Patent Publication Number: US-2007098488-A1

Title: Fastening structure and method thereof

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      1. Field of the Invention  
      The present invention relates to a fastening method, and more particularly, to a fastening method of coupling a first element having an elongated hole with a second element.  
      2. Description of the Prior Art  
      Please refer to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , which are respectively a top view and a side view of a fastening method according to the prior art. There is a plurality of round holes  11  on a first element  10 . The first element  10  is positioned on a second element  14  of a base  13  via the round holes  11 . There is some material  12  on the top of the second element  14 . When the first element  10  is positioned on the second element  14 , the material  12  protrudes through the first element  10 , as shown in  FIG. 2 . Next, the material  12  is melted by application of heat, and the melted material  12  bonds the first element  10  and the second element  14  together. Please refer to  FIG. 3 , which is a side view showing the melting of the material  12  of  FIG. 2 . The first element  10  is capable of being fastened on the second element  14  via the melted material  12 .  
      The fastening method of the prior art is quite simple. The prior art requires two steps: vertically positioning the round holes  11  of the first element  10  through the second element  14 , and melting the material  12 . However, the fastening method of the prior art is not suitable for all assembly work. If the first element  10  is not capable of being vertically positioned on the second element  14 , the fastening method mentioned above cannot be performed.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      The claimed invention discloses a fastening method. The fastening method comprises coupling a first element and a second element, wherein the first element forms an elongated opening, and the second element passes through the elongated opening at a first end of the elongated opening, moving the first element along the elongated opening and maintaining the second element in the elongated hole so that a second end of the elongated hole of the first element is positioned at the second element, and melting an end of the second element to bond the first element at the second end of the elongated hole.  
      These and other objectives of the present invention will no doubt become obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art after reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment that is illustrated in the various figures and drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIGS. 1 and 2  are respectively a top view and a side view of a fastening method according to the prior art.  
       FIG. 3  is a side view of melting the material of  FIG. 2 .  
       FIG. 4  is a top view of an assembly according to the present invention.  
       FIG. 5  is a top view of the final location of the first element of  FIG. 4 .  
       FIG. 6  is a side view of  FIG. 5 .  
       FIG. 7  is a side view of melting the stud of  FIG. 6 .  
       FIG. 8  is a top view of the initial location of the first element according to the present invention.  
       FIG. 9  and  FIG. 10  are respectively a top view and a side view of the final location of the first element on the base according to the present invention.  
       FIG. 11  is a side view of melting the stud of  FIG. 10 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
      Please refer to  FIG. 4 , which is a top view of an assembly according to the present invention. A first element  40  comprises an elongated hole  41 . A first end  45  of the elongated hole  41  of the first element  40  is positioned at a second element  44  (shown in  FIG. 6 ) of a base  43 . There is a stud  42  on the top of the second element  44 , and the stud  42  protrudes through the first element  40 . Next, the first element  40  is moved while maintaining the second element  40  in the elongated hole  41  so that a second end  47  of the elongated hole  41  of the first element  40  is positioned at the second element  44 , as shown in  FIG. 5 . Finally, the stud  42  is melted by application of heat, and the melted stud  42  bonds the second element  44  and the first element  40  at the second end  47  of the elongated hole  41 . Please refer to  FIG. 6  and  7 .  FIG. 6  is a side view of  FIG. 5 , and  FIG. 7  is a side view of melting the stud  42  of  FIG. 6 . The stud  42  and the second element  44  are monolithically formed and made of hot-melting adhesive material.  
      Suppose that the first element  10  is not capable of being vertically positioned at the second element  14  as shown in  FIG. 1 . With the elongated hole  41 , the first element  40  can be moved and positioned at the final location, and then a fastening method can be performed.  
      Additionally, a part of the melted stud  42  of  FIG. 7  is bonded with the first element  40 , and a part of the melted stud  42  is not bonded with anything. Suppose that there is a push-button positioned at a side of the first element  40 . When pressing the push-button, the entire first element  40  must bear an external force. If the external force is too large, it might break the stud  42  bonded with the first element  40  because an adhesion force between the first element  40  and the second element  44  is weak. Therefore, the present invention provides another embodiment to solve this problem.  
      Please refer to  FIG. 8  to  FIG. 10 .  FIG. 8  is a top view of the initial location of a first element  70  on a base  73  according to the present invention.  FIG. 9  and  FIG. 10  are respectively a top view and a side view of the final location of the first element  70  on the base  73 . The first element  70  further comprises a push-button  78 . First, a first end  75  of an elongated hole  71  of the first element  70  is positioned at a second element  74 , as shown in  FIG. 8 . Next, the first element  70  is moved to the final location via the elongated hole  71 . That is, the first end  75  of the elongated hole  71  is moved from the second element  74 , and a second end  77  of the elongated hole  71  is positioned at the second element  74 , as shown in  FIG. 9 . In  FIG. 10 , the structure of the second element  74  is shown. In addition to a stud  72 , the second element  74  further comprises a supporting base  76  for supporting the melted stud  72 . The second element  74 , the stud  72  and the supporting base  76  are monolithically formed and made of hot-melting adhesive material.  
      Please refer to  FIG. 11 , which is a side view of melting the stud  72  of  FIG. 10 . A part of the melted stud  72  is bonded with the first element  70 , and a part of the melted stud  72  is bonded with the supporting base  76 . In this way, the adhesion force between the first element  70  and the second element  74  is increased, resolving the problem that a part of the melted stud  42  is not bonded with any first element in  FIG. 7 .  
      The present invention provides a fastening method to reduce complexity of assembly. The present invention changes the round hole into the elongated hole so as to allow easy movement of the first element. Additionally, there is a supporting base on the second element to support melted material, thereby increasing the adhesion force between the first element and the second element.  
      Those skilled in the art will readily observe that numerous modifications and alterations of the device and method may be made while retaining the teachings of the invention. Accordingly, the above disclosure should be construed as limited only by the metes and bounds of the appended claims.