WO2002057066A1 - Method of joining thermoplastics parts - Google Patents

Method of joining thermoplastics parts Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2002057066A1
WO2002057066A1 PCT/IE2002/000005 IE0200005W WO02057066A1 WO 2002057066 A1 WO2002057066 A1 WO 2002057066A1 IE 0200005 W IE0200005 W IE 0200005W WO 02057066 A1 WO02057066 A1 WO 02057066A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
parts
hole
periphery
plastics material
around
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/IE2002/000005
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Patrick Wood
Hiderahu Hayama
Original Assignee
Munekata Ireland Limited
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Munekata Ireland Limited filed Critical Munekata Ireland Limited
Publication of WO2002057066A1 publication Critical patent/WO2002057066A1/en

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
    • B29C66/00—General aspects of processes or apparatus for joining preformed parts
    • B29C66/005—Detaching the article from the joining tool
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
    • B29C65/00—Joining or sealing of preformed parts, e.g. welding of plastics materials; Apparatus therefor
    • B29C65/02—Joining or sealing of preformed parts, e.g. welding of plastics materials; Apparatus therefor by heating, with or without pressure
    • B29C65/18—Joining or sealing of preformed parts, e.g. welding of plastics materials; Apparatus therefor by heating, with or without pressure using heated tools
    • B29C65/22—Heated wire resistive ribbon, resistive band or resistive strip
    • B29C65/221—Heated wire resistive ribbon, resistive band or resistive strip characterised by the type of heated wire, resistive ribbon, band or strip
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
    • B29C65/00—Joining or sealing of preformed parts, e.g. welding of plastics materials; Apparatus therefor
    • B29C65/02—Joining or sealing of preformed parts, e.g. welding of plastics materials; Apparatus therefor by heating, with or without pressure
    • B29C65/18—Joining or sealing of preformed parts, e.g. welding of plastics materials; Apparatus therefor by heating, with or without pressure using heated tools
    • B29C65/22—Heated wire resistive ribbon, resistive band or resistive strip
    • B29C65/228—Heated wire resistive ribbon, resistive band or resistive strip characterised by the means for electrically connecting the ends of said heated wire, resistive ribbon, resistive band or resistive strip
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
    • B29C65/00—Joining or sealing of preformed parts, e.g. welding of plastics materials; Apparatus therefor
    • B29C65/56—Joining or sealing of preformed parts, e.g. welding of plastics materials; Apparatus therefor using mechanical means or mechanical connections, e.g. form-fits
    • B29C65/60—Riveting or staking
    • B29C65/606—Riveting or staking the rivets being integral with one of the parts to be joined, i.e. staking
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
    • B29C66/00—General aspects of processes or apparatus for joining preformed parts
    • B29C66/01—General aspects dealing with the joint area or with the area to be joined
    • B29C66/05—Particular design of joint configurations
    • B29C66/10—Particular design of joint configurations particular design of the joint cross-sections
    • B29C66/11—Joint cross-sections comprising a single joint-segment, i.e. one of the parts to be joined comprising a single joint-segment in the joint cross-section
    • B29C66/112—Single lapped joints
    • B29C66/1122—Single lap to lap joints, i.e. overlap joints
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
    • B29C66/00—General aspects of processes or apparatus for joining preformed parts
    • B29C66/01—General aspects dealing with the joint area or with the area to be joined
    • B29C66/05—Particular design of joint configurations
    • B29C66/20—Particular design of joint configurations particular design of the joint lines, e.g. of the weld lines
    • B29C66/21—Particular design of joint configurations particular design of the joint lines, e.g. of the weld lines said joint lines being formed by a single dot or dash or by several dots or dashes, i.e. spot joining or spot welding
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
    • B29C66/00—General aspects of processes or apparatus for joining preformed parts
    • B29C66/01—General aspects dealing with the joint area or with the area to be joined
    • B29C66/349—Cooling the welding zone on the welding spot
    • B29C66/3494—Cooling the welding zone on the welding spot while keeping the welding zone under pressure
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
    • B29C66/00—General aspects of processes or apparatus for joining preformed parts
    • B29C66/40—General aspects of joining substantially flat articles, e.g. plates, sheets or web-like materials; Making flat seams in tubular or hollow articles; Joining single elements to substantially flat surfaces
    • B29C66/41—Joining substantially flat articles ; Making flat seams in tubular or hollow articles
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
    • B29C66/00—General aspects of processes or apparatus for joining preformed parts
    • B29C66/70—General aspects of processes or apparatus for joining preformed parts characterised by the composition, physical properties or the structure of the material of the parts to be joined; Joining with non-plastics material
    • B29C66/73—General aspects of processes or apparatus for joining preformed parts characterised by the composition, physical properties or the structure of the material of the parts to be joined; Joining with non-plastics material characterised by the intensive physical properties of the material of the parts to be joined, by the optical properties of the material of the parts to be joined, by the extensive physical properties of the parts to be joined, by the state of the material of the parts to be joined or by the material of the parts to be joined being a thermoplastic or a thermoset
    • B29C66/739—General aspects of processes or apparatus for joining preformed parts characterised by the composition, physical properties or the structure of the material of the parts to be joined; Joining with non-plastics material characterised by the intensive physical properties of the material of the parts to be joined, by the optical properties of the material of the parts to be joined, by the extensive physical properties of the parts to be joined, by the state of the material of the parts to be joined or by the material of the parts to be joined being a thermoplastic or a thermoset characterised by the material of the parts to be joined being a thermoplastic or a thermoset
    • B29C66/7392—General aspects of processes or apparatus for joining preformed parts characterised by the composition, physical properties or the structure of the material of the parts to be joined; Joining with non-plastics material characterised by the intensive physical properties of the material of the parts to be joined, by the optical properties of the material of the parts to be joined, by the extensive physical properties of the parts to be joined, by the state of the material of the parts to be joined or by the material of the parts to be joined being a thermoplastic or a thermoset characterised by the material of the parts to be joined being a thermoplastic or a thermoset characterised by the material of at least one of the parts being a thermoplastic
