MXPA98004672A - Posit closure rivet - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a positive securing rim for insertion into a plurality of aligned holes in a plurality of at least two panels having a first panel and a second panel, said edging being formed of a resilient plastic material and comprising: a bolt, this bolt has a head at the distal end and an axis, the shaft has safety elements, an interruption joint adjacent to the safety element and an interruption portion opposite the head and adjacent to the interruption joint; body in which the pin is dragged, where the body has a head, an axis and an axial hole with a longitudinal axis extending through the head and the shaft to receive the pin, where the shaft has a portion susceptible to collapsed formed by a plurality of legs adjacent to the head and a portion that is not susceptible to collapse at the far end, where the legs can be bent around a portion central of the legs, a retainer element integrated with a proximal end of the body axis and engageable with the security elements, where the retainer element comprises a plurality of flexible tabs, each of the flexible tabs has one end, where these Flexible tabs are inclined equal angles toward the longitudinal length of the recess to form a tapered passage having a minimum width at the ends of the tabs that are less than the width of the recess, and these security elements comprise indentations and protuberances, where the indentations they have a shape complementary to the passage formed by the tabs, where the protrusion has a flat lower surface and a sloping surface remote from the inner surface towards the interruption position that is greater than the minimum width of the passage; a flexible annular skirt integrated to the body axis to adjust the variations in the thickness of the panels and where the skirt is positioned between the portion susceptible to collapse and the head of the body and is adapted to be placed between the first panel and the second panel, in which when the bolt is dragged inside the body, the head of the bolt engages the far end of the shaft of the body and causes the legs to bend radially outwardly around the central portion and the annular skirt to flex towards the head of the body until the locking elements are engaged to the retainer element where the pin is interrupted at the interruption joint flush with the head of the body after the block member engages the detent element, and in which, when the pin is drawn into the body, this protrusion passes through the passage causing bending of the tabs until the Flat bottom surface passes through the step and rests on the ends of the tabs and the indentation rests on the pa

Description

Positive closing rivet BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a positive closing rivet for joining a plurality of panels, and more particularly, relates to a positive closing rivet, made of plastic. , which comprises a body with a center or axial core and a pin. The body is inserted into the aligned holes in the panels that are to be joined. Integrated with the body is a flexible annular edge that is placed between the panels and provides a mechanism to adjust the thickness of the panel. The pin is placed on the body, so there is a radial flexion, out of the walls of the body and the bending of the annular edge until the locking mechanisms on the pin are hooked to the retention mechanisms in the body, so the whole set is firmly held. Then, the excess portion of the pin is broken, in a breaking connection, in the pin level with the head of the body. 2. Description of the Prior Art Typically, plastic rivets are used to join one or more panels. Generally, plastic rivets have a pin that is inserted into the body. The body has a head, a rod and an axial core that extends through the head and the rod to receive the pin. The body is inserted into the holes aligned in the panels that are to be joined by means of a plastic rivet. The stem of the typical plastic rivet body is provided with annular grooves, interiors and a plurality of elongated holes close to its walls. When the pin is inserted into the axial core of the body, the walls of the rod's leather bend radially outward, retaining the panels between the head of the body and the body shank and preventing the removal of the body from the aligned holes of the panels to join. As the walls are bent, the pin moves through the body until the toothed portion of the pin engages the annular grooves of the rod, whereby the rivet assembly is closed in a permanent manner. The remaining portion of the pin is broken, either by using a breaking indentation