System comprising stud and tool, as well as method for fixing the stud to an object with the aid of the tool

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11141924-B2
Application number	US-201716340553-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 6, 2017
Priority date	Oct 11, 2016
Publication date	Oct 12, 2021
Grant date	Oct 12, 2021

Abstract

A system and a method for stud fixation with the aid of mechanical vibration energy that is applied to the stud and that is used for local liquefaction or at least plastification of a material, which is based on a thermoplastic polymer and includes the stud (at least distal stud end) and/or by the object (at least in a fixation location), wherein simultaneously the distal stud end is pressed against the fixation location of the object. Depending on the material pairing of stud (distal stud end) and object (fixation location), this results, on re-solidification of the liquefied or plasticized material, in an embedding of the distal stud end in the object (e.g. positive fit connection), in a welded connection between the distal stud end and the object, or in a local penetration of stud material into the object (e.g. positive fit connection).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for fixing matting to an object with the aid of a plurality of studs being fixed to the object with the aid of liquefaction or at least plastification of a material based on a thermoplastic polymer, said material being comprised by the object, the system comprising:
the studs, each stud comprising an elongated shaft having a distal end, a proximal end and a longitudinal axis therebetween, and a collar extending radially from the shaft, having a distal collar face and a proximal collar face and being arranged on the shaft with a proximal shaft portion extending beyond the proximal collar face,
a tool comprising a vibration source capable of supplying mechanical vibration energy, and a sonotrode with a proximal sonotrode end and a distal sonotrode face, wherein the proximal sonotrode end is coupled or couplable to the vibration source, wherein the sonotrode is designed for vibration transmission from the proximal sonotrode end to the distal sonotrode face, and wherein the sonotrode further comprises an axial channel being open at the distal sonotrode face,
a plurality of head plates, and
the matting,
wherein the axial channel is dimensioned for accommodation of the proximal shaft portion, and wherein the distal sonotrode face is adapted to the proximal collar face for enabling transmission of vibration and of a pressing force from the sonotrode to the stud,
wherein the collar is arranged on the shaft for a distal shaft portion to extend beyond the distal collar face,
wherein at least the distal shaft portion comprises a material which is not liquefiable by the vibrating enemy and further comprises a surface structure or geometry suitable for forming a positive fit connection with said material based on a thermoplastic polymer in which it is embedded,
wherein the proximal shaft portion has a length which is about the same or lamer than a matting thickness, whereby the matting is capable of being secured to the object by means of the fixed studs in that the proximal shaft portion of the shafts of the fixed studs are caused to reach through the matting and in that the head plates are fixed to free stud ends that protrude from the matting.

2. The system according to claim 1 , further comprising a holding mechanism configured to hold the shaft portion in the axial channel.

3. The system according to claim 2 , wherein the holding mechanism comprises a holding element of the sonotrode, the holding element being arranged in the channel.

4. The system according to claim 3 , wherein the holding element is a resilient element.

5. The system according to claim 4 , wherein the resilient element is arranged in an axial position constituting a vibration node.

6. The system according to claim 3 , wherein the holding element comprises a holding body mounted relative to the shaft sonotrode via a spring, the holding body cooperating with a guiding structure of the shaft portion.

7. The system according to claim 6 , wherein the holding body has an at least partially spherical surface and/or wherein the guiding structure comprises an indentation.

8. The system according to claim 2 , wherein holding mechanism comprises a suction arrangement to generate an underpressure in the channel.

9. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the collar is constituted by a distal collar portion and a proximal collar portion, wherein the proximal collar portion constitutes the proximal collar face, and wherein the distal collar portion constitutes the distal collar face.

10. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the stud comprises longitudinal reinforcing ribs arranged on the shaft.

11. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the distal shaft portion comprises a tapering tip, a plurality of tapering tips or is tube-shaped.

12. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the surface structure or geometry comprises at least one of a surface roughness, ribs, blind openings or through openings.

13. The system according to claim 1 , and further comprising the object to which the stud is to be fixed, wherein, at least in a fixation location, the object comprises said material based on a thermoplastic polymer.

14. The system according to claim 13 , wherein the object is a thin-walled duct made of said material based on a thermoplastic polymer.

15. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the matting and the stud are adapted to each other for at least part of the shaft being capable of being pushed through the matting without the need of providing an opening in the matting.

16. The system according to claim 15 , wherein the proximal shaft portion is capable of being pushed through the matting.

17. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the sonotrode is designed for maximum vibration amplitude at the distal sonotrode face.

18. A method for fixing matting to an object with the aid of a plurality of studs fixed to the to an object with the aid of liquefaction or at least plastification of a material based on a thermoplastic polymer comprised by the stud or the object, the method comprising the steps of:
providing the studs, each stud comprising an elongated shaft having a distal end, a proximal end and a longitudinal axis therebetween, and a collar extending radially from the shaft, having a distal collar face and a proximal collar face and being arranged on the shaft with a proximal shaft portion extending beyond the proximal collar face, wherein the collar is arranged on the shaft for a distal shaft portion to extend beyond the distal collar face and wherein at least the distal shaft portion comprises a material which is not liquefiable by the vibrating enemy and further comprises a surface structure or geometry suitable for forming a positive fit connection with said material based on a thermoplastic polymer in which it is embedded,
providing a tool comprising a vibration source capable of supplying mechanical vibration energy and a sonotrode with a proximal sonotrode end and a distal sonotrode face, wherein the proximal sonotrode end is couplable to the vibration source, wherein the sonotrode is designed for vibration transmission from the proximal sonotrode end to the distal sonotrode face, and wherein the sonotrode further comprises an axial channel being open at the distal sonotrode face, wherein the axial channel is dimensioned for accommodation of the proximal shaft portion, and wherein the distal sonotrode face is adapted to the proximal collar face for enabling transmission of vibration and of a pressing force from the sonotrode to the stud,
coupling the proximal sonotrode end to the vibration source,
positioning the proximal shaft portion in the axial channel such that the proximal collar face abuts the distal sonotrode face,
positioning, with the aid of the tool, the distal shaft portion against a fixation location on the object,
applying vibration and a pressing force through the sonotrode to the stud for a time sufficient for liquefying or at least plastifying enough of said material based on a thermoplastic polymer for embedding the distal shaft portion in the fixation location, and
securing the matting to the object by pushing the matting on a plurality of the fixed studs and then fixing head plates to free stud ends protruding from the matting.

19. The method according to claim 18 , wherein the step of penetrating the matting is performed before or after fixation of the stud to the object.

20. The method according to claim 18 , wherein fixing the head plates to the free stud ends comprises snapping the he

Assignees

• Woodwelding Ag

Inventors

• Mayer Jörg
• Eckhard Gregor
• Poschner Patricia
• Lehmann Mario

Classifications

• B29C65/7841

  Holding or clamping means for handling purposes (clamping means for the purpose of applying pressure on the parts to be joined, in the area to be joined B29C66/81; work holders in general B25B; devices for holding or positioning work for welding metal B23K37/04) · CPC title

• B29C66/30321

  making use of protrusions belonging to at least one of the parts to be joined · CPC title

• B29C66/742

  to metals or their alloys · CPC title

• B29C66/43

  Joining a relatively small portion of the surface of said articles (B29C66/45 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B29C65/08 Primary

  using ultrasonic vibrations {(non-plastics element to plastics elements B29C65/645)} · CPC title