Cummins Engine Company, Inc.

Lucas Industries Limited

Mark S Cavanagh

John D Lane

Bela Doszpoly

Bryan W Swank

Arpad M Pataki

Kent V Shields

Lester L Peters

Julius P Perr

George L Muntean

Scott Robert Simmons

John D Crofts

Gary L Gant

Harry L Wilson

Howard S Savage

Benjamin M Yen

W Beale Delano

Philip J Dingle

Russ P Durrett

Dennis M Ashwill

Gordon K Butler

Chung Y Liu

John R Youngblood

Chris Sorg

Donald N Case

Richard D Kraus

Jy-Jen Frank Sah

Alfred R Nerz

Alexander Guluk

Frank R Hunt

An injector is provided which includes a nozzle valve element, a control volume, and an injection control valve for controlling fuel flow from the control volume so as to control nozzle valve movement. Importantly, the injector includes a nozzle valve lift detecting device for detecting nozzle valve lift and providing a nozzle valve element lift feedback signal. In addition, an injection control valve member movement detecting device may be provided for detecting movement of the injection control valve member into open and/or closed positions and generating a control valve member position feedback signal. One or both of the feedback signals may be used for adjusting the timing and/or rate of opening of the injection control valve thereby controlling the timing and/or rate of opening of the nozzle valve element to control the timing and/or rate of fuel injection of subsequent injection events. The nozzle valve element lift detecting device includes positioning the injection control valve for contact by the nozzle valve element and a piezoelectric element for generating the feedback signal. A control device is used to process the feedback signal and adjust control of the injection control valve to achieve reduced emissions.

Fuel injector nozzle assembly with feedback control

An improved rotary fuel distributor is provided which effectively dynamically centers the rotor during operation while actively cooling the rotor and refilling fuel passages to minimize cavitation. A pressure balancing system is provided which includes pressure area defining grooves formed adjacent a rotor outlet port to control the pressure gradient in the clearance between the rotor and the distributor housing thereby effectively providing a more predictable force component which can be controlled to more effectively balance the rotor in conjunction with two balancing ports positioned on the opposite side of the rotor from the outlet port. A refill and cooling system is provided to continuously and actively cool the rotor with cool, low pressure fuel throughout rotation thereby displacing the hot fuel with cool fuel and effectively preventing thermal seizure of the rotor. The refill and cooling system also includes passages for effectively refilling delivery passages formed in the distributor housing while intermittently refilling supply passages with cool, low pressure fuel after each injection event.

Rotary distributor for a high pressure fuel system

Compact high performance fuel system with accumulator

A stepped rotation fuel distribution valve for receiving and conducting metered, pressurized fuel pulses to the combustion cylinders of a diesel engine is provided. The valve includes a fuel distribution shaft rotatably mounted in a valve housing. The shaft includes a fuel discharge port that is sequentially registrable with fuel distributing passages in the housing that ultimately lead to the diesel fuel injectors associated with the combustion cylinders of the engine. A drive mechanism, which may include a stepper motor, intermittently rotates the fuel distributor shaft so that the shaft discharge port dwells in registration with one of the fuel distributing passages at the time a pressurized pulse of fuel is discharged through the shaft discharge port. The drive mechanism may also include either a set of timing gears or a spring coupling to achieve the desired intermittent rotation. In all cases, the intermittent rotation of the fuel distribution shaft prevents the shaft from rotating at a time when the discharge of a highly pressurized fuel pulse applies a high side load to the shaft which in turn can generate high frictional forces between the fuel distribution shaft and the surrounding housing.

Stepped rotation fuel distribution valve

A fuel injection rate shaping control system is provided which effectively controls the flow rate of fuel injected into the combustion chamber of an engine to improve combustion and reduce emissions by controlling the rate of pressure increase during injection. The injection rate shaping control system includes a rate shaping control device including a rate shaping transfer passage having a predetermined length and diameter specifically designed to create a desired injection pressure rate shape. In other embodiments of the present invention, two or more rate shaping transfer passages capable of producing distinct rate shapes are packaged in various fuel injection systems to selectively provide various rate shapes depending on operating conditions. Switching valves, i.e., solenoid operated three-way valves, may be used to direct the fuel or timing fluid flow to any one of the rate shaping transfer passages. Also, a dampening means in the form of a reverse flow restrictor valve is positioned in the rate shaping transfer passage to dampen reflected pressure waves thereby minimizing the adverse effects thereof.

Fuel injection rate shaping control system

A three-way valve including a valve housing having a valve chamber and a high pressure fluid supply inlet, high pressure fluid outlet and drain communicating with the valve chamber is disclosed. A movable member is reciprocally received in the valve chamber so as to be reciprocated between first and second positions for selectively fluidically communicating the outlet with either the inlet or drain. A first valve seat is formed in the valve housing and concentrically disposed in the valve chamber for sealing communication between the outlet and drain and a second valve seat is concentrically disposed in a cavity formed in the movable member for sealing communication between the inlet and outlet. A floating pin is received in the movable valve member cavity at a one end of the movable valve member and cooperates with the second valve seat for selectively sealing fluidic communication between the inlet and the outlet. An actuating device is mounted on the valve housing adjacent an end of the movable valve member opposite the floating pin for advancing the movable valve member toward the first position when energized and for allowing the movable valve member to retract to the second position when de-energized.

Compact pin-within-a-sleeve three-way valve

A pressure balanced three-way solenoid valve including a valve housing having a valve chamber and a high pressure fluid supply passage, high pressure fluid outlet passage and drain passage communicating with the valve chamber is disclosed. A movable valve member is reciprocally received in the valve chamber so as to be reciprocated between first and second positions for selectively fluidically communicating the outlet passage with either the supply passage or drain passage. A first valve seat is formed in the valve housing and concentrically disposed in the valve chamber for fluidic communication between the outlet passage and drain passage and a second valve seat is concentrically disposed in a cavity formed in the movable valve member for sealing communication between the supply passage and outlet passages. A floating pin is received in the movable valve member cavity and communicates with the second valve seat for selectively fluidic communication between the supply passage and outlet passage with the floating pin including an impact absorbing element for absorbing the impact of the movable valve member when the movable valve member contacts the floating pin during de-energization of the solenoid. Transitional losses are readily controlled and a high initial closing velocity may be achieved while preventing closing bounce and thus the formation of any leakage path between the floating pin and movable valve member upon de-energization of the solenoid.

Force balanced three-way solenoid valve

Growing community of inventors

Columbus, IN, United States of America

Mark S Cavanagh