Connection between two components made of reinforced plastic and method for the production thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10047778-B2
Application number	US-201715714525-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 25, 2017
Priority date	Oct 6, 2009
Publication date	Aug 14, 2018
Grant date	Aug 14, 2018

Abstract

The invention relates to a connection comprising at least two components having the following features: a first component and a second component, of which at least the second component comprises reinforced plastic, a self-piercing connection element having a head and a shaft, the head thereof being supported on the first component and the shaft thereof running completely through the first and the second component, and a disc-shaped counter bearing to which the shaft is fastened such that the at least two components are fastened between the head and the counter bearing. The invention further relates to a method for the production of said connection.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for connecting at least one first component and a second component that is not pre-drilled and is comprised of reinforced plastic, using a self-piercing connection element with a head and a shaft, said method comprising the steps of:
a) placing the first and the second component over one another,
b) pretensioning the first and second component against a disc-shaped counter bearing,
c) setting the connection element so that the shaft completely penetrates the first and second components as well as the disc-shaped counter bearing, wherein the disc-shaped counter bearing acts as a die; and
d) fastening the shaft to the disc-shaped counter bearing such that the first and second components are held between the head of the connection element and the disc-shaped counter bearing in which the connection element is a solid punch rivet wherein
e) during said setting step, the components and the disc-shaped counter bearing are punched through, and
f) in said fastening step, the disc-shaped counter bearing is embossed such that material of the disc-shaped counter bearing is displaced into a circumferentially disposed groove in the shaft of the solid punch rivet such that a form-locking or force-locking connection results.

2. The method according to claim 1 , including the additional step of:
applying an adhesive layer between the first and second components.

Assignees

• Boellhoff Verbindungstechnik Gmbh
• Audi Ag

Inventors

• Rintelmann Jochen
• Stumpf Michael
• Bär Carsten
• Draht Torsten
• Steinig Marc

Classifications

• B29C65/562

  using extra joining elements, i.e. which are not integral with the parts to be joined (using plastic snap elements B29C65/58; using plastic rivets B29C65/601) · CPC title

• B29C65/602

  using hollow rivets (B29C65/607 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B29C65/7437

  the tool being a perforating tool (perforating as mechanical pre-treatment B29C66/02242) · CPC title

• B29C66/1122

  Single lap to lap joints, i.e. overlap joints (B29C66/45, B29C66/472, B29C66/52272 take precedence) · CPC title

• B29C66/742

  to metals or their alloys · CPC title