or a cutting tool. Plastic rivets of the aforementioned type are well known and used. U.S. Patents Nos: 4,222,304; 4,306,824 / 4,355,934; 4,402,638 and 4,556,351 are illustrative. However, many of the rivets of the prior art have proven unsatisfactory, since the cutting process is needed to remove the excess portion of the pin, or, with rivets employing the breaking indentation, the break of the pin is not Guarantee that this is levels with the head of the body and may require an additional cutting process to ensure that the pin does not protrude beyond the head of the body. The second problem with the rivets of the prior art is that they are only suitable for use with panels having a narrow range of combined thicknesses. The strength and stability with which the panels are joined by the rivet depends largely on the length of the body shank portion, which protrudes beyond the panels. If the shank of the body is too short, for example, there will not be enough force between the head of the body and the portion, which bends outward, of the body shank to hold the panels together. Thus, the plastic rivets of the prior art generally determine for a specific thickness of the panel, so it is necessary to manufacture rivets of different sizes for the applications having panels with different thicknesses. Therefore, with the aim of solving these problems, an objective of the present invention is to provide a plastic rivet, in which the breaking of the head guarantees the leveling with the head of the body, without the use of a cutting tool. A second objective of the present invention is to provide a plastic rivet which provides the mechanisms for the adjustment of various panel thicknesses, whereby rivets are suitable for use in a wider range of applications than rivets of the prior art, and leveling is ensured after the break of the pin without taking into account the thickness of the panels.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The positive closure rivet, according to the present invention, achieves these and other benefits by providing a plastic rivet having a pin and a body having a central core extending therethrough. The body has a head and the stem has a proximal end and a distant end. Molded integrally with the proximal end of the body shank are retaining means which engage with the closure means on the pin. The body shank has a portion, which collapses, forming a plurality of legs that bend radially outward, when the body is subjected to an axial compressive force. Molded integrally with the shank of the body and placed between the head of the body and the collapsing portion is a flexible annular rim that tilts towards the distal end of the body shank. The rod has a head at a distant end with a distal end of the body shank and a rod that is formed from the rest of the pin. The pin shank has locking mechanisms, a rupture joint adjacent to the locking mechanisms, and a rupture portion adjacent to the rupture junction and opposite the head that extends beyond the body head when fully inserted. in the body. In operation, the rivet is inserted into the aligned holes in the panels that are to be joined so that the head of the body carries the panels and the annular edge is placed between the panels. The rivet that is placed like this, the head of the body is pressed firmly against the panels and the axial tension force is applied to the rupture portion of the dowel rod using an appropriate tool to induce an equal force and opposite compression in the body. This force causes, simultaneously, that the legs of the collapsing portion of the body shank be axially bent outward and the pin axially translated through the head of the body. As the legs are bent, the annular edge placed between the panels flexes towards the head of the body, thereby placing the panels together and ensuring sufficient flexion of the legs to close the mechanisms for engaging the retaining means. In this way, the annular edge compensates for variations in panel thickness and allows the same rivet to be used for a wider range of applications than the rivets of the prior art. The pin moves through the head of the body and the annular edge flexes until the mechanisms of closure in the rod of the pin engages the retention mechanisms of the rod of the body, at this point the panels are firmly and permanently held between the head of the body and the portion that bends out of the body shank. The application of a force in the split portion of the pin after the locking mechanisms have engaged the retention mechanisms causing the pin shank to break at the point of rupture level with the head of the body.

