Cummins Engine Company, Inc.

Cummins Inc.

C Edward Morris, Jr

Donald J Benson

Lester L Peters

David M Rix

George L Muntean

David L Buchanan

Gary L Gant

David E Shultz

Shankar C Venkataraman

Yul J Tarr

John D Crofts

Paul Douglas Free

Michael Andrew Lucas

Mark S Cavanagh

Jeffrey C Huang

Eric A Benham

Kevin L Vogt

Glen T Haegele

David A Bolis

Paul Peavler

Daniel L Morin

Bjorn S Westman

Michael W Alstrin

R Michael Harmon

A fuel injector has a plurality of injection fuel delivery passages, which transport fuel from a proximate end to an injector cavity near the distal end of the fuel injector, wherein less than a total number of injection fuel delivery passages include an orifice. This configuration provides a reduction in fueling variation from pulse to pulse (multi-pulse) with respect to pulse separation due to pressure variation while allowing a sufficient amount of fuel flow to the injector cavity. Thus, the consistency of Start-Of-Injection (SOI) and opening rate both improve significantly and advantageously. For compactness, the orifices may be positioned in a cover plate used to retain the components of the injection control valve assembly and may further be arranged in an arc segment when viewed along a longitudinal axis.

Fuel injection pressure pulsation dampening system

A closed nozzle fuel injector is provided which effectively controls the fuel injection flow rate, especially during an initial portion of an injection event, while also permitting accurate control over pilot and/or post injection flow rates at all operating conditions thereby advantageously reducing emissions and combustion noise. The injector includes a rate shaping orifice to restrict fuel flow during an initial portion of an injection event and a rate shaping sleeve mounted for movement to cause a greater flow of injection fuel during a later portion of the injection event. A damping chamber and orifice are also provided to control movement of the rate shaping sleeve.

Fuel injector with injection rate control

A flow control valve for controlling the flow of fuel in a fuel system including a housing with a fuel passage, a valve device movable to close the fuel passage to block fuel flow through the fuel passage, and to open the fuel passage to permit fuel flow through the fuel passage, a valve plunger engaging the valve device, an actuator for reciprocally moving the valve plunger, an armature overtravel feature for permitting continued movement of the armature relative to the valve plunger from an engaged position into a disengaged position when the valve plunger reaches the extended position, and an armature stop for stopping overtravel of the armature.

Solenoid actuated flow controller valve

A fuel injector having a nozzle with improved cooling including a retainer and a nozzle housing received therein. The nozzle housing includes a nozzle shank, an outer peripheral surface and at least one injection hole at a tip of the nozzle shank. The nozzle shank is positioned in a nozzle support portion of the retainer. In one embodiment, the outer peripheral surface of the nozzle shank is tapered, and the inner peripheral surface of the nozzle support portion is correspondingly tapered and sized to engage the outer peripheral surface of the nozzle shank along a tapered interface. In another embodiment, the inner peripheral surface of the nozzle support portion has a diameter smaller than a diameter of the outer peripheral surface of the nozzle shank so that an interference fit exists at a seal interface. In yet another embodiment, a nozzle seal seals an interface between the inner peripheral surface of the retainer and the outer peripheral surface of the nozzle shank to thereby prevent entry of hot gases into the interface. In another embodiment, the nozzle support portion is provided on a nozzle sleeve.

Fuel injector having a nozzle with improved cooling

An improved fuel injector is provided which effectively controls fuel injection events using two injection control valves which operate in series to control the movement of a nozzle valve element. An outer injection control valve and actuator assembly operates to control fluid pressure in a control volume adjacent an inner injection control valve thereby controlling the movement of the inner control valve which, in turn, controls fuel pressure in an inner control volume adjacent one end of the nozzle valve element. A particular design of the inner injection control valve prevents control valve oscillations thereby minimizing unwanted fuel injection variations.

Needle controlled fuel injector with two control valves

A novel and improved closed nozzle injector is provided which effectively and accurately controls the timing and rate of fuel injection while minimizing parasitic losses and needle valve element wear. The closed nozzle injector includes a needle valve element movable between open and closed positions, an outer control volume, an injection control valve for controlling the flow of pressurized fuel from the outer control volume to affect opening and closing of the needle valve element and a needle valve biasing feature for optimizing the speed of needle valve opening and closing. The needle valve biasing feature includes an inner guide portion formed on the needle valve element with a larger diameter than an outer guide portion, an inner control volume, and an inner restriction orifice for restricting the flow of pressurized supply fuel to the inner control volume to create a fuel pressure bias closing force which advantageously slows down the opening of the needle valve element. The fuel pressure bias closing force increases as the needle valve element opens thereby causing the needle valve element to hover in an open position without contacting a hard stop. The inner control volume and inner restriction orifice also result in a hydraulic damper effect which slows the closing motion of the needle valve element toward the end of the closing event thereby permitting higher needle closing velocity earlier in the closing event.

