Method and device for reinforcing and/or lining material
AssigneeWoodwelding AG
InventorsJörg Mayer, Marcel Aeschlimann
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A reinforcement and/or lining method is provided, wherein a thermoplastic reinforcement and/or lining element is subject to mechanical energy impact and mechanical pressure by a tool so that reinforcement and/or lining material of the reinforcement and/or lining element is liquefied and pressed into porous material to reinforce the porous material. In at least one axial depth, the reinforcement and/or lining element is segmented as a function of the circumferential angle so that at this axial depth the circumferential wall of the initial opening in first regions is in contact with the reinforcement and/or lining element and in second regions is not in contact with the reinforcement and/or lining element.
Claims28
A method of reinforcing porous material or lining porous material or reinforcing and lining porous material, comprising the steps of:
- providing an initial opening in the porous material;
- providing a thermoplastic element, and further providing a tool and an auxiliary element;
- placing the thermoplastic element in the initial opening, the thermoplastic element at least partially encompassing a guiding portion of the tool or of the auxiliary element,
- coupling a pressing force and energy into the tool and from the tool directly into the thermoplastic element while a portion of the thermoplastic element is within the opening and in contact with the porous material;
- thereby liquefying material of the thermoplastic element to yield liquefied material;
- causing portions of the liquefied material to penetrate into structures of the porous material and/or into structures of an element connected to the porous material;
- allowing the liquefied material to harden;
- and
- removing the tool;
- wherein at least one of the following conditions is fulfilled:
- A. during the step of coupling a pressing force and energy into the tool, an outer protection element at least partially encompasses the tool and locally prevents the tool from being in contact with the porous material;
- B. the thermoplastic element is generally sleeve-shaped and comprises at least one indentation or hole in a sleeve wall;
- C. during the step of coupling a pressing force and energy into the tool, in a telescoping region a portion of the tool encompasses a portion of the auxiliary element or a portion of the auxiliary element encompasses the tool, wherein at least one of the tool and of the auxiliary element comprises at least one protrusion facing to the other one of the tool and the auxiliary element, whereby in the telescoping region a contact between the tool and the auxiliary element at locations different from the at least one protrusion is prevented;
- D. during the step of coupling a pressing force and energy into the tool, the tool is pressed towards the distal direction, and wherein the tool comprises a distal broadening forming a salient feature that prevents a contact between the tool and the porous material at locations proximally of the salient feature;
- E. prior to the step coupling a pressing force energy into the tool, the thermoplastic element is connected to the tool by an axial positive-fit connection, and during the step of coupling a pressing force and energy into the tool, the auxiliary element is pressed against a distal direction to activate the step of liquefying material of the thermoplastic element and to push portions of the liquefied material aside and into the structures of the porous material.
A method of reinforcing an object or lining an object or reinforcing and lining an object, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing an initial opening in the object;
- providing a thermoplastic element and a tool;
- placing the thermoplastic element in the initial opening, placing the tool in direct contact with a face of the thermoplastic element and pressing the tool against the face while energy is coupled into the tool and while a periphery of a liquefaction interface of the tool and the thermoplastic element is within the opening;
- thereby liquefying material of the thermoplastic element at the liquefaction interface(s) to yield liquefied material, causing a relative movement of the tool with respect to the thermoplastic element, and causing portions of the liquefied material to penetrate into pores and/or cavities of the object;
- allowing the liquefied material to harden;
- and
- removing the tool,
- wherein at the liquefaction interface, a full cross section of the thermoplastic element is liquefied.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.