Abstract: A fuel injector (10), including a housing (12), an armature assembly (14), an injector needle (16), a needle seat (18), a needle guide (20), and a orifice disc (22) containing one or more orifice metering pathways (24). The needle guide (20) contains a center guide bore (26) and a plurality of filtering passageways (28). The plurality of filtering passageways (28) are used to filter fuel passing through the needle guide (20) and induce swirl in the fuel to improve atomization.

Abstract: An air assisted fuel injector for an internal combustion engine includes a fuel nozzle having a fuel orifice and a targeting section cooperating with the fuel nozzle for targeting atomized fuel within the engine. An angled throttling section in disposed upstream of the targeting section and cooperates with the fuel nozzle. The throttling section throttles assist air prior to the air atomizing the fuel emerging from the fuel orifice and forms a vortex at the injector exit. Thus, any adverse effects on fuel flow from the fuel injector due to back pressure variability downstream of the fuel nozzle are reduced. In a preferred embodiment, an air shroud is fitted on the nozzle of the fuel injector and includes both the throttling section and the targeting section.

Abstract: A pre-load mechanism has a self-mounting coil spring that resiliently forces a pre-loading member against a pre-loaded member. The spring has an active helical-coiled portion that is resiliently expandable and contractible in axial length to set the pre-load force and a mounting coil portion that has an interference fit with the mounting member for allowing the pre-load force to be set by forced positioning of the mounting coil portion on the mounting member to a calibrated position, and once the pre-load has been so set, for maintaining the mounting coil portion in the calibrated position as the active coil portion expands and contracts in axial length. The mounting coil portion has non-circular helical convolutions with protruding lobes that bear against the mounting member.

Abstract: An air assisted fuel injector for an internal combustion engine includes a fuel nozzle having a fuel orifice and a targeting section cooperating with the fuel nozzle for targeting atomized fuel within the engine. A throttling section in disposed upstream of the targeting section and cooperates with the fuel nozzle. The throttling section throttles assist air prior to the air atomizing the fuel emerging from the fuel orifice. Thus, any adverse effects on fuel flow from the fuel injector due to back pressure variability downstream of the fuel nozzle are reduced. In a preferred embodiment, an air shroud is fitted on the nozzle of the fuel injector and includes both the throttling section and the targeting section.