    • B29C66/73921—General aspects of processes or apparatus for joining preformed parts characterised by the composition, physical properties or the structure of the material of the parts to be joined; Joining with non-plastics material characterised by the intensive physical properties of the material of the parts to be joined, by the optical properties of the material of the parts to be joined, by the extensive physical properties of the parts to be joined, by the state of the material of the parts to be joined or by the material of the parts to be joined being a thermoplastic or a thermoset characterised by the material of the parts to be joined being a thermoplastic or a thermoset characterised by the material of at least one of the parts being a thermoplastic characterised by the materials of both parts being thermoplastics
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
    • B29C66/00—General aspects of processes or apparatus for joining preformed parts
    • B29C66/80—General aspects of machine operations or constructions and parts thereof
    • B29C66/81—General aspects of the pressing elements, i.e. the elements applying pressure on the parts to be joined in the area to be joined, e.g. the welding jaws or clamps
    • B29C66/814—General aspects of the pressing elements, i.e. the elements applying pressure on the parts to be joined in the area to be joined, e.g. the welding jaws or clamps characterised by the design of the pressing elements, e.g. of the welding jaws or clamps
    • B29C66/8141—General aspects of the pressing elements, i.e. the elements applying pressure on the parts to be joined in the area to be joined, e.g. the welding jaws or clamps characterised by the design of the pressing elements, e.g. of the welding jaws or clamps characterised by the surface geometry of the part of the pressing elements, e.g. welding jaws or clamps, coming into contact with the parts to be joined
    • B29C66/81411—General aspects of the pressing elements, i.e. the elements applying pressure on the parts to be joined in the area to be joined, e.g. the welding jaws or clamps characterised by the design of the pressing elements, e.g. of the welding jaws or clamps characterised by the surface geometry of the part of the pressing elements, e.g. welding jaws or clamps, coming into contact with the parts to be joined characterised by its cross-section, e.g. transversal or longitudinal, being non-flat
    • B29C66/81421—General aspects of the pressing elements, i.e. the elements applying pressure on the parts to be joined in the area to be joined, e.g. the welding jaws or clamps characterised by the design of the pressing elements, e.g. of the welding jaws or clamps characterised by the surface geometry of the part of the pressing elements, e.g. welding jaws or clamps, coming into contact with the parts to be joined characterised by its cross-section, e.g. transversal or longitudinal, being non-flat being convex or concave
    • B29C66/81423—General aspects of the pressing elements, i.e. the elements applying pressure on the parts to be joined in the area to be joined, e.g. the welding jaws or clamps characterised by the design of the pressing elements, e.g. of the welding jaws or clamps characterised by the surface geometry of the part of the pressing elements, e.g. welding jaws or clamps, coming into contact with the parts to be joined characterised by its cross-section, e.g. transversal or longitudinal, being non-flat being convex or concave being concave
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
    • B29C66/00—General aspects of processes or apparatus for joining preformed parts
    • B29C66/80—General aspects of machine operations or constructions and parts thereof
    • B29C66/81—General aspects of the pressing elements, i.e. the elements applying pressure on the parts to be joined in the area to be joined, e.g. the welding jaws or clamps
    • B29C66/818—General aspects of the pressing elements, i.e. the elements applying pressure on the parts to be joined in the area to be joined, e.g. the welding jaws or clamps characterised by the cooling constructional aspects, or by the thermal or electrical insulating or conducting constructional aspects of the welding jaws or of the clamps ; comprising means for compensating for the thermal expansion of the welding jaws or of the clamps
    • B29C66/8181—General aspects of the pressing elements, i.e. the elements applying pressure on the parts to be joined in the area to be joined, e.g. the welding jaws or clamps characterised by the cooling constructional aspects, or by the thermal or electrical insulating or conducting constructional aspects of the welding jaws or of the clamps ; comprising means for compensating for the thermal expansion of the welding jaws or of the clamps characterised by the cooling constructional aspects
    • B29C66/81811—General aspects of the pressing elements, i.e. the elements applying pressure on the parts to be joined in the area to be joined, e.g. the welding jaws or clamps characterised by the cooling constructional aspects, or by the thermal or electrical insulating or conducting constructional aspects of the welding jaws or of the clamps ; comprising means for compensating for the thermal expansion of the welding jaws or of the clamps characterised by the cooling constructional aspects of the welding jaws
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
    • B29C66/00—General aspects of processes or apparatus for joining preformed parts
    • B29C66/80—General aspects of machine operations or constructions and parts thereof
    • B29C66/83—General aspects of machine operations or constructions and parts thereof characterised by the movement of the joining or pressing tools
    • B29C66/832—Reciprocating joining or pressing tools
    • B29C66/8322—Joining or pressing tools reciprocating along one axis
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
    • B29C66/00—General aspects of processes or apparatus for joining preformed parts
    • B29C66/80—General aspects of machine operations or constructions and parts thereof
    • B29C66/84—Specific machine types or machines suitable for specific applications
    • B29C66/861—Hand-held tools
    • B29C66/8616—Pen or pencil like
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
    • B29C66/00—General aspects of processes or apparatus for joining preformed parts
    • B29C66/40—General aspects of joining substantially flat articles, e.g. plates, sheets or web-like materials; Making flat seams in tubular or hollow articles; Joining single elements to substantially flat surfaces
    • B29C66/47—Joining single elements to sheets, plates or other substantially flat surfaces
    • B29C66/472—Joining single elements to sheets, plates or other substantially flat surfaces said single elements being substantially flat

