Electrical connectors – With circuit conductors and safety grounding provision – Grounding to pipe – rod or conduit
Reexamination Certificate
1999-02-08
2001-09-04
Abrams, Neil (Department: 2839)
Electrical connectors
With circuit conductors and safety grounding provision
Grounding to pipe, rod or conduit
C123S470000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06283772
ABSTRACT:
PRIOR ART
The invention is based on a fastening device for securing a subassembly to a body of a fuel delivery system.
A fuel delivery system of an internal combustion engine, preferably in a motor vehicle, usually includes a number of subassemblies. In the fuel delivery system, a fuel pump feeds fuel from a fuel tank by way of various subassemblies until the fuel finally reaches a combustion chamber of the engine. One of the subassemblies, for example, is a pressure regulator, a pressure reducer, a fuel accumulator, a pressure damper, a fuel filter, or the like.
It can be the case that one of the subassemblies, for example the pressure regulator or the pressure reducer, is itself electrically conductive or a component of this subassembly is electrically conductive, wherein the electrically conductive component or the subassembly, however, is disposed in an electrically insulated manner, for example by virtue of the fact that the subassembly is disposed on a base body comprised of nonconductive plastic.
In the subassembly with an electrically conductive component, an electrostatic charging of the electrically conductive component can occur by means of an electrical charge separation. Since the electrostatic charging of the electrically conductive component usually does not cause any trouble, and in particular does not cause any functional interruption, the electrostatic charging of the electrically conductive component is normally not noticed or at least is not perceived. Because there are subassemblies through which the fuel flows, through a narrow gap, for example with a high flow velocity, e.g. in a pressure regulator or pressure reducer, the electrostatic charging of the electrically conductive component can be very intense.
Sometimes in a fuel delivery system, luckily very rarely, it has been possible for a fire or an explosion to occur with a cause that could not be explained. The inventor of the present patent application is of the view that at least part of these unexplainable fires were caused by electrostatic charging of an electrically insulated component of a subassembly of the fuel delivery system.
In order to be able to assemble the fuel delivery system inexpensively, it is important that the labor cost for attaching the subassembly to a body of the fuel delivery system is low and it is important that the subassembly is reliably secured to the body.
German patent application DE 40 07 436 C2 discloses a fastening device for a pressure regulator which is connected to a fuel delivery system above a cup-shaped receptacle and is fixed by means of a fastening element that engages in a collar of the receptacle, wherein the fastening element is embodied as a ring that is elastic in the radially outward direction, which engages in the receptacle with a positive fit. With this fastening device, a reliable electrical contact between the fastening element and the pressure regulator is not assured. Furthermore, with this fastening device, a special tool is required to install the fastening element into the receptacle.
Since it is not assured that the pressure regulator and the fastening element are pressed together under all circumstances, a continual, reliable electrical contact between the pressure regulator and the fastening element is not assured.
ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION
The fastening device according to the invention, has the advantage over the prior art that a reliable electrical contact between the subassembly and the fastening element is assured under all circumstances.
The reliable electrical contact between the subassembly and the fastening element offers a simple, advantageous possibility of preventing an electrostatic charging of the subassembly by way of the fastening element and thus eliminates a source of danger.
Because of the possibility for the electrical contacting of the subassembly by way of the fastening element, a changing of the subassembly is advantageously not required in order to be able to connect the subassembly
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to a definite electrical potential.
Since it is simple to provide the fastening element with a favorable elasticity lateral to the securing direction, the assurance of a favorable electrical contact between the subassembly and the fastening element can advantageously be easily achieved even with high measurement tolerances.
Advantageous improvements and updates of the fastening device are possible by means of the measures taken hereinafter.
The connection on the fastening element offers the advantage that an electrical conductor can be simply connected to the fastening element.
If the connection is embodied in the form of a flat plug contact, then this has the advantage that the electrical conductor can be simply plugged together with the fastening element.
If the fastening element is embodied, at least in the elastic region, as thinner lateral to the securing direction than it is in the securing direction, then this produces the advantage that the subassembly is secured against the body in a relatively rigid manner in the securing direction, but lateral to the securing direction, the fastening element is elastically flexible in a relatively favorable manner and is consequently favorably resilient.
If a securing element is provided on the body and this element is elastic lateral to the securing direction and engages behind the fastening element in the assembled state, then the advantage is obtained that the fastening element can be very simply mounted on the body.
The locking element achieves the advantage that after the fastening element is mounted on the body, a continual and reliable securing of the fastening element to the body is assured without this requiring a high material cost, in particular, the securing element on the body can be embodied in a relatively material-saving manner.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3999825 (1976-12-01), Cannon
patent: 4107452 (1978-08-01), Razvi
patent: 4367718 (1983-01-01), Heine
patent: 5070844 (1991-12-01), Daly
patent: 5092300 (1992-03-01), Imoehl et al.
patent: 5104159 (1992-04-01), Sugiyama et al.
patent: 5146896 (1992-09-01), Imoehl et al.
patent: 5281761 (1994-01-01), Woo et al.
patent: 5664809 (1997-09-01), Bates
patent: 4007436 (1991-09-01), None
Braun Hans-Peter
Woerz Stefan
Abrams Neil
Greigg Edwin E.
Greigg Ronald E.
Robert & Bosch GmbH
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