US 4,729,163 AGranted

Die set assembly for attaching a fastener

AssigneeMultifastener Corporation

InventorsRudolph R. M. Muller, Jiri Babej

Life of this patent

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Abstract

The present disclosure relates to self-piercing fasteners, such as studs, bolts or nuts, the method of attaching such fasteners to a panel and fastener installation apparatus, including the installation head and die button. The fastener includes a self-piercing and riveting annular wall which is driven into a panel supported against a die member by the installation head. The die member includes an annular die cavity surrounding a central projecting die portion which is telescopically receivable in the free open end of the fastener annular wall. The free end of the fastener annular wall includes a piercing surface which mates with a piercing surface at the outer edge of the projecting die portion to pierce a slug from the panel. The panel slug is then pressed into the opening in the annular fastener wall by the conical end of the projecting die portion and the free end of the annular wall is simultaneously deformed radially outwardly in the die cavity forming a rigid mechanical interlock with the pierced panel edge.

Claims6

Dependent claims

A die set including a die member for securing a self-attaching member to a plastically deformable metal panel, said self-attaching member having a body portion and a self-piercing and riveting integral skirt portion extending from said body portion, said die member comprising:

an annular die cavity surrounding a central die portion projecting from said die cavity and a panel supporting shoulder on at least two sides of said die cavity, the free end of said projecting central die portion having a generally conical die surface and a piercing surface surrounding said central projecting die portion free end adapted to pierce a slug from the panel in cooperation with said member skirt portion, said central die portion free end telescopically receivable in the open end of said self-attaching member skirt portion, said annular die cavity including a relatively smooth concave arcuate annular die surface extending from adjacent said piercing surface through the bottom surface of said die cavity adapted to receive the free end of said member annular skirt portion and radially outwardly deform said skirt portion into an annular generally hook-shaped portion, said concave arcuate annular die surface terminating in an annular lip spaced above said bottom surface of said die cavity, said lip located below the plane of said shoulder and said die cavity including an inclined outer wall smoothly blending into said shoulder and said annular lip through relatively smooth arcuate surfaces which receive the main portion of said panel adjacent the pierced panel edge, said die cavity annular lip supporting said panel portion as said panel portion is radially inwardly into said skirt generally hook-shaped portion forming a mechanical interlock between said panel and said member skirt portion and a second member for moving said self-attaching member relative to said die member to pierce a slug from a panel supported on said die member shoulder and to deform said self-attaching member skirt portion radially outwardly by contact with said die cavity to form a mechanical interlock with a pierced edge of said panel.

A die set for securing a self-attaching element to a plastically deformable metal panel, comprising a female die member and a driving member, said self-attaching element having a body portion and a hollow riveting annular wall having an open free end projecting from said body portion, said die member having an annular concave die cavity surrounding a central die portion projecting from said die cavity, said central die portion adapted to be received within said self-attaching member annular wall open free end, said die member having a panel supporting shoulder surrounding said die cavity on at least two sides of said die cavity, said annular concave die cavity having a generally conical outer surface adjacent said shoulder inclined inwardly toward the axis of said central die portion and terminating in a generally radially projecting annular lip spaced above the bottom surface of said die cavity, said conical outer die surface smoothly blending into said shoulder and annular lip through relatively smooth arcuate surfaces, said die cavity bottom surface being semi-torroidal and extending from said annular lip to and including the outer surface of said central die portion, said driving member movable relative to said die member for moving said self-attaching element relative to a panel supported on said die member shoulder, the internal surface of said self-attaching element annular wall engaging said central die portion outer surface and said semi-torrodial bottom surface, deforming said annular wall radially outwardly, and said panel substantially simultaneously deformed into said die cavity against said generally conical outer surface and said annular lip, said annular lip supporting said panel radially during formation of a mechanical interlock between said self-attaching element annular wall and said panel.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 06/892,002Filed 1 Aug 1986 · division
Priority: 28 Jan 1981
Granted: 8 Mar 1988
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification10 codes

B23P 19/062
Screw or nut setting or loosening machines: pierce nut setting machines
F16B 37/065
By means of riveting: by deforming the material of the nut
F16B 37/068
By means of riveting: by deforming the material of the support, e.g. the sheet or plate
Y10T 29/49835
Punching, piercing or reaming part by surface of second part: with shaping

Family

Serial229,274Parent of this continuation · filed 28 Jan 1981
Serial485,099Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 28 Mar 1983
Serial504,074Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 14 Jun 1983
Serial563,833Parent of this division · filed 21 Dec 1983
Serial773,387Parent of this division · filed 6 Sep 1985
US 4,633,560 AParent of this division
US 4,555,838 AParent of this division
US 4,459,073 AParent of this continuation-in-part
US 4,543,701 AParent of this continuation-in-part
Serial229,274Parent of this division
US 4,729,163 AThis patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.