The positive closing rivet according to the present invention offers two primary advantages in relation to the prior art. First, it guarantees the leveling of the break of the pin with the head of the body, without taking into account the thickness of the panels to be joined. Second, the use of an annular edge provides the mechanisms for adjusting variations in the thickness of the panel, thereby making the rivet suitable for use, with a wider variety of applications than the prior art. Other advantages will be apparent from the discussion below: BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a front view of the rivet body according to the present invention; Figure 2 is a front view of a rivet pin; Figure 3 is a front view of a rivet assembled in an uncompressed state; Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the assembled rivet in a compressed state; and Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of a rivet assembly in a compressed and closed state.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE FORM OF REALIZATION PREFERRED The above-mentioned figures illustrate a positive closing rivet 10 in which equal numbers are used to identify equal elements in each figure. With reference to Figure 3, the number 19 represents the positive closing rivet according to the embodiment of the invention. As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the positive closing rivet 10 has a separately molded plastic body 12 and a pin 14. Preferably, the body 12 is made of nylon 6/6 and the pin 14 is preferably made of acetal. The body 12 has a body head 16 integrally molded to the stem of the body 18. The head of the body 16 has an upper surface 20, a lower surface 22 and a tongue 24. The upper surface 20 and the lower surface 22 have sections circular cross sections. The area of the lower surface 22 is smaller than the area of the upper surface 20, the difference in area is provided for a higher pressure in the panel Pl when the rivet is completely closed, thus ensuring that the seal, which is tightened by moisture, it is applied between the body 16 and the panel Pl, at the same time, while the same time provides a body head 16 with a sufficient force to withstand the tension developed therein when the rivet is fully compressed and close The head of the body 16 has a circular core 26 which is coaxial with the circular core 28 in the rod of the body 18. The cores together 26 and 28 form a simple, continuous axial core that extends through the length of the body 12. The shank of the body 18 has a cylindrical shape and has a proximal end 30, a distal end 32, a collapsing portion 34, and a non-collapsing portion 36 at the distal end 32. The core 28 of the shank of the body 18 has a reduced diameter portion 38 which serves to strengthen the distal end 32 when the rivet is fully compressed and closed, as will be discussed more fully below. Molded integrally with the rod of the body 18 at the distal end 30, between the collapsing portion 34 and the tongue 24, is the annular edge 40 having an upper surface 42, a lower surface 44 and an outer surface 46. With reference to Figure 4, the upper surface 42 of the annular rim has a flat portion 48 and a sloping portion 50 that slopes toward the distal end 32 of the shank of the body 18. The lower surface 44 of the annular rim 40 has a portion in slope 52 as well as a flat portion 54. However, the inclination of the sloping portion 52, of the lower surface 44, is less severe than the inclination of the sloped portion 50 of the upper surface 42, so that the The thickness of the annular rim 40 is cone-shaped towards the outer surface 46, as shown in Figures 4 and 5. This cone-shaped profile provides the annular rim 40 with the flexibility it requires to adjust e to the thickness of the panel, as will be discussed in more detail below. The flat portions 48 and 54 serve to strengthen the annular rim 40 during bending, providing a support where the annular rim 40 meets the rod of the body 18, the area of maximum tension at the annular rim 40. The rim diameter annular 40 on the outer surface 46 is larger than the diameters of the shank of the body 18, but is smaller than the diameter of the head of the body 16. Molded integrally with a proximal end 30 of the shank of the body 18 and equal spacing around there are the four flexible fingers 56 having equal angles towards the longitudinal axis of the cores 26 and 28, whereby a conically shaped passage 58 is created, whose minimum diameter is smaller than the diameter of the core 28, as shown in Figure 4. The angle and length of fingers 56 are selected, such that when the positive closing rivet 10 is compressed, it is in a fully compressed state, as shown in Figure 5, the protrusion 60 of the pin 14 is flush with the upper surface 20 of the head of the body 16 , we are e will discuss in more detail below. The collapsing portion 34 has three grooves 62, which define three legs 64, which are bent radially outwardly after the application of a compressive force on the body 12. With reference to Figure 1, each leg 64 is provided with a central portion 66 along each leg 64 folded. The pin 14 has a pin head 68 and a pin rod 70. The pin head 68 is a conically shaped cylinder, having a maximum diameter equal to the diameters of the core 28 of the rod of the body 18. When the pin 14 it is completely inserted into the body 12, the head of the pin 68 is supported on the distal end 32 of the stem of the body 18, thereby preventing further insertion of the pin 14 in the body 12. The pin of the pin 70 consists of six portions , namely, a first indentation 72, a hooking portion 74, a second indentation 76, a protuberance 60 a rupture joint 78 and a rupture portion 80. The engaging portion 74 is cylindrical in shape and slightly larger in diameter. that the diameters of the core 28, so that when the pin 14 is completely inserted into the body 12, as shown in Figure 4, a frictional force develops between the inner walls of the rod of the body 18 and the hooked portion 74, whereby the rivet assembly is held in a free association and allows easy insertion into the panels to be joined. In practice, the body 12 and the pin 14 are associated immediately after they are made, so as to facilitate the transfer or movement of the rivet, from the production facility to the end user. The first indentation 72 is a conical cylinder having a complementary shape for reducing the diameter portion 38 of the core 28 so that when the pin 14 is fully inserted into the body 12, of the first indentation 72, and reduces the diameter portion 38, there is no friction force when the latching mechanism is performed. This serves to reduce the tension at the distal end 32 of the shank of the body 18 when the rivet is fully compressed and closed so that the non-collapsible portion 36 does not collapse causing the release and failure of the rivet over time. Adjacent to the engaging portion 74, is the second indentation 76, which is a conical cylinder complementary in shape to the passage 58 formed by the fingers 56. Adjacent to the second indentation 76 is the protrusion 60. With reference to Figure 2, an upper surface 82 of the protrusion 60 is inclined towards the head of the pin 68 while the lower surface 84 of the protrusion is flat. The diameter of the lower surface 84 is greater than the minimum diameter of the passage 58, as shown in Figure 5. This shape allows the protrusion 60 to pass through the passage 58 causing an outward flexing of the fingers 56 while, at the at the same time, it prevents the protrusion 60 from retracting through the passage 58, since the second indentation 76 releases the flexion of the fingers 56, so that the fingers 56 return to a position almost without flexion after the protrusion 60 passes. completely the passage 58, as shown in Figure 5.

