Abstract: A solenoid actuated fuel injector comprises a valve body having a longitudinal axis. A valve seat subassembly is mounted in one end of the valve body. The valve seat subassembly includes a valve seat having a seating surface and a circumferential sealing surface surrounding the seating surface. The valve seat subassembly also includes a lower needle guide and swirl disk welded to the valve seat. The lower guide includes a flange portion and a tube portion having an axially disposed tubular bore for guiding the needle in a tight tolerance relationship. The tubular bore provides a longer length interface with the needle and a smoother wear surface than a conventional pierced hole thin lower guide.

Abstract: A solenoid actuated fuel injector includes a valve body having a longitudinal axis. A valve seat subassembly is mounted in one end of the valve body. The valve seat subassembly includes a valve seat having a seating surface and a circumferential sealing surface surrounding the seating surface. The valve seat subassembly also includes a lower needle guide and swirl disk laser welded to the valve seat. The subassembly includes a radially extending flange that axially positions the subassembly in the nose of the injector and eliminates the tolerances associated with the stack up height of conventional valve seat subassembly components.

Abstract: A low cost method for manufacturing and aligning the upper and lower guide members in a fuel injector reduces manufacturing cost and improves durability. The method teaches the use of an alignment tool to axially align both guide members before the guide members are rigidly secured to the valve body of the injector. The dimensional tolerances on the guide members are loose with the sole exception of the alignment aperture which is closely held.

Abstract: An unencapsulated bobbin-mounted coil is associated with a stator wherein the stator, in cooperation with other parts of a mold, define a mold cavity. Encapsulating material is injected through gates in one of the other mold parts into the defined mold cavity to encapsulate the coil and bobbin in their entirety, including attachments of the finish lead ends of the coil wire to bobbin-mounted electrical terminals that extend axially away from the bobbin and coil, except for distal end portions of the terminals. The process simultaneously joins the encapsulated coil and bobbin with the stator.

Abstract: A length of wire is toroidally wound, and then the toroid is encapsulated and cut in two along a plane that is perpendicular to the toroidal axis. The resulting portions are used as stator and/or armature of a solenoid, and in the solenoid the cut face of each forms one side of the solenoid's working gap so that the faces move toward and away from each other as the solenoid operates.

Abstract: A small axial lost motion connection between an armature disk and a needle valve allows armature disk to snub rebound of needle valve upon impacting a valve seat.

Abstract: An electrical device has screw-down post terminals for making electrical connections to keyhole ring terminals attached to electrical leads for the device, the screw-down post terminal comprising an integral dielectric post of the device housing and a conductor disposed therein so that an end is exposed for contacting the ring terminal, the post terminal including a screw-down device for clamping the ring terminal against the exposed end of the conductor which comprises a head and a shank which connects the head to the conductor, the dielectric post having a raised arcuate shroud and a raised stop which angularly positions the ring terminal and ensures proper engagement therewith.