PLASTIC COMPONENT WITH CURRENT BUSBARS

Description

State of the art

[0001] The invention relates to a plastic component with busbars according to the preamble of the main claim.

[0002] A fuel delivery module is already known from JP8050046 A2, comprising a plastic component with metallic busbars enclosed within the plastic of the component. These busbars protrude from the plastic component on two sides at exit surfaces for electrical contact. A disadvantage is that a leakage path can develop in the plastic-metal composite between the busbars and the plastic of the component due to delamination. This leakage path leads from one side of the plastic component to the other, allowing fuel vapors from a fuel tank to escape into the atmosphere. Furthermore, it is known from other prior art that busbars each have a rail opening located in the plastic of the component to mechanically anchor the respective busbar within the plastic of the component.

[0003] US 2018 / 261951 A1 discloses a plastic component according to the preamble of claim 1. Advantages of the invention

[0004] In contrast, the plastic component according to the invention with the characterizing features of the main claim has the advantage that the formation of a leakage path in the plastic-metal composite of the plastic component is prevented by having at least one of the busbars have at least one busbar opening located in the plastic of the plastic component, which extends in the direction of the longitudinal extent of the respective busbar to one of the exit surfaces of the plastic component, in particular extends beyond the exit surface, and is filled with plastic of the plastic component.

[0005] The measures listed in the dependent claims enable advantageous further developments and improvements of the plastic component specified in the main claim.

[0006] The plastic component according to the invention has the further advantage that the cross-section of the respective busbar is divided into partial cross-sections by the at least one busbar opening extending to the exit surface, and that each partial cross-section is completely enclosed by the plastic of the plastic component, in particular in a ring-like or annular form. The more square the resulting partial cross-sections are, the lower the tendency for delamination or the risk of a leakage path forming, since the shrinkage forces in the plastic are more uniform over the circumference of the partial cross-section than in an undivided cross-section. This ensures that the seal between the plastic of the plastic component and the busbars is reliably maintained at the exit surface with the busbar opening according to the invention.

[0007] It is also advantageous if the rail opening is an opening through the conductor rail, which is in particular circular or oblong in shape, since in this way every partial cross-section can be completely enclosed by the plastic of the plastic component.

[0008] It is highly advantageous if, in addition to the at least one rail opening extending to the exit surface, the respective conductor rail has at least one further rail opening arranged in the plastic of the plastic component for the mechanical anchoring of the conductor rail, in particular spaced apart from the at least one rail opening extending to the exit surface when viewed in the direction of the longitudinal extent of the conductor rail. In this way, the conductor rails are anchored particularly well in the plastic component.

[0009] It is advantageous if the busbars protrude through a wall of the plastic component and / or are partially embedded in a wall of the plastic component. In this way, a plastic-metal composite is formed within the plastic component, which secures and electrically insulates the busbars.

[0010] Furthermore, it is advantageous if the busbars each have a rail contact at their two ends for electrical connection, which is in particular a contact pin, a contact tongue, a contact tab, a contact blade, or a contact clamp. In this way, the busbars can be easily contacted at their ends by an electrical conductor, whereby the conductor can be, for example, soldered, welded, plugged, or glued to the rail contact.

[0011] Furthermore, it is advantageous if the rail contacts are designed as plug contacts on at least one of the two sides of the plastic component to form a plug connection. This makes connecting the busbar contacts particularly easy.

[0012] The advantage is that the plastic component is manufactured by injection molding, especially from a thermoplastic. This allows the plastic component to be produced particularly cost-effectively.

[0013] Furthermore, the invention relates to a device for conveying fuel, in particular an inline fuel pump or a fuel delivery module, comprising a plastic component according to the invention, wherein the plastic component can be a housing cover of the inline fuel pump or a tank flange of the fuel delivery module, the tank flange of the fuel delivery module being able to tightly seal an opening of a fuel tank. The tightness of a plastic component with integrated busbars is particularly important in devices for conveying fuel in order to prevent the escape of fuel vapors into the atmosphere, especially via potential leakage paths in the plastic component. drawing

[0014] An embodiment of the invention is shown in simplified form in the drawing and explained in more detail in the following description. Fig. 1 shows a plastic component with integrated busbars according to the invention, using an inline fuel pump as an example. Fig. 2 shows a detailed view of the integrated busbars according to the invention in a section through the plastic component according to the invention. Fig.1 and Fig. 3 a partial view of one of the busbars of the plastic component according to the invention Fig.1 and Fig.2 . Description of the exemplary embodiment

[0015] Fig.1 The illustration shows a plastic component with integrated busbars according to the invention, using an inline fuel pump as an example.

[0016] The plastic component 1 has metallic busbars 2 enclosed, in particular overmolded, by the plastic of the plastic component 1. These busbars protrude from the plastic component 1 on two sides 3.1, 3.2 at exit surfaces 4 for electrical contact. The plastic component 1 is thus a composite component comprising plastic and busbars 2 integrated within the plastic. The plastic component 1 is manufactured, for example, by injection molding, where the plastic is, for example, a thermoplastic.

[0017] The exit surface 4 is a surface immediately surrounding an exit opening 8, with the respective busbar 2 exiting the plastic component 1 via the exit opening 8. In the exemplary embodiment, the exit surface 4 comprises four bevels 9 that conform to the four sides of the respective busbar 2.

[0018] The busbars 2 are electrically conductive and serve to establish an electrical connection to the power supply or to create a signal connection. The busbars 2 can therefore be phase rails or signal rails. The busbars 2 have, for example, a rectangular cross-section and are made of sheet metal, for example, stamped out.

