Patents by Inventor Mario Ricco

Mario Ricco has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 7299998
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine fuel injector (1) has a rod (10) movable along an axis (3) to open/close a nozzle, and a servovalve (7) having a control chamber (23) with a discharge passage (26) which is opened/closed by a shutter (17) movable axially under the control of an electro-actuator (14); the servovalve (7) also has a fixed axial rod (33) having an outer lateral surface (34) through which the discharge passage (26) comes out; the shutter (17) is fitted to the axial rod (33) to slide axially in substantially fluidtight manner, and, when closing the discharge passage (26), is subjected to substantially zero resultant axial pressure by the fuel; and the control chamber (23) is bounded radially by a tubular portion (8) formed in one piece with said axial rod (33).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2007
    Assignee: C.R.F. Societa Consortile per Azioni
    Inventors: Mario Ricco, Sisto Luigi De Matthaeis, Adriano Gorgoglione, Alfonso Di Meo, Sergio Stucchi
  • Publication number: 20070251498
    Abstract: An injector with an adjustable-metering servo valve is provided. The injector has a shutter actuated by an armature of an electromagnet. The armature is mobile for an opening stroke defined by a surface of the core of the electromagnet, which is fixed in the casing by a ring nut and a hollow support of the core. The hollow support has a first contact surface that acts on a flange of the core. Set between the surface and a shoulder of the casing is a shim. An annular projection, having a second contact surface, is set between the surface and a shoulder of the casing. The second contact surface is contained at least in part in the area corresponding to the first contact surface so that the stroke of the armature is adjusted by plastic deformation of the shim or of the surface of the core.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 10, 2007
    Publication date: November 1, 2007
    Inventors: Mario Ricco, Adriano Gorgoglione, Raffaele Ricco, Antonio Gravina
  • Publication number: 20070240682
    Abstract: The fuel injector comprises a hollow casing, fixed on which is a nozzle having a nebulizer for the fuel under pressure, a needle axially mobile for opening and closing the nebulizer by means of a first end thereof, and a control rod, substantially coaxial with the needle and in direct engagement therewith. The needle is normally pushed into a closing position of the nozzle by the fuel under pressure acting on the rod, aided by a compression spring, which acts on the needle through a sleeve that is in axial engagement with a portion of the rod. The sleeve further comprises a surface designed to engage at the front and directly one end of the needle. The spring engages another surface of the sleeve so as to transmit its action directly onto the needle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2006
    Publication date: October 18, 2007
    Applicant: C.R.F. SOCIETA CONSORTILE PER AZIONI
    Inventors: Mario Ricco, Adriano Gorgoglione, Onofrio De Michele, Domenico Lepore
  • Patent number: 7278399
    Abstract: A fuel-injection system (1, 1?, 1?, 1??) for an internal-combustion engine (2), of the type provided with: a tank (3) for collection of the fuel; compressor system (4) for drawing in the fuel from the tank (3) and making it available at high pressure to an storage volume (7); at least one injector (8, 8?, 8??) hydraulically connected to the storage volume (7) for taking in the fuel at a high pressure from the storage volume (7) and injecting it into a respective combustion chamber (12) of the engine (2); a fluid line (17) connecting the storage volume to the tank; and pressure-regulator means (19) in the storage volume (7) set along the fluid line (17); the pressure-regulator systems (19) are set hydraulically downstream of the storage volume (7) so as to enable a continuous flow of fuel through the storage volume (7) itself.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2007
    Assignee: C.R.F. Societa Consortile per Azioni
    Inventors: Mario Ricco, Sisto Luigi De Matthaeis, Adriano Gorgoglione, Antonio Gravina, Silvio Canale
  • Publication number: 20070205302
    Abstract: A control servo valve is housed inside the casing of an internal combustion engine fuel injector, and has an actuator, a control chamber communicating with a fuel inlet and with a fuel outlet passage, and a shutter movable along an axis by the actuator between a closed position and an open position to close and open the outlet passage respectively; the servo valve also has a fixed axial rod interposed between the actuator and the control chamber; the outlet passage comes out through an outer lateral surface of the axial rod; and the shutter is defined by a sleeve which slides axially on the outer lateral surface, and, in the closed position, closes the outlet passage so as to be subjected to a zero axial resultant force by the pressure of the fuel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2007
    Publication date: September 6, 2007
    Applicant: C.R.F. SOCIETA CONSORTILE PER AZIONI
    Inventors: Mario Ricco, Sisto De Matthaeis, Adriano Gorgoglione, Alfonso Di Meo
  • Patent number: 7263979
