Abstract: The fuel injector nozzle injects fuel into the runner in a direction that may be either parallel or non-parallel to the co-axis of the fuel injector and its mounting socket, and the nozzle orifice from which the fuel is injected is disposed beyond an antechamber of the mounting socket so as to lie within the runner, hence injecting the fuel from the orifice at a location that does not lie within the antechamber of the mounting socket.

Abstract: Magnetic force is increased for faster opening by providing two axial gaps, namely a radially inner gap and a radially outer gap, between the stator and the armature. When the fuel injector opens, impact of the armature with the stator occurs at the inner gap. The maximum radial extent of the armature is less than the radial dimension of the stator housing cavity containing the solenoid coil. The outer gap is defined between the margin of a magnetic pole washer that surrounds a central through-hole in the pole washer and a circular flange of the armature. The inner gap is defined between a ring-shaped upper end face of the armature and a ring-shaped lower end face of a tubular central magnetic pole that extends coaxially through the stator housing to the vicinity of the through-hole in the magnetic pole washer.

Abstract: A cantilever beam has a proof mass arranged at its distal end so as to cause the beam to resiliently deform into an S-shape when the accelerometer is subjected to acceleration intended to be detected. Strain gauge elements are placed at the two knees of the S-shape.

Abstract: A fuel pressure regulator valve for a fuel rail requires only a single conduit between the tank-mounted fuel pump and the fuel rail, thereby eliminating the need for a separate, and additional, return conduit for returning excess fuel to the tank. It does this by a spring-biased check valve in the inlet to the fuel chamber of the regulator. The check is biased to prevent flow from the pump into the fuel chamber of the regulator, but when the pressure in the rail drops below a certain level, a post on the diaphragm that separates the fuel chamber of the regulator from a control chamber of the regulator, unseats a spherical valve element in the check valve to allow pumped fuel to enter the fuel chamber of the regulator and pass into the fuel rail to the fuel injectors. When the pressure has built up beyond a certain pressure, the sphere again closes.

Abstract: A fuel tube is attached to a fuel rail by a novel one-piece plastic clip comprising an integral fork for trapping a flange of the fuel tube against withdrawal from the fuel rail hole in which it is received and also comprising integral catches at the sides for catching on notches in the wall of the fuel tube.

Abstract: A fuel rail assembly that possesses a number of novel features relating to joints for connecting metal tubes such as crossover, inlet, and return tubes, to main plastic fuel tubes; retainer clips for retaining various fuel handling components in sockets formed in the plastic fuel tubes, such as retaining a fuel pressure regulator in a plastic cup of a main plastic fuel tube; and the construction of various plastic sockets in a main plastic fuel tube, such as the cups for receiving the fuel injectors.

Abstract: Projection welding is used to join a needle guide member and a valve seat member together preparatory to their assembly into the nozzle of a fuel injector. Various embodiments are disclosed, including various ways for creating the projections. In the preferred embodiment the projections on the end face of the guide member are made my forming a small holes in the frustoconical surface of the guide plate. As the tool is used to form the small holes in the guide plate, the material of the guide plate is displaced creating small projections from the frustoconial guide surface.

Abstract: Fuel injector has combination valve-armature fabricated by laser welding relatively more magnetically permeable armature element to relatively less magnetically permeable valve element. Valve element contains sealing ring and landing ring, the latter being circumferentially discontinuous because of fuel passage holes through the valve element, the former being non-symmetrical so that magnetic opening force causes valve-armature to open by tilting about consistent circumferential location on valve element. Initial opening tilting motion is stopped by corrugated stop surface of annular stop member with final tilting motion occurring about the corrugated stop surface until the full perimeter of the valve element abuts the full perimeter of the corrugated stop surface. Actuator has bobbin-mounted coil inserted into frame and encapsulated by outer plastic body.

Abstract: A system and method for operating high speed solenoid actuated devices such as electromagnetically operated high pressure fuel injectors require an initial high power boost to start the movement of an armature followed by a medium power boost to continue the movement of the armature to its end position and a low power control to hold the armature at its end position so that when the power is removed, the armature returns to its rest or beginning position. The system here details the logic and control necessary to provide six stages of power control, including both voltage and current control, to accomplish high speed operation both in moving the armature from its beginning to end position but also to return the armature from its end to its beginning position.

