USE OF A CARBON COMPOSITE MATERIAL FOR MANUFACTURING ELECTRICAL CONTACT ELEMENTS FOR A FUEL PUMP, AND CONTACT ELEMENT

Abstract

The invention relates to the use of a carbon composite material for manufacturing electrical contact elements of a fuel pump operated in a fuel environment, the contact elements being designed as carbon molds, wherein, in addition to carbon, the carbon composite material comprises a thermosetting or thermoplastic binder and a metal content that amounts to more than 0.5% and less than 25% of the total mass of the carbon composite material.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing electrical contact elements of a fuel pump operated in a fuel environment, the method comprising forming a carbon composite material from carbon, at least one of a thermosetting and a thermoplastic binder, and a metal content comprising no more than 0.5% and less that 25% of the total mass of the carbon composite material; and forming contact elements from the carbon composite material in carbon molds.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of connecting the contact elements of the fuel pump to an automobile on-board electrical system having a line voltage of 12 V.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein the metal content amounts to a maximum of 20% of the total mass of the carbon composite material.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the metal content is added to the carbon composite material in the form of powder.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the metal content comprises metal particles having a particle diameter of up to 1 mm.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein more than 80% of the metal particles have a particle diameter of up to 1 mm.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein more than 95% of the metal particles have a particle diameter of up to 1 mm.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the metal content comprises at least one metal of the group comprising aluminum, zinc and silver.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the metal content is formed by aluminum or an aluminum alloy, and the metal content amounts to more than 0.5% and less than 20% of the total mass of the carbon composite material.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the metal content amounts to a maximum of 10% of the total mass of the carbon composite material.

11. The method according to claim 8, wherein if the metal content is formed by zinc or a zinc alloy, and the metal content amounts to more than 0.5% and less than 20% of the total mass of the carbon composite material.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the metal content amounts to a maximum of 10% of the total mass of the carbon composite material.

13. The method according to claim 8, wherein the metal content is silver or a silver alloy, and the metal content amounts to more than 0.5% and less than 15% of the total mass of the carbon composite material.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the metal content amounts to a maximum of 10% of the total mass of the carbon composite material.

15. The according to claim 8, wherein a metal content comprising a plurality of metals is added to the carbon composite material as an alloy.

16. The according to claim 8, wherein a metal content comprising a plurality of metals is added to the carbon composite material as a mixture.

17. (canceled)

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the contact element is designed as a carbon brush.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the contact element is designed as a commutator segment of a commutator.

20. A fuel pump comprising at least one carbon brush according to claim 18.

21. A fuel pump comprising at least one commutator segment according to claim 19.

Description

[0023] In a first embodiment, the material used for manufacturing a carbon brush contains, in relation to the total mass of the carbon composite material: [0024] 14% thermoplastic binder material, [0025] 80% graphite, [0026] 1% cleaning agent and [0027] 5% aluminum powder.

[0028] According to a second embodiment, the material used for manufacturing a carbon brush contains, in relation to the total mass of the carbon composite material: [0029] 7% thermosetting binder, [0030] 80% graphite, [0031] 5% solid lubricant, [0032] 1% cleaning agent, [0033] 7% aluminum powder.

[0034] According to a third embodiment, the material used for manufacturing a carbon brush contains, in relation to the total mass of the carbon composite material: [0035] 10% thermoplastic binder, [0036] 67% graphite, [0037] 5% solid lubricant, [0038] 1% cleaning agent, [0039] 17% zinc powder.

[0040] According to a fourth embodiment, the material used for manufacturing a carbon brush contains, in relation to the total mass of the carbon composite material: [0041] 7% thermosetting binder, [0042] 80% graphite, [0043] 5% solid lubricant, [0044] 1% cleaning agent, [0045] 7% silver powder.

[0046] According to a fifth embodiment, the material used for manufacturing a commutator segment contains, in relation to the total mass of the carbon composite material: [0047] 10% thermoplastic binder, [0048] 80% graphite, [0049] 4% carbon fiber, [0050] 6% aluminum powder.

[0051] According to a sixth embodiment, the material used for manufacturing a commutator segment contains, in relation to the total mass of the carbon composite material: [0052] 10% thermosetting binder, [0053] 75% graphite, [0054] 15% zinc powder.

[0055] According to a seventh embodiment, the material used for manufacturing a commutator segment contains, in relation to the total mass of the carbon composite material: [0056] 10% thermoplastic binder, [0057] 76% graphite, [0058] 2% carbon fiber, [0059] 12% aluminum powder.

[0060] According to an eighth embodiment, the material used for manufacturing a commutator segment contains, in relation to the total mass of the carbon composite material: [0061] 11% thermosetting binder, [0062] 80% graphite, [0063] 4% carbon fiber, [0064] 5% silver powder.