US 11,654,636 B2
Ultrasonic weld-bonding of thermoplastic composites
Pei-chung Wang, Troy, MI (US); and Bradley J. Blaski, Sterling Heights, MI (US)
Assigned to GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC, Detroit, MI (US)
Filed by GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC, Detroit, MI (US)
Filed on Jun. 9, 2020, as Appl. No. 16/896,512.
Application 16/896,512 is a division of application No. 15/605,224, filed on May 25, 2017, abandoned.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/349,845, filed on Jun. 14, 2016.
Prior Publication US 2020/0338835 A1, Oct. 29, 2020
Int. Cl. B29C 65/08 (2006.01); B29C 65/00 (2006.01); B29C 65/78 (2006.01); B29C 65/48 (2006.01); B29C 65/72 (2006.01); B29L 31/30 (2006.01); B29L 31/00 (2006.01); B29K 77/00 (2006.01); B29K 507/04 (2006.01); B29K 301/12 (2006.01)
CPC B29C 65/08 (2013.01) [B29C 65/483 (2013.01); B29C 65/72 (2013.01); B29C 65/7855 (2013.01); B29C 66/1122 (2013.01); B29C 66/302 (2013.01); B29C 66/30221 (2013.01); B29C 66/472 (2013.01); B29C 66/73921 (2013.01); B29C 66/81422 (2013.01); B29C 66/8322 (2013.01); B29C 65/7829 (2013.01); B29C 66/71 (2013.01); B29C 66/7212 (2013.01); B29K 2077/00 (2013.01); B29K 2301/12 (2013.01); B29K 2507/04 (2013.01); B29L 2031/30 (2013.01); B29L 2031/7172 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for ultrasonic welding of polymeric workpieces, the method comprising:
disposing a first region of a first thermoplastic polymer workpiece and a second region of a second thermoplastic polymer workpiece between an ultrasonic horn and an anvil of an ultrasonic welding device, wherein the first thermoplastic polymer workpiece has a preformed deformation in the first region, the entire preformed deformation being in the first region, the preformed deformation defining a depression on a first side of the first thermoplastic polymer workpiece and a protrusion on a second side of the first thermoplastic polymer workpiece, and at least one of the first thermoplastic polymer workpiece and the second thermoplastic polymer workpiece has an adhesive precursor layer applied thereto such that the adhesive precursor layer is disposed directly between and in direct contact with a third region of the first thermoplastic polymer workpiece and a fourth region of the second thermoplastic polymer workpiece, the third region being non-overlapping with the first region and the fourth region being non-overlapping with the second region, wherein at least one of the ultrasonic horn or the anvil seats within the preformed deformation to provide a predetermined bondline between the first thermoplastic polymer workpiece and the second thermoplastic polymer workpiece; and
applying ultrasonic energy from the ultrasonic horn to create a weld nugget between the first region and the second region, wherein an assembly of the first thermoplastic polymer workpiece and the second thermoplastic polymer workpiece having the weld nugget has a green strength so that the assembly can be further processed immediately.