A method of bonding a second object to a first object includes: providing the first object having a thermoplastic liquefiable material in a solid state; providing the second object having a surface portion that has a coupling structure with an undercut, so that the second object is capable of making a positive-fit connection with the first object; pressing the second object against the first object with a tool that is in physical contact with a coupling-in structure of the second object while mechanical vibrations are coupled into the tool; continuing to press and couple vibrations into the tool until a flow portion of the thermoplastic material of the first object is liquefied and flows into the coupling structures of the second object; and letting the thermoplastic material re-solidify to yield a positive-fit connection between the first and second objects by the re-solidified flow portion interpenetrating the coupling structures.

In the present invention, a fluid handling device has: a first substrate made of resin whereon a channel is formed in a first surface; a first film made of resin and joined to the first surface of the first substrate; a second film made of resin a first surface of which is joined to a second surface of the first substrate; and a second substrate made of resin and joined to a second surface of the second film. A recessed part overlapping the channel in a plane view is formed on the surface of the second substrate joined to the second film. The glass transition temperature Tg.sub.1s of the first substrate, the glass transition temperature Tg.sub.1f of the first film, the glass transition temperature Tg.sub.2s of the second substrate, and the glass transition temperature Tg.sub.2f of the second film satisfy Tg.sub.1s, Tg.sub.2s>Tg.sub.1f, Tg.sub.2f.

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.

The relates to a method of mechanically securing a first object to a second object and includes the steps of: providing the first object including thermoplastic material in a solid state, providing the second object with a generally flat sheet portion having an edge, positioning the first object relative to the second object and bringing the first object and the second object to a relative movement to each other. The relative movement includes a rotational movement, such that a melting zone including flowable thermoplastic material is formed and such that thermoplastic material of the melting zone flows around the edge to at least partially embed the edge in the thermoplastic material. The invention further concerns a connector that is suitable for being used in a method according to the invention.

A yarn or thread may include a plurality of substantially aligned filaments, with at least ninety-five percent of a material of the filaments being a thermoplastic polymer material. Various woven textiles and knitted textiles may be formed from the yarn or thread. The woven textiles or knitted textiles may be thermal bonded to other elements to form seams. A strand that is at least partially formed from a thermoplastic polymer material may extend through the seam, and the strand may be thermal bonded at the seam. The woven textiles or knitted textiles may be shaped or molded, incorporated into products, and recycled to form other products.

A multilayer structure selected from a reservoir, a pipe or a tube, for transporting, distributing or storing hydrogen, including, from the inside to the outside, at least one sealing layer and at least one composite reinforcing layer, the innermost composite reinforcing layer being welded to the outermost adjacent sealing layer, the sealing layers including at least one semi-crystalline thermoplastic polymer, the Tm of which is less than 280° C., wherein the at least one thermoplastic polymer of each sealing layer may be the same or different, and at least one of the composite reinforcing layers being of a fibrous material in the form of continuous fibers impregnated with a composition of at least one thermoplastic polymer P2j, the thermoplastic polymer P2j having a Tg greater than the maximum temperature of use of said structure (Tu), with Tg≥Tu+20° C., Tu being greater than 50° C.

A method for producing composite profiles comprises providing a first profile part extending in a longitudinal direction, made from a first plastics material, with a profile region produced from a second plastics material thermally plasticizable at a first temperature, providing a second profile part extending in a longitudinal direction, made from a material not thermally plasticizable at the first temperature, and with a receiving structure formed along the longitudinal direction of the second profile part, with which the profile region of the first profile part is connectible, bringing the profile region of the first profile part into contact with the receiving structure of the second profile part, plasticizing the second plastics material of the profile region by heating to the first temperature and deforming the plasticized profile region while forming a positive engagement between the profile region and the receiving structure while maintaining the geometry of the receiving structure.

A process for welding a first molding to a second molding. The process uses an implement including first and second external surfaces. Each external surface further includes a duct. An end of the first molding is heated by a hot gas while the end is at a distance from the duct-entry plane in the range from 3 mm outside the duct to 10 mm inside the duct. A junction area of the second molding is heated by a hot gas while the junction area is at a distance from the duct-entry plane in a range from 3 mm outside the duct to 10 mm inside the duct. The heated end and the heated junction area are then brought into contact with one another and cooled, forming a weld between the first molding and the second molding. Also disclosed is a welded molding obtainable by the process of the invention.

Ducting and/or duct couplings can be formed from shape memory polymer material, with the material for example being additively manufactured. The use of shape memory polymer material for one or more of the duct portions may allow for easier installation of the ducting, for example allowing the ducting to be warped and/or bent to fit into or through places that are hard to reach or hard to maneuver through, with the ducting then heated to cause it to return to a predetermined memory shape. The coupling of duct portions together may be accomplished by the duct portions including a shape memory polymer material, with for example ends of the duct portions fitted together, and then heated to use a shape memory property of the material to effect coupling. Heating of the shape memory polymer material also softens the material, allowing it to move to a previously set shape.

The relates to a method of mechanically securing a first object to a second object and includes the steps of: providing the first object including thermoplastic material in a solid state, providing the second object with a generally flat sheet portion having an edge, positioning the first object relative to the second object and bringing the first object and the second object to a relative movement to each other. The relative movement includes a rotational movement, such that a melting zone including flowable thermoplastic material is formed and such that thermoplastic material of the melting zone flows around the edge to at least partially embed the edge in the thermoplastic material. The invention further concerns a connector that is suitable for being used in a method according to the invention.