , wherein in the step of applying the clamping force, two clamping elements are opposing and arranged so that the opening is between the clamping elements.

22. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the second material is one of chipboard, wood, fibre board, plywood and cardboard.

23. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first material comprises a thermoplastic polymer with an elasticity coefficient of at least 0.5 GPa.

24. A method of anchoring a first object in a second object, the method comprising the steps of:
providing the first object comprising a first material and providing the second object,
wherein the first material is solid and comprises thermoplastic properties and wherein the second object has a board-shaped section, the board-sha

Assignees

• Woodwelding Ag
• Ikea Supply Ag

Inventors

• Mayer Jörg
• Lehmann Mario
• Käll Håkan
• Sankaran Muthumariappan

Classifications

• F16B5/00

  Joining sheets or plates {, e.g. panels,} to one another or to strips or bars parallel to them ({F16B17/00 takes precedence;} by sticking together F16B11/00; dowel connections F16B13/00; pins, including deformable elements F16B19/00; covering of walls E04F13/00; fastening signs, plates, panels or boards to a supporting structure, fastening readily-detachable elements, e.g. letters to signs, plates, panels, or boards, G09F7/00) · CPC title

• F16B3/005 Primary

  the key being formed by solidification of injected material (joining of preformed parts by applying molten plastics B29C65/40; non-disconnectible pipe joints obtained using a hardenable filler F16L13/11) · CPC title

• B29C66/126

  Tenon and mortise joints (tenons and mortises for positioning purposes B29C65/7814) · CPC title

• B29C66/81429

  comprising a single tooth · CPC title

• B29C66/9592

  in explicit relation to another variable, e.g. X-Y diagrams · CPC title