Abstract: A heated tip fuel injector includes a housing having a bore formed therein for receiving fuel under pressure; a valve seat mounted at one end of the housing, the valve seat including an orifice; a needle valve having one end mounted to an armature and another end which contacts the valve seat to close off fuel outflow from the bore and which is lifted from the valve seat to inject fuel; a heater disposed in the housing upstream of the valve seat and extending around the needle valve; and at least one flow disturbing element disposed upstream of the heater. The flow-disturbing element enhances heat transfer from the heater to the fuel.

Abstract: A method of preheating fuel in a fuel injector with an internal heater energized to reduce emissions. The heater being a ceramic hollow cylinder disposed within a valve body just upstream of a valve seat where fuel is injected through an orifice into the engine. Conductors for energizing the heater extend into the valve body and are sealed against the escape of pressurized fuel. In one version, the conductors are extended through an O-ring to be sealed. In another version the conductors include pins extending through the valve body sidewall with glass seals fused to the valve body and the pins. The conductors may comprise flat foil strips clamped between the O-ring and an elastomeric washer. The conductors also may be molded into the magnetic coil bobbin and sealed where the conductors emerge into the fuel cavity.

Abstract: A fuel injector has an internal heater energized during cold starting to reduce emissions, the heater being a ceramic hollow cylinder disposed within a valve body just upstream of a valve seat where fuel is injected through an orifice into the engine. Conductors for energizing the heater extend into the valve body and are sealed against the escape of pressurized fuel. In one version, the conductors extend through an O-ring to be sealed. In another version the conductors include pins extending through the valve body sidewall with glass seals fused to the valve body and the pins. The conductors may comprise flat foil strips clamped between the O-ring and an elastomeric washer. The conductors also may be molded into the magnetic coil bobbin and sealed where the conductors emerge into the fuel cavity.

Abstract: A shroud member for converting an extending tip fuel injector into an air assist fuel injector wherein the air metering is performed at a distance remote from the O-ring seals holding the injector into the engine manifold.

Abstract: Multiple orifice disks are stacked and include one or more swirl disks. The effect of the stack of disks is to impart swirl to the fuel stream being ejected from the injector in a relatively short axial length. The geometry of the disks in the stack are such that the fuel from the top disk enters the bottom disk at the end of a pattern which operates to impart a swirl component to the fuel. The pattern in the bottom disk is typically a two layered pattern wherein the top layer is one half the thickness of the thin disk and the bottom layer is the second half of the thickness of the thin disk.

Abstract: A thin disk orifice member having fuel metering orifices located on flat planar surfaces extending from the disk surface, The flat planar surfaces from sides of an enclosed structure having three or more sides, The structure may be in one position extending from the disk surface in the direction of the outlet of the injector or may be inverted. The orifices direct the fuel flow in various streams or sprays to individual cylinders of the engine.

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: An electromagnetic fuel injector has an orifice director plate, mounted downstream of the orifice passage defined when the solenoid actuated valve of the injector is in the open position relative to its associated valve seat, for controlling static flow from the injector. The orifice director plate is provided with flow orifice passages that are axially downwardly inclined and radially inward extending so as to direct the jets of fuel flow, as desired, relative to the central axis of the orifice director plate and thus to the axis of the spray tip discharge passage of the injector.