Closed nozzle fuel injector with improved controllabilty

A fuel injector including a floating sleeve control chamber is provided which effectively minimizes friction and wear, and thus prevents stiction, of a nozzle valve element by avoiding the need to align two bore guiding surfaces for the element. The floating sleeve control chamber includes a floating sleeve positioned on a control piston formed integrally with a nozzle valve element and positioned in a cavity. The floating sleeve is sized with an outer extent or diameter sufficiently less than the size of a surrounding cavity wall so as to permit lateral movement of the floating sleeve and thus movement of the control chamber. Only the nozzle valve element guiding bore surfaces control the alignment of the nozzle valve element relative to its seat while the floating sleeve effectively forms and seals a floating control chamber. The floating sleeve may be formed from one or more sleeve sections. In addition, the floating sleeve may include one or more swivel joints to accommodate perpendicularity errors between the components.

Fuel injector with floating sleeve control chamber

An improved sensor and sensor assembly is provided which permits the easy removal of the sensor from its mounting bore even in the presence of corrosive residue in the mounting bore. The sensor assembly includes an elongated sensor body having an annular tapered portion with a frusto-conical shape for positioning in a mounting bore having a complementary taper. As the sensor is removed from the mounting bore, the annular gap between the sensor and inner wall of the mounting bore will gradually increase at any point along the sensor body thereby increasingly separating any corrosive residue accumulated on the opposing surfaces. In addition, a seal assembly is provided which effectively vents gas pressure from the annular gap between the sensor and the mounting bore without damaging the seal and while ensuring the seal returns to its fully sealed position thereby preventing contaminants from entering the bore throughout engine operation.

Sensor assembly for easy removal

An improved sealing boot for a spark plug assembly is provided which includes a sealing and venting feature capable of preventing pressurized contaminants from reaching the spark plug by effectively sealing the spark plug mounting bore while permitting pressurized gas accumulating in the plug well to be vented to the engine overhead. The sealing and venting feature includes at least one annular sealing rib formed on the outer surface of the boot. The radial length and width of the sealing rib, and the resiliency of the material forming the rib, are selected to cause the rib to deflected outwardly an optimal degree, when the assembly is positioned in the bore, and to engage the bore wall with a sealing force so as to permit the desired sealing and venting. The optimal deflection causes the creation of an additional sealing force due to the pressure of fluid against the deflected portion of the rib thereby ensuring sealing.

Spark plug boot with ventable seal

An automatic water drain and priming pump for a fuel system in which a reversible pump is operable in a first direction to pump separated water out of a fuel filter and into a water drain, and further operable in a second (opposite) direction to pump fuel into the fuel filter in order to prime the fuel pump. Operation of the pump in the first direction to drain water from the fuel filter is initiated by water-in-fuel sensors within the fuel filter. Operation of the pump in the second direction to prime the fuel pump is initiated by manual activation of a switch during servicing of the fuel filter.

Automatic water drain and priming pump for fuel systems

The present invention is directed to open nozzle unit fuel injectors for injecting a metered quantity of fuel into the cylinder of an internal combustion engine, as synchronously controlled by a drive train, wherein the unit fuel injector comprises a body with an axial bore and a plunger assembly movable therein between a retracted position and an advanced position. The plunger includes a major diameter section, slidably movable in the axial bore to open and close a fuel supply orifice and a minor diameter section which extends in a bore of a cup portion of the injector body. The cup portion has an internal surface including plural diameter portions connected by an annular step. In accordance with the present invention, the fuel supply orifice is specifically located within the axial bore and the plunger minor diameter section is designed such that when the plunger is moved from its retracted to its advanced position, a portion of the minor diameter section becomes radially engaged, or almost engaged, with one of the plural cup surface sections before the major diameter plunger section closes the fuel supply orifice. The engagement being between the minor diameter portion and one of the plural cup internal surface sections that will be nearest to one another during the entire range of plunger movement from the retracted to advanced positions.

Reduced gas flow open nozzle unit injector

A unit fuel injector is disclosed to be used in a fuel injection system of an internal combustion engine wherein each unit injector is operated independently from one another and in synchronization with the internal combustion engine. Specifically, the unit injector in accordance with the present invention includes a reciprocating plunger assembly within the unit injector that controls fuel metering as well as fuel injection, and a valve device positioned between a minor diameter plunger section and a cup of the unit injector so as to permit fuel flow in one direction for fuel injection and to restrict flow of gases in the opposite direction. The valve device effectively reduces carbon build-up on the injector surfaces and increases injector longevity while reducing maintenance. Moreover, fuel metering is accurately controlled without substantial carboning flow losses.

Growing community of inventors

Columbus, IN, United States of America

C Edward Morris, Jr