The rupture joint 78 is a conical cylinder having a minimum diameter adjacent to the protrusion 60. The minimum diameter of the rupture connection 78 becomes small enough so that the stem of the body 70 breaks at the point of rupture 78, after the application of a force in the rupture portion 80, after the rivet assembly is completely compressed and closed, as shown in Figure 5. A rupture portion 80 has a diameter equal to the diameters of the portion that is engages 74. In order to provide the release of the fingers 56 before the rivet is placed, the rupture portion 80 is provided with an indentation 86 having a shape complementary to the passage 58, which is engaged by a slight friction, with the fingers 56. The fingers 56 rest against the indentation 86, when the pin 14 is completely inserted into the body 12, as shown in Figure 4. In practice, the closing rivet, plastic 10 is used as follows. Initially, the pin 14 of the body 12 separates from each other, since they are molded separately in the manufacturing process. Prior to the insertion of the rivet into the panels to be joined, the pin 14 is inserted into the body 12. As discussed above, the diameters of the engaging portion 74 of the shank of the pin 70 is slightly larger than the diameter of the core 28. Thus, when the pin 14 is completely inserted into the body 12, a frictional force develops between the pin 14 and the body 12, thereby keeping the entire rivet assembly in a free association. The associated rivet assembly is inserted in the aligned holes Hl and H2 in panels Pl and P2 respectively. The holes Hl and H2 both have diameters greater than the diameter of the body of the rod 18 and smaller than the diameter of the lower surface 22 of the head of the body 16. The proper performance of the positive closing rivet 10, the diameter of the hole Hl must be slightly smaller than the diameter of the annular rim 40 on the outer surface 46, so that as the rivet assembly is assembled in the holes Hl and H2, the force developed due to the engagement of the panel Pl on the annular rim 40 causes a bending of the annular edge 40 and therefore allows the panel Pl to be placed between the head of the body 16 and the annular edge 40. By means of the same stop, the diameter of the hole Hl can not be so small as to avoid that the annular rim 40 passes through hole Hl, without considering the degree of bending. Alternatively, if the panel Pl is made of a sufficiently flexible and resilient material, the panel Pl can be tapered to fit the head of the body 16, and is therefore placed between the head of the body 16 and the annular edge 40. The diameter of the hole H2 must be small enough so that the panel P2 is not placed between the head of the body 16 and the annular edge 40, when the rivet is compressed and closed completely. The rivet is inserted appropriately into the holes Hl and H2 when the lower surface 22 of the head of the body 16 is placed against the panel Pl, the panel Pl is placed between the annular edge 40 and the head of the body 16, and the panel P2 it is positioned below the annular rim 40, as shown in Figure 4. Using an appropriate tool, commonly available in the market, the head of the body 16 is pressed firmly against the panel Pl, while applying an axial tension force in the rupture portion 80 of the pin stem 70. Because the head of the pin 68 engages with the distal end of the body 18, an equal and opposite force is applied to the body 12 causing the legs 64 to bend radially toward outside, around the central portion 66. As the legs 64 are bent, the annular edge 40 flexes towards the head of the body 16 and the pin 14 moves through the head of the body 16. When the protrusion 6 0 reaches passage 58, the fingers 56 flex outwards, thereby allowing the protrusion 60 to pass through. After the surface 84 releases the passage 58, the fingers 56 return to their almost non-flexed position, the second indentation 76 returns to rest in the passage 58, and the lower surface 84 rests at the ends of the fingers 56, as shown in Figure 5. The positive closing rivet is closed, since the protrusion 60 can not be removed through the passage 58. The panels Pl and P2 are firmly and permanently fastened between the legs 64 and the head of the body. 16. The clamping force of the rivet assembly together is sufficient only with the destruction of the closing rivet, plastic 10, the separation of the panels Pl and P2 is achieved. The rivet which closes in this way, continues to apply a force in the rupture portion 80, and causes the break of the pin 14 at the break connection 78. The length and inclination of the fingers 56, the length of the portion of the tongue 24 of the body head 16 and the size of the protrusion 60 are selected such that the upper surface 82 of the protrusion 60 is flush with the upper surface 20 of the head of the body 16 when the rivet is closed.

