Captive fastener

A captive fastener assembly for non-releasable securement to a subassembly comprising a ductile material, and operable for connecting the subassembly to a structural member to form an integrated structure of the subassembly and member, said captive fastener comprising:

• a retainer cup configured for non-releasable welded engagement with the ductile material of the subassembly, said retainer cup comprising a side wall and a base defining a cavity open at an end of the cavity opposite said base, and a throughbore defined in and through said base, said side wall comprising a plurality of projections extending radially outward from the side wall and configured to define a plurality of projecting edges and adjacent interstices into which the ductile material of the subassembly is flowable through welding to form an interface between the projections and ductile material at which the ductile material substantially fills said interstices to define a non-releasable connection of the retainer cup to the ductile material of the subassembly;
• and
• an elongated fastener comprising a shaft, a radially-enlarged head proximate one end of the shaft, and means for connecting the fastener to the structural member proximate an opposite end of the shaft remote from said one end, said fastener being journalled through said retainer cup throughbore so that said head is disposed captively within said retainer cup cavity and said connecting means is located outside of said cavity for selective connection with the structural member to connect, through said elongated fastener, the subassembly and the structural member and thereby form an integrated structure of the subassembly and member, wherein the retainer cup further comprises a crimp button formed on a bottom portion of the retainer cup for securing the fastener at the fastener head in the retainer cup.