Amorphous metal rivet systems
AssigneeLiquidmetal Technologies, Inc.
InventorJoseph W. STEVICK
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
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 blind rivet made at least partially from an amorphous metal alloy, the blind rivet comprising:
- a head portion;
- and
- a tail portion comprising a first leg and a second leg, wherein an end of each of the first leg and the second leg comprises a tail interface;
- wherein:
- the head portion of the blind rivet is configured to engage with a first member,
- the tail interface for each of the first leg and the second leg is configured to engage with a second member, and
- at least one of the first leg and the second leg is configured to elastically deform to secure the first member in position relative to the second member.
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.
A method of installing a bucked-type rivet comprising:
- inserting a formable member through a first aperture in a first member and a second aperture in a second member;
- inserting an anvil into a channel in the formable member, the anvil comprising an interface shaft, an anvil head disposed on a first end of the interface shaft, and an insulating layer disposed on an outer surface of the interface shaft;
- passing a current through an electrical circuit comprising the interface shaft, the anvil head, and the formable member;
- pulling on the interface shaft to deform a portion of the formable member;
- and
- breaking the interface shaft.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.