Amorphous metal rivet systems and methods for their use
AssigneeLiquidmetal Technologies, Inc.
InventorJoseph W. Stevick
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A family of rivets including both blind and bucked-type rivets made at least partially from an amorphous metal alloy. A blind rivet includes a head portion and a tail portion. At least one of the head portion and the tail portion is configured to elastically deform to secure a first member in position relative to a second member. The head portion and the tail portion may include one or more deformable legs having an interface feature configured to engage with one of the first member and the second member. A bucked-type rivet assembly includes a formable member and an anvil. The anvil is configured to thermoplastically deform the formable member proximate to the second member by passing current through an electrical circuit that includes at least one of the formable member and anvil.
Claims20
A bucked-type rivet assembly comprising:
- a formable member made from an amorphous metal alloy, the formable member having a channel;
- and
- an anvil at least partially disposed in the channel, the anvil comprising:
- an interface shaft;
- and
- an anvil head disposed on a first end of the interface shaft;
- wherein:
- the formable member is configured to secure a first member in position relative to a second member;
- the anvil head is configured to plastically deform the formable member proximate to the second member;
- and
- the anvil head is configured to separate from the interface shaft upon application of a predetermined tensile force to the interface shaft;
- and
- an insulating layer disposed in a gap formed between the anvil and the formable member so as to prevent electrical shorting across the gap.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.