Abstract: A high pressure fuel injector has a railplug ignitor assembly disposed on its nozzle. The injected fuel travels down the bore of the railplug. The railplug delivers a plasma that travels down the bore of the railplug in timed relation to the injected fuel to ignite the fuel.

Abstract: Sockets of a fuel rail assembly having bottom-feed fuel injectors communicate with a main fuel tube that serves all fuel injectors by means of holes in the sockets' sidewalls proximate the top of the main fuel tube. Below these holes, each socket is imperforate so as to dam the main fuel tube whereby the lowest level of any hole defines a weir level for fuel in the main fuel tube. If the lower seal between any fuel injector and its socket is compromised while the fuel is unpressurized, the fuel below the weir level will not drain out of the main fuel tube.

Abstract: Fuel injector has combination valve-armature fabricated by laser welding relatively more magnetically permeable armature element to relatively less magnetically permeable valve element. Valve element contains sealing ring and landing ring, the latter being circumferentially discontinuous because of fuel passage holes through the valve element, the former being non-symmetrical so that magnetic opening force causes valve-armature to open by tilting about consistent circumferential location on valve element. Initial opening tilting motion is stopped by corrugated stop surface of annular stop member with final tilting motion occurring about the corrugated stop surface until the full perimeter of the valve element abuts the full perimeter of the corrugated stop surface. Actuator has bobbin-mounted coil inserted into frame and encapsulated by outer plastic body.

Abstract: A rolling ball type mechanism is incorporated into a top-feed fuel injector so that the fuel injector has an outward appearance similar to that of known top-feed fuel injectors. The seat member is provided with a slot that makes the flow gradient more uniform over the flow area through the seat member.

Abstract: A non-return fuel distribution system or deadheaded fuel distribution system for an internal combustion engine having one or more fuel injectors mounted on a fuel rail on the engine, has a fuel pressure transducer mounted on the fuel rail to sense the fuel pressure in the rail and generate an electrical signal representing such pressure. The electrical signal is combined in a controller to operate an electrically operated variable pressure fuel pump to generate and maintain the fuel pressure necessary to operate the electrically operated fuel injectors in their linear operating pulse range.

Abstract: A filter-retainer assembly performs both the function of filtering the inlet fuel flow and retaining the inlet tube O-ring of a top-feed fuel injector of the type commonly used in fuel injection systems of internal combustion engines. The assembly has a snap-on, snap-off feature.

Abstract: The clad metal comprises a soft metal lamina overlay on a refractory metal lamina. An orifice is created by first punching a hole through the clad metal and then etching the soft metal lamina around the punched hole to create in that portion of the hole in the soft metal lamina a tapered entrance to that portion of the hole in the refractory metal lamina. The soft metal lamina is copper and the refractory metal lamina is molybdenum.

Abstract: A composite valve body of a fuel injector comprises a dead air space for improving hot fuel handling performance. This space is cooperatively defined by a circumferential groove in the O.D. of a metal valve body and a nylon sleeve that is pressed onto the metal valve body to enclose the groove.

Abstract: An improvement in fuel flow through orifices of a thin disc orifice member is obtained by incorporating a radially inwardly open undercut in the seat member below the frustoconical seating surface and above the thin disc orifice member. The undercut provides a space that allows a fuel recirculation zone to be displaced further radially outwardly so that it poses less of an obstruction to flow toward the orifice.

Abstract: In a high pressure fuel injector 10, 56 for direct injection of fuel into an internal combustion engine, the armature 28, 54 has a hub member 70 connected by means of spokes 40, 82 to a concentric ring member 42. This construction reduces the amount of magnetic material in the armature hence reduces magnetic losses and speeds up the actuation times. Spaces between the spokes allow for the passage of fluid from one side of the armature to the other during actuation.

Abstract: A top-feed electrically controlled fuel injector includes a filter cartridge disposed in a fuel inlet tube for filtering particulate material larger than a certain size from the fuel that passes into the interior of the fuel injector. In one embodiment, the filter cartridge is press-fit on a shoulder at an axially outer end of an adjusting tube which is telescopically engaged with the inlet tube and axially fixed thereto after adjustment. The filter cartridge is preferably generally tubular in shape, having an imperforate axially outer end, an inner end fitted onto the adjusting tube, and frame sidewalls supporting a fine mesh screen, such that an annular space through which fuel is constrained to flow is formed between the filter cartridge and the inlet tube, with a well at a closed axially inner end of the annular space for collecting particulate material which has been filtered out of the fuel.