Patent ID: 7404873

Claim:
A method for attaching a membrane to a substrate comprising the steps of: (a) providing a substrate having spaced apart top surface and bottom surface, and a receptacle therethrough; (b) inserting a mandrel into said receptacle without said mandrel excessively deforming the shape of said receptacle; (c) placing a membrane comprising a polymeric composition combined with a support structure across said top surface of said substrate over said receptacle, wherein said support structure is a woven mesh-like construction having a network structure with voids or open areas therebetween for capturing said polymeric composition; (d) heating said membrane and said substrate, said heating being applied to a side of said membrane opposite said substrate; and (e) allowing said substrate to cool to provide a heat-bonded interlock between said substrate and said membrane, wherein said heating is applied conductively through a conductive medium placed on said membrane, and wherein said step of heating includes: contacting said medium with a heat-source for a length of time required to melt said substrate into a molten state forming a molten substrate, said molten substrate flowing into said support structure of said membrane and displacing a portion of said polymeric composition from said support structure, wherein, with cooling of said molten substrate located in said support structure, mechanical interactions being defined between said cooled molten substrate and said support structure.