    Abstract: The high-pressure pump (7) comprises a number of pumping elements (18) actuated in reciprocating motion through corresponding suction and delivery strokes. Each pumping element (18) is provided with a corresponding intake valve (25) in communication with an intake pipe (10) supplied by a low-pressure pump (9). Set on the intake pipe (10) is an on-off solenoid valve (27) having a reduced flow rate substantially of the same order of magnitude as the maximum amount of fuel that can be injected by an injector (5). The solenoid valve (27) is controlled in a chopped way in synchronism with an intermediate part (32) of the suction stroke of each pumping element (18).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2007
    Assignee: C.R.F. Societa Consortile per Azioni
    Inventors: Mario Ricco, Sisto Luigi De Matthaeis, Raffaele Ricco, Onofrio De Michele
  • Patent number: 7261087
    Abstract: The high-pressure pump (7) comprises a number of pumping elements (18) actuated in reciprocating motion through corresponding suction and delivery strokes. Each pumping element (18) is provided with a corresponding intake valve (25), in communication with an intake pipe (10), supplied by a low-pressure pump (9). Arranged on the intake pipe (10) is a shut-off valve (27) controlled in a choppered way in synchronism with an initial part (32; 32?) of the suction stroke of each pumping element (18).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2007
    Assignee: C.R.F. Societa Consortile per Azioni
    Inventors: Mario Ricco, Sisto Luigi De Matthaeis, Annunziata Anna Satriano, Onofrio De Michele
  • Patent number: 7255289
    Abstract: A fuel injector (1) for an internal-combustion engine has a shell (2) provided with two opposite terminal portions; the first terminal portion (4) has an inlet (7) for supply of the fuel and is generally designed to extend outside the engine, whilst the second terminal portion (5) has a nozzle (9) communicating with said inlet (7), is designed to be housed in the engine and has, in the radial direction, dimensions smaller than those of the first portion (4); the injector (1) further has an actuator (16) and a servo valve (15) housed in the first terminal portion (4); the servo valve (15) is provided with an open/close element (32), which can slide axially, under the action of the actuator (16) and substantially in a fluid-tight way, in a seat (27) and is subjected to an axial resultant of pressure of the fuel that is substantially zero; the fuel inlet (7) is made laterally in an intermediate axial position between the actuator (16) and the nozzle (9).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2007
    Assignee: C.R.F. Societe Consortile per Azioni
    Inventors: Mario Ricco, Sisto Luigi De Matthaeis, Adriano Gorgoglione, Marco Petrachi
  • Patent number: 7249593
    Abstract: A fuel-injection system (1, 1?, 1?, 1??) for an internal-combustion engine (2), of the type provided with compressor mechanism (4) for making available the fuel at a high pressure to an storage volume (7), and a plurality of injectors (8, 8?, 8??) fluidically connected to the storage volume (7) for taking in the fuel from the storage volume (7) and injecting it into respective combustion chambers (12) of the engine (2). The storage volume (7) is advantageously split into a plurality of distinct elementary storage volumes (9, 9?, 9a, 9b) fluidically connected to one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2007
    Assignee: C.R.F. Societa Consortile per Azioni
    Inventors: Mario Ricco, Sisto Luigi De Matthaeis, Annunziata Anna Satriano, Antonio Gravina, Adriano Gorgoglione
  • Patent number: 7240859
    Abstract: A fuel-injection system in an internal-combustion engine is provided with an electroinjector (1) comprising an injection nozzle (5), and a needle (7) mobile along an opening stroke and a closing stroke for opening/closing the nozzle (5) under the control of an electroactuator device (8). The opening stroke of the needle (7) is controlled by a rod (14) pushed by the pressure of the fuel in a control chamber (15), in such a way as to keep the needle (7) normally in the position for closing the nozzle (5). The control chamber (15) is equipped with an inlet duct (18) having a pre-set diameter (D4) and with an outlet passage (24) having a diameter (D5) and controlled by a control valve (16).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2007
    Assignee: CRF Societa Consortile Per Azioni
    Inventors: Mario Ricco, Sisto Luigi De Matthaeis, Antonio Gravina, Sergio Stucchi
  • Publication number: 20070144488
    Abstract: The pump (7) is provided with a body (16) having a compartment (17), and with at least one pumping element (13) that moves in a cylinder (12) in communication with the compartment (17), to raise the pressure of the fuel. The pump (7) comprises fluid-supply means (14, 22) for delivering the fuel to the pumping element (13), and an inlet mouth (26) made in the body (16) and supplied with the fuel coming directly from an external source (2). The inlet mouth (26) is fluidically connected to the compartment (17) to supply it with the fuel in order to lubricate and/or cool the pump (7) itself. Set between the inlet mouth (26) and the compartment (17) are: a non-return valve (33) to prevent in any case the pumping elements (13) from sucking the fuel from the compartment (17) of the body (16); and a flow regulator (29?), which allows an amount of fuel to pass such as to enable proper lubrication and cooling of the compartment (17) and of the parts present in the compartment (17).
