Abstract: An electrostrictive actuator which can be used, e.g., in a distributor type fuel injection device of a diesel engine has an electrostrictive actuator for generating an electric charge upon reception of a load and an electric circuit unit connected to the electrostrictive actuator. The electric circuit unit has an electric charge changing means for changing the electric charge of the electrostrictive actuator in the state of generation of electric charge due to a load exerted on the electrostrictive actuator and thereby constricting the electrostrictive actuator, and an electrical charging means for charging the electrostrictive actuator in the state of constriction due to the operation of the electric charge changing means when the load exerted on the electrostrictive actuator is reduced and thereby extending the electrostrictive actuator.

Abstract: A color apparatus includes an electroexpansive actuator, a unit for supplying a charge to the electroexpansive actuator, and a unit for controlling an amount of charge discharged from the electroexpansive actuator, and a stroke of the electroexpansive actuator is controlled in accordance with the amount of charge discharged therefrom. When such an electroexpansive actuator is applied to a control apparatus for a fuel injection valve, a fuel injection amount per ON/OFF operation of the fuel injection valve or a fuel injection rate can be freely controlled.

Abstract: A fuel injection system comprising a fuel injection pump, at least one fuel injection nozzle connected thereto, and a control device for varying the rate of injection of the system according to varying engine parameters. The control device has a variable volume chamber, the volume of which is varied by a piston located by a piezoelectric actuator. The variable volume chamber and a pumping chamber of the pump is intermittently connected by a passage which is specifically designed in such a manner that the fluid communication between the chambers, during the delivery stroke of a pump plunger, is provided only for an initial stage of the delivery stroke. A rate of injection is controlled in the initial stage to perform a pilot injection.

Abstract: A piezoelectric flow control valve comprising a slidable closure member (22) for controlling a flow of fluid through a fluid passage (42) between a fluid inlet (40) and a fluid outlet (32). The closure member (22) is biased toward a normally closed position by a plunger (70) responsive to a hydraulic pressure in a pressure chamber (78) which is in fluid communication with the fluid inlet (40) through a restriction and with a pumping chamber (96) of a piezoelectric pump (72). In order to prevent fluid leakage under situations wherein the fluid pressure at the fluid inlet (40) is not high enough to ensure closure of the member (22), the present invention provides spring biased pressure mechanism (106) for biasing the closure member (22) toward the normally closed position and override means (130) for overriding the pressure mechanism (106) in response to a predetermined pressure at the fluid inlet (40).

Abstract: In order to perform fuel injection control for a diesel engine, data read by an ignition timing data reading means is compared with a reference data to calculate an ignition timing difference. The ignition timing error is compared with a predetermined threshold value to decide whether or not the ignition timing difference exceeds the predetermined threshold value. A pilot injection timing correction data is generated in accordance with the result of the decision. The pilot injection timing control data is instructed in accordance with the pilot injection timing correction data, and pilot injection timing control is performed in accordance with the pilot injection timing control instruction. A feedback control of a signal based on an output from the ignition timing detector is used for control of a pilot injection timing, so that ignition at a desired ignition timing is performed.

Abstract: A fuel supply device in which a regulator pressurizes fuel fed to a fuel injector to adjust the fuel to a predetermined pressure according to an engine condition. The regulator has a piston in a housing to form a control chamber and a high pressure chamber therein. The high pressure chamber is communicated with the fuel injector and a pump chamber of a high pressure pump discharging a highly pressurized fuel. The control chamber is connected to a pressure source generating a high pressure according to an engine condition. The piston moves in response to the pressure in the control chamber to pressurize the fuel in the high pressure chamber.

Abstract: In an apparatus for controlling an electroexpansive actuator, a high voltage is applied to the electroexpansive actuator at a non-load state after an expansion and contraction operation thereupon is completed.

Abstract: A fuel injection apparatus including a fuel injector, a high pressure feed pump, and an auxiliary pump. The high pressure feed pump supplies highly pressurized fuel to the fuel injector while the engine is driven. The auxiliary pump supplies highly pressurized fuel at least on starting of the engine. The auxiliary pump is driven independent of the engine while the high pressure feed pump is driven by the engine.

Abstract: A fuel injection system for an internal combustion engine includes sensors for sensing the reference rotational position of the engine, a unit injector for compressing the fuel and injecting a predetermined amount of the fuel, and an electronic control device. The unit injector includes an actuator such as a piezoelectric actuator, a piston, and an injection valve. The piezoelectric actuator comprises a columnar laminated body of disk-shaped piezoelectric elements. The laminated body is expanded or compressed in the axial direction of the column according to the application of a positive or a negative high voltage. The electronic control device controls the frequency of the voltage supplied to the actuator during the period from the timing of a reference rotational position and controls, accordingly, the amount of fuel injection in accordance with the frequency of the voltage supplied to the actuator.

Abstract: A pump including a plunger slidably disposed in a pump body, a transmitting member connected to the plunger, a coil spring which urges the plunger, and a cam urging the plunger against the coil spring. The plunger defines a pump chamber in the pump body. The coil spring urges the plunger in a direction such that the plunger contracts the pump chamber. The cam rotates in synchronization with the rotation of the engine and engages with the transmitting member for part of the cycle of the rotation of the engine so that the plunger increases the volume of the pump chamber. The cam releases the plunger in the remaining cycle of the rotation of the engine to allow the coil spring to urge the plunger so that the plunger displaces in a direction to reduce the volume of the pump chamber.

