Caterpillar Inc.

Other

Michael C Long

Michael H Haselkorn

Scott F Shafer

Jayaraman Krishnapura Venkataraghavan

Virgil R Hester

Stephen Robert Lewis

Chuong Q Dam

Jay E Tomaseski

Daniel Reese Puckett

Daniel Richard Ibrahim

Kurtis C Kelley

Gregory W Hefler

Victor Iskander Yacoub

Robert Lowell Miller

Michael Gerstner

Shriprasad Gaurishankar Lakhapati

Xinshuang Nan

Benjamin R Tower

Jay Venkataraghavan

Nadeem N Bunni

Sudhindra Ayanji

Kenneth Carroll Adams

Amy Marie Hess

Zhenlong Xu

Donald H Sherman

Senthilkumar Rajagopalan

Leslie C Morris

Derik Warne

Alan W Wells

Amy Shalaine Johanson

Goudarz Haji

Jeffrey DePayva

Donald A Fuller

Hrishikesh D Thaker

Saboor Sheikh

Jason Z Li

A fuel injector includes a valve stack forming a seal cavity, and an outlet check extending through the seal cavity. A check seal is positioned within the seal cavity and seals about the outlet check. The valve stack also includes a back-up plate trapping the check seal within the seal cavity, such that a crevice is formed within the seal cavity between the check seal and the back-up plate. The back-up plate has a vent formed therein that fluidly connects the crevice to a drain.

Fuel injector having valve stack with vented back-up plate for check seal retention

A solenoid actuator includes a stator assembly with a stator core of formed powder metal received in a stator housing. A ferromagnetic protective sleeve is in contact with and covers a majority of an inner end face and a cylindrical wall of the stator core, while a flux ring is in contact with and covers an outer end face of the stator core. An armature assembly includes an armature attached to a stem that is movable in an air gap relative to the ferromagnetic protective sleeve. A spring is operably positioned in the ferromagnetic protective sleeve but electrically isolated from the stator housing. The stator core is encapsulated to protect against erosion and fragmentation. A magnetic flux line around a solenoid coil passes through the stator core, the ferromagnetic protective sleeve, the armature, the flux ring and back to the stator core.

Protected powder metal stator core and solenoid actuator using same

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

An internal combustion engine, such as a direct injection compression ignition diesel engine, includes an engine housing having a plurality of cylinders and a plurality of fuel injectors associated one with each of the cylinders. The fuel injectors each include a first fuel inlet and a second fuel inlet, and an actuator subassembly which is configured to actuate a control valve assembly positioned within the fuel injector. The engine further includes a fuel system having a fuel supply circuit, and a cooling system for the actuator subassembly having a cooling circuit with a segment in common with a segment of the fuel system. The cooling system is configured to pass cooling fuel across a heat exchange interface of the actuator subassembly to exchange heat therewith. The actuator subassembly may include a piezoelectric actuator and a preloading spring, which are each fluidly sealed within a casing of the actuator subassembly.

Engine having fuel injector with actuator cooling system and method

A check valve for use with a pump is disclosed. The check valve may have a body at least partially defining a central bore with an open end and a closed end, and a spring guide separate from the body and disposed within the closed end of the central bore. The check valve may also have a spring located within the central bore and having a first end operatively engaged with the spring guide, and a valve element operatively engaged with a second end of the spring and being movable by a pressure differential to compress the spring. The spring guide may be moveable relative to the body.

Check valve with separate spherical spring guide

A fuel injector includes a fuel injector body defining a fuel inlet and at least one fuel outlet, a valve having a first valve state and a second valve state and an actuator for the valve. The fuel injector includes a biasing spring including a cylindrical rolled sheet having a first spring end, a second spring end and defining a longitudinal center axis. The cylindrical rolled sheet is configured to change in length to bias the actuator toward the first actuator position and includes a helical seam located between the first spring end and a second spring end which has a shape adapted to reduce non-uniformity in a spring constant via distributing stiffness about the longitudinal center axis.

Distributed stiffness biasing spring for actuator system and fuel injector using same

A thin film coating for a low allow steel or tool steel components in a fuel injector (), such as a fuel injector needle valve () is disclosed. A thin film coating () consists of a metal carbon material layer less than 2.0 microns thick applied to a low alloy steel substrate () or tool steel substrate () used in fuel injector components, such as the fuel injector needle valve () or a portion thereof. Optionally, a thin bond layer () of chromium is deposited between the steel substrate () and the primary metal carbon material coating (). The thin film coating () minimizes abrasive and adhesive wear associated with the needle valve () and cooperating nozzle surfaces () of the fuel injector ().

