Abstract: The invention relates to a functional unit for attachment to a workpiece, in particular to a sheet metal part, said functional unit comprising a fastening element having a fastening section for the rotationally fixed fastening of the functional unit to the workpiece and having a head part that adjoins the fastening section in an axial direction and that has a functional section and a head part support surface remote from the fastening section; and a fixing element that can be fixed to the functional section of the head part of the fastening element by means of a rotational movement and that has a fixing element support surface that, in a state of the fixing element installed at the fastening element, faces the head part support surface such that an attachment part can be clamped between the head part support surface and the fixing element support surface.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a self-punching functional element that is adapted for punching into a workpiece, in particular into a sheet metal part. It comprises a head part forming a flange and having a contact surface for contact with the workpiece; and a punching section that extends away from the head part, in particular from the contact surface, and that is in particular arranged coaxially to a central longitudinal axis of the functional element. The punching section has a peripheral punching edge at its free end for punching through the workpiece and surrounds a cavity in a peripheral direction, said cavity having an opening defined by the punching edge. An inner wall of the punching section facing the cavity has at least one elevated slug securing portion projecting radially inwardly into the cavity, in particular wherein the elevated portion has the form of a rib extending in an axial direction.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method for attaching functional elements, e.g. composed of metal, to a component, in particular to a component comprising fiber-reinforced plastic, while using a setting head, wherein the functional element has a contact surface provided with adhesive and wherein the adhesive can be supplied to the setting head in individual depots adapted to the functional elements on a carrier band is characterized in that the functional elements are taken over by a guide device and are each pressable to an adhesive depot and are subsequently guidable with the adhering adhesive depots and separately from the carrier band in the setting head to the setting position in front of a setting die.

Abstract: The invention relates to a functional unit for attachment to a workpiece, in particular to a sheet metal part, said functional unit comprising a fastening element having a fastening section for the rotationally fixed fastening of the functional unit to the workpiece and having a head part that adjoins the fastening section in an axial direction and that has a functional section and a head part support surface remote from the fastening section; and a fixing element that can be fixed to the functional section of the head part of the fastening element by means of a rotational movement and that has a fixing element support surface that, in a state of the fixing element installed at the fastening element, faces the head part support surface such that an attachment part can be clamped between the head part support surface and the fixing element support surface.

Abstract: An electrical connection element for a form-fitted or welding attachment to a sheet metal part and for receiving a cable connection device is characterized by a metallic ring that surrounds a contact region and that closely contacts the contact region by means of a permanent ring stress produced in the ring. The ring has an outer surface that forms a contact surface for the cable connection device.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a self-punching functional element that is adapted for punching into a workpiece, in particular into a sheet metal part. It comprises a head part forming a flange and having a contact surface for contact with the workpiece; and a punching section that extends away from the head part, in particular from the contact surface, and that is in particular arranged coaxially to a central longitudinal axis of the functional element. The punching section has a peripheral punching edge at its free end for punching through the workpiece and surrounds a cavity in a peripheral direction, said cavity having an opening defined by the punching edge. An inner wall of the punching section facing the cavity has at least one elevated slug securing portion projecting radially inwardly into the cavity, in particular wherein the elevated portion has the form of a rib extending in an axial direction.

Abstract: The invention relates to a fastening element for fastening to a workpiece, said fastening element comprising at least a first workpiece element having a first opening and a second workpiece element having a second opening aligned with the first opening, wherein the fastening element has a first contact section having a first contact surface for contact with a region of the first workpiece element surrounding the first opening and a second contact section having a second contact surface for contact with a region of the second workpiece element surrounding the second opening, with the first contact section and the second contact section being connected to one another by means of a reshaping section, and with a rivet section extending from the second contact section in a direction facing away from the reshaping section. The invention further relates to a corresponding component assembly and to a method of manufacturing such a component assembly.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a hole in a component consisting of a composite material, such as a fiber or fabric reinforced plastic part, wherein the component, having first and second oppositely disposed sides, is placed with its first side on a support having an iris diaphragm. A tip which diverges in the axial direction is pressed from the second side of the component through the component, which optionally has a pre-piercing, for formation of the hole or for enlargement of the pre-piercing. The iris diaphragm has a smaller starting opening which receives a narrower region of the tip and opens into a larger opening with increasing penetration of the component by the tip, the component is supported during hole formation over an as large as possible area from the first side. A piercing aid in the form of an iris diaphragm or a die button is likewise claimed.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method for attaching functional elements, e.g. composed of metal, to a component, in particular to a component comprising fiber-reinforced plastic, while using a setting head, wherein the functional element has a contact surface provided with adhesive and wherein the adhesive can be supplied to the setting head in individual depots adapted to the functional elements on a carrier band is characterized in that the functional elements are taken over by a guide device and are each pressable to an adhesive depot and are subsequently guidable with the adhering adhesive depots and separately from the carrier band in the setting head to the setting position in front of a setting die.

Abstract: A functional element having a section that has a flange, that projects away from a side of the flange, and is adapted for an aperture-free punching into a sheet metal part and having a shaft part that projects away from a side of the flange opposite the first side, that satisfies a function and that is provided with a longitudinal axis. The flange and the section are arranged at least substantially coaxially to the shaft part. The section is formed as a hollow cylinder that has notches extending in parallel with the longitudinal direction at at least one of its outer jacket surface and its inner jacket surface. The section has a diverging frustoconical shape that runs out at least substantially at the free end at the inner side of the section in the region of its free end and that serves for the widening of the section on the punching in the sheet metal part. A component assembly and a method of producing the latter is also claimed.

