ALEXANDRIA, Va., Feb. 24 -- United States Patent no. 12,560,190, issued on Feb. 24, was assigned to WOODWELDING AG (Stansstad, Switzerland).
"Joining two objects" was invented by Laurent Torriani (Lamboing, Switzerland) and Mario Lehmann (Les Pommerats, Switzerland).
According to the abstract* released by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "A tool presses a joining element against a first object into a first opening of the first object while mechanical vibration energy is coupled into the first object and the joining element. Vibration energy and pressing force make the thermoplastic material of the distal portion of the joining element flowable and interpenetrates structures of the first object to yield, after re-solidification, an anch...