Joining two objects

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12560190-B2
Application number	US-202118005253-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 16, 2021
Priority date	Jul 16, 2020
Publication date	Feb 24, 2026
Grant date	Feb 24, 2026

Abstract

A tool presses a joining element against a first object into a first opening of the first object while mechanical vibration energy is coupled into the first object and the joining element. Vibration energy and pressing force make the thermoplastic material of the distal portion of the joining element flowable and interpenetrates structures of the first object to yield, after re-solidification, an anchoring of the distal portion of the joining element in the first object. The second object is placed so that a proximal portion of the joining element is inserted into a second opening, and the first and second objects are pressed against each other while mechanical vibration energy is coupled into one of the first and second objects, until thermoplastic material of the joining element proximal portion is made flowable and interpenetrates structures of the second object to yield, after re-solidification, an anchoring in the second object.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of joining a first and a second object with the aid of a joining element, the method comprising the steps of:
providing the first object; providing the joining element, the joining element extending between a distal end and a proximal end and comprising a thermoplastic material; positioning the joining element relative to the first object; using a tool to press the joining element towards distally relative to the first object while energy is coupled into the first object and/or the joining element, until a first portion of the thermoplastic material belonging to a distal portion of the joining element, the distal portion comprising the distal end, is made flowable and is caused to flow into a structure of the first object to yield, after re-solidification, an anchoring of the distal portion of the joining element in the first object; wherein during the step of coupling of the energy into the first object and/or the joining element, a pressing face of the tool abuts against an abutment face of the joining element, which abutment face is distally of the proximal end; providing the second object having a second opening being a blind hole; placing the second object relative to the first object, wherein the second object is placed so that the protruding proximal portion of the joining element is inserted into the second opening; and pressing the first and second objects against each other causing the distal end of the joining element to be pressed against a bottom face of the second opening and, during pressing, coupling mechanical vibration energy into at least one of the first and second objects, until a second portion of the thermoplastic material belonging to a proximal portion of the joining element, the proximal portion comprising the proximal end, is made flowable and is caused to flow into a structure of the second object to yield, after re-solidification, a fixation between the joining element and the second object.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein in the step of providing the first object, the first object has a first opening, and wherein in the step of positioning the joining element relative to the first object, positioning is effected so that the distal portion is inserted in the first opening and the proximal portion protrudes from the first object, wherein the first opening is a blind hole, and wherein the step of using the tool to press the joining element towards distally comprises pressing the distal end of the joining element against a bottom face of the first opening.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein after the step of placing the second object relative to the first object, a gap remains between the first and second objects, wherein as a result of the step of pressing the first and second objects against each other while mechanical vibration energy impinges, the gap is closed.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein after the step of placing the second object relative to the first object, a gap remains between the first and second objects, wherein as a result of the step of pressing the first and second objects against each other while mechanical vibration energy impinges, a width of the gap is reduced from an initial width to a final width, the final width being different from zero.

5 . The method according to claim 4 , wherein the joining element has a laterally protruding spacer portion, and wherein the step of pressing the first and second objects against each other is carried out until both, the first and second objects abut against the spacer portion, whereby the spacer portion sets the final width.

6 . The method according to claim 5 , further comprising placing a glue between the first and second objects, and the method further comprising allowing the glue to harden in the gap having the final width.

7 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first object has a first opening, wherein in the step of positioning the joining element relative to the first object, positioning is effected so that the distal portion is inserted in the first opening and the proximal portion protrudes from the first object, wherein both, the first and second openings each are blind holes, and wherein a sum of depths of the first and second openings is smaller than a proximodistal length of the joining element.

8 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the energy coupled into the first object and/or the joining element is mechanical vibration energy, and wherein the tool is a sonotrode, with the pressing face being an outcoupling face, and wherein in the step of coupling energy into the first object and/or the joining element, at least a fraction of the mechanical vibration energy is coupled into the joining element by the sonotrode.

9 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the abutment face comprises a shoulder of the joining element, and wherein the shoulder is an inner shoulder.

10 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the joining element comprises at least one of:
a proximal crown of the thermoplastic material proximally of the abutment face; a distal crown; a proximal blade-like protrusion ending in an edge at the proximal end; or a distal blade-like protrusion ending in an edge at the distal end.

11 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the joining element is tube shaped and hollow.

12 . The method according to claim 2 , wherein the joining element has a plurality of energy directing ribs protruding from an outer surface;
wherein the energy directing ribs run in an axial direction or run helically around the outer surface; wherein as a result of positioning the joining element relative to the first object, the energy directing ribs are in physical contact with a circumferential wall of the first opening, and during the step of using the tool to press the joining element towards distally, thermoplastic material of the joining element is caused to flow into structures of the first object also in a vicinity of the circumferential wall of the first opening; and wherein as a result of placing the second object relative to the first object, the energy directing ribs are in physical contact with a circumferential wall of the second opening, and during the step of pressing the first and second objects against each other, thermoplastic material of the joining element is caused to flow into structures of the second object also in a vicinity of the circumferential wall of the second opening.

13 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the tool has a distal recess having a mouth in a distal tool end face, and wherein during the step of using the tool to press the joining element towards distally, the proximal portion of the joining element is received in the distal recess; and
wherein the distal recess has a shape adapted to a shape of the proximal portion of the joining element.

14 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the tool has a protruding portion that that during the step of using the tool to press the joining element towards distally, extends past at least a part of the proximal portion of the joining element.

15 . The method according to claim 1 , and comprising the step of shaping the proximal portion of the joining element during the step of using the tool to press the joining element towards distally by the joint effect of the pressing force and the energy.

16 . The method according to claim 15 , wherein the step of shaping the proximal portion of the joining element comprises shaping the proximal portion to form a blade-like protrusion and/or a crown circum

Assignees

• Woodwelding Ag

Inventors

• Torriani Laurent
• Lehmann Mario

Classifications

• B29C66/8322

  Joining or pressing tools reciprocating along one axis · CPC title

• B29C66/7487

  Wood · CPC title

• B29C66/7392

  characterised by the material of at least one of the parts being a thermoplastic · CPC title

• B29C66/72

  characterised by the structure of the material of the parts to be joined · CPC title

• B29C66/30326

  in the form of porosity · CPC title