Cartilage fibers and implants made therefrom are disclosed, with and without cartilage particles. Methods for making the cartilage fibers and the implants containing them are also disclosed. The implants may be pre-shaped, may be reshapable and, when implanted in a cartilage defect, the implants have good shape retention, little swelling, completely fill the cartilage defect and resist migration from the defect upon irrigation.

A method may produce an axially movable connection between two components with a plastic as a sliding material arranged therebetween. The method may involve providing the two components and either at least one of the two components has a plastic coating or a plastic sleeve is provided between the components, joining the two components to form a unit via a pressing force in an axial direction, clamping the unit in a device in which the two components are clampable and subjectable to a displacement force in the axial direction, pressing a sonotrode against an outer of the two components and bracing the outer component against a counter-holder, injecting an ultrasound signal into the sonotrode and moving the two components back and forth in the axial direction until a displacement force or a displacement velocity reaches a target, and ending the ultrasound signal and removing the unit from the device.

A coupling assembly includes: a tubular compression collar having a tubular body made of a resiliently flexible polymeric material and having an interior surface and an opposing exterior surface; an end of a tube disposed within a throughway of the compression collar; and a tube fitting disposed within the passageway of the tube. The tube fitting includes: a tubular stem; a flange radially outwardly projecting from an exterior surface of the stem; and an annular barb encircling and radially outwardly projecting from the exterior surface of the stem, the annular barb including a frustoconical outside face that extends along and outwardly slopes away from the stem as the outside face extends toward the flange. The compression collar radially inwardly compresses the tube against the annular barb of the tube fitting so that a liquid tight seal is formed between the tube and the tube fitting.

A method for coupling a tube to a tube fitting includes radially outwardly expanding a tubular compression collar from a constricted state to an expanded state, the compression collar having a throughway extending there through and being made of a resiliently flexible material. An end of the tube is inserted within the throughway of the expanded compression collar, the tube bounding a passage. A tube fitting is inserted within the passage of the tube. The compression collar is allowed to resiliently rebound back towards the constricted state so that the compression collar pushes the tube against the tube fitting.

Systems for positioning and bonding a nutplate to a substrate having an aperture include a nutplate engagement fixture and a temperature sensor retention fixture. The nutplate engagement fixture includes a rigid tube and an elastomeric tube engaged with the rigid tube, the elastomeric tube having an elongated tube sized to provide a friction fit with the aperture and retain the elastomeric tube within the aperture. The rigid tube is operable to engage the nutplate at one end and the elastomeric tube is configured to anchor the nutplate engagement fixture at the aperture and secure the nutplate in contact with the substrate. The temperature sensor retention fixture includes a fixture body sized and configured to engage with the nutplate and at least one passageway within the fixture body sized and configured to allow a temperature sensor to be inserted or embedded therein with an end proximal a surface of the nutplate.

A body assembly for a toy figurine comprising an inner plate having a plurality of openings, a first outer section coupled to a first side of the inner plate, and a second outer section coupled to a second side of the inner plate. The first outer section includes one or more first coupling members positioned on one side of the first outer section that are engaged with one or more of the openings on the inner plate. The second outer section includes one or more second coupling members positioned on one side of the second outer section that are engaged with one or more of the openings on the inner plate. The inner plate is thus enclosed between the first outer section and the second outer section. The inner plate further holds the first outer section and the second outer section together.

A coaxial connector for interconnection with a coaxial cable with a solid outer conductor by ultrasonic welding is provided with a monolithic connector body with a bore. An annular flare seat is angled radially outward from the bore toward a connector end of the connector, the annular flare seat open to the connector end of the connector. An inner conductor cap is provided for interconnection with an inner conductor of the coaxial cable by ultrasonic welding. The ultrasonic welding of each of the inner and outer conductor interconnections may be performed via inner conductor and outer conductor sonotrodes which are coaxial with one another, without requiring the cable and or connector to be removed from their fixture.

Method of making a shaped article (5) comprising at least two parts (10, 15) wherein the first part comprises at least one projection (20) and the second part comprises at least one recess (22) by preparing said first part and said second part in a moulding process and joining the prepared first and second part together by engaging the at least one projection with the at least one recess to form said shaped article.

There is disclosed a method of applying activatable material to a member of an article of manufacture such as an automotive vehicle. According to the method, the activatable material is provided to an applicator followed by applying the activatable material to the member wherein the activatable material is attached by way of a mechanical interlock via one or more through-holes.

A coupling assembly includes: a tubular compression collar having a tubular body made of a resiliently flexible polymeric material and having an interior surface and an opposing exterior surface; an end of a tube disposed within a throughway of the compression collar; and a tube fitting disposed within the passageway of the tube. The tube fitting includes: a tubular stem; a flange radially outwardly projecting from an exterior surface of the stem; and an annular barb encircling and radially outwardly projecting from the exterior surface of the stem, the annular barb including a frustoconical outside face that extends along and outwardly slopes away from the stem as the outside face extends toward the flange. The compression collar radially inwardly compresses the tube against the annular barb of the tube fitting so that a liquid tight seal is formed between the tube and the tube fitting.