Patent ID: 6837961

Claim:
A method of bonding a first thin section element and a second thin-section element to each other, the method comprising: (a) applying an adherent material to at least one of the first and second thin-section elements over at least part of an area of the respective thin-section material which is to be bonded; (b) bringing the first and second thin-section elements together, including at the area to be bonded; and (c) applying force urging the first and second thin-section elements into bonding contact with each other including at the area to be bonded, and applying one of thermal energy or ultrasonic frequency energy to at least one of the first and second thin-section elements in the area to be bonded, thereby forming an array of elongate bond elements and activating the adherent material proximate and generally about ones of the bone elements, the array of elongate bond elements, in combination with the activated adherent material, comprising a bond pattern having a pattern length, a pattern width represented by first and second side edges of the bond pattern, and a central longitudinal axis extending through an interior portion of the bond pattern, the side edges of the bond pattern, and a corresponding bond pattern area between such side edges, being defined generally by these areas of the respective thin-section elements which participate in absorbing and dissipating, by operation of the bond pattern, stresses received into the bond pattern, the bond pattern being arranged and configured such that a side stress imposed from outside said bond pattern is preferentially directed away from the respective side edge and inwardly into said bond pattern, and is substantially dissipated on the interior portion of the bond pattern.