A joining element has an anchoring portion for in-depth anchoring in the object and a head portion arranged proximally of the anchoring portion with respect to an insertion axis. The head portion has a lateral outer surface that has a structure that is well-defined, especially within tight tolerances. The joining element is positioned relative to an object of a non-liquefiable material such that the anchoring portion reaches into an opening of the object or is placed adjacent a mouth thereof. Then, the joining element is pressed towards a distal direction, to press the anchoring portion into the opening, while mechanical vibration energy is coupled into the joining element by a tool, in an amount and for a time sufficient for liquefaction of a portion of the thermoplastic material to cause interpenetration of the thermoplastic material into structures of the object.

A joining method for joining a resin member and a metal member by heating is provided. Joining of the resin member and metal member is performed by heating a joining interface of the resin member and metal member to a temperature in a range of equal to or higher than a decomposition temperature of the resin member and lower than a temperature at which gas bubbles are generated in the resin member and by cooling a surface of the resin member on the opposite side from a joining surface thereof with the metal member to a temperature that is lower than the melting point of the resin member.

A flow rate sensor includes: a housing made from a resin material and having a bottom base portion and a side wall, at least one surface side of the housing being open; a cover made from a resin material, covering the one surface side of the housing, welded to an upper surface of the side wall of the housing, and defining, with the bottom base portion and the side wall of the housing, an auxiliary passage within which a gas to be measured flows that is taken in from a main passage; and a flow rate detection unit disposed within the auxiliary passage. A protruding portion for height control is provided to one of the housing and the cover at least in a vicinity of the side wall around the flow rate detection unit so as to suppress sinking in of the cover during welding.

An edge trim for pieces of furniture, including a meltable layer, is described. The molecular structure of the meltable layer contains both polar and non-polar parts. By way of a non-limiting example, an edge trim for pieces of furniture having an exposed edge of wooden or wood substitute material is described, comprising a molten layer and a structural layer, wherein the structural layer and the molten layer are connected in an adhesive bond, wherein the molten layer is made of a material that is chemically modified such that polar and non-polar components are found in a single molecular structure, wherein the molten layer contains energy absorbing additives, wherein the energy absorbing additives of the molten layer are selected from the group consisting of metal oxides, metal phosphates, metal salts of organic anions and combinations thereof.

A method for producing a resin joined body in which a specific region L1 of a welding portion of a second resin member (21) is provided to form a low-laser-light-transmissible portion, and the low-laser-light-transmissible portion has a laser light transmissibility lower than that of a region of the welding portion other than the specific region L1. Welding is carried out so that a portion between points S2 and F2, serving as a weld overlap portion (112), is present in the specific region L1 forming the low-laser-light-transmissible portion. Also disclosed is a resin joined body.

A method of making a worm gear is provided. The method comprises forming a gear hub from a powdered metal material. Thereafter an outer surface of the gear hub is sealed.

There is provided a method of producing a long body covered with a covering layer, in which the long body includes at least plural electric wires and/or tubes, the covering layer includes at least a specific intermediate layer and a specific outermost layer, the method including at least: covering the long body with the covering layer; and fixing positions of the plural electric wires and/or tubes.

A resin film-laminated metal sheet includes a metal sheet and thermoplastic resin films that are fused to both surfaces of the metal sheet, the metal sheet is a steel sheet having a thickness of 0.08 mm or more or an aluminum sheet having a thickness of 0.15 mm or more, and, when a surface of the thermoplastic resin film opposite to a surface that is fused to the metal sheet is defined as a first surface, the surface tension on the first surface in at least one of the thermoplastic resin films is 50 mN/m or less, the surface tension on the surface that is fused to the metal sheet is 36 mN/m or more, and the amount of a wax attached to the first surface is more than 0 mg/m.sup.2 and 5.00 mg/m.sup.2 or less.

There is provided a method of producing a long body covered with a covering layer, in which the long body includes at least plural electric wires and/or tubes, the covering layer includes at least a specific intermediate layer and a specific outermost layer, the method including at least: covering the long body with the covering layer; and fixing positions of the plural electric wires and/or tubes.

The manufacturing method includes surface treatment and bonding. In the surface treatment, micro-order or nano-order asperities are formed on a surface of the metallic member. The bonding includes directly bonding the metallic member and the fiber-reinforced resin member by repeatedly bonding a melted portion of the fiber-reinforced resin member to the surface of the metallic member while partially melting the fiber-reinforced resin member, the metallic member having the asperities formed by the surface treatment.