Fuel injector

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9856841-B2
Application number	US-201514704144-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 5, 2015
Priority date	May 30, 2014
Publication date	Jan 2, 2018
Grant date	Jan 2, 2018

Abstract

A fuel injector is provided and may include an injector body and an injector valve. The injector body may define a longitudinally extending chamber and may include a first intake port, a second intake port and a fuel injection port. The injector valve may be disposed within the chamber and may include a longitudinally extending aperture in fluid communication with the longitudinally extending chamber. The injector valve may be configured to prevent fluid communication between the first intake port and the second intake port, and may be configured to prevent fluid communication between the fuel injection port and the second intake port.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fuel injector comprising:
an injector body defining a longitudinally extending chamber, the injector body having a first intake port, a second intake port and a fuel injection port; and
an injector valve disposed within the longitudinally extending chamber, the injector valve including a longitudinally extending aperture in fluid communication with the longitudinally extending chamber, the injector valve being configured to prevent fluid communication between the first intake port and the second intake port and to prevent fluid communication between the fuel injection port and the second intake port; and
a control valve at least partially disposed in the injector body and operable to control fluid communication between the first intake port and the longitudinally extending chamber.

2. The fuel injector of claim 1 , further comprising a biasing member disposed within the longitudinally extending chamber, wherein the biasing member is configured to bias the injector valve into engagement with the injector body to prevent fluid communication between the fuel injection port and the second intake port.

3. The fuel injector of claim 1 , wherein the injector valve includes an annular flanged portion, and wherein the annular flanged portion is operable to engage the injector body to define a gap between the injector valve and the injector body.

4. The fuel injector of claim 1 , wherein the injector valve is moveable between a first position in which the injector valve prevents fluid communication between the fuel injection port and the second intake port, and a second position in which the injector valve allows fluid communication between the fuel injection port and the second intake port.

5. The fuel injector of claim 4 , wherein the control valve is operable to allow fluid communication between the first intake port and the longitudinally extending chamber to move the injector valve to the first position and thereby prevent fluid communication between the fuel injection port and the second intake port.

6. The fuel injector of claim 4 , wherein the control valve is operable to prevent fluid communication between the first intake port and the longitudinally extending chamber to move the injector valve to the second position and thereby allow fluid communication between the fuel injection port and the second intake port.

7. The fuel injector of claim 1 , wherein the first intake port is an oil intake port and the second intake port is a natural gas intake port.

8. The fuel injector of claim 1 , wherein the injector valve includes an annular flanged portion having an aperture, the aperture in fluid communication with the longitudinally extending aperture and the longitudinally extending chamber.

9. The fuel injector of claim 1 , wherein the longitudinally extending chamber includes first and second portions at least partially defined by the injector valve and the injector body, the injector valve preventing fluid communication between the first and second portions.

10. The fuel injector of claim 1 , wherein the injector body includes a conically shaped end portion.

11. The fuel injector of claim 10 , wherein the injector valve includes a conically shaped tip portion disposed within the end portion.

12. The fuel injector of claim 11 , wherein the tip portion includes an annular flanged portion operable to engage the end portion.

13. A fuel injector comprising:
an injector body defining a longitudinally extending chamber, the injector body having a first intake port, a second intake port, and a fuel injection port, the first intake port being configured to deliver a first fluid into the longitudinally extending chamber to apply a first force, the second intake port being configured to deliver a second fluid into the longitudinally extending chamber to apply a second force, the second force opposing the first force;
an injector valve disposed within the longitudinally extending chamber and configured to prevent fluid communication between the first intake port and the second intake port, the injector valve including a longitudinally extending aperture in fluid communication with the longitudinally extending chamber; and
a control valve, wherein the control valve allows the first fluid to flow through the first intake port to the longitudinally extending chamber when the control valve is open, and the control valve prevents the first fluid from flowing through the first intake port to the longitudinally extending chamber when the control valve is closed.

14. The fuel injector of claim 13 , wherein the first fluid applies the first force in a first direction, and the second fluid applies the second force in a second direction that is opposite the first direction.

15. The fuel injector of claim 14 , further comprising a biasing member disposed within the longitudinally extending chamber, wherein the biasing member is configured to apply a biasing force to the injector valve in the first direction to bias the injector valve into engagement with the injector body and thereby prevent fluid communication between the fuel injection port and the second intake port.

16. The fuel injector of claim 15 , wherein a sum of the first force and the biasing force is greater than the second force, such that the injector valve moves in the first direction and engages the injector body to prevent fluid communication between the fuel injection port and the second intake port when the first fluid flows through the first intake port.

17. The fuel injector of claim 13 , wherein the injector valve includes an annular flanged portion, and wherein the annular flanged portion is operable to engage the injector body to define a gap between the injector valve and the injector body.

18. The fuel injector of claim 13 , wherein the first intake port is an oil intake port and the second intake port is a natural gas intake port.

19. A method for operating a fuel injector, the fuel injector including an injector body defining a longitudinally extending chamber, and an injector valve slidably disposed within the longitudinally extending chamber, the injector body having a first intake port, a second intake port, and a fuel injection port, the method comprising:
allowing a first fluid to flow into the longitudinally extending chamber through the first intake port to apply a first force on the injector valve in a first direction, such that the injector valve moves in the first direction within the longitudinally extending chamber and engages the injector body to prevent fluid communication between the second intake port and the fuel injection port;
preventing the first fluid from flowing into the longitudinally extending chamber through the first intake port and applying the first force on the injector valve in the first direction; and
allowing a second fluid to flow into the longitudinally extending chamber through the second intake port to apply a second force on the injector valve in a second direction opposite the first direction, such that the injector valve moves in the second direction within the longitudinally extending chamber to allow fluid communication between the second intake port and the fuel injection port,
wherein the second fluid is different than the first fluid.

20. The fuel injector of claim 1 , wherein the control valve allows fluid communication between the first intake port and the longitudinally extending chamber when the control valve is open, and the control valve prevents fluid communication between the first intake port a

Assignees

• Avl Powertrain Engineering Inc

Inventors

• Yager James H

Classifications

• F02M63/02

  Fuel-injection apparatus having several injectors fed by a common pumping element, or having several pumping elements feeding a common injector; Fuel-injection apparatus having provisions for cutting-out pumps, pumping elements, or injectors; Fuel-injection apparatus having provisions for variably interconnecting pumping elements and injectors alternatively · CPC title

• F02M63/0078

  Valve member details, e.g. special shape, hollow or fuel passages in the valve member · CPC title

• F02M21/0251

  Details of actuators therefor · CPC title

• F02M21/0263

  Inwardly opening single or multi nozzle valves, e.g. needle valves · CPC title

• F02D19/0692

  Arrangement of multiple injectors per combustion chamber · CPC title