Method of attaching a functional element; die; functional element; component assembly
AssigneeProfil Verbindungstechnik GmbH & Co. KG
InventorsRichard Humpert, Jiri Babey, Oliver Diehl
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of attaching a functional element (10, 210), in particular a fastener element to a sheet metal part (12, 212), optionally in liquid and/or gas-tight manner, is characterized in that the functional element (10, 210, 410) is pressed against the sheet metal part (12, 210, 410) supported by a die (14, 114, 214, 414) and sheet metal material (13) is pressed by means of at least one movably mounted shaped part (16, 116, 216, 416) of the die (14, 114, 214, 414) into an undercut (18, 218, 418) of the functional element (10, 210, 410). The disclosure also claims a die, a functional element, and a component assembly comprising the functional element and a sheet metal part.
Claims22
A die (14, 114, 214, 414) having a longitudinal axis and an approximately cylindrical forming space (30, 130, 230, 430) into which a head part (10a, 210a, 410a) of a functional element (10, 210, 410) can be introduced for the reshaping of a sheet metal part (12, 212, 412) placed between said die and said functional element, said die having a plurality of movably mounted shaped parts (16, 116, 216, 416) which each bound a portion of said forming space (30, 130, 230, 430), wherein said shaped parts are each provided with a nose (20;
- 120;
- 220;
- 420) directed towards said longitudinal axis and formed for the pressing of material (13) of said sheet metal part into an undercut (18, 218, 418) of said functional element (10, 210, 410) by a movement towards the longitudinal axis of the die during a closing movement of said shaped parts wherein each shaped part (16, 116, 216, 416) has at least approximately the cross-section of an equilateral triangle in a plane extending perpendicular to a longitudinal axis (22, 122, 222, 422) of the die (14, 114, 214, 414), wherein said shaped parts are arranged around an abutment element (34, 234, 434) of the die (114, 214, 414), wherein
- said abutment element (234, 434) has a ring shoulder (280, 480) contacted by the shaped parts (216, 416) at the ends (278, 478) of said shaped parts remote from said forming space (230, 430) and wherein an elastic resetting element (228, 428) biases the abutment element (234, 434) and, via the ring shoulder (280, 480), the shaped parts (216, 416) in the direction of an open position of the die (214, 414).
A die (14, 114, 214, 414) having a longitudinal axis and an approximately cylindrical forming space (30, 130, 230, 430) into which a head part (10a, 210a, 410a) of a functional element (10, 210, 410) can be introduced for the reshaping of a sheet metal part (12, 212, 412) placed between said die and said functional element, said die having a plurality of movably mounted shaped parts (16, 116, 216, 416) which each bound a portion of said forming space (30, 130, 230, 430), wherein said shaped parts are each provided with a nose (20;
- 120;
- 220;
- 420) directed towards said longitudinal axis and formed for the pressing of material (13) of said sheet metal part into an undercut (18, 218, 418) of said functional element (10, 210, 410) by a movement towards the longitudinal axis of the die during a closing movement of said shaped parts, wherein each said shaped part (16) is at least substantially non-displaceably supported in the region of said axis of rotation (24) in the direction of a longitudinal axis (22) of the die (14) and wherein a respective stub axle (49) is provided on each of two sides of each shaped part (16), in a transition region between said engagement arm (16a) and said actuating arm (16b), said die having a body (40) and a cover plate (53) and said stub axles being pivotally journalled in bearing mounts (51) which are formed between said body (40) of the die (14) and said cover plate (53).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.