Patents by Inventor Amer Mahlme

Amer Mahlme has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11608847
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: PROFIL Verbindungstechnik GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Oliver Diehl, Tobias Jene, Amer Mahlme, Christian Sowa, Richard Humpert
  • Patent number: 11536309
    Abstract: A self-piercing rivet element is provided with a body part having a thread cylinder and with a hollow rivet section to be pressed into an as yet unpierced component. In this arrangement, the rivet section is designed to be at least regionally dilatable by means of a die button and tapers in the direction of the central longitudinal axis and away from the body part. The hollow rivet section has, in the region of the transition to the body part, a diameter, which is larger than the outer diameter of the thread cylinder. Furthermore, the rivet section has a closed peripheral wall and an opening at its free end which corresponds at least substantially in diameter to the core diameter of the thread cylinder. Furthermore a component assembly, a method for the manufacture of the component assembly and the die button are claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: PROFIL Verbindungstechnik Gmbh & Co., KG
    Inventor: Amer Mahlme
  • Publication number: 20220324183
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2020
    Publication date: October 13, 2022
    Inventors: Oliver Diehl, Amer Mahlme, Tobias Jene
  • Publication number: 20220235805
    Abstract: A functional element for pressing into a workpiece comprises a functional section; and a fastening section having an abutment surface for introducing a press-in force into the functional element; a workpiece contact surface that is disposed opposite the abutment surface; and a sealing region for receiving displaced material of the workpiece, said sealing region being disposed between the workpiece contact surface and the functional section and forming a contact surface for the displaced material to seal a connection between the functional element and the workpiece, wherein the contact surface has a first part surface, which extends obliquely to an axial direction and which converges viewed in a press-in direction of the functional element, and a second part surface that adjoins the first part surface, that extends obliquely to the axial direction of the functional element, and that diverges viewed in the press-in direction of the functional element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 5, 2022
    Publication date: July 28, 2022
    Inventors: Amer Mahlme, Oliver Diehl, Tobias Jene
  • Publication number: 20220235811
    Abstract: A self-punching functional element serves for fastening to a workpiece, in particular to a high-strength sheet metal part, and comprises a functional section; and a fastening section that has a contact surface for an engagement of a setting device, an end face remote from the contact surface, and an outer peripheral surface connecting the contact surface and the end face. The end face is radially outwardly bounded by a punching edge for punching a slug out of the workpiece, and at least one projection is provided at the outer peripheral surface adjacent to the contact surface, said projection rising from the outer peripheral surface in a radial direction and extending further outwardly in the radial direction than the punching edge.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 21, 2022
    Publication date: July 28, 2022
    Inventors: Christian Sowa, Amer Mahlme, Tobias Jene
  • Publication number: 20220099129
    Abstract: The invention relates to a self-punching fastening element for connecting a first workpiece to a second workpiece. The fastening element comprises a ring section that surrounds an opening of the fastening element in a peripheral direction and that has a workpiece contact surface, which is bounded at a radial outer side by a punching edge, and a shaft section that is connected to the ring section by means of a coupling section, that is arranged coaxially with the opening, that extends from the side of the ring section remote from the workpiece contact surface, and that has an outer contour that is designed complementary to an inner contour of the opening such that the shaft section can be guided at least partly through the opening after a separation of the connection with the ring section. Furthermore, the invention relates to a component assembly, comprising a self-punching fastening element as well as a first workpiece and possibly a second workpiece, and to a method of manufacturing the component assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2021
    Publication date: March 31, 2022
    Inventors: Tobias Jene, Amer Mahlme
  • Publication number: 20220099128
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 7, 2021
    Publication date: March 31, 2022
    Inventors: Oliver Diehl, Tobias Jene, Amer Mahlme, Christian Sowa, Richard Humpert
  • Publication number: 20210341009
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a self-punching functional element that is configured for punching into a workpiece, comprising a head part forming a flange; and a punching section that extends away from the head part, and that has a peripheral punching edge, wherein the head part has a contact surface for contact with the workpiece, said contact surface at least sectionally surrounding the punching section at a radial outer side, and a boundary section that at least sectionally bounds the contact surface at the radial outer side and that extends away from the contact surface in the same direction as the punching section. The invention further relates to a component assembly comprising a self-punching functional element, and a workpiece.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 19, 2021
    Publication date: November 4, 2021
    Inventors: Oliver Diehl, Tobias Jene, Amer Mahlme, Christian Sowa
  • Publication number: 20200290111
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of fastening a fastening element to a workpiece, in particular to a sheet metal part, wherein the fastening element comprises a flange section provided for contact with the workpiece; and a fastening section which has a rivet section that at least sectionally bounds a hollow space in a peripheral direction and that is at least sectionally produced from a metal material, said method comprising the steps: providing the workpiece; inserting the fastening element into the workpiece; and at least sectionally reshaping the rivet section such that a reshaped section of the rivet element engages behind the workpiece at a side of the workpiece remote from the flange section, wherein the insertion and the reshaping are effected by a fastening movement of the fastening element in a common fastening direction; and wherein the fastening element, the workpiece, and/or a reshaping tool provided for reshaping the rivet section is/are acted on by a mechanical vibration, in partic
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2020
    Publication date: September 17, 2020
    Inventors: Georg Donhauser, Tobias Jene, Amer Mahlme
  • Publication number: 20190368527
    Abstract: A self-piercing rivet element is provided with a body part having a thread cylinder and with a hollow rivet section to be pressed into an as yet unpierced component. In this arrangement, the rivet section is designed to be at least regionally dilatable by means of a die button and tapers in the direction of the central longitudinal axis and away from the body part. The hollow rivet section has, in the region of the transition to the body part, a diameter, which is larger than the outer diameter of the thread cylinder. Furthermore, the rivet section has a closed peripheral wall and an opening at its free end which corresponds at least substantially in diameter to the core diameter of the thread cylinder. Furthermore a component assembly, a method for the manufacture of the component assembly and the die button are claimed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 30, 2019
    Publication date: December 5, 2019
    Inventor: Amer Mahlme