Thin film coatings for fuel injector components

A thin film coating for a low alloy steel or tool steel components in a fuel injector ( ), such as a fuel injector needle valve ( ) is disclosed. A thin film coating ( ) consists of a metal carbon material layer less than 2.0 microns thick applied to a low alloy steel substrate ( ) or tool steel substrate ( ) used in fuel injector components, such as the fuel injector needle valve ( ) or a portion thereof. Optionally, a thin bond layer ( ) of chromium is deposited between the steel substrate ( ) and the primary metal carbon material coating ( ). The thin film coating ( ) minimizes abrasive and adhesive wear associated with the needle valve ( ) and cooperating nozzle surfaces ( ) of the fuel injector ( ).

Thin film coating for fuel injector components

A reverse flow valve member is positioned within an injector body of a fuel injector and is movable between a closed position and an open position. When the reverse flow valve member is in its closed position, an upper portion of a nozzle supply passage is blocked from fluid communication with a lower portion of the nozzle supply passage. A compressed spring biases the reverse flow valve member to its closed position. When the reverse flow valve member is in its open position, the fuel pressurization chamber is fluidly connected to the lower portion of the nozzle supply passage. The present invention limits gas ingestion due to tip leakage, and allows an injector with trapped gas to prime itself.

Reverse flow valve for fuel injectors

An improved apparatus for withstanding the high temperatures in the exhaust assembly of an internal combustion engine. A quilted insulating element is extended about a liner of a manifold or port liner. The liner in this invention is preferably ceramic. After assembling the insulating element about the liner, a metallic ring is installed for support during casting. A metallic housing, preferably cast iron, can then be cast around the liner, insulating element, and metallic ring.

Method for supporting a ceramic liner cast into metal

An improvement in a thermally insulating component for an engine part, made by sintering from ceramic materials, comprises, the thermally insulating component having a composition, consisting of a mixture of zirconium oxide in the range of about 5% to about 25% by volume and mullite in the range of about 75% to about 95% by volume. Further, the mixture of zirconium oxide and mullite is obtained by chemically mixing the zirconium oxide and mullite in their molecular states, rather than mechanically mixing them. Another feature of this invention includes, forming said thermally insulating component by slip casting and pressureless sintering the mixture of zirconium oxide and mullite at a temperature no greater than 1700.degree. C. This improvement in a thermally insulating component for an engine part, made from a mullite-zirconia ceramic composite, embodying the present invention, is particularly useful in making flame decks for cylinder heads, and insulating coverings for pistons and exhaust ports.

Mullite-zirconia engine part

A process and composition are disclosed for slip casting a ceramic powder in a porous mold. In this invention, a ceramic powder is blended with a polymeric cellulose ether. A slurry of ceramic powder-cellulose ether is formed. A porous mold is coated with a hydrophilic colloid of ammonium alginate to form a treated mold. The slurry is then poured in the treated mold and a slip is formed. This invention is particularly useful for forming crack-free slips made from difficult to cast ceramic powders.

Process and composition for slip casting a ceramic powder

Process for forming a mullite-zirconia engine part

The design and construction of past exhaust port liners with heat insulation capabilities have had to become more simple in order to reduce costs. However, less costly exhaust port liners may have inferior heat insulation capabilities. The present invention overcomes this and other problems with a means for encapsulating an insulating layer of material. The encapsulating means is composed of fiberglass cloth with the ability to withstand high temperatures. A blanket is formed when the fiberglass cloth encapsulates the insulating layer. The blanket is stitched in a quilted pattern to form a plurality of individual pockets. The blanket is wrapped around a ceramic body of a port liner. The quilted stitching pattern, due to separating the insulating layer into the plurality of individual pockets, protects the pockets individually. If damage should occur to one of the plurality of pockets, the insulating layer would remain intact within the remaining plurality of pockets. Therefore, the surrounding pockets retain their individual insulating layer increasing the durability of the blanket and prolonging the life of the insulating layer. The ability to protect the insulating layer from catastrophic damage increases efficiency and decreases the rate of heat loss. The ability to decrease the rate of heat loss increases engine efficiency.

Insulated port liner assembly

A cylinder barrel includes a casting having a plurality of ceramic bore liners cast in situ within the casting. The cylinder barrel is made by positioning the ceramic bore liners at predetermined locations within a casting mold and pouring a molten ferrous metal into the mold so as to envelope the bore liners.

Growing community of inventors

Peoria, IL, United States of America

Michael C Long