Abstract

A method of joining two parts 146, 148 of thermoplastic material comprises placing a first of the parts 146 against the second part 148, the first part having a hole 150 exposing a surface 148B of the second part. A heating member 20 is inserted into the hole 150 to engage the surface 148B at least around the periphery of the hole. Heat and pressure are applied to the surface 148B to melt the plastics material of both parts 146, 148 at least in a region 152 around the periphery of the hole such that upon solidification of the melted plastics material the two parts are welded together.

Description

Method of Joining Thermoplastics Parts
Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method of joining two parts of thermoplastic material, and to two parts joined by such method.
Summary of the Invention
According to ' the present invention there is provided a method of joining two parts of thermoplastic material, comprising placing a first of the parts against the second part, the first part having a hole in it exposing a surface of the second part, inserting a heating member into the hole to engage the surface of the second part at least around the periphery of the hole, and applying heat and pressure tto the said surface to melt the plastics material of both parts at least around the periphery of the hole such that upon solidification of the melted plastics material the two parts are welded together.
The invention further provides two parts of thermoplastic material joined by the method specified above .
Brief Description of the Drawings
An( embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. Ms a view of a welding apparatus which may be used to weld thermoplastics parts;
Fig. 2 is a block diagram of the main control elements of the apparatus;
Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the tip of the welding unit in Fig..1, shown in use to weld'two parts in a- conventional manner; and
Figs. 4A to 4D illustrate successive steps in the use of the apparatus to join two thermoplastic parts according to an embodiment of the invention.
Description of the Preferred Embodiment
Referring to Figs . 1 to 3 , a welding apparatus comprises a hand-held welding unit 10 and a control unit 12. The welding unit 10 has a main body or housing 14 and a heating tip 16 projecting from the lower end of the housing. The heating tip 16 is of a known type and is equipped with a resistive alloy heating element 20, Fig. 3, having a recessed, in this case concave, face 22 at its free end. The element 20 has a, circular external cross section. A pair of insulated lead wires 24 extending down through the housing 14 are connected to the heating element 20 so that an electrical current may be supplied to heat the element 20, and in particular the face 22. A nozzle 26 extends centrally down the middle of the tip 16 to direct a jet of air, from an external source of compressed air 36, Fig. 1, into a free space 28 behind the face 22. The air escapes from the tip 16 via
] * passage 30. The lower end of the nozzle 26 is located within the heating element 20 by a ceramic body 32, while the entire tip, except for the free end of the heating element 20, is encapsulated in epoxy resin 34. The housing 14 of the welding unit 10 contains an electrically operated on/off air valve 38, Fig. 2, to control the passage of air along the nozzle 26.
The"control unit 12 is connected to the housing 14 of the welding unit 10 by a multicore cable 40. The cable 40 includes conductors 42 (Fig. 2) connected to the lead wires 24 within the unit 10 to provide heating current to the heating element 20, and also includes a control line 44 for the air valve in the housing 14 (the air control valve 38 may alternatively be housed in the control unit 12, in which case the control line 44 would not be needed and one would have an air line from the control unit 12 to the welding unit 10) . The welding unit 10 includes a switch 60 which initiates a preselected heat/dwell/cool cycle of the control unit 12, as will be described. The cable 40 therefore also includes conductors 62 connecting the switch 60 to the control unit . The control unit 12 is powered from an AC mains 64, and has a mains on/off switch 66. Internally, Fig. 2, the control unit 12 includes a programmed microprocessor 70,'* an interface/display unit 72, and a power control unit 74.
In its conventional manner of use the tip 16 is used to join two component parts 46 and 48, Fig. 3, of which the part 48 (or at least the portion thereof to be fixed to the part 46) is of thermoplastic material. To this end the part 48 includes a boss or pillar 50 which extends through a hole 52 in the part 46. In use, the concave face 22 of the heating element 20 is applied to the upper free end 54 of the boss 50 and heated to soften ' or melt the thermoplastic material. At the same time the tip 16 is pushed downwardly to exert pressure on the boss 50. This causes the free end 54 of the boss 50 to be moulded to the shape of the concave face 22, i.e. to form a dome 56 as shown in dashed lines in Fig. 3. The periphery of the dome 56 overlaps the edges of the hole 52, so that when the dome has cooled and solidified, the part 48 is securely joined to the part 46.
