Patent ID: 6694597
Filing Date: 2004-02-24
Classification: B21J,Y10T

Abstract:
A method of riveting a first member to a second member, comprising the steps of:(a) providing a piercing rivet having a central axis, a generally disk-shaped head portion and an annular portion extending outwardly from a bottom surface of the head portion, the annular portion including a sharpened piercing edge; (b) placing the first member on the second member, wherein each of the members has a first side and a second side, and at least a portion of the second side of the first member is in overlapping contact with at least a portion of the first side of the second member for forming an overlapped region; (c) placing the first and second members between a rivet assembly and a die assembly, the rivet assembly including a punch surrounded by a first electrode for contacting the first member, the die assembly including a die surrounded by a second electrode for contacting the second member, the die having a cylindrical cavity with a protrusion extending into the cavity, the first and second electrodes each connected to an electrical energy source wherein at least one of said rivet assembly and said die assembly is electrically separated from the respective electrode; (d) inducing an electrical current with the electrical energy source, the current flowing between the first and second electrodes and through the first and second members for heating the overlapped region of the first member and the second member to a more ductile condition; and (e) driving the rivet through the first member and at least partially through the second member in the overlapped region such that the annular portion of the rivet is deformed radially away from the central axis to interferingly secure the rivet to the members thereby attaching the members to each other.