Abstract: A method of fastening a rivet element to a workpiece, which has a preshaped hole provided for a reception of a rivet section of the rivet element and which is made planar at least in the region around the preshaped hole. Prior to the fastening process, the workpiece is positioned at a well-defined spacing from a contact surface of a die by at least one movably and/or elastically configured spacer of the die for a reshaping of the rivet section, so that a gap is formed between a wall of the hole and a punch of the die, which is provided for the reshaping of the rivet section. The rivet section is introduced into the gap in a course of the fastening process and is reshaped by the punch in order to engage behind the workpiece in the region of the hole.

Abstract: A functional element having a functional portion, a generally tubular rivet portion and a ring-like sheet metal contact surface is characterised in that features of shape are provided at the rivet portion for co-movement of the sheet metal part during the formation of the rivet bead, in particular at the free end of the rivet portion and/or at the radially outer side of the rivet portion, at least in the region adjacent the free end of the rivet portion. A component assembly comprising a functional element and a sheet metal part as well as a method for the attachment of a functional element to the sheet metal part are also claimed.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method are provided for attaching functional elements of metal to a component, in particular to a component comprising fiber reinforced plastic, using a setting head, wherein the functional element has a contact surface (12) provided with adhesive. In this respect, the adhesive within the setting head is applied to the functional element before the attachment of the functional element to the component.

Abstract: A die button for the punching in and fastening of a fastener element having a piercing section to a planar workpiece, in particular a sheet metal part. The die button includes a jacket. Also included is a die plunger movably arranged in the jacket. Further included is a biasing device for pressing the plunger against the workpiece when the workpiece is supported on the jacket with a pressing force made available by the biasing device and selected such that the die plunger first moves when a slug has been detached from the workpiece by the piercing section of the fastener element.

Abstract: A finished component assembly includes a sheet metal part, a sheet metal element and a rivet element. The rivet element is provided with a head part of larger diameter, which serves as a thread carrier and which forms a sheet metal contact surface, as well as with a hollow cylindrical rivet section of smaller diameter. The rivet section projects from the head part at the side of the sheet metal contact surface and extends through an aperture and a collar of the sheet metal part as well as through a hole of the sheet metal element and is shaped into an at least L-shaped, preferably U-shaped, rivet bead at the side of the sheet metal element remote from the sheet metal part, with the sheet metal contact surface contacting the side of the sheet metal part remote from the sheet metal element.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a hole in a component consisting of a composite material, such as a fiber or fabric reinforced plastic part, wherein the component, having first and second oppositely disposed sides, is placed with its first side on a support having an iris diaphragm. A tip which diverges in the axial direction is pressed from the second side of the component through the component, which optionally has a pre-piercing, for formation of the hole or for enlargement of the pre-piercing. The iris diaphragm has a smaller starting opening which receives a narrower region of the tip and opens into a larger opening with increasing penetration of the component by the tip, whereby the component is supported during hole formation over an as large as possible area from the first side. A piercing aid in the form of an iris diaphragm or a corresponding die button is likewise claimed.

Abstract: A functional element of metal having a flange of larger diameter from an attachment surface and a centering section arranged inside the attachment surface and extending away from the flange, characterized in that an adhesive is arranged around the cylindrical section and adjacent to the attachment surface.

Abstract: A fastener element for attachment to a component, wherein the fastener element has a contact surface which contacts the component in the installed state. Furthermore, the fastener element has a mounting recess which faces the component in the dismantled state. The mounting recess is bounded by at least one sidewall and by a base section. The sidewall is, at least regionally, provided with at least one undercut which is effective in the axial direction of the fastener element. The base section is formed free of any aperture.

Abstract: A method for the manufacture of a hole in a component consisting of a composite material, such as a fiber reinforced plastic part or a fabric reinforced plastic part, which is characterized in that the component having first and second oppositely disposed sides is placed with its first side on a support having an iris diaphragm, in that a tip which diverges in the axial direction is pressed coming from the second side of the component through the component, which optionally has a pre-piercing, for the formation of the hole or for the enlargement of the pre-piercing and in that the iris diaphragm has a smaller starting opening which receives a narrower region of the tip and opens into a larger opening with increasing penetration of the component by the tip, whereby the component is supported during the hole formation over an as large as possible area from the first side. A piercing aid in the form of an iris diaphragm or a corresponding die button is likewise claimed.

Abstract: A piercing nut element having a strength in the range between 700 and 900 MPa which is designed to be pressed into the sheet metal part. The nut element is characterized in that the self-piercing attachment of the nut element into a sheet metal part of higher strength, or into a sheet metal part with a thickness greater than 3.5 mm, the nut element is designed in such a way that the piercing section has a peripheral extending groove below the sheet metal contact surface and in that the piercing section has a piercing edge at its free end face with the piercing edge being spaced from the boundary of the groove adjacent to the piercing section by a peripheral surface having an axial height which corresponds to at least 30% and preferably to at least 50% of the sheet metal thickness, wherein the radial wall thickness of the piercing section in the region of its free end face from the outer side of the piercing section up to the nominal diameter of the thread corresponds to a thickness between 1.2 to 1.