A disadvantage of this conventional method of joining parts is that where the part 48 is relatively thin and forms part of a consumer article having a finished surface 48A, the heat and pressure necessary to form the boss 56 is apt to distort and/or discolour the finish on the surface 48A.
Figs. 4A to 4D show successive steps of an embodiment of the invention for welding two thermoplastic parts 146, 148 of which the part 148 has substantially parallel opposite surfaces 148A and 148B, the surface 148A being an exterior finished surface of a consumer article. The embodiment allows less heat and pressure to be used than the conventional method and therefore .is less likely to damage the finished surface 148A of the part 148.
Initially, Fig. 4A, the part 146 is placed on the part 148. The part 146 has a circular hole 150 in it which exposes the surface 148B of the part 148. The diameter of the hole 150. is just slightly greater than the diameter of the heating element 20. Next, Fig. 4B, the heating element 20 is inserted into the hole 150 so that the circular periphery 22A of the concave face 22 engages the surface 148B closely around the inside periphery of the hole 150, and is urged to exert a gentle downward pressure on the surface 148B.
The switch 60 is then depressed to initiate the following steps which are automatically carried out by the microprocessor 70 under-- program control.
First, the microprocessor 70 switches on the power control unit 74 to supply current to the heating element 20 for a first predetermined time period (heating period) sufficient to melt the thermoplastic material of both parts 146, 148 in a localised region around the periphery of the hole 150, indicated by the hatched area 152 in Fig. 4C. The power control unit 74 comprises a transformer to supply the required voltage to the element 20.
At the end of the heating period the microprocessor 70 switches off the power control unit 74 to remove heating current from the element 20ι. Now the microprocessor wait(s a second predetermined time period (dwell period), after which it opens the air valve 38. The valve 38 is kept open for a further predetermined time period (cooling time) , and then closed. At the end of the cooling time the melted plastics material has solidified to weld the two parts 146, 148 together around the periphery of the hole 150, and the element 20 is withdrawn. Optionally, at the end .of the cooling tj.me the microprocessor 70 may actuate the power control unit 74 to reheat the element 20 for a predetermined brief time period (reheating period) sufficient to ensure that the tip 16 frees itself efficiently from the now formed weld.
If desired, and as seen in Fig. 4D, by applying greater heat and/or pressure so as to drive the heating element 20 down into the part 148, the molten plastics material may be forced up the sides of the hole 150, between the latter and the -element 20, and flow outwardly over the upper edges of the hole 150. When the plastics material has solidified this forms a "rivet" 154 of plastics material which assists in binding the parts together.
The duration of each of the heating period, dwell period, cooling period and reheating period within the cycle can be ^preset by the user, using an interface/display unit 72 which is connected to and controlled by the microprocessor 70. The unit 72 includes an LCD display 80 (Fig. 1) and a plurality of up/down, left/right control buttons 82 providing an interface to the microprocessor program and the LCD display. These allow one to -scroll through preset menus that are built intς> the control program and presented on the display 80, and to select various control values. Through such menus, the user may individually select different values of the heating period, dwell period, cooling period and (optionally) reheating period depending on how hot it is necessary to get the tip.
This in turn is dependent on the size of the tip 16, the particular thermoplastic material used, etc. -In geμeral , however, we have found that by applying the heating element 20 directly to the region to be welded, less heat and pressure is required to form a weld of adequate strength than would be necessary using the conventional method described above.
Although the foregoing has described the use of a heating element 20 having a concave surface 22, the method can be carried out with a flat surface 22 fb the element 20. In this case the plastics material will be melted across the full area' of the exposed surface 148A, but the weld will still occur at the periphery of the hole 150.
The invention is not limited to the embodiment described herein which may be modified or varied without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims

