Rivet nut with machinable head and method of making a vehicle body
First Claim
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1. In combination, a rivet nut having a head, a fastener, a supporting member and a body panel, the combination comprising:
- the head of the rivet nut in an initial configuration having a first portion of sufficient thickness to be secured to a supporting member and a second portion integrally disposed on the first portion;
the rivet nut also having a tubular portion extending from one side of the head, and a fastener receiving opening extending through the head and at last partially through the tubular portion wherein the fastener is assembled to the fastener receiving opening;
the rivet nut extending through and being secured to the supporting member with the head engaging a first side of the supporting member and an expanded portion of the tubular portion engaging a second side of the supporting member; and
a means for reducing the thickness of the head such that the head spaces the body panel from the supporting member by the reduced thickness to selectively adjust the relative position of the body panel.
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Abstract
A method of securing body panels to a space frame of a vehicle is disclosed. Body panels are secured to rivet nuts that are assembled to frame members. The location of the rivet nuts or rivet nuts supporting surface is measured and the rivet nuts are milled or machined to correspond to reference body coordinates. The rivet nuts function as a integral shim pack and obviate the need for shims between the space frame and body panels. The rivet nuts may be milled or formed to predetermined thicknesses before or after assembly to the frame.
101 Citations
8 Claims
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1. In combination, a rivet nut having a head, a fastener, a supporting member and a body panel, the combination comprising:
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the head of the rivet nut in an initial configuration having a first portion of sufficient thickness to be secured to a supporting member and a second portion integrally disposed on the first portion; the rivet nut also having a tubular portion extending from one side of the head, and a fastener receiving opening extending through the head and at last partially through the tubular portion wherein the fastener is assembled to the fastener receiving opening; the rivet nut extending through and being secured to the supporting member with the head engaging a first side of the supporting member and an expanded portion of the tubular portion engaging a second side of the supporting member; and a means for reducing the thickness of the head such that the head spaces the body panel from the supporting member by the reduced thickness to selectively adjust the relative position of the body panel. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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Specification