Component to be inserted through the surface of a workpiece

{
  "publication_number": "US9259810B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Component to be inserted through the surface of a workpiece",
  "abstract": "A component for use with a rotary tool is designed to be inserted through a surface of a workpiece made of a first material showing friction-induced plasticity for attachment to the workpiece. The component has a head portion having a base and a working end being threaded at its outer surface, and further has an insert portion having a penetrating end and extending along an insertion axis. At least an outer surface of the insert portion is made of a second material harder than the first material. The insert portion is provided with a threaded bore closed at its penetrating end and extending along the insertion axis to initially receive the threaded working end. The head portion base is adapted to be secured to the rotary tool for rotation in a first direction while applying an axial force of a sufficient magnitude onto the head portion base to produce substantially full insertion of the insert portion along the insertion axis by plasticizing the first material through friction and to produce attachment after a sufficient setting time.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A component for use with a rotary tool and to be inserted through a surface of a workpiece substantially made of aluminum showing friction-induced plasticity for attachment to the workpiece, said component comprising: a head portion having a base and a working end being threaded at its outer surface; and an insert portion extending along an insertion axis of said component and aligned with said head portion, said insert portion having a penetrating end defining a maximum outer diameter of said insert portion, at least an outer surface of said insert portion including said penetrating end being made of a material substantially harder than aluminum and showing a plasticizing temperature substantially higher than aluminum plasticizing temperature, said outer surface forms at least one generally circular anchoring recess centered with reference to said axis and defining a minimum diameter smaller than said maximum diameter, said insert portion being provided with a threaded bore closed at said penetrating end and extending along said axis to initially receive said threaded working end; wherein said head portion base is adapted to be secured to said rotary tool for rotation in a first direction while applying an axial force of a sufficient magnitude onto the head portion base to produce substantially full insertion of the insert portion along said axis by plasticizing aluminum through friction which fills said anchoring recess and to produce said attachment after a sufficient setting time; wherein an overall dimension of the head portion in a direction transversal to said insertion axis does not substantially extend beyond said maximum diameter, said head portion being adapted not to substantially deform upon insertion of the insert portion, and wherein a ratio of said minimum diameter and said maximum diameter is between about 65% and 90%.",
    "2. The component according to claim 1, wherein said threaded working end is adapted to be released from said threaded bore to remove said head portion from said insert portion following said attachment.",
    "3. The component according to claim 1, wherein said head portion base is threaded at its outer surface to provide securing engagement with said rotary tool during insertion of said insert portion, said head portion base is adapted to be released from said rotary tool following said attachment, said head portion remaining attached to the workpiece by engagement of said head working end with said insert portion following release of said head portion base from said rotary tool."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "The present invention relates to the field of product assembling, and more particularly to techniques for inserting various components into workpieces to form products.\n\nWorkpieces such as parts entering in the assembly of manufactured products usually need to receive components of various types at their assembly stage, such as fastening inserts, wear and impact protections pads, bearings, strengthening guides, packaged electronic devices, magnetic inserts, etc. For example, mechanical parts made of relatively soft metallic materials such as aluminium alloys do not exhibit the required strength properties to be machined for the purpose of forming a thread adapted to receive assembly components such as bolts, pins, rods, dowels, etc. To traverse that limitation, the design of the parts can be made to avoid or limit the need for such assembly components, but that approach generally involves more machining operations and more parts to produce the desired assembly. Alternative approaches have been applied to product assembly, such as the friction riveting method disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,769,595 B2 issued to Stol et al., which method is aimed at joining metal components such as plates stacked upon each other with a rivet having a hardness substantially similar to at least one of the plates, wherein the rivet is held and rotated by a spindle and simultaneously plunged into the metal plates under pressure to friction weld and metallurgically bond the rivet to the metal components.",
  "cpc": [
    "B23P 17/02",
    "B23K 20/1265",
    "B23K 20/127",
    "F16B 11/00",
    "F16B 17/006",
    "Y10T 29/49833",
    "Y10T 29/49908"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "B23K 20/12",
    "B23P 17/02",
    "F16B 11/00",
    "F16B 17/00",
    "F16B 37/06"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "Centre de Recherche Industrielle du Quebec CRIQ"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Denis Hotte"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2014-03-07",
  "publication_date": "2016-02-16",
  "grant_date": "2016-02-16",
  "priority_date": "2010-11-23",
  "application_number": "US-201414201078-A",
  "family_id": "46064513",
  "cited_by_count": 2,
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}