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

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9797428-B2
Application number	US-201013500253-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 6, 2010
Priority date	Oct 6, 2009
Publication date	Oct 24, 2017
Grant date	Oct 24, 2017

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 ( 30 ) 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 combination for connecting at least two components, said combination comprising:
a) a first component and a second component, in which at least the second component is comprised of a reinforced plastic;
b) a self-piercing connection element with a head and a shaft, the connection element being a solid punch rivet, wherein a circumferential preformed groove is disposed in the shaft adjacent to a face side of the shaft facing away from a head end of the shaft;
c) the head of the self-piercing connection element being supported on the first component, and the shaft thereof completely passing through the first and second components and a one-piece disc-shaped counter bearing, wherein
d) the groove of the self-piercing connection element accommodates material displaced from the disc-shaped counter bearing during an embossing of the disc-shaped counter bearing so that the shaft of the self-piercing connection element is fastened to the disc-shaped counter bearing and the first and second components are fastened between the head and the disc-shaped counter bearing.

2. The combination according to claim 1 , in which at least one of the second component, and the first component and the second component, are comprised of reinforced plastic with a strength of more than 300 MPa.

3. The combination according to claim 1 , in which at least one of the second component, and the first component and the second component, are comprised of carbon fiber reinforced plastic.

4. The combination according to claim 1 , in which the disc-shaped counter bearing is a disc comprised of a ductile material, without a hole for receiving the shaft of the self-piercing connection element.

5. The combination according to claim 4 , in which the disc-shaped counter bearing abuts with a surface on the second component that corresponds in shape and areal extent to the head of the self-piercing connection element.

6. The combination according to claim 1 , further comprising an adhesive layer between the first component and the second component.

7. The combination according to claim 1 , in which the disc-shaped counter bearing is a disc comprised of a ductile material, with a hole for receiving the shaft of the self-piercing connection element.

Assignees

• Rintelmann Jochen
• Stumpf Michael
• Bär Carsten
• Draht Torsten
• Steinig Marc
• Boellhoff Verbindungstechnik Gmbh
• Audi Ag

Inventors

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

Classifications

• B29C65/64

  Joining a non-plastics element to a plastics element, e.g. by force (B29C65/44 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B21J15/147

  Composite articles · CPC title

• B29C66/742

  to metals or their alloys · CPC title

• 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

• B29C66/721

  Fibre-reinforced materials (B29C66/729 takes precedence) · CPC title