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US 5,868,535 AGranted
Self-riveting fastening element
AssigneeMultifastener Corporation
InventorHarold A. Ladouceur
Life of this patent
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AssigneeMultifastener Corporation
InventorHarold A. Ladouceur
Estimating the term…
An improved self-riveting fastening element for permanent attachment to a metal panel within a panel opening by a die member having an annular concave die cavity. The fastening element includes a tubular riveting portion and a radial flange portion and a fastening portion. The internal and external surfaces of the tubular riveting portion are relatively uniformly inclined toward the radial flange portion such that the thickness of the tubular riveting portion at the free end is less than the thickness adjacent the radial flange portion. In the preferred embodiment, the internal surface of the tubular riveting portion is cylindrical and the external surface is slightly conical tapering inwardly toward the free end to reduce the force required to radially deform the free end of the tubular portion radially outwardly. Further, the outer surface of the radial flange portion is generally polygonal having arcuately radially inwardly concave side surfaces spaced by relative thin convex arcuate edge surfaces reducing the force required to drive the flange portion into the panel during final installation of the fastening element.
A self-riveting male fastening element for permanent attachment to a panel within a panel opening by a die member having an annular concave die cavity, said self-riveting fastening element including a tubular riveting portion having generally cylindrical internal and external surfaces and a free end, a radial flange portion integral with said tubular riveting portion opposite said free end having a diameter greater than said panel opening adapted to be driven into said panel, and a male fastening portion integral with said flange portion opposite said tubular riveting portion, the improvement comprising said radial flange portion including a plurality of spaced arcuate radially inwardly concave surfaces reducing the force required to drive said flange portion into said panel and increasing the torque required to turn said self-riveting fastening element relative to said panel following installation;
A self-riveting fastening element for permanent attachment to a panel within a panel opening by a die member having an annular concave die cavity, said self-riveting fastening element including a tubular riveting portion having generally cylindrical internal and external surfaces and a free end, a radial flange portion integral with said tubular riveting portion opposite said free end, said tubular riveting portion including an external surface having a diameter less than said panel opening and said radial flange portion having a diameter greater than said panel opening and adapted to be driven into said panel when said free end of said tubular riveting portion is deformed radially outwardly in said concave die cavity, said radial flange portion having a polygonal side surface including at least six concave arcuate surfaces reducing the force required to drive said flange portion into said panel and increasing the torque required to turn said self-riveting fastening element relative to said panel following installation;
A self-riveting male fastening element for permanent attachment to a panel within a panel opening by a die member having an annular concave die cavity, said self-riveting fastening element including a tubular riveting portion having a free end, a radial flange portion integral with said tubular riveting portion opposite said free end bridging said tubular riveting portion and having a diameter greater than said tubular riveting portion, a male fastening portion integral with said radial flange portion opposite said tubular riveting portion and coaxially aligned with said tubular riveting portion, said tubular riveting portion having a cylindrical internal surface extending parallel to the axis of said tubular riveting portion and a conical exterior surface uniformly tapering toward said free end and blending smoothly with an arcuate outer surface of said free end such that the thickness of said tubular riveting portion at said free end is less than the thickness of said tubular riveting portion adjacent said radial flange portion, thereby reducing the force required to radially deform said tubular riveting portion in said annular die cavity.
A self-riveting male fastening element for permanently attachment to a panel within a panel opening by a die member having an annular concave die cavity, said self-riveting male fastening element including a tubular riveting portion having a free end, a radial flange portion integral with said tubular riveting portion opposite said free end and a male fastening portion integral with said radial flange portion opposite said tubular riveting portion, said tubular riveting portion having a diameter less than said panel opening for receipt through said panel opening into said annular die cavity for deforming said free end radially outwardly and said radial flange portion having a diameter greater than said panel opening adapted to be driven into said panel, said tubular riveting portion having generally cylindrical internal and external surfaces slightly uniformly relatively inclined toward said radial flange portion such that the thickness of said tubular riveting portion at said free end is less than the thickness of said tubular riveting portion adjacent said radial flange portion, thereby reducing the force required to initially deform said tubular riveting portion in said die cavity and said radial flange portion including a plurality of spaced arcuate radially inwardly concave arcuate surfaces reducing the force required to drive said flange portion into said panel and increasing the torque required to turn said self-riveting male fastening element relative to said panel following installation.
A self-riveting fastening element for permanent attachment to a panel within a panel opening by a die member having an annular concave die cavity, said self-riveting fastening element including a tubular riveting portion having generally cylindrical internal and external surfaces and a free end, a radial flange portion integral with said tubular riveting portion opposite said free end, said tubular riveting portion including an external surface having a diameter less than said panel opening and said radial flange portion having a diameter greater than said panel opening and adapted to be driven into said panel when said free end of said tubular riveting portion is deformed radially outwardly in said concave die cavity, said radial flange portion having a polygonal side surface including at least six concave arcuate surfaces reducing the force required to drive said flange portion into said panel and increasing the torque required to turn said self-riveting fastening element relative to said panel following installation;
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.