Abstract: A piezoelectric fuel injector for use in fuel injection systems of spark-ignition engines is provided with a normally closed valve assembly in the form of a reed valve. The valve assembly includes a valve plate having one or more outlet ports having an overall cross-sectional flow area sufficient to ensure an unobstructed flow path therethrough. The valve assembly also includes a generally flat, thin, resilient closure member cooperating with the valve set of the valve plate. The pressure wave created in the fuel in the pumping chamber upon excitation of the piezoelectric actuator propagates into the outlet ports to directly reach the thin closure member, which readily resiliently yields to permit a desired amount of fuel to be injected into the engine cylinders. The fuel injector is particularly suitable to be operated by a high-frequency drive signal in order to ensure precise metering of fuel quantity over a wide range of engine operating conditions.

Abstract: A spark-ignition type internal combustion engine has a fuel injection valve for supplying fuel directly to a cylinder and a spark plug arranged near the fuel injection valve for igniting fuel in the cylinder. Auxiliary fuel injection is performed in the vicinity of the top dead center of the compression stroke, the subsequent main fuel injection is performed after the auxiliary fuel injection is terminated, and concurrently, the spray produced by auxiliary fuel injection is ignited by the spark plug.

Abstract: Disclosed is a piezoelectric control valve which is arranged midway in a passage for supplying a high-pressure fuel to a fuel injection valve, and opens and closes this passage according to expansion and contraction of a piezoelectric element laminate. The valve body of the piezoelectric control valve is slidably held in a bore into which a high-pressure fuel passage connected to the fuel injection valve and a low-pressure fuel passage communicating with a fuel storage portion are opened. An annular groove is formed on the peripheral surface of the valve body, and the high-pressure fuel passage and the low-pressure fuel passage can communicate with each other through this annular groove. A piston moving reciprocatively according to expansion and contraction of the piezoelectric element laminate is provided, and a pressure chamber is formed between the piston and the valve body.

Abstract: An electronically controllable, ultra-high pressure fuel injector comprises a differential pressure type injection nozzle which is opened and closed by an actuating element operated by a hydraulic power cylinder including a piston received in a working chamber. Working fuel to the working chamber of the power cylinder is ON/OFF controlled by an electronically controllable solenoid valve which when energized releases the pressure in the working chamber to open the injection nozzle. In order to ensure that the power cylinder is controlled by a compact, high response solenoid valve, the construction of the power cylinder and the injection nozzle is such that the force applied to the power cylinder piston by the working fuel pressure in the working chamber is substantially greater than the force applied to the actuating element by the fuel pressure in the pressure chamber in the injection nozzle or the fuel pressure in the passage for supplying the working fuel.

Abstract: A fuel injector for an internal combustion engine, the injector being actuated by a piezoelectric actuator. The piezoelectric actuator operates a piston, which changes the volume of a pump chamber formed between the piston and a nozzle needle. The nozzle needle moves up and down in response to a pressure in the pump chamber to open and close a port for injecting fuel. The piston is pressed toward the pump chamber by a fluidic force or a spring force and so on.

Abstract: A hydraulic control valve having a piezoelectric actuator comprises an expansible sleeve loosely received within a bore of the valve housing, with one end thereof being fixedly or stationarily mounted relative to the housing and the other end thereof being expansibly mounted within the bore. A slidable first piston is mounted within the bore of the valve housing and is urged against the other end of the expansible sleeve. This first piston floatingly supports one end of the piezoelectric actuator, the other end of which is supported by a second piston which is slidably mounted within the sleeve and is coupled to a valve member operable to cooperate with a valve seat to open and close an inside fuel passage communicating an inlet port with an outlet port.

Abstract: In a fuel injection apparatus for an internal combustion engine, the fuel injection is ended by a spill mechanism provided in a spill passage communicating with a pumping chamber. A piston opening and closing the spill passage is a free piston, and a solenoid valve to open and close a cylinder in which the free piston is disposed, is also provided. As the solenoid valve closes the cylinder, the free piston closes the spill passage, thus enabling the fuel feed to the fuel injection valve. When the solenoid valve opens the cylinder, the free piston opens the spill passage. Thus, the fuel flows through the spill passage to the fuel reservoir.

Abstract: A fuel injection apparatus for an internal combustion engine comprising: a nozzle body; a nozzle formed at the bottom of the nozzle body; an electroexpansive actuator having the electroexpansive effect; a valve member, slideably mounted within the nozzle body; and a fuel chamber formed between the electroexpansive actuator and the valve member. When the electroexpansive actuator expands to reduce the volume of the fuel chamber, the valve member is moved in the closed direction of the nozzle. When the electroexpansive actuator contracts to increase the volume of the fuel chamber, the valve member is moved in the open direction of the nozzle.

Abstract: A multi-gap spark ignition system is disclosed. The system comprises a plurality of spark gaps which are formed in series. The length of the spark gaps increases from the high voltage power source side towards the earth side. According to the present invention, necessary voltage to be applied to the spark ignition system can be decreased.

Abstract: A piezo-type valve with piezo-elements as a valve actuator. The piezo-elements are interposed by two freely movable pistons. A pressure chamber is formed on the outer side of one of the pistons to limit its outward movement. Thus, the substantial part of the expansion of the piezo-elements is transmitted to the other piston. The other piston is connected to a valve element. At least one flow port and a relief port are formed in the valve body. When voltage is applied to the piezo-elements, the at least one flow port and the relief port are communicated.