PATENT CLAIM ANALYSIS

Application Number: 15747354
Application Type: Utility
Filing Date: 2018-01
Publication Date: 2018-12
Patent Classification: ["156", "073100"]

Abstract:
A method for joining a device to an object with the aid of a combination of ultrasonic vibration energy and induction heating, wherein the device includes a portion of a thermoplastic polymer and a susceptor additive wherein this portion is at least partly liquefied or plasticized through the ultrasonic vibration energy in combination with the induction heating and wherein the joining includes establishing a connection between the device and the object which connection is at least one of a positive fit connection, a weld, a press fit connection, and an adhesive connection. The induction heating is applied for rendering the device portion suitable for absorption of ultrasonic vibration energy than other device portions by raising its temperature above the glass transition temperature of the polymer. The ultrasonic vibration energy is used for liquefying or at least plasticizing the thermoplastic polymer of the named device portion.

Claim (Index 1):
A method of joining a device to a joining location of an object, the method comprising the steps of:\n providing the device comprising a first solid portion containing a first thermoplastic polymer and a susceptor additive being at least one of electrically conducting and magnetic and being present in the first portion in an amount sufficient for rendering the first portion capable of being heated by electromagnetic induction, positioning the device relative to the joining location, positioning the device into an alternating electromagnetic field suitable for heating the first portion by electromagnetic induction for a time sufficient for raising the temperature of the first portion, but not sufficient for liquefying or plasticizing the first polymer, applying ultrasonic vibration energy to the device or to the object and simultaneously applying a compression force to the device for a time sufficient for liquefying or plasticizing at least part of the first portion and for achieving at least one of bringing the liquefied or plasticized first portion into contact with at least a surface of the joining location and deforming the device, stopping the application of the alternating electromagnetic field and the application of the ultrasonic vibration while maintaining the compression force for a time sufficient for achieving, on re-solidification of the liquefied or plasticized first portion, a connection between the device and the joining location.

Metadata:
- Claim Count in Document: 29.0
- Percentile: 86.0
- Lexical Diversity: 2.23529
- Patent Class: 156.0
- Transitional Phrase Type: open
- Component Type: 1
- Foreign Priority: True
- Related Applications: ['12442328', '15616177', '11962292', '15517005', '12827699']

Analysis Scores:
- 35 USC 101 Eligibility (BERT): 0.8869039455011792
- 35 USC 102 Novelty (BERT): 0.4825689357298107
- Combined Prediction Score: 0.8464704445240423
- Mean Citation Score: 165.121408
- Max Citation Score: 173.46413
- Similarity Product: 118.473762049011

Labels:
- Claim Label 101: 1
- Claim Label 102: 1
- Claim Label 103: 1
- Claim Label 112: 1
- Combined Label: 1
- Label 101 Adjusted: 1

Dataset: test