Lucas Industries Limited

Delphi Technologies, Inc.

Delphi Technologies IP Limited

Delphi Technologies Holding S.arl

Delphi International Operations Luxembourg S.a.r.l.

Other

Caterpillar Inc.

Lucas Industries Public Limited Company

Anthony Thomas Harcombe

Andrew Male

Mark S Graham

Andrew R Knight

Mark S Harper

Ronald Phillips

Andrew J Limmer

Lukhbir Panesar

Anthony John Williams

Andy Male

David E Draper

Robert Keith Cross

Thomas W Canepa-Anson

Malcolm David Dick Lambert

George A Meek

Mark Harper

Stephen K Bowers

Simon H Phillips

Mervyn J Hackett

Malcolm Lambert

Bashir Khan

Ricardo Pimenta

Jonathan N Wray

Daniel A Pearce

David J C Law

Michael Colin Wickstone

Mervyn Hackett

Andy Limmer

Mark Graham

Jonathan Wray

Daniel Pearce

George Meek

Thomas Canepa-Anson

Stephen Bowers

A fuel injector includes a nozzle having at least one nozzle outlet. A valve needle is moveable with respect to a valve needle seating through a range of movement between a closed position and an open position to control fuel delivery through the at least one nozzle outlet. The movement of the nozzle needle is controlled by fuel pressure within a control chamber. The injector has first and second nozzle control valves for controlling fuel flow into and out of the control chamber to pressurise and depressurise the control chamber, respectively. The first nozzle control valve can operate selectively to place the control chamber in fluid communication with a fuel drain or to place the control chamber in fluid communication with a high pressure supply line. The second nozzle control valve can operate selectively to place the control chamber in fluid communication with a fuel drain.

Fuel injector and method for controlling the same

A fuel injection system for an internal combustion engine includes an injector having a first orifice to which is tightly connected a pipe having a matching first orifice. Both orifices are surrounded with peripheral smooth surfaces that are complementary surfaces sealingly pressed against each other by a clamping plate.

High pressure fluid connection

The present application relates to a pump unit for a fuel injection system. The pump unit has a low pressure fuel supply line and a high pressure fuel outlet. A pumping chamber having a plunger is operable to perform a pumping cycle comprising a pumping stroke and a filling stroke. The pump unit also includes an inlet valve having an inlet valve member movable between an open position for permitting the supply of fuel to the pumping chamber from the low pressure fuel supply line and a closed position for inhibiting the supply of fuel from the pumping chamber to the low pressure supply line. An outlet valve is provided in the high pressure fuel outlet. The pump unit also includes a means for latching the inlet valve member in its open position. The present application also relates to a method of operating a pump unit.

Pump unit and method of operating the same

A fuel injector for use in delivering fuel to an internal combustion engine includes a nozzle having a valve needle which is moveable with respect to a valve needle seating through a range of movement between a fully-closed position and a fully-open position to control fuel delivery through at least one nozzle outlet, whereby movement of the nozzle needle is controlled by fuel pressure within a control chamber. A nozzle control valve controls fuel flow into and out of the control chamber to pressurize and depressurize the control chamber, respectively. The fuel injector also includes a variable flow passage in communication with the control chamber through which fuel flows out of the control chamber at a variable rate throughout the range of movement of the valve needle so that movement of the valve needle is damped to a greater extent as it approaches the fully-open position.

Fuel injector

Fuel injection equipment includes a high pressure fuel source able to flow high pressure fuel via connecting pipes to a plurality of injectors. The fuel injection equipment is high pressure fuel reservoir-less, a distributed storage for high pressure fuel being arranged in the pipes and in the injectors.

Distributed fuel injection equipment

An actuator arrangement for an electromagnetically operated fuel injector includes a pole member having a first end face and defining an aperture extending from the first end face and an actuator core received within the aperture. The actuator core carries at least one contact member having a contact face that is exposed through the aperture. An encapsulating member is received within the aperture and surrounds the at least one contact member. The first end face of the pole member, the contact face and the encapsulating member are arranged to provide the actuator arrangement with a substantially planar surface for mating with an adjacent component, in use.

Actuator arrangement for an electromagnetically operated fuel injector and method for constructing

A fuel injector comprising a valve needle for controlling fuel injection through an injector outlet, a control chamber for receiving fuel and a three-way control valve that controls fuel pressure within the control chamber to control opening and closing movement of the valve needle to control fuel injection through the outlet. The three-way control valve controls communication between (a) a first passage and a second passage and (b) a third passage and the second passage, and includes a first housing provided with a guide bore for a control valve member, whereby movement of the control valve member is guided within the guide bore and a first valve seat, defined by a second housing, with which an end of the control valve member is engageable to control communication between the first and second passages. The first housing is a control valve housing and the second housing is an injector housing, the injector housing being provided with a guide bore for the valve needle or a part carried by the valve needle. The control valve also defines a second valve seat defined by the first housing with which the control valve member is engageable to control communication between the second and third flow passages, and an intermediate housing located between the first and second housings, wherein the second passage is defined within the intermediate housing.

