Fuel rail assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10132282-B2
Application number	US-201314415396-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 22, 2013
Priority date	Jul 23, 2012
Publication date	Nov 20, 2018
Grant date	Nov 20, 2018

Abstract

A fuel rail assembly for a combustion engine includes a fuel rail, a plurality of fuel injector cups arranged and configured to face a cylinder head of a combustion engine and being hydraulically and mechanically coupled to the fuel rail directly or via pipe elements, and at least one support element configured to be fixedly coupled to the cylinder head. The at least one support element is fixedly coupled to two of the injector cups or to two of the pipe elements being coupled to the injector cups.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fuel rail assembly for a combustion engine, the fuel rail assembly comprising:
a fuel rail,
at least four fuel injector cups, each fuel injector cup arranged and configured to face a cylinder head of the combustion engine and being hydraulically and mechanically coupled to the fuel rail via a respective first, second, third, and fourth pipe element, and
a first support element and a second support element, each of the first and second support elements configured to be fixedly coupled to the cylinder head with a connector passing through the respective support elements,
wherein the first and second support elements are spaced apart from each other and laterally displaced and spaced apart from the fuel rail,
wherein the first support element is brazed or welded to the first pipe element and to the second pipe element and not directly coupled to a first two of the at least four injector cups which are directly coupled to the first and second pipe elements, respectively, and wherein the second support element is brazed or welded to the third pipe element and to the fourth pipe element and not directly coupled to a second two of the at least four injector cups which are directly coupled to the third and fourth pipe elements, respectively.

2. The fuel rail assembly of claim 1 , wherein:
the first and second pipe elements are positioned adjacent to each other and the third and fourth pipe elements are positioned adjacent to each other,
the first support element is fixedly coupled to the first and second pipe elements by brazed or welded joints and spaced apart from the third and fourth pipe elements and from the two second fuel injector cups, and
the second support element is fixedly coupled to the third and fourth pipe elements by brazed or welded joints and spaced apart from the first and second pipe elements and from the two first fuel injector cups.

3. The fuel rail assembly of claim 2 , wherein the first and second pipe elements are curved or bent such that the first and second fuel injector cups and the first and second support elements are laterally displaced with respect to a longitudinal axis of the fuel rail in a top view along a mounting direction.

4. The fuel rail assembly of claim 3 , wherein the first and second support elements are fixed to portions of the respective first and second pipe elements that extend parallel to the mounting direction and downstream of portions of the respective first and second pipe elements that extend obliquely or curved with respect to the mounting direction.

5. The fuel rail assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first support element has mirror symmetry with respect to a mirror plane extending between the first and second pipe elements, and the second support element has mirror symmetry with respect to a mirror plane extending between the third and fourth second pipe elements, wherein the mirror planes are parallel to a mounting direction of the fuel rail assembly.

6. The fuel rail assembly of claim 5 , wherein the two adjacent first and second pipes are arranged symmetrically to the mirror plane extending between the respective adjacent pipes.

7. The fuel rail assembly of claim 1 , wherein the fuel rail assembly comprises:
at least two fastening elements configured to fixedly couple the first support element to the cylinder head, and
at least two further fastening elements configured to fixedly couple the second support element to the cylinder head.

8. The fuel rail assembly of claim 1 , wherein the fuel rail assembly comprises:
one, and only one, fastening element configured to fixedly couple the first support element to the cylinder head and
one, and only one, further fastening element configured to fixedly couple the second support element to the cylinder head.

9. The fuel rail assembly of claim 7 , wherein the fastening elements and further fastening elements are laterally displaced with respect to the fuel rail such that the fuel rail does not overlap the fastening elements and further fastening elements in a top view along a mounting direction of the fuel rail assembly.

10. The fuel rail assembly of claim 7 , wherein at least one of the fastening elements or further fastening elements is a screw.

11. A combustion engine, comprising:
a fuel rail assembly comprising:
a fuel rail,
at least four fuel injector cups, each fuel injector cup arranged and configured to face a cylinder head of the combustion engine and being hydraulically and mechanically coupled to the fuel rail via a respective first, second, third, and fourth pipe element, and
a first support element and a second support element, each of the first and second support elements configured to be fixedly coupled to the cylinder head with a connector passing through the respective support elements,
wherein the first and second support elements are spaced apart from each other and laterally displaced and spaced apart from the fuel rail,
wherein the first support element is brazed or welded to the first pipe element and to the second pipe element and not directly coupled to a first two of the at least four injector cups which are directly coupled to the first and second pipe elements, respectively, and wherein the second support element is brazed or welded to the third pipe element and to the fourth pipe element and not directly coupled to a second two of the at least four injector cups which are directly coupled to the third and fourth pipe elements, respectively.

12. The combustion engine of claim 11 , wherein:
the first and second pipe elements are positioned adjacent to each other and the third and fourth pipe elements are positioned adjacent to each other,
the first support element is fixedly coupled to the first and second pipe elements by brazed or welded joints and spaced apart from the third and fourth pipe elements and from the two second fuel injector cups, and
the second support element is fixedly coupled to the third and fourth pipe elements by brazed or welded joints and spaced apart from the first and second pipe elements and from the two first fuel injector cups.

13. The combustion engine of claim 12 , wherein the first and second pipe elements are curved or bent such that the first and second fuel injector cups and the first and second support elements are laterally displaced with respect to a longitudinal axis of the fuel rail in a top view along a mounting direction.

14. The combustion engine of claim 13 , wherein the first and second support elements are fixed to portions of the respective first and second pipe elements that extend parallel to the mounting direction and downstream of portions of the respective first and second pipe elements that extend obliquely or curved with respect to the mounting direction.

15. The combustion engine of claim 11 , wherein the first support element has mirror symmetry with respect to a mirror plane extending between the first and second pipe elements, and the second support element has mirror symmetry with respect to a mirror plane extending between the third and fourth pipe elements, wherein the mirror planes are parallel to a mounting direction of the fuel rail assembly.

16. The combustion engine of claim 15 , wherein the two adjacent first and second pipes are arranged symmetrically to the mirror plane extending between the respective adjacent pipes.

17. The combustion engine of claim 11 , wherein the fuel rail assembly comprises:
at least two fastening elements configured to fixedly couple the first support element to the cylinder head, and
at least two further fastening element

Assignees

• Continental Automotive Gmbh

Inventors

• Mechi Marco
• Marc Daniel

Classifications

• F02M61/14

  Arrangements of injectors with respect to engines; Mounting of injectors · CPC title

• F02M2200/855

  using clamp elements or fastening means, e.g. bolts or screws · CPC title

• F02M55/025 Primary

  Common rails · CPC title

• F02M2200/857

  characterised by mounting fuel or common rail to engine · CPC title

• F02M63/0275 Primary

  Arrangement of common rails · CPC title