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2006
    Publication date: June 28, 2007
    Inventors: Mario Ricco, Sisto De Matthaeis, Annunziata Satriano, Sergio Stucchi
  • Publication number: 20070131789
    Abstract: A fuel-injection system in an internal-combustion engine is provided with an electroinjector (1) comprising an injection nozzle (5), and a needle (7) mobile along an opening stroke and a closing stroke for opening/closing the nozzle (5) under the control of an electroactuator device (8). The opening stroke of the needle (7) is controlled by a rod (14) pushed by the pressure of the fuel in a control chamber (15), in such a way as to keep the needle (7) normally in the position for closing the nozzle (5). The control chamber (15) is equipped with an inlet duct (18) having a pre-set diameter (D4) and with an outlet passage (24) having a diameter (D5) and controlled by a control valve (16).
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2006
    Publication date: June 14, 2007
    Inventors: Mario Ricco, Sisto De Matthaeis, Antonio Gravina, Sergio Stucchi
  • Patent number: 7228844
    Abstract: The injection system has a pump for supplying high-pressure fuel to a storage volume for supplying a number of injectors. The pump has at least one reciprocating pumping element performing a compression stroke synchronously with each fuel injection. The injection system has at least one control device for controlling the amount of fuel supplied by the pump to the storage volume, and which is controlled by a chopper control unit to modulate the fuel volume introduced into the compression chamber during the intake stroke (Ps-Pi). The delivery start instant of the pumping element during the compression stroke being unequivocally defined by the fuel volume introduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2007
    Assignee: C.R.F. Societa Consortile Per Azioni
    Inventors: Mario Ricco, Sisto Luigi De Matthaeis, Raffaele Ricco, Domenico Lepore
  • Patent number: 7219656
    Abstract: A control servo valve (8) is housed inside the casing of an internal combustion engine fuel injector (1), and has an actuator (9), a control chamber (13) communicating with a fuel inlet (5) and with a fuel outlet passage (22), and a shutter (35) movable along an axis (3) by the actuator (9) between a closed position and an open position to close and open the outlet passage (22) respectively; the servo valve (8) also has a fixed axial rod (29) interposed between the actuator (9) and the control chamber (13); the outlet passage (22) comes out through an outer lateral surface (30) of the axial rod (29); and the shutter (35) is defined by a sleeve which slides axially on the outer lateral surface (30), and, in the closed position, closes the outlet passage (22) so as to be subjected to a zero axial resultant force by the pressure of the fuel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2007
    Assignee: C.R.F. Societa Consortile per Azioni
    Inventors: Mario Ricco, Sisto Luigi De Matthaeis, Adriano Gorgoglione, Alfonso Di Meo
  • Patent number: 7213775
    Abstract: The invention describes an injector device specifically designed for the injection of an alternative fuel such as LPG, methane, hydrogen or others, in an internal combustion engine. In the injector device, the shutter ensuring sealing in closing condition is separated with respect to the metering means with gauged hole, which perform the function of metering fuel during injection, and it is arranged downstream from said metering means. The shutter is controlled by a solenoid, which is again arranged on the downstream side with respect to said metering means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2007
    Assignee: C.R.F. Societa Consortile per Azioni
    Inventors: Mario Ricco, Sisto Luigi De Matthaeis, Claudio Amorese, Dario Manodoro, Raffaele Ricco
  • Patent number: 7182067
    Abstract: The injection system (1) includes a pump (7) for supplying high-pressure fuel to a storage volume, defined for example by a common rail (6), for supplying a number of injectors (5). The pump (7) has at least one reciprocating pumping member (18) with a sinusoidal compression stroke (24). The injection system (1) includes at least one bypass solenoid valve (14) controlled by a control unit (16) having a chopper unit (28) for producing multiple deliveries (29, 31) at each compression stroke (24), so that the pressure in the common rail (6) is substantially level. Each pumping member (18) may be associated with a corresponding bypass solenoid valve (14).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2007
