Filter adapter for a fuel injector

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9604165-B2
Application number	US-201514801537-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 16, 2015
Priority date	Jul 16, 2015
Publication date	Mar 28, 2017
Grant date	Mar 28, 2017

Abstract

A filter adapter for a fuel injector is disclosed. The filter adapter may have a filter housing. The filter housing may have a first connection end and a second connection end. The filter housing may also have a through bore extending through the filter housing between the first connection end and the second connection end and forming a filter cavity. The filter adapter may also have a first filter positioned in the filter cavity and including a first plurality of openings and a second filter positioned in the filter cavity and including a second plurality of openings. The first connection end may have a first connector configured to mate with a fuel outlet of a first fuel system component. The second connection end may have a second connector configured to mate with a fuel inlet of a second fuel system component.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A filter adapter for a fuel injector, comprising:
a filter housing extending from a first connection end to a second connection end, the filter housing comprising:
a first section extending from the first connection end towards a thrust face disposed between the first connection end and the second connection end, the first section having a first outer diameter;
a second section extending from the thrust face to the second connection end, the second section having a second outer diameter different from the first outer diameter adjacent the thrust face;
a through bore extending through the filter housing between the first connection end and the second connection end and forming a filter cavity;
a first filter positioned in the filter cavity and including a first plurality of openings, the first filter at least partially disposed in the first section;
a second filter positioned in the filter cavity in the second section and including a second plurality of openings;
a first connector disposed adjacent the first connector end and configured to mate with a fuel outlet of a first fuel system component; and
a second connector disposed adjacent the second connector end and configured to mate with a fuel inlet of a second fuel system component.

2. The filter adapter of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first connector and the second connector is a threaded connector.

3. The filter adapter of claim 1 , wherein
the first connector extends into the through bore from the first connection end, and
the second connector extends into the through bore from the second connection end.

4. The filter adapter of claim 1 , wherein the first outer diameter is greater than the second outer diameter.

5. The filter adapter of claim 1 , further including a third section between the first section and the second section, the third section having a third outer diameter that is greater than the second outer diameter.

6. The filter adapter of claim 5 , wherein the third section defines the thrust face configured to abut an end surface of an adjacent fuel system component.

7. The filter adapter of claim 1 , wherein the first filter includes a cylindrical collar portion disposed in the through bore and a container portion, the container portion including a converging section and a rounded tip.

8. The filter adapter of claim 7 , wherein a wall thickness of the cylindrical collar portion is approximately equal to a wall thickness of the container portion.

9. The filter adapter of claim 7 , wherein the second filter includes a cylindrical collar portion and a container portion, the container portion including a converging section and a rounded tip.

10. The filter adapter of claim 1 , wherein the first filter is press fit into the filter cavity in a first orientation and the second filter is press fit into the filter cavity in a second orientation, and wherein the first orientation and the second orientation are mirror images.

11. The filter adapter of claim 1 , wherein the first filter and the second filter are positioned inside the filter cavity such that a space is formed between the first filter and the second filter.

12. The filter adapter of claim 11 , wherein the space includes an axial length that is greater than a distance equal to half of an axial length of the first filter.

13. A filter adapter for a fuel injector, comprising:
a filter housing extending from a first connection end to a second connection end, the filter housing, comprising:
a first section extending from the first connection end towards a thrust face disposed between the first connection end and the second connection end, the first section having a first outer diameter;
a second section extending from the thrust face to the second connection end, the second section having a second outer diameter different from the first diameter;
a third section disposed between the first section and the second section, the third section having a third outer diameter different from the second diameter;
a through bore extending through the filter housing between the first connection end and the second connection end and forming a filter cavity;
a first filter positioned in the filter cavity and including:
a cylindrical collar portion;
a container portion, the container portion including a converging section and a rounded tip; and
a first plurality of openings formed in the container portion;

a second filter positioned in the filter cavity and including
a cylindrical collar portion;
a container portion, the container portion including a converging section and a rounded tip; and
a second plurality of openings formed in the container portion,

wherein the first filter is press fit into the cavity in a first orientation and the second filter is press fit into the cavity in a second orientation, and wherein the first orientation and the second orientation are mirror images.

14. The filter adapter of claim 13 , wherein the first filter and the second filter are positioned inside the filter cavity such that a space is formed between the first filter and the second filter.

15. The filter adapter of claim 14 , wherein the space includes an axial length that is greater than a distance equal to half of an axial length of the first filter.

16. The filter adapter of claim 15 , wherein the first filter and the second filter are configured to move axially, thereby changing the axial length of the space during operation of the filter adapter.

17. The filter adapter of claim 13 , wherein the first plurality of openings and the second plurality of openings are circular.

18. The filter adapter of claim 17 , wherein the first plurality of openings and the second plurality of openings have a diameter of approximately 65 μm.

19. The filter adapter of claim 13 , wherein a wall thickness of each cylindrical collar portion is approximately equal to a wall thickness of each container portion.

20. A fuel injector for an engine, the fuel injector comprising:
an injector body, comprising:
an injector coupling at a fuel inlet, the injector coupling including a threaded connector; and
an injector outlet; and

a filter adapter, including:
a filter housing extending from a first connection end to a second connection end, the filter housing comprising:
a first section extending from the first connection end towards a thrust face disposed between the first connection end and the second connection end, the first section having a first outer diameter, the thrust face configured to abut an end surface of the injector body;
a second section extending from the thrust face to the second connection end, the second section having a second outer diameter different from the first diameter;
a through bore extending through the filter housing between the first connection end and the second connection end and forming a filter cavity;
a first filter positioned in the filter cavity and including a first plurality of openings; and
a second filter positioned in the filter cavity and including a second plurality of openings;

a first connector disposed adjacent the first connector end and configured to mate with a fuel outlet of a fuel line; and
a second connector disposed adjacent the second connector end and that removably engages the threaded connector such that the filter adapter is removable from the injector body.

Assignees

• Caterpillar Inc

Inventors

• Nair Siddharth

Classifications

• B01D2201/02

  Filtering elements having a conical form · CPC title

• B01D35/005

  Filters specially adapted for use in internal-combustion engine lubrication or fuel systems · CPC title

• B01D29/58

  arranged concentrically or coaxially · CPC title

• B01D35/02

  Filters adapted for location in special places, e.g. pipe-lines, pumps, stop-cocks, (B01D35/05 takes precedence; {water pipe system filters E03B3/18, E03B7/07; dirt catchers in sewers E03F; filters or strainers for pipe-lines in general B08B, E03F; object or dirt catching devices in sinks or the like E03C1/26; suction strainers or filters for pumps F04B53/005, F04D29/70}) · CPC title

• F02M61/165

  Filtering elements specially adapted in fuel inlets to injector · CPC title