Abstract: A rigid connector tube telescopically engages the fuel rail and the inlet of a top-feed fuel injector. Various embodiments of such connector tubes are disclosed. Such connector tubes enable a top-feed fuel injector to be used in an integrated air-fuel system where a fuel rail is integrally formed with a manifold such that the fuel supply ports of the fuel rail are in fixed spatial relation to the fuel injection ports of the manifold.

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: Leakage from a portion of a canister purge system which includes a fuel tank and a vapor collection canister is detected by closing off that portion and then positively pressurizing it by means of an air pump. The air that is pumped by the air pump is split into two separate paths, one to pressurize the closed-off portion of the system, and the other to flow through a known orifice. A differential flow meter compares the flow through one path with that through the other to determine if there is leakage.

Abstract: An on-board diagnostic system for an evaporative emission control system of an internal combustion engine powered vehicle employs a positive displacement reciprocating pump to create in evaporative emission space a pressure that differs significantly from ambient atmospheric pressure. The pump is powered by using engine intake manifold vacuum to force an intake stroke during which both an internal spring is increasingly compressed and a charge of ambient atmospheric air is created in an air pumping chamber space. Vacuum is then removed, and the spring relaxes to force a compression stroke wherein a portion of the air charge is forced into the evaporative emission space. The rate at which the pump reciprocates to alternately execute intake and compression strokes indicates the pressure and flow through a leak in the evaporative emission space. Detection of this rate serves as a measurement of leakage for the purpose of distinguishing integrity of the evaporative emission space from non-integrity.

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: 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: 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: The effective area of a Helmholtz resonator used to tune the manifold is varied in accordance with engine speed to improve the engine-torque speed curve. The organization and arrangement of air intake passage, plenum chamber, runners, and Helmholtz resonator is also advantageous.

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: 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: 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.

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.