Metal fusion bonding

SECTION I - CLASS DEFINITION

This is a residual class for metal fusion bonding as defined in this definition.

For placement of a patent in this class, its claimed disclosure should meet the minimum requirements of the class definition, and should not extend beyond the boundaries indicated in Scope of the Class, below, and discussed in Lines With Other Classes and Within This Class.

Terms followed by an asterisk (*) in the definitions are defined in the Glossary, below.

This class provides for an apparatus for or a method of joining the meeting faces of juxtaposed or engaged metal work parts or of the same part originally in a form-sustaining state, by the direct application of heat and/or mechanical energy to either of: (a) such work parts, to such an extent as to effect a flowing or blending together of some of the metal in neighboring regions of said work parts into a continuous metallic zone interconnecting said work parts, or (b) such work parts and a metallic filler, to such an extent as to effect a flowing or blending together of the filler and some of the metal of said work portions into a continuous metallic zone interconnecting said work portions with filler and thus with each other.