Bonding objects together

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10808740-B2
Application number	US-201615564623-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 5, 2016
Priority date	Jul 9, 2015
Publication date	Oct 20, 2020
Grant date	Oct 20, 2020

Abstract

A method of bonding a connector to a first object includes providing the first object and the connector, the connector extending between a proximal end and a distal end and has a connector body that forms a distally facing punching edge. At least one of the connector and of the first object includes a thermoplastic material in a solid state. The method further includes driving the connector into the first object and coupling mechanical vibration into the connector until the connector extends through a portion of the first object from a proximal side to a distal side thereof and material of the first object is punched out by the connector body, and until at least a flow portion of the thermoplastic material becomes flowable and flows relative to the first object and the connector body while the connector body remains solid. Thereafter, the thermoplastic material is allowed to re-solidify.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of bonding a connector to a first object, the method comprising the steps of:
providing the first object and the connector, the connector being separate from the first object, the connector extending between a proximal end and a distal end and comprising a connector body, the connector body comprising a distally facing punching edge at the distal end, wherein the connector further comprises, proximally of the punching edge, a thermoplastic material in a solid state, and wherein the connector body comprising the punching edge is of a material that is not liquefiable or liquefiable only at substantially higher temperatures than the thermoplastic material;
placing the connector relative to the first object so that the distal end is in physical contact with the first object;
driving the connector into material of the first object and coupling mechanical vibration into the connector and/or the first object, until the connector extends through a portion of the first object from a proximal side to a distal side thereof and material of the first object is punched out by the connector body, and until at least a flow portion of the thermoplastic material becomes flowable and flows relative to the connector body and the first object while the connector body remains solid; and
causing the flow portion of the thermoplastic material to re-solidify.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the portion of the first object through which the connector extends during the step of causing the flow portion to re-solidify is board-shaped.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first object comprises non-liquefiable material.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first object comprises a fiber composite material.

5. The method according to claim 1 , comprising the further step of deforming the connector body to be expanded distally of the portion of the first object to anchor the connector in the first object.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of positioning comprises positioning a second object relative to the first object, and wherein in the step of being driven into material of the first object, the connector is also driven into or through the second object or an opening therein to connect the first and second objects to each other.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the second object is positioned distally of the first object.

8. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the second object is of a fiber composite material or is metallic.

9. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the second object in the step of positioning comprises a through opening.

10. The method according to claim 6 , wherein in the step of being driven into material of the first object and into or through the second object, the connector punches through the second object to yield a punched through opening through which a portion of the connector extends.

11. The method according to claim 6 , comprising the further step of deforming the connector body to be expanded distally of the second object, whereby the connector forms a rivet securing the first and second objects to each other.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of coupling mechanical vibration into the connector is carried out until material of the flow portion coats a circumferential wall of an opening in the first object caused by the punching at least along a full circumference.

13. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first object comprises electrically conducting material, and wherein the flow portion is caused to fully shield the electrically conducting material from the connector body.

14. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of coupling mechanical vibration into the connector is carried out simultaneously with driving the connector into material of the first object.

15. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of coupling mechanical vibration into the connector is carried out after the step of driving the connector into material of the first object.

16. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the connector body comprises a proximally facing coupling-in face, and wherein the step of coupling mechanical vibration into the connector comprises pressing a vibrating tool against the coupling-in face.

17. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the connector comprises an anchoring element initially separate from the connector body, wherein the anchoring element comprises the thermoplastic material, and wherein the step of coupling mechanical vibration into the connector comprises pressing a vibrating tool against a proximally-facing face of the anchoring element.

18. The method according to claim 17 , wherein the connector body comprises a longitudinal opening open to the proximal side and at least one lateral exit opening connecting the longitudinal opening with a circumferential periphery of the connector body, and wherein the step of coupling mechanical vibration into the connector comprises pressing the anchoring element into the longitudinal opening by the vibrating tool.

19. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of coupling mechanical vibration into the opening comprises pressing a first vibrating tool against a first coupling-in face and pressing a second vibrating tool against a second coupling-in face.

20. The method according to claim 19 , wherein the steps of pressing the first and second vibrating tools are carried out sequentially.

21. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the flow portion is caused to flow along an interface between the first object and the connector body.

22. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the connector body comprises a head portion and wherein the step of driving the connector body into material of the first object is carried out until a distally-facing stop face of the head portion abuts against a proximally-facing surface of the first object or another item connected to the first object.

23. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the punching edge of the connector body is formed by a blade-like distal portion.

24. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the connector body comprises a first connector body part comprising the punching edge and a second connector body part, wherein the step of driving the connector into material of the first object comprises driving the first connector body part into material of the first object, and wherein the step of coupling mechanical vibration into the connector comprises pressing the second connector body part against the first connector body part and/or the first object while the mechanical vibration is coupled into the second connector body part and/or the first connector body part until the flow portion of the thermoplastic material becomes flowable.

25. The method according to claim 24 , wherein one of the second and first connector body parts comprises the thermoplastic material and the other one of the first and second connector body parts comprises an abutment feature, and wherein thermoplastic material is pressed against the abutment feature in the step of pressing the second connector body part against the first connector body part.

26. The method according to claim 24 , wherein the step of driving the first connector body part into material of the first object comprises coupling mechanical vibration into the first connector body part.

Assignees

• Woodwelding Ag

Inventors

• Mayer Jörg
• Lehmann Mario
• Kvist Joakim
• Poschner Patricia

Classifications

• B29C66/92921

  in specific relation to time, e.g. pressure-time diagrams · CPC title

• B29C66/92443

  following a pressure-time profile · CPC title

• B29C66/81429

  comprising a single tooth · CPC title

• B21J15/08

  Riveting by applying heat {, e.g.} to the end parts of the rivets to enable heads to be formed {(B21J15/027 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B21J15/147

  Composite articles · CPC title