Connector

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11092123-B2
Application number	US-202016856441-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 23, 2020
Priority date	Jul 23, 2018
Publication date	Aug 17, 2021
Grant date	Aug 17, 2021

Abstract

A connector includes: a connector body formed in a tubular shape; and a valve body stored inside the connector body, the valve body being configured to, when high-pressure fuel does not flow back, come into a first state in which a forward flow path is formed between the valve body and an inner circumferential surface of the connector body by a pressure of low-pressure fuel, and when high-pressure fuel flows back, come into a second state in which an orifice flow path having a smaller flow path sectional area than the forward flow path is formed between the valve body and the inner circumferential surface of the connector body.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A connector to be connected to a low-pressure pipe through which low-pressure fuel supplied from a low-pressure pump flows, in a fuel supply system in which the low-pressure fuel is pressurized by a high-pressure pump and high-pressure fuel is supplied to an internal combustion engine, the connector comprising:
a connector body formed in a tubular shape, the connector body including a small-diameter tube portion and a large-diameter tube portion; and
a valve body stored inside the connector body, the valve body being configured to, when the high-pressure fuel does not flow back, come into a first state in which a forward flow path is formed between the valve body and an inner circumferential surface of the connector body by a pressure of the low-pressure fuel, and when the high-pressure fuel flows back, come into a second state in which an orifice flow path having a smaller flow path sectional area than the forward flow path is formed between the valve body and the inner circumferential surface of the connector body, wherein:
the valve body includes:
a valve main body portion configured to form the forward flow path and the orifice flow path between the valve main body portion and the inner circumferential surface of the connector body;
a first restriction portion formed integrally with the valve main body portion and configured to restrict a posture of the valve body relative to the connector body by coming into contact with the inner circumferential surface of the connector body, the restriction portion including a plurality of first claw-shaped portions; and
a second restriction portion formed integrally with the valve main body portion on a side opposite the first restriction portion, the second restriction portion including a plurality of second claw-shape portions,

the first restriction portion is a small-diameter restriction portion and the second restriction portion is a large-diameter restriction portion having a larger diameter than the small-diameter restriction portion,
the second restriction portion is configured to be contactable with an inner circumferential surface of the large-diameter tube portion to thereby restrict an attitude of the valve body relative to the connector body, and
the first restriction portion is configured to be contactable with an inner circumferential surface of the small-diameter tube portion to thereby restrict the attitude of the valve body relative to the connector body.

2. The connector according to claim 1 , wherein
an outer circumferential surface of the valve main body portion is formed in a partially spherical shape.

3. The connector according to claim 1 , wherein
the orifice flow path comprises a plurality of orifice flow paths arranged in a circumferential direction of the connector.

4. The connector according to claim 1 , wherein
the orifice flow path is formed only between the inner circumferential surface of the connector body and the valve body.

5. The connector according to claim 1 , wherein
the connector body includes a first contact portion configured to, when the valve body is in the first state, become distant from the valve body so as to form the forward flow path, and when the valve body is in the second state, come into contact with the valve body so as to restrict flow of the high-pressure fuel,
the connector further comprising a spring configured to energize the valve body toward the first contact portion of the connector body.

6. The connector according to claim 5 , wherein
the spring is a coil spring, and
the valve body includes a mounting portion for mounting the coil spring which is the energizing member.

7. The connector according to claim 5 , wherein
the valve body includes:
a second contact portion configured to, when the valve body is in the first state, become distant from the first contact portion so as to form the forward flow path, and when the valve body is in the second state, come into contact with the first contact portion so as to restrict the flow of the high-pressure fuel; and
a second contact portion orifice groove provided so as to be adjacent to the second contact portion in a circumferential direction of the connector, the second contact portion orifice groove being configured to form the orifice flow path when the valve body is in the second state.

8. The connector according to claim 7 , wherein the second contact portion orifice groove includes a plurality of second contact portion orifice grooves disposed along the circumferential direction.

9. The connector according to claim 8 , wherein the plurality of second contact portion orifice grooves are disposed at regular intervals along the circumferential direction.

10. The connector according to claim 7 , wherein the second contact portion orifice groove has a curved concave cross-section when viewed in a radial direction of the connector.

11. The connector according to claim 5 , wherein
the connector body includes a first contact portion orifice groove provided so as to be adjacent to the first contact portion in a circumferential direction of the connector, the first contact portion orifice groove being configured to form the orifice flow path when the valve body is in the second state.

12. The connector according to claim 11 , wherein the first contact portion orifice groove includes a plurality of first contact portion orifice grooves disposed along the circumferential direction.

13. The connector according to claim 12 , wherein the plurality of first contact portion orifice grooves are disposed at regular intervals along the circumferential direction.

14. The connector according to claim 11 , wherein the first contact portion orifice groove has a curved concave cross-section when viewed in a radial direction of the connector.

Assignees

• Sumitomo Riko Co Ltd

Inventors

• KANEGAE Ryousuke
• Takimoto Yorihiro
• Shibata Ryuji
• Kodaka Yoshiki
• Ito Makoto

Classifications

• F02M37/0023

  Valves in the fuel supply and return system · CPC title

• F02M55/00

  Fuel-injection apparatus characterised by their fuel conduits or their venting means; {Arrangements of conduits between fuel tank and pump F02M37/00 (venting in general B01D19/00)} · CPC title

• F02M55/04

  Means for damping vibrations {or pressure fluctuations} in injection pump inlets {or outlets} · CPC title

• F02M37/0017 Primary

  related to fuel pipes or their connections, e.g. joints or sealings (F02M55/004 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F02M37/00

  Apparatus or systems for feeding liquid fuel from storage containers to carburettors or fuel-injection apparatus; Arrangements for purifying liquid fuel specially adapted for, or arranged on, internal-combustion engines · CPC title