The invention provides a bracket for mounting external equipment to the underside of rolling stock, the bracket comprising first and second plates, and at least one joining member disposed between the first and second plates; wherein the joining member(s) are joined to the first plate by a plurality of joints and joined to the second plate by a plurality of joints. The invention also provides a rolling stock assembly comprising a bracket, a method for mounting external equipment to an underside of rolling stock, and a method for manufacturing a bracket for mounting external equipment to the underside of rolling stock.

The application relates to a heat exchanger and a connecting system for the heat exchanger. This subject matter includes a housing formed by a top part and a bottom part and a first connecting element and a second connecting element connected to these top and bottom parts. Specific embodiments of the subject matter are shown in which the connecting elements connect the housing top part and bottom part by a positive and/or material connection. The advantages of each embodiment over prior approaches are too numerous to include in this abstract, but will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art when reviewing the full specification.

A method for forming a joint between a fiber reinforced composite component and a metallic component and a joint are provided. The metallic component and the composite component each define a joint surface for mating with the joint surface of the other to join the two components together and the composite component defines a free surface opposed to the joint surface thereof. The joint surface of the metallic component defines an array of pins extending therefrom with each pin defining a pin head at an end distal from the joint surface. The method includes the steps of pressing together the joint surfaces of the two components whereby to cause the array of pins to penetrate through the fiber reinforcing material, and modifying the effective cross sectional shape of the pin heads whereby to increase the constraint applied to the composite component against peeling of the composite component from the joint surface of the metallic component.

A torque converter assembly including a hub and a housing at least partially surrounding the hub. The hub includes a hub body having a radially-inwardly extending circumferential slot defining a connection portion of the hub body, and a plurality of axially extending bores extending through the connection portion of the hub body to the circumferential slot. At least a portion of the housing is coupled to the hub with at least one rivet installed in a corresponding bore of the connection portion of the hub body.

A component connection is provided. The component connection has a first component, at least a first male fixing element projecting from the first component, and a second component, the second component has at least a female fixing element, into which the male fixing element is fitted. At least the first component consists of a fiber-reinforced plastic material.

The present invention provides a method for manufacturing a metal joint that promotes adhesion between metallic joint surfaces to improve joint strength. Pulse lasers are illuminated to at least surface portions, where riveting is to be implemented, of surfaces of metal plates (1), so that the surface portions are molten and solidified to form surface modification thin films (4); and multiple metal plates (1) are stacked to form a laminated metal plate (5) by facing the surface modification thin films (4) to each other, and pressurized shaping is performed on the laminated metal plate (5) by using a punch (7) and a die (6) to implement riveting.

An electric power tool is disclosed. In an embodiment, the electric power tool includes a tool, a tool holder part and a main body with a plurality of rivets integrated with the main body. The rivets include rivet shafts of a cross section for producing a positive-locking rivet joint of the tool with the tool holder part, wherein the tool and the tool holder part have circular openings which are aligned with each other, and wherein the rivet shafts are positioned aligned with the openings on the main body and protrude through the aligned openings.

A server casing includes a frame and a plate connecting structure disposed in the frame and including a plate and a board. A first rivet hole of the plate has a first outer hole edge and a first inner hole edge greater than the first outer hole edge. A first guide surface connects the first outer hole edge and the first inner hole edge. The board has a board edge corresponding to the first rivet hole. A first arm is formed on the board edge. After the first arm is pressed to abut against the first guide surface, the pressed first arm deforms along the first guide surface to be located in the first rivet hole, so as to fix the board to the plate.

An assembly for a vehicle and a method of making an assembly including more than three panels stacked together and joined by self-piercing rivets or by clinch joints. A first panel and a second panel are joined together at a first attachment point. A third panel and the first panel are joined together at a second attachment point. A fourth panel and the third panel are joined together at a third attachment point. The first, second and third attachment points are spaced apart to avoid interference between the self-piercing rivets or the clinch joints.

A joining method for joining a first member having a hole that is opened on at least one surface, to a second member including a material of which a melting temperature is lower than that of a constituent material of the first member, includes: laminating the second member on the first member so as to cover an opening of the hole; and introducing that material of the second member which is softened or melted into the hole through the opening and curing the material of the second member.