[0019] Fig.2 shows a detailed view of the busbars integrated according to the invention in a section through the plastic component according to the invention Fig.1 .

[0020] According to the invention, at least one of the busbars 2, for example each busbar 2, has at least one busbar opening 5 located in the plastic of the plastic component 1 on at least one side 3.1 of the plastic component 1. This opening extends in the direction of the longitudinal extent of the respective busbar 2 up to the associated outlet surface 4 of the plastic component 1, and in particular extends beyond the outlet surface 4, and is filled with plastic of the plastic component 1. In this way, the formation of a leakage path in the plastic component 1 along the busbars 2 is prevented, since the busbar opening 5 according to the invention ensures a tight seal between the plastic of the plastic component 1 and the busbars 2, at least at the outlet surface 4.

[0021] The cross-section of the respective conductor rail 2 is divided into partial cross-sections 2.1 by the at least one rail opening 5 extending to the exit surface 4, wherein each partial cross-section 2.1 is completely enclosed by the plastic of the plastic component 1, in particular in a ring-shaped or ring-like manner.

[0022] The rail opening 5 is an opening through the power rail 2 and can have any shape, for example it can be circular or oblong.

[0023] Fig.3 shows a partial view of one of the busbars of the plastic component according to the invention. Fig.1 and Fig.2 .

[0024] In addition to the rail opening 5 according to the invention, the respective busbar 2 can have at least one further rail opening 6, which is provided in the plastic of the plastic component 1 for the mechanical anchoring of the busbar 2 and is spaced apart from the rail opening 5 according to the invention when viewed in the direction of the longitudinal extension of the busbar 2.

[0025] The busbars 2 extend through the plastic component 1, from one side 3.1 to the other side 3.2 of the plastic component 1, passing through a wall 10 of the plastic component 1 and are thus embedded and / or fixed in the wall 10 of the plastic component 1 in sections.

[0026] The busbars 2 each have at least one busbar contact 7 at both ends for electrical contact, which can be, for example, a contact pin, a contact tongue, a contact tab, a contact blade, or a contact clamp. The busbar contacts 7 can be configured as plug contacts for forming a plug connection on at least one of the two sides 3.1, 3.2 of the plastic component 1.

[0027] The plastic component 1 according to the invention can be used, for example, in a device for conveying fuel, such as, according to the exemplary embodiment, in an inline fuel pump 14. According to the exemplary embodiment, the plastic component 1 is a housing cover 12 of the inline fuel pump 14, which closes a cylindrical pump housing 13 at its end face. The inline fuel pump 14 is arranged outside a fuel tank 15 and is connected via an inlet 16 and an outlet 17 to a fuel supply line 18, which leads from the fuel tank 15 to an internal combustion engine 19. The inlet 16 of the inline fuel pump 14 is connected to a section of the fuel supply line 18 leading to the fuel tank 15, and the outlet 17 is connected to a section of the fuel supply line 18 leading to the internal combustion engine 19.

[0028] The plastic component 1 according to the invention can also be a lid that tightly closes an opening of the fuel tank 15, such as in the case of a tank flange of a fuel delivery module.

[0029] Of course, the plastic component 1 can also be used in any other applications.

Claims

1. Plastics component (1) which has metal busbars (2) which are enclosed, in particular encapsulated, by the plastic of the plastics component (1) and protrude from the plastics component (1) at a respective outlet surface (4) on two sides (3.1, 3.2) of the plastics component (1) for electrical contact-connection, wherein at least one of the busbars (2) has at least one busbar opening (5) lying in the plastic of the plastics component (1), characterized in that the busbar opening (5), as seen in the direction of the longitudinal extent of the respective busbar (2), reaches one of the outlet surfaces (4) of the plastics component (1), in particular reaches beyond the outlet surface (4), and is filled with plastic of the plastics component (1), in that the cross section of the respective busbar (2) is divided into partial cross sections (2.1) by the at least one busbar opening (5) reaching the outlet surface (4), and in that each partial cross section (2.1) is completely enclosed, in particular in a ring-shaped or ring-like manner, by the plastic of the plastics component (1).

2. Plastics component according to Claim 1, characterized in that the busbar opening (5) is an opening which is continuous through the busbar (2) and which is in particular of circular or slot-shaped form.

3. Plastics component according to either of the preceding claims, characterized in that the respective busbar (2) has, in addition to the at least one busbar opening (5) reaching the outlet surface (4), at least one further busbar opening (6) which is arranged in the plastic of the plastics component (1), in particular at a spacing from the busbar opening (5) as seen in the direction of the longitudinal extent of the busbar (2), for mechanical anchoring of the busbar (2).

4. Plastics component according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the busbars (2) protrude through a wall (10) of the plastics component (1) and / or are embedded in a wall (10) of the plastics component (1) in certain portions.

5. Plastics component according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the busbars (2) each have, at their two ends, a busbar contact (7) for electrical contact-connection, which is in particular a contact pin, a contact tongue, a contact tab, a contact blade or a contact clamp.

6. Plastics component according to Claim 5, characterized in that the busbar contacts (7) at least on one of the two sides (3.1, 3.2) of the plastics component (1) are formed as plug contacts for forming a plug connection.

7. Plastics component according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the plastics component (1) is produced by injection moulding, in particular from a thermoplastic.

8. Device for delivering fuel, in particular in-line fuel pump or fuel delivery module, comprising a plastics component (1) according to any of the preceding claims.

9. Device according to Claim 8, characterized in that the plastics component (1) is a housing cover of the in-line fuel pump or a tank flange of the fuel delivery module.