RIVET NUT WITH MACHINABLE HEAD AND METHOD OF MAKING A VEHICLE BODY

• US 20050214096A1
• Filed: 06/06/2005
• Published: 09/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company), Jaguar Land Rover Limited (TATA Motors Limited)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Elliott, Adrian, Zaluzec, Matthew, Lazarz, Kimberly
• Granted Patent: US 7,252,469 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 411/104
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 23/00 Combined superstructure and frame, i.e. monocoque constructions having impact absorbing means B62D21/15; superstructure or monocoque structure sub-units or parts or details thereof B62D25/00 ; characterised by the material thereof B62D29/00
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 27/02 rigid
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 27/026 Connections by glue bonding in general F16B11/00; processes C09J5/00
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 37/065 by deforming the material of the nut

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.

Claims

1. A rivet nut, comprising:

a head having a first portion of sufficient thickness to be secured to a supporting member and a second portion integrally disposed on top of the first portion, the second portion being selectively removable by a material removal process; and

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.

2. The rivet nut of claim 1 wherein the tubular portion is provided with a pin that is movably disposed within the tubular portion and is drawn axially through the opening to deform the tubular portion to secure the rivet nut to the supporting member.

3. The rivet nut of claim 1 wherein the fastener receiving opening is threaded for a threaded fastener.

4. The rivet nut of claim 1 wherein the head is formed of one metal while the tubular portion is formed of a second metal that is different from the head.

5. The rivet nut of claim 1 wherein the head is formed of aluminum and the tubular portion is formed of steel.

6. A rivet nut of claim 1 wherein the first and second portions of the head are formed in a cold heading operation to a desired thickness.

7. The rivet nut of claim 1 wherein the second portion of the head is milled to provide a head of the desired thickness.

8. A method of making a body of a vehicle, comprising:

forming a support structure for the vehicle having spaced apart holes on a body panel receiving surface to which at least one body panel is to be attached;

measuring the location of the body panel receiving surface of the support structure to determine body coordinates and comparing the measured body coordinates to reference body coordinates;

providing a plurality of rivet nuts each of which has a head portion and a fastener receptacle, wherein the head portion of each of the rivet nuts is of a height as measured between a top surface and a frame engaging surface that corresponds to one of a predetermined plurality of height increments;

inserting one of the rivet nuts into a selected one of the holes, wherein each of the rivet nuts is selected based upon the height increment of the head portion that corresponds to the difference between the measured body coordinates and the reference body coordinates at the selected hole where the fastener is to be installed; and

assembling the at least one body panel to the rivet nuts by inserting one fastener through the panel and into each of the fastener receptacles, whereby the body panel is secured against the top surface of the head portions of the rivet nuts to correct for variations between the measured body coordinates relative to the reference body coordinates.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising applying an adhesive to a body panel receiving surface to bond the at least one body panel to the body panel receiving surface.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the measuring step is performed on a coordinate measuring machine.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of proving the rivet nuts further includes milling the head portion on a computer numerically controlled milling machine.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the head portion is milled before assembly to the support structure.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the head portion is milled after assembly to the support structure.

14. The method of claim 8 wherein the head portion is initially formed to one of a plurality of predetermined lengths to function as an integral shim.