Caterpillar Inc.

Harley-davidson Motor Company Group, LLC

Mike Youakim

Alan Ray Stockner

Ralph A Smith, Iii

George M Matta

Jason B Youd

Christopher Monaco

John S Cullen

Ron Check

A cylinder head assembly for an internal combustion engine including a cylinder head at least partially defining a flow path through the engine, including an intake port, an exhaust port, and a combustion chamber disposed between the intake port and the exhaust port. A valve is coupled to the cylinder head and movable relative to the cylinder head to selectively open the combustion chamber to one of the intake port and the exhaust port. A valve spring is positioned between the valve and the cylinder head and biases the valve to a closed position. A thermally insulating washer is positioned between the cylinder head and the valve spring.

Thermally insulating element for an engine valve assembly

A noise reducing fuel injection system includes an engine having a head with an injector bore. A fuel injector is suspended in the injector bore via a noise reducing mounting bracket. The mounting bracket has a clamping portion that clamps to the fuel injector, a support that is attached to the engine and an arm portion extending between the clamping portion and the support. The fuel injector is allowed to slide a slight distance in and out of the injector bore when the engine is running by either making the arm portions slightly flexible, by including resilient members between the support and the engine, or both.

Noise reducing bracket for a fuel injection system

A fuel injector includes an injector body that defines a pressure relief passage with one end opening into a trapped volume, and a fuel pressurization chamber in fluid communication with a nozzle outlet. A needle valve member is positioned in the injector body and moveable between an inject position in which the fuel pressurization chamber is open to the nozzle outlet, and a closed position in which the nozzle outlet is blocked. The needle valve member has a closing hydraulic surface exposed to fluid pressure in the trapped volume. A pressure relief valve is positioned in the pressure relief passage, and has a valve member with an opening surface exposed to fluid pressure in the trapped volume, and a closing surface exposed to fluid pressure in the fuel pressurization chamber.

Fuel injector having a trapped volume nozzle assembly with a pressure

A fuel injector includes an injector body that defines a low pressure space, a trapped volume and a fuel pressurization chamber in fluid communication with a nozzle outlet. A needle valve member is positioned in the injector body and moveable between an inject position in which the fuel pressurization chamber is open to the nozzle outlet, and a closed position in which the nozzle outlet is blocked to the fuel pressurization chamber. The needle valve member includes a lifting hydraulic surface exposed to fluid pressure in the fuel pressurization chamber, and a closing hydraulic surface exposed to fluid pressure in the trapped volume. At least one of the needle valve member and the injector body define a pressure release passage extending between the trapped volume and the low pressure space. A pressure regulating valve is positioned in the pressure release passage, and has a regulating valve member that is moveable to an open position when fluid pressure in the trapped volume is above pop-off pressure.

Fuel injector with pressure regulated trapped volume nozzle assembly

Fuel injectors used in present day applications are normally requiring high pressure injection, short injection times and split or modified injection. Thus, this type of injection inherently produces an excess of noise. The present fuel injector assembly (22) overcomes the above deficiencies by controlling the noise emitted from a fuel injector (33). For example, as an actuation system (27) operates the fuel injector (33) the noise created by the opening and closing of the fuel injector (33) is absorbed within an isolator (34). As the fuel injector assembly (22) is installed, the fuel injector assembly (22) is positioned within a bore (26) with the fuel injector assembly being in a second position (29). And, a plurality of fasteners (28) are tightened to a predetermined value moving the fuel injector assembly (22) into a first position (24). Additionally, the fuel injector assembly (22) remains seated with respect to a cylinder (14) as the isolation material of the isolator (34) is biased positioning the fuel injector assembly (22) into the first position (24).

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Milwaukee, WI, United States of America

Mike Youakim