Patent ID: 8221040

Claim:
A component assembly comprising a fastener element ( 10 ) and a sheet metal part ( 25 ), wherein the fastener element ( 10 ) has a flange part ( 12 ) of a larger diameter (D 1 ) and a shaft part ( 14 ) of a smaller diameter (D 2 ) which extends away from the flange part ( 12 ), said shaft part having an end ( 16 ) remote from the flange part ( 12 ) which merges into a cylindrical rivet section ( 18 ), said shaft part having an outer side and said cylindrical rivet section having an outer side which is at least substantially flush with said outer side of the shaft part ( 14 ), i.e. has the same diameter (D 2 ), wherein said flange part ( 12 ) has a side adjacent to the shaft part ( 14 ) which forms a sheet metal contact shoulder ( 22 ), wherein features providing security against rotation ( 24 ) are provided at least one of the shaft part ( 14 ) and the sheet metal contact shoulder ( 22 ), wherein the fastener element is designed for use with a sheet metal parts ( 25 ) having a thicknesses in the range of 3 mm and larger and the sheet metal part having first and second opposed flat surfaces and lies in one plane, at least in the region of attachment of the fastener element prior to and after attachment of the fastener element, said sheet metal contact shoulder lying on said first flat surface, said sheet metal part ( 25 ) having a thickness between said first and second opposed flat surfaces which corresponds at least substantially to the total length of the shaft part ( 14 ) and the rivet section ( 18 ) or being thicker, and wherein the sheet metal part ( 25 ) is provided with a conically diverging hole ( 62 ) which diverges in the direction from the side of the sheet metal part confronting the sheet metal contact shoulder ( 22 ) to the side ( 42 ) remote from the sheet metal contact shoulder ( 22 ), with the cylindrical rivet section ( 18 ) being reshaped to a conically diverging rivet bead ( 44 ) which is wedged in the conically diverging hole ( 62 ), said conically diverging hole ( 62 ) being of greater length than said conically diverging rivet bead.