Woodwelding Ag

Itw Fixfast Ab

Colin W Clinch

Marcel Aeschlimann

Laurent Torriani

Mario Lehmann

Elmar Mock

Per-Arne Axelsson

Kristian Ostergren

An assembly including a joining element and an object, the object having a first outer layer, a second outer layer, and a middle layer between the first and second outer layers. The object has an opening that extends through the first outer layer and the middle layer, and the joining element is anchored in the opening. The joining element includes a proximal end, a distal end, a contact face in the area of the proximal end, a wall anchoring portion, and a tubular portion. The contact face is engaged by a vibrating tool that applies mechanical vibration and axial force to the joining element. The joining element includes a thermoplastic material at least at the circumferential surface of the wall anchoring portion and at the distal end to anchor the joining element to the first and second outer layers, respectively.

Sandwich board assembly having thermoplastic joining element

A method of anchoring a joining element to a hollow core board with the aid of mechanical vibration. The hollow core board has a first and second outer layers and a middle layer disposed between the outer layers. An opening, including a mouth, is provided in the hollow core board, the opening penetrating the first outer layer and the middle layer. The joining element includes a wall anchoring portion situated between a proximal end and a distal end thereof. A distal end of the wall anchoring portion is positioned into or onto the mouth with a sealing portion on a proximal end of the wall anchoring portion. The wall anchoring portion is forced through the mouth by applying mechanical vibration and a force parallel to the joining element axis, whereby thermoplastic material of the wall anchoring portion is liquefied and pressed into the first outer layer.

Method for anchoring a joining element in an object and joining element to be used in the method

A first and a second object are joined with the aid of a joining element including at least in the region of its distal and proximal ends a thermoplastic material. Two blind holes facing each other are provided in the two objects and the joining element is positioned in the blind holes such that its distal and proximal ends are in contact with the bottom faces of the blind holes and such that there is a gap between the two objects. This assembly is then positioned between a support and a sonotrode. The sonotrode and the support are forced towards each other, while the sonotrode is vibrated, thereby liquefying at least part of the material having thermoplastic properties, there, where the joining element ends are pressed against the bottom faces of the holes and allowing the liquefied material to infiltrate into pores.

Method for joining two objects and corresponding joining element

A joining element to be anchored in an object with the aid of a thermoplastic material and mechanical vibration includes a proximal end and a distal end that are spaced from one another along an axis of the joining element. A contact face is in the area of the proximal end, the contact face being suitable for being contacted with a vibrating tool for applying, to the joining element, mechanical vibration and a force parallel to the axis. The wall anchoring portion is situated between the proximal end and the distal end, and has a circumferential surface being equipped with a plurality of recesses and radially protruding energy concentrating elements between the recesses. A tubular portion is situated between the proximal end and the distal end and extends distally from the wall anchoring portion.

A joining element to be anchored in an object with the aid of a thermoplastic material and mechanical vibration comprises a sealing portion and a wall anchoring portion. The sealing portion is substantially cylindrical and has a smooth circumferential surface. The wall anchoring portion has a circumferential surface which comprises the thermoplastic material and energy directors. A cross section of the sealing portion envelops the cross section (including energy directors) of the wall anchoring portion and is arranged adjoining to the latter on its proximal side. The joining element is anchored in an opening provided in the object wherein a cross section of the opening corresponds to the cross section of the sealing portion of the joining element such that the latter can be forced into a mouth of the opening resulting in a press fit. For anchoring the joining element in the opening, mechanical vibrations e.g. ultrasonic vibrations are coupled into the joining element and the latter is forced into the opening until at least a distal part of the sealing portion is positioned within the opening. Thereby, the thermoplastic material of the circumferential surface of the wall anchoring portion is liquefied and pressed into the opening wall, wherein the sealing portion prevents the liquefied material to penetrate through the mouth and therefore the mouth remains clear cut, i.e. does not get blurred by the liquefied material.

Joining element equipped with a plurality of recesses and energy concentrating elements

A first and a second object (and) are joined with the aid of a joining element () including at least in the region of its distal and proximal ends (and) a thermoplastic material. Two blind holes (and) facing each other are provided in the two objects (and) and the joining element () is positioned in the blind holes such that its distal and proximal ends () are in contact with the bottom faces of the blind holes and such that there is a gap () between the two objects (and). This assembly is then positioned between a support () and a sonotrode (). The sonotrode () and the support () are forced towards each other, while the sonotrode () is vibrated, thereby liquefying at least part of the material having thermoplastic properties, there, where the joining element ends (and) are pressed against the bottom faces of the holes (and) and allowing the liquefied material to infiltrate into pores of the hole surfaces or unevennesses or openings provided in the hole surfaces.

A joining element to be anchored in an object () with the aid of a thermoplastic material and mechanical vibration comprises a sealing portion () and a wall anchoring portion (). The sealing portion () is substantially cylindrical and has a smooth circumferential surface. The wall anchoring portion () has a circumferential surface which comprises the thermoplastic material and energy directors. A cross section of the sealing portion () envelops the cross section (including energy directors) of the wall anchoring portion and is arranged adjoining to the latter on its proximal side. The joining element is anchored in an opening () provided in the object () wherein a cross section of the opening corresponds to the cross section of the sealing portion () of the joining element such that the latter can be forced into a mouth () of the opening () resulting in a press fit. For anchoring the joining element in the opening (), mechanical vibrations e.g. ultrasonic vibrations are coupled into the joining element and the latter is forced into the opening () until at least a distal part of the sealing portion () is positioned within the opening. Thereby, the thermoplastic material of the circumferential surface of the wall anchoring portion () is liquefied and pressed into the opening wall, wherein the sealing portion () prevents the liquefied material to penetrate through the mouth and therefore the mouth () remains clear cut, i.e. does not get blurred by the liquefied material.

Method for anchoring a joining element in an object

A door handle assembly (10) to be mounted to a door, preferably a vehicle door, the assembly having a lock mechanism operating arrangement (11), made up of an operating handle (12) and an actuation lever (13), and a handle housing (14) to which the operating arrangement (11) is pivotally attached. To facilitate mounting of the door handle assembly to the door, the actuation lever (13) projects from the operating handle (12) at a predetermined fixed angle, and the actuation lever (13) is provided with an engagement surface (26) in the form of an open recess (31) directed away from the lock mechanism. The recess is intended to abut a portion (25) of actuation means (23) for the door lock when the door handle assembly is in its mounted state and the operating handle is displaced.

Door handle assembly

A fixation element and a method for producing such fixation elements for a vibration-insulating assembly of a first component 20 upon a second component 19 is disclosed. The fixation element comprises bearing plates 10, 11 which are positioned at a distance axially spaced from each other and which have projecting snap-in members 13, 18 which are intended to engage corresponding openings defined within each component 19, 20, so that the two components are made to bear in a stable manner against the bearing plates 10, 11. In this respect the snap-in members 13, 18 form an integral part of each bearing plate 10, 11. Moreover, the plates are mutually connected by means of a bridging part 12 of elastomeric plastic material. According to the method, the bearing plates are cast as a single piece 21 within a first casting mold, such that they are connected by at least one breakable bridge 22. The single piece 21 is placed within a second casting mold consisting of two halves 23, 24. The two mold halves are pushed together axially, with axial displacement of one bearing plate with respect to the other, so that the bridge is broken. Finally, an elastomeric plastic material 12 is cast into the mold between the two bearing plates 10, 11.

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Basing Stoke, United Kingdom

Colin W Clinch