Patent ID: 8608419

Claim:
A rivet element ( 10 ; 10 ′), having a shaft part ( 14 ; 14 ′) with an outer diameter and having a hollow cylindrical head part ( 16 ; 16 ′) of hollow right cylindrical shape designed and adapted for forming a rivet connection to a sheet metal part ( 30 ), wherein the head part ( 16 ; 16 ′) has a right cylindrical jacketed surface with an outer diameter larger than the outer diameter of the shaft part ( 14 ; 14 ′), wherein the shaft part ( 14 ; 14 ′) merges into the head part ( 16 ; 16 ′) via a ring shoulder formed by a hemispherical portion ( 15 ; 15 ′) such that the hemispherical portion ( 15 ; 15 ′) extends from the shaft part ( 14 ; 14 ′) up to the hollow cylindrical head part ( 16 ; 16 ′) and wherein the shaft extends from the hemispherical portion all the way to the distal end of the rivet element, the shaft part being shaped, at a distal end remote from the head part, to carry out a function.