Patent ID: 6325584
Filing Date: 2001-12-04
Classification: B21J,F16B

Abstract:
A self-piercing rivet, comprising:a rivet body made of light metal, the rivet body having a longitudinal axis and first and second ends that are spaced apart from one another along the longitudinal axis, the first end of the rivet body being configured to provide the rivet body with a blunt rivet base, the rivet body additionally having a shank between the ends,wherein the shank has an outer surface with a portion that is substantially cylindrical, the substantially cylindrical portion of the outer surface of the shank extending from the first end of the rivet body toward the second end of the rivet body,wherein the shank has a cavity that expands from a cavity bottom disposed between the first and second ends of the rivet body to an opening at the first end, the first end having an annular base front surface that extends outward from the opening to the outer surface of the shank, the rivet base front surface being substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the body, the rivet base front surface having a width, from the opening to the outer surface of the shank, in the range of about 8% to about 20% of the diameter of the substantially cylindrical portion of the outer surface of the shank,wherein the cavity has a predetermined depth, the ratio of the depth of the cavity to the diameter of the substantially cylindrical portion of the outer surface of the shank being between about 0.3 and about 0.7, andwherein the cavity has a substantially conical portion which extends from the opening at the first end of the rivet body toward the cavity bottom and which has a taper angle between about 50.degree. and 60.degree..