Method of attaching a clinch spacer to a panel

1. A method of attaching a clinch spacer to a panel, comprising the following steps:

forming a clinch spacer including a body portion having an axial bore, an annular flange portion extending radially surrounding said bore having a generally planar annular face, and an annular barrel portion integral and coaxially aligned with said annular flange portion surrounding said bore having a diameter less than said annular flange portion, said annular barrel portion including an end face having an outer annular lip extending at an angle radially outwardly and axially from said end face of said annular barrel portion;

forming an opening in a panel having an inside diameter greater than an outside diameter of said outer annular lip of said barrel portion and an outside diameter of said annular barrel portion, but less than an outside diameter of said annular flange portion, and said panel having a thickness less than a distance between said planar annular face of said annular flange portion and an axial extent of said outer annular lip;

inserting said annular barrel portion through said opening in said panel, receiving a first face of said panel on an end face of a die member and a second face on said annular face of said annular flange portion; and

substantially simultaneously deforming said outer annular lip of said annular barrel portion radially outwardly and axially against said first face of said panel, and driving an annular generally V-shaped lip projecting from said end face of said die member against said first face of said panel, deforming said panel radially inwardly driving said internal diameter of said opening in said panel against said outside diameter of said annular barrel portion and beneath said outer annular lip of said annular barrel portion, thereby permanently attaching said clinch spacer to said panel.

2. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein said outer annular lip of said end face of said annular barrel portion includes an upper face inclined outwardly and axially from said end face, said method including driving a generally planar face of said die member against said upper face of said outer annular lip, deforming said outer annular lip radially outwardly and axially against said first face of said panel as said panel is deformed radially inwardly by said annular generally V-shaped lip of said die member, permanently attaching said clinch spacer to said panel.

3. The method as defined in claim 2 , wherein said outer annular lip of said annular barrel portion includes an outer face inclined toward said upper face, said method including driving said outer face of said outer annular lip against said first face of said panel.

4. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein said annular projecting generally V-shaped lip of said die member includes an outer face inclined inwardly from said end face of said die member and an inner face inclined outwardly from said end face toward said outer face, said method including driving said annular generally V-shaped lip of said die member against said first face of said panel adjacent said opening in said panel.

5. The method as defined in claim 4 , wherein said outer face of said projecting generally V-shaped annular projecting lip of said die member is defined at a greater angle relative to said end face of said die member than said inner face, said method including driving said annular generally V-shaped projecting lip of said die member against said first face of said panel, wherein said outer face further deforms said panel radially inwardly.

6. The method as defined in claim 4 , wherein said annular generally V-shaped projecting lip of said die member includes a planar end face inclined inwardly from said outer face toward said inner face, said method including driving said planar end face of said annular generally V-shaped projecting lip against said first face of said panel, further deforming said panel radially inwardly against an outer surface of said barrel portion.

7. A method of attaching a clinch spacer to a panel, comprising the following steps:

forming a clinch spacer including a body portion having an unthreaded axial bore, an annular flange portion extending radially having a generally planar annular end face surrounding and coaxially aligned with said bore, and an annular barrel portion integral and coaxially aligned with said annular flange portion surrounding said bore having a diameter less than said annular flange portion, said annular barrel portion including a planar end face extending generally perpendicular to an axis of said bore surrounding said bore and said planar end face of said annular barrel portion including an outer annular lip extending at an angle radially outwardly and axially from said planar end face of said annular barrel portion including an upper face extending radially outwardly and upwardly from said planar end face of said annular barrel portion;

forming an opening in a panel having an internal diameter greater than an outer diameter of said outer annular lip of said annular barrel portion and an outside diameter of said annular barrel portion, but less than a diameter of said annular flange portion, and said panel having a thickness less than a distance between said annular end face of said annular flange portion and an axial extent of said outer annular lip of said annular barrel portion;

supporting a first face of said panel on a planar end face of a die member having a bore therethrough aligned with said opening in said panel, said planar end face of said die member surrounding said bore and said die member including an annular generally V-shaped lip projecting from said planar end face, and surrounding said planar end face of said die member and supporting said first face of said panel; and driving said barrel portion of said clinch spacer through said opening in said panel and said planar annular end face of said annular flange portion against a second face of said panel, thereby driving said planar annular generally V-shaped lip of said die member against said first face of said panel and said planar end face of said die member against said upper face of said outer annular lip of said annular barrel portion, thereby deforming said panel radially inwardly against an outer surface of said annular barrel portion and said outer annular lip of said annular barrel portion radially outwardly and axially against said first face of said panel, thereby permanently attaching clinch spacer to said panel.

8. The method as defined in claim 7 , wherein said outer annular lip of said annular barrel portion includes an outer face inclined upwardly toward said upper face, and said method includes driving said outer face of said outer annular lip against said second face of said panel.

9. The method as defined in claim 8 , wherein said projecting generally V-shaped annular projecting lip of said die member is defined at a greater angle relative to said planar end face of said die member than said inner face, and said method including driving said annular projecting lip against said planar end face of said die member, thereby further driving said panel radially inwardly.

10. The method as defined in claim 7 , wherein said annular projecting generally V-shaped lip of said die member includes a planar end face inclined radially outwardly from an inner face to an outer face of said generally V-shaped lip of said die member, wherein said method includes driving said planar end face of said projecting generally V-shaped lip against said second face of said panel, further deforming said panel radially inwardly.