Method of joining a functional element, having an attachment part, with a metal sheet

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10160074-B2
Application number	US-201514748641-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 24, 2015
Priority date	Jun 25, 2014
Publication date	Dec 25, 2018
Grant date	Dec 25, 2018

Abstract

In a method for joining a functional element with a metal sheet, with the functional element having an attachment part for attachment of a structure to the metal sheet, a cold forming process employed for the metal sheet is also used to mark the metal sheet with a sink mark by which a joining position of the metal sheet with the functional element is indicated. After the functional element is joined with the metal sheet at the joining position, the joining position is checked with respect to a position of the functional element inside of the sink mark.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for joining a functional element to a metal sheet, comprising:
cold forming a metal sheet and thereby marking the metal sheet with a sink mark to demarcate a recessed joining position of a size exceeding a maximum dimension of an attachment part of the functional element;
placing the functional element in a region of the joining position inside the sink mark so as to position a metal-sheet-contacting contact flange of the attachment part within a boundary of the sink mark; and
checking the joining position with respect to a position of the functional element inside of the sink mark, wherein the joining position is checked by an optical test device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sink mark has a closed and linear configuration to encircle the joining position of the metal sheet for the functional element.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sink mark has a segmented or spot-like configuration to encircle the joining position of the metal sheet for the functional element.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sink mark is formed in the metal sheet with consideration of a positional tolerance of the joining position.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the metal sheet is cold formed by a deep drawing process, pressing process or embossing process.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the functional element is constructed in the form of a press-in bolt or press-in nut.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the functional element is constructed in the form of a pierce bolt or pierce nut.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the functional element is constructed in the form of a rivet bolt or rivet nut.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the functional element is constructed in the form of a clinch bolt, clinch rivet bolt, clinch nut, or clinch rivet nut.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the functional element is constructed in the form of a welding element or friction welding element.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the functional element is constructed in the form of an adhesive element.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the functional element is constructed in the form of a drilling screw or flow punch screw.

Assignees

• Audi Ag

Inventors

• Rintelmann Jochen
• Egner Matthias

Classifications

• B21D39/00

  Application of procedures in order to connect objects or parts, e.g. coating with sheet metal otherwise than by plating ({joining mitred profiles B21D53/745; } riveting B21J; uniting components by forging or pressing to form integral members B21K25/00; welding B23K; press-fitting, force-fitting, or shrinking in general B23P11/00, B21D19/00; by adhesives F16B11/00 {; Connections as such F16L, F16B}); Tube expanders · CPC title

• B23P19/10 Primary

  Aligning parts to be fitted together · CPC title

• B21D22/20

  Deep-drawing (special deep-drawing arrangements in, or in connection with, presses B21D24/00) · CPC title

• B21D22/02

  Stamping using rigid devices or tools · CPC title

• B21J15/28

  Control devices specially adapted to riveting machines not restricted to one of the preceding subgroups · CPC title