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US 2017/0247060 A1Published application
Fastener for providing a clamp load between two parts
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsDavid Lee JARVIS, Steven C. DWORACK
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A rocker assembly for a vehicle includes an upper rocker panel, a lower rocker panel, and a fastener. The fastener connects the upper and lower rocker panels. The fastener has a frustoconical tip to locate the fastener on the lower rocker panel, a body with a plurality of fins to stabilize the fastener between the upper and lower rocker panels, and a shoulder including an arrow-head configured to clamp the lower rocker panel to the upper rocker panel between the shoulder and a head of the fastener.
Claims16
A fastener comprising:
- a head;
- and
- a body extending perpendicularly from the head along an axis, the body including a shoulder adjacent to the head having a triangularly-shaped clamp mechanism to secure a rocker panel assembly between the body and head, a shaft including a plurality of fins adjacent the shoulder configured to stabilize the body within the rocker panel assembly, and a frustoconical tip configured to locate the body on the rocker panel assembly.
A rocker assembly for a vehicle comprising:
- an upper rocker panel;
- a lower rocker panel;
- and
- a fastener connecting the upper and lower rocker panels, the fastener having a frustoconical tip to locate the fastener on the lower rocker panel, a body with a plurality of fins to stabilize the fastener between the upper and lower rocker panels, and a shoulder including an arrow-head configured to clamp the lower rocker panel to the upper rocker panel between the shoulder and a head of the fastener.
1 more element
A vehicle comprising:
- a rocker panel assembly including an upper rocker panel and a lower rocker panel;
- and
- a fastener extending between the upper and lower rocker panels, the fastener having
- a head configured to have a flat, planar relationship with a first surface of the lower rocker panel,
- a frustroconical tip disposed along an axis at a distance from the head to locate the fastener at the first surface of the lower rocker panel before insertion,
- a body along the axis, adjacent to the tip having a plurality of fins to hold the fastener within the upper rocker panel during insertion, and
- a shoulder along the axis adjacent and between the head and the body, the shoulder having a double-diamond clamping mechanism to retain the lower rocker panel against the upper rocker panel after insertion.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.