Siemens Automotive Corporation

Michael J Frick

John F Nally, Jr

John S Bright

Wei-Min Ren

Jerry Edward Nines

Frank Zimmermann

Christoph Kendlbacher

David P Wieczorek

Debora E Nally

A fuel injector having a body, an armature, a needle, a seat, and a flat disk that provides both a needle guide and a swirl generator. The body has an inlet portion, an outlet portion, and an axially extending body passage from the inlet portion to the outlet portion. An armature proximate the inlet portion of the body. A needle is operatively connected to the armature. A seat is located proximate the outlet portion of the valve body. The seat includes a first seat surface, a second seat surface, a seat passage extending between the first seat surface and the second seat surface in the direction of the longitudinal axis. The flat disk is located proximate the first seat surface. The flat disk has a first disk surface and a second disk surface. A guide aperture and at least one opening extends between the first disk surface and the second disk surface, and a swirl generator is provided in the second disk surface that communicates with the guide aperture.

Fuel injector having a flat disk swirl generator

A method of preheating fuel in a fuel injector with an internal heater energized to reduce emissions. The heater being a ceramic hollow cylinder disposed within a valve body just upstream of a valve seat where fuel is injected through an orifice into the engine. Conductors for energizing the heater extend into the valve body and are sealed against the escape of pressurized fuel. In one version, the conductors are extended through an O-ring to be sealed. In another version the conductors include pins extending through the valve body sidewall with glass seals fused to the valve body and the pins. The conductors may comprise flat foil strips clamped between the O-ring and an elastomeric washer. The conductors also may be molded into the magnetic coil bobbin and sealed where the conductors emerge into the fuel cavity. The heater has metallized surfaces to create current flow through its wall thickness, and the conductors are electrically connected respectively to the inner end and outer surfaces of the hollow cylinder by metallization patterns enabling both mechanical contacts to be made on the outside of the heater.

Method of preheating fuel with an internal heater

A fuel injector has an internal heater energized during cold starting to reduce emissions, the heater being a ceramic hollow cylinder disposed within a valve body just upstream of a valve seat where fuel is injected through an orifice into the engine. Conductors for energizing the heater extend into the valve body and are sealed against the escape of pressurized fuel. In one version, the conductors extend through an O-ring to be sealed. In another version the conductors include pins extending through the valve body sidewall with glass seals fused to the valve body and the pins. The conductors may comprise flat foil strips clamped between the O-ring and an elastomeric washer. The conductors also may be molded into the magnetic coil bobbin and sealed where the conductors emerge into the fuel cavity. The heater has metallized surfaces to create current flow through its wall thickness, and the conductors are electrically connected respectively to the inner end and outer surfaces of the hollow cylinder by metallization patterns enabling both mechanical contacts on the outside of the heater.

Fuel injector with internal heater

An engine fuel injection system includes a conventional fuel rail with a top feed fuel injector connected thereto. The overall length of the injector is able to be shortened by the application of compact fuel inlet filter mountings in which a well (deep cup) shaped filter element is positioned to overlap one or both of (1) an adjusting tube within the injector body and (2) a space between the end of the injector fuel inlet tube and the interior of the associated fuel rail. The filter may be fixed within the injector to the adjusting tube or the inlet tube or may be fixed externally of the injector to the fuel rail. Various exemplary embodiments are shown and described.

Fuel injection systems with compact filter mountings

The gain of the airflow meter electrical circuit is modified as a function of engine speed such that at any given throttle opening the gain over one portion of the engine speed range is different from what it is over another portion of the engine speed range. In the disclosed embodiment gain is greater over a lower portion of the speed range than it is over a higher portion of the speed range so that the airflow meter is endowed with increased resolution at low engine speeds where such increased resolution is beneficial. The invention is especially well suited for a hot-wire anemometer type airflow meter.

Growing community of inventors

Yorktown, VA, United States of America

Michael J Frick