Apparatus and method for joining metal sleeve onto a tube

A material joining device for joining a sleeve or a cap member with a tubular member, comprising:

• a base comprising a bearing block including a shaft assembly associated with a holding member, the holding member adapted to hold or support the sleeve or the cap member and including one or more of a collar member, a mandrel or a pin vise, the mandrel or the pin vise having an end portion adapted to hold or support the sleeve or the cap member to be joined with the tubular member, the sleeve or the cap member comprising a metal material or a ceramic material and the tubular member comprising a plastic material or a polymeric material;
• a moveable carriage communicatively associated with the base, the movable carriage positioned in communication with the base, the movable carriage being configured to reciprocally move in a direction toward or a direction away from the holding member, and the movable carriage including a positioning member configured to hold the tubular member to be joined with the sleeve or the cap member;
• a heater communicatively associated with the holding member to selectively generate and transfer heat to the holding member and through the sleeve or the cap member to the tubular member to selectively heat, to increase a temperature of, a portion of the tubular member when in engaging relation with the sleeve or the cap member to facilitate melting or softening the portion of the tubular member when in engaging relation with the sleeve or the cap member without melting or softening the sleeve or the cap member to facilitate bonding the tubular member to the sleeve or the cap member;
• a carriage driver including a first motor or a manual driver member operatively coupled with the moveable carriage to selectively move the moveable carriage towards or away from the holding member;
• and
• a rotation driver including a second motor or a manual rotation member operatively coupled to the shaft assembly configured to rotate the holding member around a linear axis of the shaft assembly,
• wherein rotation of the holding member in complete revolutions at a given rotational speed without oscillatory or orbital motion and positioning of the movable carriage to maintain the tubular member in engaging relation with the sleeve or the cap member frictionally engages the sleeve or the cap member with the tubular member generating frictional heat to melt or soften the portion of the tubular member when in engaging relation with the sleeve or the cap member without melting or softening the sleeve or the cap member bonding the tubular member to the sleeve or the cap member forming a composite joined product without addition of an adhesive.

A composite joined product formed by a process comprising:

• selecting a first member of a first material having a first glass transition temperature, a first melting point or a first softening point, the first material comprising a ceramic material or a metal material;
• selecting a second member of a second material to be joined to the first member, the second member of the second material having a second glass transition temperature, a second melting point or a second softening point, the second glass transition temperature, the second melting point or the second softening point being less than the first glass transition temperature, the first melting point or the first softening point, respectively, and the second material comprising a plastic material or a polymeric material;
• placing the first member in engaging relation with a holding member, the holding member adapted to receive and hold the first member;
• placing the first member in engaging relation with the second member;
• selectively heating the holding member by a heater communicatively associated with the holding member to selectively generate and transfer heat from the heater to the holding member and through the first member to the second member to selectively heat, to increase a temperature of, a predetermined portion of the second member to at least the second melting point, the second softening point, or the second glass transition temperature to facilitate melting or softening the predetermined portion of the second member engaged with the first member without melting of softening the first member to facilitate bonding the second member with the first member;
• and
• rotating the first member in complete revolutions at a given rotational speed without oscillatory or orbital motion and maintaining the second member in frictionally engaging relation with the first member generating frictional heat to melt or soften the predetermined portion of the second member engaged with first member without melting or softening the first member to integrally join a predetermined portion of the first member with the second member forming the composite joined product without addition of an adhesive.

A method for forming a composite joined product, comprising the steps of:

• selecting a first member of a first material having a first glass transition temperature, a first melting point or a first softening point, the first material comprising a ceramic material or a metal material;
• selecting a second member of a second material to be joined to the first member, the second member of the second material having a second glass transition temperature, a second melting point or a second softening point, the second glass transition temperature, the second melting point or the second softening point being less than the first glass transition temperature, the first melting point or the first softening point, respectively, and the second material comprising a plastic material or a polymeric material;
• placing the first member in engaging relation with a holding member, the holding member adapted to receive and hold the first member;
• placing the first member in engaging relation with the second member;
• selectively controlling heating the holding member by a heater communicatively associated with the holding member to selectively generate and transfer heat from the heater to the holding member and through the first member to the second member to selectively heat, to increase a temperature of, a predetermined portion of the second member engaged with the first member to heat the predetermined portion of the second member to at least the second melting point, the second softening point, or the second glass transition temperature to facilitate melting or softening the predetermined portion of the second member engaged with the first member without melting or softening the first member to facilitate bonding the second member with the first member;
• and
• rotating the first member in complete revolutions at a given rotational speed without oscillatory or orbital motion and maintaining the second member in frictionally engaging relation with the first member generating frictional heat to melt or soften the predetermined portion of the second member engaged with the first member without melting or softening the first member to integrally join a predetermined portion of the first member with the second member forming the composite joined product without addition of an adhesive.

A method for forming a composite joined product, comprising the steps of:

• selecting a tubular member and a sleeve or a cap member to be joined to the tubular member, the tubular member formed of a material comprising a plastic material or a polymeric material and the sleeve or the cap member comprising a metal material or a ceramic material;
• placing the sleeve or the cap member in engaging relation with a holding member of a material joining device;
• securing the tubular member on a positioning member of the material joining device;
• positioning an end portion of the tubular member secured on the positioning member in engaging relation with an end portion of the sleeve or the cap member positioned in the holding member;
• selectively heating the holding member by a heater to selectively generate and transfer heat from the heater to the holding member and through the end portion of the sleeve or the cap member to the end portion of the tubular member engaged with the end portion of the sleeve or cap member to selectively heat, to increase a temperature of, a predetermined portion of the end portion of the tubular member to at least a melting point, a softening point, or a glass transition temperature of the material comprising the tubular member in forming the composite joined product to facilitate melting or softening the predetermined portion of the end portion of the tubular member without melting or softening the sleeve or the cap member to facilitate joining the tubular member to the sleeve or the cap member;
• and
• rotating the holding member in complete revolutions at a given rotational speed without oscillatory or orbital motion and maintaining the tubular member secured on the positioning member in frictionally engaging relation with the sleeve or the cap member generating frictional heat to melt or soften the predetermined portion of the end portion of the tubular member engaged with the end portion of the sleeve or the cap member without melting or softening the sleeve or the cap member to integrally join the predetermined portion of the end portion of the tubular member with the sleeve or the cap member forming the composite joined product without use of an adhesive.