FIELD

The present invention relates to a mounting element, a mounting set, a method for mounting, and a component. The present invention relates in particular to a mounting element, a mounting set and a method for mounting a terminal element to a component housing of a component body by extrusion-coating the component body at least in part with a coating material, and to a component which is formed using the mounting element, the mounting set and/or the method for mounting.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

In the industrial manufacture of components, frequently multiple component parts have to be connected to one another and then have to be jointly enclosed by an embedding coating material. For this purpose, mounting elements are used which hold two component parts together and position them relative to one another, whereby the positioning is to be maintained during the coating. In the case of many valves, for example, it is necessary to electrically contact electrical terminals of a base body of the valve using a plug and then to embed in the coating material at least a portion of the base body and its housing, as well as the electrical terminals and the contacting plug. For contacting the plug, i.e., for the pre-mounting, mounting clips are used as mounting elements for holding and positioning, which carry the plug to be contacted and are attached to the housing of the base body of the valve by a force fit and/or a form fit for pre-mounting. During the coating, the mounting clip is embedded as a lost element in the coating material.

Traditionally, existing mounting elements are unable in any event to maintain the initially selected positioning between the component parts during the coating process, whereby a relatively large degree of production variances occur.

SUMMARY

An example mounting element according to the present invention may have the advantage over the related art that the initially selected position between component parts that are held to one another may be maintained even during a coating process, whereby a higher degree of reliability during production occurs. According to the present invention, this is achieved by an example mounting element, and in particular a retaining element or a clip, provided for mounting a terminal element at a component housing of a component body by extrusion-coating the component body at least in part with a coating material, which is designed (i) for holding and positioning a terminal element at a component housing of a component body while the component body is being coated at least in part with a coating material, and (ii) to be accommodated at least in part in the interior of a molding tool during the coating. The mounting element according to the present invention includes at least two support elements which are designed in such a way that they are supported on an inner surface of the molding tool when the mounting element is held at the component housing of the component body while the component body and the mounting element are accommodated in the interior of the molding tool.

Preferred refinements of the present invention are described herein.

Generally, all geometries which ensure the support function are possible for the design of the support elements. However, geometries are preferred which do not adversely affect the handling of the mounting element. For example, the support elements should not make it more difficult, or should not make it significantly more difficult, to attach the mounting element at the component body and in particular at the component housing. When using a clip, for example, this means that the force that has to be overcome in order to attach the clip should be increased at most very little by providing the support elements.

In the example mounting element according to the present invention, a particularly simple and suitable structure is obtained if, according to one preferred refinement, a respective support element is designed as a support knob.

A respective knob may for example be designed essentially in the shape of a cylinder, a cone or a truncated cone, a pyramid or a truncated pyramid, a prism or a truncated prism, a sphere or a portion of a sphere, an ellipsoid or a portion of an ellipsoid.

In another advantageous refinement, the number and/or the mutual geometric arrangement and/or orientation are alternatively or additionally designed relative to one another and/or relative to the geometry of an underlying body of the mounting element and/or of an underlying molding tool.

The number, the positioning and/or the orientation of the support elements may be selected in such a way that the latter are supported for example counter to the direction of flow of the coating material during the coating.

In one preferred specific embodiment of the mounting element according to the present invention, a plurality of support elements are formed in pairs at the mounting element.

As an alternative or in addition, elements of a respective pair of support elements may be attached to the mounting element essentially opposite one another—in particular diametrically opposite one another—with respect to the mounting element, in particular with respect to a center of gravity, an axis of the figure, an axis of symmetry and/or a plane of symmetry of the mounting element, in order to form a pair made up of a bearing and a counter-bearing when supported on the inner surface while accommodated in the interior of a molding tool.

In another advantageous additional or alternative refinement of the mounting element according to the present invention, this is designed in the form of a one-material piece.

In addition or as an alternative, the mounting element according to the present invention may be designed with a flexible and/or pretensioned clip area, which is configured to encompass an area of a component housing in a spring-pretensioned, form-fitting and/or force-fitting manner with bearings and counter-bearings for holding and positioning at the component housing.

In another advantageous embodiment, the mounting element according to the present invention is designed with a connecting element for accommodating and holding the terminal element, and/or with or made of a material that differs from a provided coating material for the coating to be formed.

Furthermore, the present invention also relates to a mounting set for mounting a terminal element at a component housing of a component body by extrusion-coating the component body at least in part with a coating material.

The mounting set according to the present invention includes a mounting element of the type according to the present invention and also a molding tool, it being possible for the latter to be configured in the manner of an injection mold or casting mold.

In the mounting set according to the present invention, the molding tool is configured to accommodate the mounting element, which holds and positions a terminal element, in its interior in such a way that, in the accommodated state, support elements of the mounting element are supported on an inner surface of the molding tool, in particular in the manner of bearings and counter-bearings.

In one advantageous specific embodiment of the mounting set according to the present invention, it includes a coating material in liquid or past-like form, which is different, in particular, from a material underlying the mounting element, in particular in terms of its composition.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a method for mounting a terminal element at a component body or at a component housing of a component body is also provided.

In the provided example method for mounting a terminal element, at least one mounting element according to the present invention is used and in particular the mounting set according to the present invention, the terminal element being held and positioned at a component body or at a component housing of a component body with the aid of the mounting element.

According to one refinement of the example method according to the invention, in the held state, the mounting element holding and positioning the terminal element is accommodated, together with at least a portion of the component body or of the component housing of the component body, in the interior of a molding tool and in particular of the molding tool of the mounting set in such a way that support elements are supported on an inner surface of the molding tool.

In another advantageous embodiment of the method according to the present invention, in a state in which the mounting element holding and positioning the terminal element is accommodated in the interior of the molding tool and in which support elements of the mounting element are supported on an inner surface of the molding tool, a coating material and in particular the coating material of the mounting set is filled into the molding tool and in particular is cured.

Thereafter, the molding tool is preferably then removed to expose the mounting element in order to finish the component including component body, terminal element, and mounting element.

According to another preferred refinement of the method according to the present invention, a valve, a fuel injector or a high-pressure valve or a base body of a valve, a fuel injector or a high-pressure valve is used as the component body.

In addition or as an alternative, a plug element or a flat plug made of an electrically conductive material and in particular of metal may be used as the terminal element in the method according to the present invention, and in particular, prior to a coating, the plug element as the terminal element is electrically connected to a power supply and/or control connections of the valve or base body of the valve, for example by welding or soldering.

In preferred embodiments of the method according to the present invention for mounting, a valve, a fuel injector or a high-pressure valve is thus produced.

Finally, another aspect of the present invention is to provide a component, in particular an electrical component, a valve, a high-pressure valve or a fuel injector.

The component according to the present invention has a coating, in which a mounting element according to the present invention is embedded at least in part.

In particular, the component according to the present invention is produced on the basis of a specific embodiment of the method according to the present invention for mounting.