Claims
1. A method of joining two parts of thermoplastic material, comprising placing a first of the parts against the second part, the first part having a hole in it exposing a surface of the second part, inserting a heating member into the hole to engage the surface of the second part at least around the periphery of the hole, and applying heat and pressure to the said surface to melt the plastics material of both parts at least around the periphery of the hole such that upon solidification of the melted plastics material the two parts are welded together.
2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tip of the member engaging the said surface is recessed so that the member bears against the surface and melts the plastics material substantially only around the periphery of the hole.
3. A method as claimed in claim 1 or 2 , wherein the heat and pressure are such that molten plastics material is forced up the sides of the hole to flow outwardly over the upper edges thereof .
4. A method as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the second part has a further surface opposite to and substantially parallel to the firstmentioned surface, the further surface being an exterior surface of a consumer article.
5. Two parts of thermoplastic material joined by t.he method claimed in any preceding claim.
PCT/IE2002/000005 2001-01-18 2002-01-18 Method of joining thermoplastics parts WO2002057066A1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
IES2001/0039 2001-01-18
IE20010039 2001-01-18

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2002057066A1 true WO2002057066A1 (en) 2002-07-25

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Country Status (2)

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IE (1) IES20020031A2 (en)
WO (1) WO2002057066A1 (en)

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN107530980A (en) * 2015-06-03 2018-01-02 株式会社电装 Welding process
DE102016101945B4 (en) * 2015-12-21 2019-03-28 Metrik Sondermaschinenbau e.K. Hot riveting stamp and hot riveting device
WO2021040548A1 (en) * 2019-08-23 2021-03-04 Jablonowski Adam Sebastian Resistance welding device

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DE1294647B (en) * 1964-04-29 1969-05-08 Siemens Ag Method and device for connecting closely spaced components, at least one of which is made of thermoplastic material
US3484855A (en) * 1968-09-16 1969-12-16 William E Young Apparatus for bonding plastic
JPS59109317A (en) * 1982-12-15 1984-06-25 Kodama Kagaku Kogyo Kk Method for thermally welding synthetic resin
JPS60225734A (en) * 1984-04-25 1985-11-11 Toyota Motor Corp Joining of heterogeneous synthetic resin material
JPS61100440A (en) * 1984-10-24 1986-05-19 Ono Sangyo Kk Method of joining two wall surfaces of case or the like
JPH01210329A (en) * 1988-02-19 1989-08-23 Toyota Motor Corp Ultrasonic wave welding process for resin parts of different material
JPH11291349A (en) * 1998-04-09 1999-10-26 Tohoku Munekata Co Ltd Welding device for plastic molded product molded from thermoplastic resin and welding method using the device

Patent Citations (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
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