US 12,228,159 B2
Flow drill screw and tip configuration
Nicholas Dornik, Canton, MI (US); Amanda Kay Freis, Ann Arbor, MI (US); Garret Sankey Huff, Ann Arbor, MI (US); Brandt J. Ruszkiewicz, Cumming, GA (US); and Stephen J. Crockett, Bartlett, IL (US)
Assigned to Ford Global Technologies, LLC, Dearborn, MI (US); and Semblex Corporation, Elmhurst, IL (US)
Filed by Ford Global Technologies, LLC, Dearborn, MI (US); and Semblex Corporation, Elmhurst, IL (US)
Filed on Feb. 13, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/168,280.
Prior Publication US 2024/0271653 A1, Aug. 15, 2024
Int. Cl. F16B 25/00 (2006.01); F16B 25/10 (2006.01)
CPC F16B 25/0084 (2013.01) [F16B 25/106 (2013.01); F16B 25/00 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A screw comprising:
a head portion;
an externally threaded shank extending from the head portion, the externally threaded shank having an external surface; and
a flow-hole-forming tip disposed at a distal end portion of the externally threaded shank,
wherein the flow-hole-forming tip comprises:
a radiused lower zone having an external surface tangent to the external surface of the externally threaded shank;
a conical middle zone having an external surface tangent to the external surface of the radiused lower zone, the conical middle zone defining a vertex angle; and
a radiused distal end zone having an external surface tangent to the external surface of the conical middle zone,
wherein the flow-hole-forming tip comprises at least one of:
a width of the flow-hole-forming tip is greater than a length of the flow-hole-forming tip; and
the vertex angle is greater than or equal to 90 degrees.