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US 8,435,369 B2Granted
Plastics welding tool and method using relief areas for reduced read-through
AssigneeFaurecia Interior Systems, Inc.
InventorsFriedhelm Manzke, Douglas E. Redmond
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A welding tool, such as a vibration welding tool, includes one or more relief areas for material to flow into during a welding process to help prevent deformation of a substrate that a component is being attached to.
Claims11
A method of attaching a component and a substrate together, comprising the steps of:
- providing a substrate having a weld side and a component having a tool side and an opposite weld side, at least one of the weld sides having one or more component channels formed therein;
- providing a vibration welding tool having a tool face with one or more relief areas formed therein that correspond with the one or more component channels;
- disposing the component adjacent the substrate such that the weld sides are brought into engagement with each other;
- bringing the tool face into contact with the tool side of the component;
- and
- vibration welding the substrate and the component together so that molten material flows into one or more component channels and so that the tool side of the component changes shape to at least partially conform to the shape of one or more of the relief areas of the tool face.
3 more elements
A method of attaching a component and a substrate together, comprising the steps of:
- providing a substrate having a weld side and a component having a tool side and an opposite weld side, at least one of the weld sides having one or more ribs extending therefrom;
- providing a welding tool having a tool face with one or more relief areas formed therein;
- disposing the component adjacent the substrate such that the weld sides oppose one another and the ribs at least partially define one or more component channels;
- heating at least one of the component and the substrate at an interface of the component and the substrate to a level sufficient to form molten material, at least some of which can flow into the component channels;
- applying a load to the component in the direction of the substrate using the welding tool, such that one or more of the relief areas is generally aligned with one or more of the component channels;
- continuing to apply the load after one or more component channels is substantially filled with material from the molten material, such that a corresponding portion of the tool side of the component flows into one or more of the relief areas, thereby helping to prevent changes in the appearance of the substrate.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.