    Assignee: C.R.F. Società Consortile per Azioni
    Inventors: Mario Ricco, Sisto Luigi De Matthaeis, Annunziata Anna Satriano, Raffaele Ricco
  • Publication number: 20070006850
    Abstract: In order to reduce the size of a tubular rail for a high-pressure fluid, the rail is obtained from a hollow body with an external diameter and an internal diameter, and has two terminal portions, each provided with an external milling to favour gripping thereof. The millings have an external diameter such as to ensure, together with a cylindrical portion of a coaxial element, a radial strength at least equal to that of the hollow body. Made between the hollow body and each cylindrical portion is a front connection. For this purpose, the cylindrical portion has a plane front surface, whilst each terminal portion has an internal milling with an internal diameter greater than the internal diameter of the hollow body so as to house the cylindrical portion and so as to form an annular shoulder. A washer of softer material is set between the annular shoulder and the front surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 1, 2006
    Publication date: January 11, 2007
    Applicant: C.R.F. Società Consortile per Azioni
    Inventors: Mario Ricco, Sisto De Matthaeis, Raffaele Ricco, Alfonso Di Meo
  • Publication number: 20070006848
    Abstract: The device comprises a connection tube (13) in communication with a hole (11) of a rail (7) for fuel under pressure, the tube (13) being provided with an end swelling (16). The device comprises a first threaded element (18) fixed to the rail (7) in a position corresponding to the hole (11) and a second threaded element (19) designed to engage the first threaded element (18). Removably set between the hole (11) and the swelling (16) is a seal element (21) designed to form a seal both with the hole (11) and with the swelling (16). The seal element (21) is a body of revolution (23) equipped with a passage (25) along a pre-set axis (A), and comprises two end noses (26, 27) designed to be inserted in the swelling (16) and in the hole (11), respectively, and two tapered seal stretches (28, 29).
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 17, 2006
    Publication date: January 11, 2007
    Inventors: Mario Ricco, Sisto De Matthaeis, Raffaele Ricco, Alfonso Di Meo
  • Publication number: 20060266846
    Abstract: A servo valve (7) for fuel control is provided with an actuator (14) and a valve body (8, 28), which is set in a fixed position and has a stem (33) that extends along a longitudinal axis (3) and defines an internal passage (26); said internal passage (26) has at least two radial channels (39), which give out into an outlet through an outer lateral surface (34) of the stem (33) and have respective first portions (43) of calibrated length and cross section; said first portions (42) are followed by respective second portions of larger diameter; the servo valve (7) is provided with an open/close element (17), which is coupled to the outer lateral surface (34) of the stem (33) substantially in a fluid-tight way and is axially movable under the action of the actuator (14) for opening/closing the internal passage (26) of the stem (33); in the closing position, the open/close element (17) is subject to a zero axial resultant force by the pressure of the fuel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 26, 2006
    Publication date: November 30, 2006
    Inventors: Mario Ricco, Raffaele Ricco, Annunziata Satriano, Sergio Stucchi, Onofrio De Michele
  • Patent number: 7131428
    Abstract: A method is provided for controlling fuel injection in an internal-combustion engine provided with an electroinjector, including an electroactuator, an injection nozzle, and a pin, which is movable along an opening stroke and a closing stroke for opening/closing the nozzle under the control of the electroactuator and according to the supply pressure of the fuel into the electroinjector. The method supplies to the electroactuator a first electrical command and at least a second electrical command, which are sufficiently close to one another as to displace the pin with a profile of motion without any discontinuity in time, and such as to cause the pin to perform a first opening displacement and, respectively, a second opening displacement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2006
    Assignee: C.R.F. Societa Consortile per Azioni
    Inventors: Mario Ricco, Sisto Luigi De Matthaeis, Antonio Gravina, Sergio Stucchi