Patent Abstract:
A fastener is provided. The fastener includes a fastening portion configured to fasten a body; and a retaining portion configured to retain a portion of the body after the fastening portion is fastened to the body. The fastener apparatus may be used to attach composite body materials to a vehicle.

Full Description:
[0001]    Apparatuses and systems consistent with exemplary embodiments relate to fasteners. More particularly, apparatuses consistent with exemplary embodiments relate to fasteners such as rivets configured to attach two bodies together. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0002]    One or more exemplary embodiments provide a fastener configured to attach or hold two bodies together. More particularly, one or more exemplary embodiments provide a fastener with a retainer portion configured to retain a portion of a body or bodies to which the fastener is attached. 
         [0003]    According to an aspect of an exemplary embodiment, a fastener apparatus for a vehicle is provided. The fastener apparatus for a vehicle includes a head portion; a fastening portion connected to the head portion, the fastening portion configured to fasten a body of the vehicle; and a retaining portion configured to retain a portion of the body of the vehicle after the fastening portion is fastened to the body of the vehicle. 
         [0004]    According to an aspect of another exemplary embodiment, a fastener apparatus is provided. The fastener apparatus includes: a head portion; a fastening portion connected to the head portion, the fastening portion configured to fasten a body; and a retaining portion configured to retain a portion of the body after the fastening portion is fastened to the body. 
         [0005]    The fastener apparatus may also include a rivet comprising the head portion, the fastening portion and the retaining portion. 
         [0006]    The fastening portion may include a cylindrical body. 
         [0007]    The retaining portion may be an interior part of the cylindrical body. 
         [0008]    The interior part of the cylindrical body may be partially hollow from a first end of the cylindrical body to a point that distal from a second end of the cylindrical body. 
         [0009]    The interior part of the cylindrical body may include at least one from among serrations, teeth, notches, and jagged edges. 
         [0010]    The interior part of the cylindrical body may be hollow from a first end of the cylindrical body a second end of the cylindrical body. 
         [0011]    The interior part of the head portion may include a hollow center portion. 
         [0012]    The body may include a polymeric composite material. 
         [0013]    The interior part of the cylindrical body may include a first hollow interior portion and a second hollow interior portion. The first hollow interior portion may have a first diameter larger than a second diameter of the second hollow interior portion. 
         [0014]    The retained portion of the body may include at least one from among a slug, a non-integral portion of the body, and a portion that is disconnected from the body. 
         [0015]    According to an aspect of another exemplary embodiment, a fastener apparatus is provided. The fastener apparatus includes: a fastening portion configured to fasten a body; and a retaining portion configured to retain a portion of the body after the fastening portion is fastened to the body. 
         [0016]    The fastener apparatus may also include a rivet comprising the head portion, the fastening portion and the retaining portion. 
         [0017]    The fastening portion may include a cylindrical body. 
         [0018]    The retaining portion may be an interior part of the cylindrical body. 
         [0019]    The interior part of the cylindrical body may be partially hollow from a first end of the cylindrical body to a point that distal from a second end of the cylindrical body. 
         [0020]    The interior part of the cylindrical body may include at least one from among serrations, teeth, notches, and jagged edges. 
         [0021]    The interior part of the cylindrical body may be hollow from a first end of the cylindrical body a second end of the cylindrical body. 
         [0022]    The body may include a polymeric composite material. 
         [0023]    The interior part of the cylindrical body may include a first hollow interior portion and a second hollow interior portion. The first hollow interior portion may have a first diameter larger than a second diameter of the second hollow interior portion. 
         [0024]    The retained portion of the body may include at least one from among a slug, a non-integral portion of the body, and a portion that is disconnected from the body. 
         [0025]    Other objects, advantages and novel features of the exemplary embodiments will become more apparent from the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments and the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0026]      FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of a fastener according to an exemplary embodiment; 
           [0027]      FIG. 2  shows a cross-sectional view of a fastener piercing a composite body according to an aspect of an exemplary embodiment; 
           [0028]      FIG. 3  shows a cross-sectional view of a fastener piercing a composite body according to an aspect of another exemplary embodiment; and 
           [0029]      FIGS. 4A and 4B  show cross-sectional views of a fastener and a fastener piercing a composite body according to an aspect of another exemplary embodiment. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0030]    Fasteners such as rivets are used to attach, bind or tie together separated bodies. One application of a fastener is to tie together parts of a body of a vehicle. As new materials are being used to construct lighter and more fuel efficient vehicles, there is a need for new types of fasteners to attach or hold together vehicle components made of newer materials such as polymeric composites. 
         [0031]    A fastener with a retaining portion will now be described in detail with reference to  FIGS. 1-4B  of the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout. The following disclosure will enable one skilled in the art to practice the inventive concept. However, the exemplary embodiments disclosed herein are merely exemplary and do not limit the inventive concept to exemplary embodiments described herein. Moreover, descriptions of features or aspects of each exemplary embodiment should typically be considered as available for aspects of other exemplary embodiments. 