With respect to the annular edge 40, it becomes clear that as the body 12 is compressed, the panels Pl and P2 are pressed against each other, whereby the annular edge 40 is caused to flex towards the head of the body 16 until that the protrusion 60 engages the fingers 58. The benefit of this arrangement is that the annular edge 40 flexes, with a degree of flexion of the legs 64 and thus, the distance traveled by the pin 16 increases, so the tank ensures that the protrusion 60 will engage the fingers 56, without considering the combined thickness of the panels Pl and P2. In the cases where the panels Pl and P2 have a large combined thickness, if the annular edge 40 were not present, the collapse of the rod of the body 18 would not be sufficient, so that the protrusion 60 would never engage the fingers 56 and the rivet not it could be closed. Thus, the annular rim 60 provides the mechanisms to adjust the effective length of the collapsible portion 34 of the shank of the body 18 so that the rivet itself can be used for a greater variety of panel thicknesses than prior art rivets. Thus, these and other objectives are achieved effectively. Although a simple embodiment of the invention has been presented and described in detail, it should be understood that this invention is not limited, in any way it limits it and its scope is determined by means of the appended claims.

Claims (8)

1. A positive closing rivet for insertion in a plurality of aligned holes of at least two panels having a first and second panels, this rivet is formed of resilient, plastic material and comprises: a pin, this pin has a head at one end Distant and a rod, this rod has closing mechanisms, a rupture joint adjacent to the closing mechanisms and the rupture portion opposite the head and adjacent to the rupture joint; a body, this body has a head, a rod and an axial core that extends through the head and the rod to receive the pin, this rod has a collapsing portion formed of a plurality of legs adjacent to the head and a portion that does not collapse at the far end, the legs flex around the central portion of the legs; the retention mechanisms integrated with the proximal end of the body shank and which engage with the closing mechanisms; and an annular, flexible edge integrated with the body shank which is placed between the collapsing portion and the head of the body so that it can be placed between the first panel and the second panel; wherein when the pin is inserted into the body, the head of the pin engages the distal end of the body stem and causes the legs to bend radially outwardly around the central portion and the annular edge to flex towards the head of the body until that the mechanisms of closure hook the retention mechanisms.

2. The positive closing rivet according to claim 1, wherein when a force is applied to the rupture portion after the lang mechanisms engage the retention mechanisms, the pin breaks at the rupture joint and is leveled with the head of the body.

3. The positive closing rivet according to claim 2, wherein: the retention mechanisms comprises a plurality of flexible fingers, these flexible fingers are inclined at equal angles towards the longitudinal axis of the core, to thereby form the conical passage having a minimum amplitude at the ends of the fingers, which is smaller than the width of the core; the closing mechanisms comprises an indentation and a protrusion, the indentation has a shape complementary to the passage formed by the fingers, this protrusion has an upper surface sloping towards the distal end of the pin and a flat lower surface, with a width of this flat bottom surface that is larger than the minimum width of the passage; and where, when the pin is inserted into the body, the protrusion passes through the passage causing flexion of the fingers until the lower surface passes through the passage and rests on the ends of the fingers and the indentation rests on the passage.

4. The positive closing rivet according to claim 3, in which the rod of the pin has a portion, engageable, adjacent to the head of the pin that engages, generating a frictional force, with the rod of the body.

The positive closing rivet according to claim 4, wherein: the rod of the pin has a second indentation between the head and the engaging portion; the core has a portion of reduced diameter to reduce the second indentation; and where the second indentation and the reduced diameter portion do not engage, generating friction.

6. The positive closing rivet according to claim 5, wherein the rupture portion and the engaging portion are of a diameter equal to the rupture portion, and have an indentation for receiving these fingers.

7. The positive closing rivet according to claim 1, wherein the body is formed of nylon 6/6.

8. The positive closing rivet according to claim 1, wherein the pin is formed of acetal. SUMMARY A positive closing rivet, to join a variety of panels, which is composed of a plastic material, resilient and has a pin and a body that has an axial core. The pin has a head and a rod, the rod of the pin has closing mechanisms, a rupture joint adjacent to the closing mechanisms and a rupture portion adjacent to the rupture joint and opposite to the head. The body has a head and a stem. The stem of the body has a proximal end, a distant end, a portion that collapses and a portion that does not collapse. Integrated with the proximal end of the stem of the body are the retention mechanisms and integrated with the body rod between the collapsible portion and the head of the body is in the flexible annular edge that is placed between the panels that are going to join. The rod of the body is inserted in the holes aligned in the panels. The pin is inserted into the body until the head of the pin engages at the distal end of the body shank, causing a collapse of the collapsible portion of the body shank and the annular bending of the rim until the locking mechanisms engage in the retention mechanisms, so that the rivet assembly is tightly closed. Then, the rupture portion of the pin shank breaks at the rupture joint leveling with the head of the body.