Anchoring of connector element

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11904551-B2
Application number	US-201917259398-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 12, 2019
Priority date	Jul 13, 2018
Publication date	Feb 20, 2024
Grant date	Feb 20, 2024

Abstract

A method of anchoring a lightweight building element having a first building layer and an interlining layer distally of the first building layer, and possibly a second building layer distally of the interlining layer. For anchoring, the distal end of a connector element is inserted into a mounting hole in the lightweight building element, and also a sleeve including a thermoplastic material is inserted into the mounting hole, the sleeve enclosing the connector element. Then, a distally facing liquefaction face of the sleeve is caused to be in contact with a proximally facing support face of the connector element. Energy impinges to liquefy at least a flow portion of the thermoplastic material of the sleeve, and the liquefaction face is pressed against the support face to cause at least a fraction of the flow portion to flow radially outward. After the flow portion has re-solidified, it anchors the connector element in the receiving object.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of anchoring a connector element in a receiving object, the receiving object being a lightweight building element comprising a first building layer, a second building layer, and an interlining layer, wherein the interlining layer is arranged distally of the first building layer and the interlining layer is arranged between the first and second building layers, wherein the first building layer and the second building layer each are thinner and have a higher density than the interlining layer, and wherein the receiving object is provided with a mounting hole for receiving the connector element, the mounting hole penetrating the first building layer and extending into or through the interlining layer, and the connector element having a distal end and a proximal end, the method comprising the steps of:
inserting the distal end of the connector element into the mounting hole in an insertion direction along an insertion axis;
inserting a sleeve comprising a thermoplastic material into the mounting hole, the sleeve enclosing the connector element;
causing a distally facing liquefaction face of the sleeve to be in contact with a proximally facing support face of the connector element;
wherein the proximally facing support face is a sloping face;
using a sonotrode engaging with a proximal end of the sleeve to transfer energy to liquefy at least a flow portion of the thermoplastic material of the sleeve and to press the liquefaction face against the support face so as to cause at least a fraction of the flow portion to flow radially outward; and
causing the flow portion to re-solidify, whereby the re-solidified flow portion anchors the connector element in the receiving object;
wherein prior to liquefying said at least a portion of the thermoplastic material, the distal end of the connector element is moved into an axial end position, in which it abuts an axial support face of the mounting hole,
wherein the axial support face is an inner surface of the second building layer,
wherein the proximal end of the sleeve is moved in the insertion direction while said flow portion of the sleeve is liquefied, and
wherein the sleeve presses the connector element against the inner surface of the second building layer while said flow portion of the sleeve is liquefied.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said liquefaction face is located at a distal end of the sleeve.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the energy is transferred to sequentially liquefy a plurality of axially separate portions of the thermoplastic material of the sleeve.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein during the step of transferring the energy, a distal end of the connector element or an other distally facing abutment face of the connector element is held against an axial support face in the mounting hole.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein during the step of transferring the energy and pressing, the sleeve is moved in the insertion direction while the connector element is essentially stationary.

6. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising allowing at least a portion of the liquefied thermoplastic material to axially enclose a structure extending radially from a body of the connector element, and thereafter allowing the liquefied thermoplastic material to solidify to provide axial support between the connector element and the sleeve.

7. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising allowing at least a portion of the liquefied thermoplastic material to penetrate into an indentation in a body of the connector element, and thereafter allowing the liquefied thermoplastic material to solidify to provide axial support between the connector element and the sleeve.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the connector element comprises a first connector interface for engaging with a mating second connector interface of an object to be connected to the receiving object.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein causing at least a fraction of the flow portion to flow radially outward comprises causing a fraction of the flow portion into a space immediately distally of the first building layer and adjacent to it.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the proximally facing support face defines an undercut with respect to radial directions.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the connector element has a stepped shape, whereby it comprises a first proximally facing support face and a second proximally facing support face.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the connector element has a distance holding structure distally of the proximally facing support face, whereby the proximally facing support face is, during the step of transferring the energy, positioned at distance from an axial support defined by the receiving object.

13. The method according to claim 1 ,
wherein the proximally facing support face is a proximal face of a collar of the connector element,
wherein the sleeve has at least one distally protruding feature,
wherein the connector element is shaped for the distally protruding feature to be allowed to reach distally beyond a distal end of the collar when the sleeve encloses the connector element, and
wherein the method comprises the step of pressing, prior to pressing the liquefaction face against the support face, the distally protruding feature of the sleeve against a support structure of the receiving object until a portion of the thermoplastic material of the sleeve element liquefies and is pressed into structures of the receiving object.

14. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the proximally facing support face is a proximal face of a collar.

15. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the collar is constituted by a plurality of radial protrusions of the connector element.

16. The method according to claim 14 , wherein a radial extension of the collar is smaller than a radial extension of a distal end of the sleeve.

17. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the proximally facing support face slopes towards the distal direction to face proximately and radially outwardly.

18. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the proximally facing support face has a surface structure defined by a plurality of radial ridges.

19. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the proximally facing support face faces proximately and radially inwardly, whereby the connector element forms an undercut with respect to radial directions.

20. A method of anchoring a connector element in a receiving object, the receiving object being a lightweight building element comprising a first building layer, a second building layer, and an interlining layer, wherein the interlining layer is arranged distally of the first building layer and the interlining layer is arranged between the first and second building layers, wherein the first building layer and the second building layer each are thinner and have a higher density than the interlining layer, and wherein the receiving object is provided with a mounting hole for receiving the connector element, the mounting hole penetrating the first building layer and extending into or through the interlining layer, and the connector element having a distal end and a proximal end, the method comprising the steps of:
inserting the distal end of the connector element into the mounting hole in an insertion direction along an insertion axis;
inserting a sleeve of a thermoplastic material into the mounting hole, the sle

Assignees

• Woodwelding Ag

Inventors

• Lehmann Mario
• Torriani Laurent
• Sankaran Muthumariappan
• Kvist Joakim

Classifications

• B29C65/08 Primary

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

• B29C65/603

  the rivets being pushed in blind holes · CPC title

• B29C66/8322

  Joining or pressing tools reciprocating along one axis · CPC title

• F16B13/0841

  with a deformable sleeve member driven against the abutting surface of the head of the bolt or of a plug · CPC title

• B29C66/474 Primary

  said single elements being substantially non-flat · CPC title