| abstract |
According to an aspect of the invention, a method of anchoring a connector in a lightweight building element is provided. The connector comprises a sleeve element and a piston element with a shaft portion, wherein the shaft portion is guided by the sleeve element. The piston element and/or the sleeve element comprises a thermoplastic material at least at an interface portion between the head portion and the sleeve portion. The method comprises the steps of providing the connector, of providing a through hole in the first building layer of the lightweight building element, of inserting the connector through the through hole and until a distal portion rests against the second building layer. Therein, it may be the sleeve element or the piston element or both, the sleeve element and the piston element that rest(s) against the second building layer. The method then comprises the further step of coupling mechanical oscillations into the piston element while pressing the piston element towards the distal side, and thereby liquefying portions of the thermoplastic material at an interface portion between the sleeve element and the piston element while a periphery of the interface portion is adjacent the circumferential wall (or slightly distal with respect to it), and causing it to flow radially outward from the periphery and into structures of the first building layer and/or along an inner surface (i.e. surface facing towards the second building layer) of the first building layer. After resolidification, the thermoplastic material portions form a positive-fit connection with the first building layer. |