A fastener for retaining a bolt in a hole in a structure, comprising a bushing integrally formed with and extending from the bottom surface of a retainer, the bushing being dimensioned for insertion into the hole in the structure and having a wall thickness ranging from about 0.005 inches to about 0.030 inches, wherein the bushing is configured to be expanded within the hole, thereby securely coupling the expanded bushing within the hole of the structure and anchoring the retainer to the surface of the structure surrounding the hole. A tool for installing a fastener, comprising a tapered mandrel configured for insertion within a fastener situated within a hole of the structure, a drive mechanism configured to retract the mandrel through the fastener and thereby expand the fastener, and a force sensor configured for measuring a force applied by the drive mechanism to retract the mandrel through the fastener.

A self-attaching fastener includes a substantially polyhedral head portion defining a longitudinal axis. The head portion is circumscribable by a first cylinder having a head diameter. The first cylinder is coaxial to the longitudinal axis. A central pilot portion substantially defines a pilot polyhedron extending from the head portion along the longitudinal axis. The central pilot portion is circumscribable by a second cylinder having a pilot diameter smaller than the head diameter. The second cylinder is coaxial to the longitudinal axis. The central pilot portion has a perimetric wall with rectangular faces of the pilot polyhedron. The rectangular faces are defined in respective planes that are parallel to the longitudinal axis. A planar panel support surface is defined on the head portion. The planar panel support surface defines a closed substantially polygonal planar margin at a perimeter of the planar panel support surface.

A fastener for thin panels has a shank with a deformable collar which works in conjunction with a configured mating panel to produce enhanced attachment forces, especially in the case of very thin panels. The mating panel is prepared with a round mounting hole with cross-cut openings or slots. The panel is stamped into a conical section in a preparatory step before installation to provide the fastener with snap-in engagement prior to final pressing. The fastener shank has an undercut located immediately below the collar which is snapped into the prepared hole. Once snapped in, a punch and flat anvil are used to press the deformable band of the fastener tightly against the prepared panel, capturing the panel rigidly between the deformable band and a base of the fastener. During pressing, the material of the fastener collar will also flow into the slots of the panel to prevent rotation.

A press-in nut is formed as a cap nut and has a nut body with a through hole, which is closed by a cap under formation of a blind hole. This is provided to obtain a media-tight connection with the nut body. The nut body has a ring collar at the top. In a pre-assembled state, the ring collar is only at least partially bent over, so that the cap is only held captively, without a media-tight connection being formed. The desired media-tight connection is only formed when press-fitting into a component.

Disclosed are systems and methods for attaching interior furnishings in a vehicle. In one embodiment, a system can include an anchor having a rivet nut, a bolt for engaging the rivet nut, and a railing that can be fastened to the anchor with the bolt. In certain embodiments, the anchor can include a main plate having a rivet nut, a backer plate having press nuts, and screws suitably configured to engage the press nuts and facilitate a movement of the backer plate towards the main plate. In some embodiments, the anchor is configured to fit into and removably attach to a factory cutout of a wall of the vehicle.

A floating fixing component and a mounting method thereof are introduced. The floating fixing component includes at least a stop section and an application section. The stop section is used to abut against an object to prevent the floating fixing component from separating from the object. The floating fixing component and the object have a floating space existed between them, such that the floating fixing component can float and shift on and relative to the object. With these arrangements, the floating fixing component can be mounted to an object while the application section can be fastened to or disconnected from another object. In this manner, at least two objects can be repeatedly and quickly connected to and disconnected from one another.

The invention relates to a device for fixing an electrical connection terminal to a support having an opening extending between opposed front and rear faces, the device comprising: a bush for location within the opening of the support and provided with opposed front and rear ends between which extends a through-hole, the bush having a first deformation region configured for lateral expansion; a dowel configured for forced insertion into the through-hole so as to cause deformation of the bush, the dowel being provided with connection means engageable with a connector to facilitate the forced insertion of the dowel into the bush and to facilitate fastening of a terminal to the support; characterised in that the bush includes a second deformation region configured for axial contraction and lateral expansion upon forced insertion of the dowel in the bush.

A press-fit connection between a high-strength component and a press-fit element is characterized by a non-circular previously made hole into which the press-fit element having a collar is inserted. Here, the collar is merely upset and pressed against a hole rim without embracing an underside of the component. Preferably, the hole rim is widened in a longitudinal direction such that a form-locking connection acting in opposition to the longitudinal direction is formed. The non-circular hole geometry is produced with the aid of a punch of circular cross sectional geometry, in that a cutter of the punch has leading and recessed cutting regions, with the result that disrupted partial regions are formed.

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.

A connecting hanger bolt according to an aspect of the present invention is a hanger bolt which is inserted into a hanging groove rail having an opening narrower than the outer diameter of a bolt head and extending in a hanging groove rail longitudinal direction and from which a device is hangable. The connecting hanger bolt includes: a plurality of bolts which move in the hanging groove rail longitudinal direction in the hanging groove rail and whose shaft portions pass through the opening; and a connecting member which connects the plurality of bolts to each other, and keeps an interval in the hanging groove rail longitudinal direction between the plurality of bolts adjacent to each other.