The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 18, 2003
Filed:
Aug. 01, 2001
Hans Lochner, Berchtesgaden, DE;
Marco Hobelsberger, Saaldorf-Surheim, DE;
Robert Gschwendtner, Bad Reichenhall, DE;
Kiefel Technologies Inc., Hampton, NH (US);
Abstract
The apparatus for connecting objects by means of a plastically deformable connecting body comprises a shaping punch ( ), a flow-restricting wall ( ) closely surrounding the shaping punch and a gas supply lead ( ) through which a gaseous medium can be introduced into the gap between the shaping punch ( ) and the flow-restricting means ( ). The shaping punch ( ) has a heating cartridge ( ) by means of which the lower end of the shaping punch can be heated. Provided on the outside of this shaping punch are heat-transfer ribs ( ) which are used to heat up the supplied, gaseous medium which emerges at the lower end of the flow-restricting means in order to produce a flow around a plastically deformable connecting body ( ), so that the latter is uniformly heated for the deforming process. The connecting body ( ) is also integrally formed on a part ( ) and reaches through a hole in a second part ( ) which is to be connected to the first part. The shaping punch ( ) is used to integrally form a rivet head ( ) on the connecting body ( ).