Caterpillar Inc.

Eric Lee Rogers

Stephen Robert Lewis

Dana Ray Coldren

Christopher Robert Jones

Lifeng Wang

Sana Mahmood

Venkata R Tatikonda

Mandar Arvind Joshi

Jeffrey J Mueller

Amy Shalaine Johanson

Fergal Michael O'Shea

A common rail fuel pump includes a cam shaft with at least one cam rotatably supported in a pump housing. A plurality of tappet assemblies are each reciprocatingly movable in the pump housing, and include an axle pin mounted in a tappet, and a roller mounted in contact for rotation about the axle pin. Each end of the roller includes a plurality of non-contiguous planar thrust surfaces separated by lubrication grooves. A lubrication pathway for the roller includes in sequence a lubrication passage that opens to a roller bearing surface, movement along the roller bearing surface into the lubrication grooves, and then between the planar thrust surface of the roller and a counterpart thrust face of the tappet responsive to rotation of the roller on the cam shaft.

Thrust lubrication strategy for roller lifters of a common rail fuel pump

A fuel pump and method for draining such and for providing a lubrication fluid sump level for startup of the fuel pump are disclosed. The fuel pump may comprise a housing, a first plunger apparatus, and a camshaft rotatably mounted in the housing. The camshaft has a first end and a second end and may define a bore extending from the first end to the second end. The camshaft may include a first interface operatively connected to the first plunger apparatus.

Drain for fuel pump

Various fuel injection systems and fuel injectors are disclosed that provide varying cooling rates for fuel injectors connected in series to fuel supply and drain rail. The local cooling rate for each injector is manipulated to balance the heat flux or heat transfer across the injectors disposed along the rail. The cooling rates may be manipulated by varying sizes of openings or slots in the nozzle case, by varying annular spaces disposed between the nozzle case and the portion of the injector body that houses the actuator and solenoid assembly, and by varying the size of annular spaces disposed between the nozzle case and the cylinder head. Strategic placement of slots in the nozzle case that direct more flow at the portion of the injector body that houses the actuator and solenoid assembly may also be employed. As a result, the operating temperatures of fuel injectors connected in series to a fuel rail can be manipulated and moderated so the downstream injectors are not prone to overheating.

System and method for cooling fuel injectors

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 fuel injector includes an injector body having an internal surface and an external surface. A tappet assembly includes a non-guided tappet and a plunger assembly, and is mounted on the injector body. The tappet assembly is movable with respect to the injector body a displacement distance between an advanced position and an extended position. A portion of the plunger assembly is slidably guided along the internal surface of the injector body, while the non-guided tappet is free of contact with both the internal surface and the external surface of the injector body in the advanced and extended positions. The tappet assembly may be prevented from moving beyond the extended position using a snap ring positioned within a retention opening of the fuel injector body.

Growing community of inventors

El Paso, IL, United States of America

Eric Lee Rogers