Functional unit with fastening element and fixing element

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11833648-B2
Application number	US-202117503868-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 18, 2021
Priority date	Oct 20, 2020
Publication date	Dec 5, 2023
Grant date	Dec 5, 2023

Abstract

The invention relates to a functional unit for attachment to a workpiece, in particular to a sheet metal part, said functional unit comprising a fastening element having a fastening section for the rotationally fixed fastening of the functional unit to the workpiece and having a head part that adjoins the fastening section in an axial direction and that has a functional section and a head part support surface remote from the fastening section; and a fixing element that can be fixed to the functional section of the head part of the fastening element by means of a rotational movement and that has a fixing element support surface that, in a state of the fixing element installed at the fastening element, faces the head part support surface such that an attachment part can be clamped between the head part support surface and the fixing element support surface.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A functional unit in combination with a punch for attachment of the functional unit to a workpiece, said functional unit comprising:
a fastening element having a fastening section for the rotationally fixed fastening of the functional unit to the workpiece and having a head part that adjoins the fastening section in an axial direction and that has a functional section and a head part support surface remote from the fastening section; and
a fixing element that can be fixed to the functional section of the head part of the fastening element by means of a rotational movement and that has a fixing element support surface that, in a state of the fixing element installed at the fastening element, faces the head part support surface such that an attachment part can be clamped between the head part support surface and the fixing element support surface,
wherein the head part support surface has at least one feature providing security against rotation that projects from the surface and that is configured to at least sectionally deform the material of the attachment part, and
wherein a contact surface of the punch has recesses which serve as a negative mold for at least one feature providing security against rotation and into which material of the head part support surface flows during the pressing of the contact surface onto the head part support surface such that at least one feature providing security against rotation is formed on the head part support surface during the pressing in.

2. The functional unit in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the head part support surface is designed in ring shape.

3. The functional unit in accordance with claim 1 , wherein a plurality of features providing security against rotation are provided that are arranged distributed in a peripheral direction.

4. The functional unit in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the fixing element support surface has at least one depression or recess that is configured, in a state of the fixing element installed at the fastening element, to receive the at least one feature providing security against rotation projecting from the head part support surface while the fixing element support surface is at least sectionally in contact with the head part support surface.

5. The functional unit in accordance with claim 4 , wherein the depression or recess comprises at least one ring-shaped peripheral groove.

6. The functional unit in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the at least one feature providing security against rotation projecting from the head part support surface surrounds the functional section at a radial outer side.

7. The functional unit in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the fastening section comprises a deformable rivet section.

8. The functional unit in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the fastening element is a bolt element whose functional section comprises a shaft part adjoining the head part support surface at the side thereof in the axial direction.

9. The functional unit in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the fastening element is a nut element whose functional section comprises an internal thread arranged in the head part.

10. The functional unit in accordance with claim 9 , wherein the internal thread extends in the axial direction from the head part support surface in the direction of the fastening section.

11. The functional unit in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the fixing element is configured as a fixing nut that has an axial passage opening, which extends from a radially extending first end face to the radially extending fixing element support surface, and that has an internal thread, and wherein the fixing element has a radially extending flange.

12. The functional unit in accordance with claim 11 , wherein the fixing nut has an engagement surface for a screwing tool at the side of the first end face, and wherein the flange has a surface for a punch of a setting head.

13. The functional unit in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the fastening element has a self-piercing fastening section.

14. A component assembly, comprising a functional unit and a workpiece, and a punch for setting the functional unit into the workpiece, said functional unit comprising:
a fastening element having a fastening section for the rotationally fixed fastening of the functional unit to the workpiece and having a head part that adjoins the fastening section in an axial direction and that has a functional section and a head part support surface remote from the fastening section; and
a fixing element that can be fixed to the functional section of the head part of the fastening element by means of a rotational movement and that has a fixing element support surface that, in a state of the fixing element installed at the fastening element, faces the head part support surface such that an attachment part can be clamped between the head part support surface and the fixing element support surface,
wherein the head part support surface has at least one feature providing security against rotation that projects from the surface and that is configured to at least sectionally deform the material of the attachment part,
wherein the fastening element of the functional unit is attached in a form-fitted manner to the workpiece by a shaping process by the punch wherein a contact surface of the punch has recesses which serve as a negative mold for at least one feature providing security against rotation and into which material of the head part support surface flows during the pressing of the contact surface onto the head part support surface such that at least one feature providing security against rotation is formed on the head part support surface during the pressing in.

15. The component assembly in accordance with claim 14 , comprising an attachment part, wherein the attachment part is clamped between the head part support surface of the fastening element and the fixing element support surface of the fixing element, wherein the attachment part is in engagement with the at least one feature providing security against rotation of the head part support surface and is rotationally fixedly secured by it.

16. A component assembly in accordance with claim 15 , wherein the material of the at least one feature providing security against rotation of the fastening element and/or of the fixing element, has a higher strength than that of the attachment part.

17. A method of manufacturing a component assembly comprising a functional unit and a workpiece, wherein a fastening element of the functional unit is attached in a form-fitted manner to the workpiece by a shaping process, in which the fastening element of a functional unit is pressed into or punched into a workpiece by means of a punch of a setting apparatus while the fixing element of the functional unit is dismantled, said functional unit comprising:
the fastening element having a fastening section for the rotationally fixed fastening of the functional unit to the workpiece and having a head part that adjoins the fastening section in an axial direction and that has a functional section and a head part support surface remote from the fastening section; and
a fixing element that can be fixed to the functional section of the head part of the fastening element by means of a rotational movement and that has a fixing element support surface that, in a state of the fixing element installed at the fastening element, faces the head part support surface such that an attachment part can be clamped between the head part support surface and the fixing element support surface, wh

Assignees

• Profil Verbindungstechnik Gmbh & Co Kg

Inventors

• Diehl Oliver
• Humpert Richard

Classifications

• B25B5/10 Primary

  using screws · CPC title

• F16B37/04 Primary

  Devices for fastening nuts to surfaces, e.g. sheets, plates {(nuts fastened behind a wall by a toggle-mechanism F16B13/0808; threaded inserts F16B37/122; measures against loss of bolts, nuts or pins F16B41/002)} · CPC title

• F16B37/065 Primary

  by deforming the material of the nut · CPC title

• F16B37/062

  by means of riveting · CPC title

• F16B37/068

  by deforming the material of the support, e.g. the sheet or plate · CPC title