         [0032]    It is also understood that where it is stated herein that a first element is “connected to,” “formed on,” or “disposed on” a second element, the first element may be connected directly to, formed directly on or disposed directly on the second element or there may be intervening elements between the first element and the second element unless it is stated that a first element is “directly” connected to, formed on, or disposed on the second element. 
         [0033]      FIG. 1  shows a view of a fastener  100  according to an exemplary embodiment. Referring to  FIG. 1 , a fastener  100  includes a head portion  101  and a fastening portion  102 . One or more of the head portion  101  and the fastening portion  102  may have hollow centers that make up a retaining portion. The head portion  101  may comprise a flat disc, a cylindrical disk, a spherical shape, or semi-spherical shape. The fastening portion  102  may comprise a shaft, a cylinder, a partially hollow cylinder, a hollow cylinder, etc. The cylinder may be circular, rectangular, squared, elliptical, etc., in shape. The interior part of the fastening portion, which may be partially or completely hollow, may make up the retaining portion. The interior part of the cylindrical body may be partially hollow from a first end of the cylindrical body to a point that distal from a second end of the cylindrical body. Here the first end of the cylindrical body is the piercing end that is configured to pierce a body. 
         [0034]    The head portion  101 , the fastening portion  102 , and the retaining portion may integrally form the fastener  100 . In one example, the fastener  100  may be a rivet or other type of fastener. The fastener  100  may be formed by a machining process performed on a compound or material such as a metal. Alternatively, the fastener  100  may be formed by injecting a liquid or a gel compound into a mold and allowing the compound to solidify. However, the fastener  100  is not limited to above discussed processes and may be created using other processes. 
         [0035]      FIG. 2  shows a perspective view of a fastener  200  piercing a composite body  210  according to an aspect of an exemplary embodiment. Referring to  FIG. 2 , a fastener  200  includes a head portion  201  and a fastening portion  202 . As shown in  FIG. 2 , the head portion  201  and the fastening portion  202  have an interior part that is hollow. The hollow interior part makes up the retaining portion  203 . The retaining portion  203  retains a slug  211 , which is a portion of the body  210  that has partially or fully broken away from the body  210  after the body  210  is pierced by the fastener  200 . The slug  211  may be a non-integral portion of the body  210 . The body may comprise a polymeric composite material. 
         [0036]      FIG. 3  shows a perspective view of a fastener  300  piercing a composite body  310  according to an aspect of another exemplary embodiment. Referring to  FIG. 3 , a fastener  300  includes a head portion  301  and a fastening portion  302 . As shown in  FIG. 2 , the fastening portion  302  may be a cylindrical body that has an interior part that is partially hollow from one end to a point that distal from a second end of the cylindrical body. The hollow interior part makes up the retaining portion  303 . The retaining portion  303  may include serrations  304  (e.g., teeth, notches, threads or jagged edges). The serrations may be formed by tapping threads into the retaining portion  303 . The retaining portion  303  retains a slug  311 , which is a portion of the body  310  that has partially or fully broken away from the body  310  after the body  310  is pierced by the fastener  300 . The slug  311  may be a non-integral portion of the body  310 . The body may comprise a polymeric composite material (e.g., a thermoplastic composite material, a carbon fiber material, a fiberglass material, etc.). 
         [0037]      FIGS. 4A and 4B  show perspective views of a fastener  400  and a fastener  400  piercing a composite body  410  according to an aspect of another exemplary embodiment. Referring to  FIG. 4A , a fastener  400  includes a head portion  401  and a fastening portion  402 . The hollow interior part makes up the retaining portion  403 . The retaining portion  403  may include a two-step hollow portion. The first hollow interior portion  404  may have a larger diameter than a second hollow interior portion  405 . The retaining portion  403  with the first hollow interior portion  404  and the second hollow interior portion  405  may be designed so that the fastener can withstand an impact force necessary to pierce one or more bodies while still holding the bodies together. Referring to  FIG. 4B , the fastener  400  may pierce a composite body  410  and a slug  411  may be retained in the first hollow interior portion  404  and the second hollow interior portion  405 . 
         [0038]    The fasteners describe above may be used to hold together polymeric composite to polymeric composite materials, metal to polymeric composite materials, etc. In particular, the fasteners described above may hold together a stack of sheets of material, where a composite sheet is at the bottom of the stack of sheets of materials being held together. The other materials in the stack may be different types of materials. The fastener, according to an exemplary embodiment, may be used to pierce through a composite sheet and form a hook to bind or hold the composite sheet to a body or set of sheets. The sheets may include one or more from among a metallic material, a polymeric composite material (e.g., a thermoplastic composite material, a carbon fiber material, a fiberglass material, etc). 
         [0039]    One or more exemplary embodiments have been described above with reference to the drawings. The exemplary embodiments described above should be considered in a descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation. Moreover, the exemplary embodiments may be modified without departing from the spirit and scope of the inventive concept, which is defined by the following claims.

Technology Classification (CPC): 5