Method for producing a component connection

Abstract

A method is provided for producing a component connection. The method includes the steps of: providing a first component that is made of a thermoplastic plastic material at least in the region of a portion of the surface thereof; providing a ball that is made of a thermoplastic plastic material in at least one region of the surface thereof; pressing the ball on the first component such that the thermoplastic plastic material of the ball comes into contact with the thermoplastic plastic material of the first component; vibrating the ball using an ultrasonic sonotrode and welding the ball with the first component; providing a second component having a through hole; bringing the second component to the first component in such a way that the ball projects at least into the through hole of the second component or a portion projects to a certain extent through the through hole; clipping a clip element to the ball, wherein the clip element projects beyond the through hole and joins both components to one another in an interlocking and/or force-locked manner.

Claims

1. A method for producing a component connection, the method comprising the acts of: providing a first component which is made of a thermoplastic plastic material at least in the region of a part of its surface; providing a ball which is made of a thermoplastic plastic material at least in a region of its surface; pressing the ball onto the first component such that the thermoplastic plastic material of the ball bears against the thermoplastic plastic material of the first component; vibrating the ball via an ultrasonic sonotrode and welding the ball to the first component; providing a second component which has a through-hole; bringing the second component up to the first component such that the ball projects at least into the through-hole of the second component or projects to a certain extent through the through-hole; and clipping a clip element onto the ball, wherein the clip element projects beyond the through-hole and interconnects the two components in an interlocking and/or force-locking manner.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first component has a physical marker, and the ball is positioned relative to the first component via the physical marker.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the physical marker of the first component is a trough-shaped depression.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the act of: introducing an adhesive layer between the first and second components.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the introducing of the adhesive layer is carried out by applying the adhesive layer to a side of the first component that faces the second component.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein the introducing of the adhesive layer is carried out by applying the adhesive layer to a side of the second component that faces the first component.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the act of vibrating the ball via the ultrasound sonotrode is carried out via translational vibrations.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the act of vibrating the ball via the ultrasound sonotrode is carried out via torsional vibrations.

9. A component connection produced by the method according to claim 1.

10. A component connection produced according to the method of claim 2.

11. A component connection produced according to the method of claim 4.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a step in an exemplary method for producing a component connection according to the invention.

(2) FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of a step in an exemplary method for producing a component connection according to the invention.

(3) FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of a step in an exemplary method for producing a component connection according to the invention.

(4) FIG. 4 is a schematic illustration of a step in an exemplary method for producing a component connection according to the invention.

(5) FIG. 5 is a schematic illustration of a step in an exemplary method for producing a component connection according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(6) FIG. 1 shows a plate-like, i.e. substantially planar, first component 1 which has a spherical cap-shaped or trough-shaped depression (recess) 2. The first component 1 can be made completely of thermoplastic material or be coated or covered with a thermoplastic material at least in the region of the trough-shaped depression 2.

(7) As can be seen from FIG. 2, a ball 3 is introduced into the trough-shaped depression 2. The ball 3 thus projects at least in part into the trough-shaped depression 2. The trough-shaped depression 2 acts as a physical marker. The ball 3 is thus positioned in a predefined manner with respect to the first component 1 by the depression 2.

(8) The ball 3 can be placed manually, for example, into the depression 2. Alternatively to this, the ball 3 can also be introduced into the depression 2 by way of a feeding device, for example a robot (not shown). An ultrasonic sonotrode 4 (shown only schematically here) is used to set the ball 3 in ultrasonic vibrations (for example in translational and/or torsional vibrations) and to weld it to the thermoplastic material of the first component 1 and thus to the first component 1.

(9) The ball 3 can also be made of thermoplastic material. However, it does not have to be made completely of thermoplastic material. It is contemplated for the ball 3 to be coated or covered with a thermoplastic material only in the contact region with the depression 2. Of course, however, the ball can also have a ball core made of a non-thermoplastic material, which core is completely covered with a surface layer of thermoplastic material.

(10) The ball can also be fed into the depression 2 by way of the sonotrode. For this purpose, a trough-shaped depression into which a suction channel opens can be provided in the region of an end side of the sonotrode 4. A suction device 20 (shown only schematically), which can be integrated for example into the sonotrode 4, makes it possible for the ball 3 to be sucked into or sucked up against the trough-shaped depression 4a of the sonotrode. The ball 3 can thus be positioned by moving the sonotrode relative to the first component 1 and introduced into the depression 2 of the first component. Here, the sonotrode can be moved manually or under automated control by an industrial robot.

(11) Causing the ball 3 to vibrate causes thermoplastic material of the ball 3 and/or thermoplastic material of the depression 2 to melt in a locally limited manner and fuse together. As a result, the ball 3 is welded to the first component 1. Owing to the convex geometry of the ball, there is obtained in the contact region between the ball and the first component a very high energy density which leads to a clean, locally limited melting of the thermoplastic material of the ball 3 or of the first component 1.

(12) As illustrated in FIG. 3, an adhesive layer 5 is applied to an upper side of the first component 1.

(13) Then, as illustrated in FIG. 4, a second component 6, which has a through-hole 6a, is applied to the adhesive layer 5. The second component 6 is arranged with respect to the first component 1 or the ball 3 such that the ball 3 projects into the through-hole 6a of the second component 6 or projects here even to a certain extent through the through-hole 6a.

(14) A clip element 7 is then clipped onto the ball 3. Here, the clip element 7 projects beyond the through-hole 6a of the second component by way of a latching nose 7a which bears against the second component 6. The two components (6, 1) are held together or pressed against one another by the (elastic) clip element 7. The two components 1, 6 can thus be further transported or even already further processed even when the adhesive 5 has not yet cured.

(15) The foregoing disclosure has been set forth merely to illustrate the invention and is not intended to be limiting. Since modifications of the disclosed embodiments incorporating the spirit and substance of the invention may occur to persons skilled in the art, the invention should be construed to include everything within the scope of the appended claims and equivalents thereof.