Panel screw clinching anvil

Abstract

An anvil for clinching a screw with a panel. The anvil includes an opening, a recess communicating with the opening, and raised ridges formed near the opening. When the threads of the screw are inserted through the panel and into the opening and recess of the anvil, and then a head of the screw is pressed against the panel, the ridges on the anvil deform the underside of the panel, thereby captivating the screw with the panel.

1 . An anvil for use in captivating a screw to a panel, comprising:
 a solid body having an opening on one end thereof communicating with a recess, and at least one raised ridge on the one end, wherein the opening and recess are formed to be slightly larger than a diameter of the screw.   
     
     
         2 . The anvil of  claim 1 , wherein the raised ridge is formed immediately adjacent the opening. 
     
     
         3 . The anvil of  claim 1 , further comprising a transition portion formed between the raised ridge and the one end of the body. 
     
     
         4 . The anvil of  claim 3 , wherein the transition portion is formed between the raised ridge and the opening on the body. 
     
     
         5 . The anvil of  claim 1 , wherein the raised ridge is an annular ridge. 
     
     
         6 . The anvil of  claim 1 , wherein the raised ridge is a series of discrete ridges. 
     
     
         7 . An anvil for clinching a screw to a panel, the panel having a hole of a first diameter for receiving the screw, wherein the first diameter is slightly larger than threads of the screw, comprising:
 a body having a recessed portion within the body, an opening at one end of the body communicating with the recessed portion, and a raised portion on the one end of the body, wherein the opening and recessed portion are formed to have the first diameter;   whereupon inserting threads of the screws through the panel and into the recessed portion of the body and then pressing a head of the screw against the panel, the raised portion of the body deforms the panel adjacent the opening thereby captivating the screw with the panel.   
     
     
         8 . The anvil of  claim 7 , wherein the body is cylindrical in shape, the recessed portion is formed coaxially within the body, and the opening is circular. 
     
     
         9 . The anvil of  claim 7 , wherein the raised portion is formed as one or more ridges. 
     
     
         10 . The anvil of  claim 9 , wherein the ridges are formed as linear structures. 
     
     
         11 . The anvil of  claim 9 , wherein the ridges are formed as annular structures surrounding a circular opening.