Caterpillar Inc.

Amy Shalaine Johanson

Stephen Robert Lewis

Dana Ray Coldren

Scott F Shafer

Daniel Reese Puckett

Michael C Long

Jayaraman Krishnapura Venkataraghavan

Michael Gerstner

Benjamin R Tower

James J Streicher

Kenneth Carroll Adams

Eric Lee Rogers

Jeffrey J Mueller

Jeffrey DePayva

Jason Z Li

A pressure relief valve includes a valve body having a valve seat fluidly positioned between an inlet and an outlet. A valve member is movable among a first position, a second position, and a third position. The valve member is in contact with the valve seat and fluidly blocks the inlet from the outlet at the first position. At the second position of the valve member, the inlet is fluidly connected to the outlet via a small flow area. The inlet is fluidly connected to the outlet via a large flow area when the valve member is at the third position. An electrical actuator is attached to the valve body and is operably coupled to move the valve member when energized. The valve member includes an opening hydraulic surface exposed to fluid pressure in the inlet when at the first position. A spring is operably positioned to bias the valve member toward the second position when the valve member is at the third position.

Pressure control in low static leak fuel system

A relatively inexpensive robust attachment strategy that insures good perpendicularity between a valve member and an armature utilizes an intervening nut between the armature and valve member. A valve member is received in a guide bore of a valve body. A nut is threaded onto one end of a valve member. The armature is press fit onto a orientation neutral interface of the nut, and a fixture is utilized to set near perfect perpendicularity between an air gap plane of the armature and a centerline of the valve member. The armature is then welded to the valve member. The weld may be accomplished via laser welding while the valve assembly is firmly held in an appropriate position within the fixture. The valve assembly may be then incorporated into a fuel injector stack of components in a conventional manner.

Valve member to armature coupling system and fuel injector using same

A method for coupling a valve member to an armature member includes coupling the valve member to a surface of a bore of the armature member. The valve member contacts the armature member over less than an entire axial thickness of the surface of the bore of the armature member. The method further includes aligning the armature member to a desired alignment and securing the valve member to the armature member at the desired alignment.

Valve coupling system

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Normal, IL, United States of America

Amy Shalaine Johanson