Accumulator centering mechanism

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10167831-B2
Application number	US-201715406368-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 13, 2017
Priority date	Jan 13, 2017
Publication date	Jan 1, 2019
Grant date	Jan 1, 2019

Abstract

A resilient seal member disposed in an alignment groove of an accumulator body centers the accumulator body in an oversized accumulator bore of a cylinder head to prevent assembly damage. The seal member can compress to allow the accumulator body to move off center within the accumulator bore so that an end may be received by and form a seal with a port of a fuel injector. The alignment groove and the seal member are configured so that cooling fluid can flow past the seal member when the accumulator body is installed. In one implementation, the accumulator body includes at least one fluid flow channel at the alignment groove having a depth greater than the alignment groove so fluid can flow through the channel to pass the seal member.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An accumulator body for an accumulator assembly in an engine assembly of a machine, where the engine assembly further includes a fuel injector having a high pressure fluid inlet port, and a cylinder head having a fuel injector bore surface defining a fuel injector bore in which the fuel injector is disposed, and an accumulator bore surface defining an accumulator bore having an accumulator bore inner diameter and an accumulator bore longitudinal axis and intersecting the fuel injector bore at a bore intersection area at which the high pressure fluid inlet port is aligned, the accumulator body comprising:
an injector interface end dimensioned to be received by the high pressure fluid inlet port of the fuel injector;
an accumulator body outer surface having a shape that is complimentary to the accumulator bore surface, an accumulator body longitudinal axis and an accumulator body outer diameter that is less than the accumulator bore inner diameter so that the accumulator bore surface and the accumulator body outer surface define an annular gap there between when the accumulator body is disposed within the accumulator bore and the accumulator body longitudinal axis is aligned coincident with the accumulator bore longitudinal axis;
an alignment groove surface defining an alignment groove in the accumulator body outer surface having an alignment groove depth that is radially inward from the accumulator body outer surface and an alignment groove longitudinal width; and
a first fluid flow channel surface defining a first fluid flow channel in the accumulator body that is disposed at the alignment groove, the first fluid flow channel having a fluid flow channel depth that is radially inward from the accumulator body outer surface and is greater than the alignment groove depth, and a fluid flow channel longitudinal length that is at least equal to the alignment groove longitudinal width, wherein, when an annular seal member is disposed on the accumulator body and within the alignment groove and the accumulator body is disposed within the accumulator bore, a seal outer edge surface engages the accumulator bore surface to align the accumulator body within the accumulator bore, a seal inner edge surface engages the alignment groove surface at locations other than the at the first fluid flow channel to prevent fluid flow between the seal inner edge surface and the alignment groove surface, and the seal inner edge surface does not engage the first fluid flow channel surface to allow fluid in the annular gap to flow past the seal member between the seal inner edge surface and the first fluid flow channel surface.

2. The accumulator body of claim 1 , wherein the fluid flow channel longitudinal length is greater than the alignment groove longitudinal width.

3. The accumulator body of claim 2 , wherein the first fluid flow channel is longitudinally aligned with the alignment groove so that the first fluid flow channel extends longitudinally in both directions beyond the alignment groove.

4. The accumulator body of claim 1 , comprising a second fluid flow channel surface diametrically opposite the first fluid flow channel surface and defining a second fluid flow channel in the accumulator body that is disposed at the alignment groove, the second fluid flow channel having the fluid flow channel depth and the fluid flow channel longitudinal length of the first fluid flow channel, wherein the seal inner edge surface engages the alignment groove surface at locations other than the at the first fluid flow channel and the second fluid flow channel to prevent fluid flow between the seal inner edge surface and the alignment groove surface, and the seal inner edge surface does not engage the second fluid flow channel surface to allow fluid to flow past the seal member between the seal inner edge surface and the second fluid flow channel surface.

5. An accumulator assembly comprising:
the accumulator body of claim 1 ; and
a seal member disposed on the accumulator body and within the alignment groove and having a seal outer edge surface and a seal inner edge surface, wherein the seal member does not cover the first fluid flow channel and the seal inner edge surface does not engage the first fluid flow channel surface so that cooling fluid in the annular gap can flow past the seal member through the first fluid flow channel between the seal inner edge surface and the first fluid flow channel.

6. The accumulator assembly of claim 5 , wherein the seal member has a seal radial thickness relative to the accumulator body longitudinal axis that is greater than the alignment groove depth so that the seal outer edge surface extends radially outwardly beyond the accumulator body outer surface and engages the accumulator bore surface to align the accumulator body for insertion of the injector interface end into the high pressure fluid inlet port of the fuel injector and to maintain the annular gap between the accumulator bore surface and the accumulator body outer surface.

7. The accumulator assembly of claim 5 , wherein the seal inner edge surface of the seal member engages the alignment groove surface at locations other than at the first fluid flow channel to prevent flow of cooling fluid between the seal inner edge surface of the seal member and the alignment groove surface.

8. An accumulator assembly for an engine assembly of a machine, where the engine assembly further includes a fuel injector having a high pressure fluid inlet port, and a cylinder head having a fuel injector bore surface defining a fuel injector bore in which the fuel injector is disposed, and an accumulator bore surface defining an accumulator bore having an accumulator bore inner diameter and an accumulator bore longitudinal axis and intersecting the fuel injector bore at a bore intersection area at which the high pressure fluid inlet port is aligned, the accumulator assembly comprising:
an accumulator body comprising
an injector interface end dimensioned to be received by the high pressure fluid inlet port of the fuel injector,
an accumulator body outer surface having a shape that is complimentary to the accumulator bore surface, an accumulator body longitudinal axis and an accumulator body outer diameter that is less than the accumulator bore inner diameter so that the accumulator bore surface and the accumulator body outer surface define an annular gap there between when the accumulator body is disposed within the accumulator bore and the accumulator body longitudinal axis is aligned coincident with the accumulator bore longitudinal axis, and
an alignment groove surface defining an alignment groove in the accumulator body outer surface having an alignment groove depth that is radially inward from the accumulator body outer surface and an alignment groove longitudinal width; and
a seal member disposed on the accumulator body and within the alignment groove and having a seal inner edge surface engaging the alignment groove surface to prevent fluid flow there between, and a seal outer edge surface having a plurality of accumulator bore engagement portions that extend radially outwardly beyond the accumulator body outer surface and engage the accumulator bore surface to align the accumulator body for insertion of the injector interface end into the high pressure fluid inlet port of the fuel injector, wherein the seal outer edge surface does not engage the accumulator bore surface between adjacent accumulator bore engagement portions to define fluid flow gaps between the seal outer edge surface and the accumulator bore surface so that cooling fluid can flow past the seal member through the fluid flow gaps between the seal outer edge surface and the accumulator bore surface.

9. The accumulator

Assignees

• Caterpillar Inc

Inventors

• Herr Michael Curtis
• Carlson Joshua David

Classifications

• F02F1/242

  Arrangement of spark plugs or injectors · CPC title

• F02M55/025

  Common rails · CPC title

• F02M55/005

  for high pressure conduits, e.g. connected to pump outlet or to injector inlet · CPC title

• F02M55/008

  Arrangement of fuel passages inside of injectors · CPC title

• F02M61/168

  Assembling; Disassembling; Manufacturing; Adjusting · CPC title