An actuator arrangement for an electromagnetically operated fuel injector includes a generally cylindrical actuator core having a longitudinal axis and defining an inner pole face of the actuator arrangement. The actuator core is formed of a bespoke magnetic material. A wire coil is disposed around the actuator core arranged to be connected to a power source to generate a magnetic field around the coil. A pole member is formed of a high strength material and defines an aperture for receiving the actuator core. The pole member defines an outer pole face of the actuator arrangement substantially co-planar with the inner pole face. An armature is movable in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis in response to the magnetic field. The magnetic field passes into the armature in the region of the inner pole face and into the armature in the region of the outer pole face.

Actuator arrangement

A fuel injection apparatus for an internal combustion engine includes a fuel supply passage and a valve arrangement for controlling fuel pressure within the fuel supply passage. The valve arrangement includes a valve member movable between an open position in which the fuel supply passage communicates with a low pressure fuel drain and a closed position in which communication between the fuel supply passage and the low pressure fuel drain is prevented. The valve arrangement comprises damping means for controlling and/or damping movement of the valve member between the closed and open positions.

Fuel injection apparatus

A control valve, for use in controlling fuel pressure within a control chamber, comprises a control valve member, first flow restriction and second flow restriction. The control valve member is movable between a first position, and a second position. The first flow restriction is arranged to maintain a first pressure upstream of the first flow restriction when the control valve member is in transition between the first position and the second position. The second flow restriction is positioned downstream of the first flow restriction and is arranged to maintain a second pressure upstream of the second flow restriction. The second flow restriction is dimensioned and located relative to the first flow restriction such that in transition between the first and second positions the net force exerted on the control valve member by the first pressure balances the net force exerted on the control valve member by the second pressure.

Control valve arrangement

A fuel injector comprising a nozzle having a nozzle needle which is moveable with respect to a first needle seat to control fuel delivery through a nozzle outlet. The injector includes a nozzle control valve for controlling fuel flow into a control chamber through a first passage to pressurise the control chamber, and for controlling fuel flow out of said control chamber through said first passage to depressurise the control chamber. Movement of the nozzle needle is controlled by fuel pressure within the control chamber, such that pressurising the control chamber causes the nozzle needle to be urged against the first needle seat to close the nozzle outlet, and depressurising the control chamber causes the nozzle needle to lift from the first needle seat to open the nozzle outlet. The nozzle needle defines, at least in part, a restricted passage through which fuel can flow into the control chamber as the control chamber depressurises. The fuel flow into the control chamber through the restricted passage serves to reduce the rate at which the control chamber depressurises, thereby reducing the rate at which the nozzle needle lifts from the first needle seat to open the nozzle outlet.

A fault detector for detecting valve movement of a valve in a fuel injector of an engine system, the valve includes an electromagnetic actuator arranged to move the valve between first and second valve positions, the engine system includes a sensor for sensing a current through the actuator. The detector includes a controller arranged to control the sensor; receive sensor data related to the current through the actuator; analyze the received data for current discontinuities; and output a valve movement signal dependent upon the current discontinuities. The controller is arranged to sense current during a finite sampling window, move the sampling window from a first window position to a later window position for one or more subsequent injection events; determine a new sampling window position on based a valve movement signal output the two preceding windows; and feedback the new sampling window position for a subsequent injection event.

Fault detector and method of detecting faults

A control valve arrangement for use in controlling fuel pressure within a control chamber () includes a control valve member () which is movable between a first position in which the control chamber () communicates with a source of high pressure fuel, and a second position in which the control chamber () communicates with a low pressure fuel drain and communication between the control chamber () and the source of high pressure fuel is broken. The control valve arrangement also includes restricted flow means () for restricting the rate of flow of fuel from the control chamber () to the low pressure fuel drain when the control valve member () is moved from the first position to the second position. It is desirable for the restricted flow means to be configured and arranged such the rate of flow of fuel from the source of high pressure fuel to the low pressure drain for the period of time for which the control valve member () is moving between the second position and the first position is also restricted.

A cam arrangement for use with a high pressure fuel pump arrangement for delivering fuel to an associated engine, the cam arrangement including at least two cams () that are mounted, in use, upon an engine camshaft and each of which is arranged to drive a respective pumping plunger () of the fuel pump arrangement, wherein each plunger is driven to perform a pumping stroke, against return biasing means (), during which fuel within a pump chamber () associated with each plunger is pressurised, and whereby said return biasing means () effects a plunger return stroke, and wherein each cam () is oriented relative to the or each other cam and has a surface () shaped such that the associated plunger return stroke is interrupted to define at least one step of plunger movement that is substantially synchronous with the pumping stroke of another of the plungers () of the pump, thereby to reduce negative torque loading of the camshaft.

Cam arrangement and fuel pump arrangement incorporating a cam arrangement

An actuator arrangement for use in a fuel injector of an internal combustion engine includes an inner core () comprising a plurality of laminates () and a first outer pole () for receiving at least a part of the inner core (), wherein the inner core () and the outer pole () together define a first volume () for receiving a first electromagnetic winding. An injector is provided in which the actuator arrangement controls a valve arrangement, either a spill valve or a nozzle control valve, or both, so as to control injection by the injector.

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Richmond, United Kingdom

Anthony Thomas Harcombe