Fastener assembly for fastening a member to workpiece
AssigneeNewfrey LLC
InventorDaisuke MIURA
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A fastener assembly comprises a stud bolt including a bolt portion and a weld end to be welded to a workpiece, and a nut member to be screwed into the stud bolt. The nut member screwed into the stud bolt before welding is formed out of an electrically conductive material to allow the welding current to flow through the nut member into the stud bolt and weld the nut member to the workpiece while connected to the stud bolt. Then an attachment member is disposed on top of the workpiece, and the attachment member is fastened to the workpiece when the nut member is turned in the fastening direction.
Claims7
A weld stud assembly adapted for welding to a first workpiece and then mechanically securing a second workpiece to the first workpiece, the fastener assembly comprising
- a weld stud including a bolt portion formed with a male threading, and a weld end weldable to the first workpiece;
- a nut member having female threading screwed onto the male threading of the bolt portion and rotatable relative thereto:
- and
- wherein the weld stud assembly is characterized in that the weld stud and nut member are formed out of an electrically conductive material to allow a welding current to flow through the nut member into the weld stud and then into the workpiece and thereby weld the weld stud assembly to the workpiece while the nut member is threaded to the weld stud.
A fastener assembly adapted for welding to a first workpiece and then mechanically securing a second workpiece to the first workpiece, the fastener assembly comprising:
- a weld stud including:
- a bolt portion formed with a male threading,
- a weld end weldable to the first workpiece;
- a shank located between the bolt portion and the weld end;
- and
- a nut member including
- a tubular body further including an outer polygonal surface and an internal female thread;
- a plurality of pressing pieces located at intervals around an outer periphery of the nut member, the pressing pieces extending axially from a lower end of the tubular body towards tips, the tips proximate to the weld end of the stud bolt, and
- wherein the tips of the pressing pieces widen outward in the radial direction and press on the second workpiece when the nut member is rotated in a fastening direction on the weld stud bolt.
A method for joining the parts of a motor vehicle subassembly, the method comprising the steps of:
- Providing parts including:
- a first workpiece;
- a weld stud assembly comprising;
- a weld stud including;
- a bolt portion formed with a male threading,
- a weld end weldable to the first workpiece;
- and
- a shank located between the bolt portion and the weld end;
- the shank further including a conical surface tapering radially outward to a first diameter in the axial direction of the weld end, and a neck portion located between the conical surface and the weld end, and having a second diameter less than the first diameter;
- a nut member having a maximum third diameter and threaded onto the weld stud, and including;
- a tubular body further including an outer polygonal surface and an internal female thread;
- a plurality of pressing pieces located at intervals around an outer periphery of the nut member, the pressing pieces extending axially from a lower end of the tubular body towards tips, the tips proximate to the weld end of the stud bolt,
- and
- a second workpiece defining a keyhole, the keyhole comprising a first hole portion with a fourth diameter larger than the third diameter of the nut member, and a second hole portion with a fifth diameter greater than the second diameter of the neck of the stud shank, but smaller than the third diameter of the nut member;
- welding the weld stud assembly to the first workpiece;
- locating the second workpiece on the first workpiece such that the weld stud assembly is located in the first hole portion of the keyhole with the nut member projecting beyond the second workpiece;
- sliding the second workpiece relative to the first workpiece so that the neck portion of the weld stud shank is then located in the second hole portion of the keyhole;
- tightening the nut member onto the weld stud so that the pressing pieces move axially downward, contact the conical surface, splay radially outward, and then contact the second workpiece;
- and
- compressing the second workpiece between the nut member and the first workpiece.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.