Adhesive dispersing rivet
AssigneeGeneral Motors Corporation
InventorsPei-Chung Wang, Daniel B. Hayden, Robin Stevenson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A rivet and method for riveting metal members, and particularly, metal sheets is disclosed. The apparatus includes a rivet assembly for driving a piercing rivet into stacked metal sheets and a die for assisting in supporting the sheets during driving of the rivet and for assisting in securing the rivets to the sheets. The rivet of the invention includes an adhesive that is forced through passages in the rivet for assisting in fastening the rivet to the sheets and for assisting in fastening the sheets to each other with greater strength.
Claims17
A method of riveting a first metal member to a second metal member for forming an automotive vehicle structure, comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing a piercing rivet having a central axis, a generally disk-shaped head portion and an annular portion extending outwardly from a bottom surface of the head portion wherein;
- (i) the annular portion defines a cavity;
- (ii) a plurality of passages extend through the annular portion;
- and
- (iii) an adhesive in a flowable state is disposed in the cavity of the annular portion;
- (b) placing a first metal member on a second metal member, wherein each of the members has a first side and a second side, and at least a portion of the second side of the first member is in overlapping contact with at least a portion of the first side of the second member for forming an overlapped region;
- (c) placing the first and second metal members between a rivet assembly including a punch and a die having a cavity;
- and
- (d) driving the rivet through the first metal member and at least partially through the second metal member in the overlapped region wherein;
- (i) the annular portion of the rivet is deformed radially away from the central axis of rivet to interferingly secure the rivet to the members thereby attaching the members to each other;
- and
- (ii) the adhesive is forced out of the cavity of the rivet through the plurality of passages of the rivet thereby positioning the adhesive between an outer annular surface of the rivet and portions of the first member and the second member;
- and
- (e) curing the adhesive to adhesively secure the rivet to the first and second members.
A method of riveting a first metal sheet to a second metal sheet for forming an automotive vehicle structure, comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing a piercing rivet having a central axis, a generally disk-shaped head portion and an annular portion extending outwardly from a bottom surface of the head portion wherein;
- (i) the annular portion includes an outer annular surface and a sharpened piercing edge;
- (ii) the annular portion includes an inner annular surface at least partially defining a substantially cylindrical cavity within the annular portion;
- (iii) a plurality of passages are radially disposed in the annular portion and extend from the inner surface to the outer surface;
- and
- (iv) an adhesive in a flowable state is disposed in the cavity of the annular portion;
- (b) stacking a first metal sheet on a second metal sheet, wherein each of the sheets has a first side and a second side, and at least a portion of the second side of the first sheet is in overlapping contact with at least a portion of the first side of the second sheet for forming an overlapped region;
- (c) placing the first and second metal sheets between a rivet assembly and a die, the rivet assembly including a punch, the die having a cylindrical cavity with a protrusion extending into the cavity;
- and
- (d) driving the rivet through the first metal sheet and partially through the second metal sheet in the overlapped region wherein;
- (i) the annular portion of the rivet is deformed radially away from the central axis of rivet to interferingly secure the rivet to the sheets thereby attaching the sheets to each other;
- and
- (ii) the adhesive is forced out of the cavity through the passages of the rivet thereby positioning the adhesive between the outer annular surface of the rivet and portions of the first sheet and the second sheet;
- (e) curing the adhesive to adhesively secure the rivet to the first and second sheets.
A rivet for riveting a first metal sheet to a second metal sheet for forming an automotive vehicle structure, comprising:
- (a) a generally disk-shaped head portion disposed about a central axis and having a substantially flat top surface and a generally conical bottom surface;
- (b) an annular portion centered about the central axis and extending outwardly from a bottom surface of the head portion wherein;
- (i) the annular portion includes an outer annular surface and a sharpened piercing edge;
- (ii) the annular portion includes an inner annular surface at least partially defining a substantially cylindrical cavity within the annular portion;
- and
- (iii) a plurality of passages are radially disposed in the annular portion and extend from the inner surface to the outer surface;
- and
- (c) an adhesive in a flowable state is disposed in the cavity of the annular portion such that the adhesive may be forced through the plurality of passages to adhesively secure to the outer annular surface of the rivet and to the first and second sheets.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.