Caterpillar Inc.

Stephen Robert Lewis

Avinash Reddy Manubolu

Shriprasad Gaurishankar Lakhapati

Dana Ray Coldren

Daniel Richard Ibrahim

Jayaraman Krishnapura Venkataraghavan

Christopher D Hanson

Zhenlong Xu

Nadeem N Bunni

Venkata R Tatikonda

Eric Lee Rogers

Sana Mahmood

Manjunath Bannur Nagaraja

Jay Venkataraghavan

Adam Charles Hill

Travis E Barnes

Wade James Robel

David E Martin

Michael C Long

Kenneth Carroll Adams

William J Love

Dianqi Fang

Amy Marie Hess

Avtar S Sandhu

Christopher Robert Jones

Larry R Mitzelfelt, Jr

Harish K Krishnaswamy

Jeffrey J Mueller

Michael R Huffman

Amy Shalaine Johanson

William T Groff

Charles B Looney

James D Griffith

J Duwayne Manahan

Alan Ray Stockner

Dennis Henderson Gibson

Daniel Reese Puckett

Bryan Edward Nelson

Marion Billingsley Grant, Jr

Glenn Brian Cox

Glen F Forck

Kevin Lloyd Dea

Dale C Maley

David C Mack

Victor Iskander Yacoub

Michael Gerstner

Adrienne M Brasche

Bradley E Bartley

Rammohan Sankar

Sudhindra Ayanji

James J Streicher

David J Balke

Joshua D Carlson

Gene Ray Slinkard

Jeremy T Claus

W John Love

Matthew Bredesen

Daniel Yongxiang Li

Qursheed Hussain Mohammed

Timothy J Matzke

Kenneth A Caron

Robert R Patterson

Michel Blane Montgomery

Byron Reed Stalter

Karl Larry Sickmann

Lin Zhang

Angela L Moore

Jayaramanaraman K Venkataraghavan

Jeffrey M Mullinix

A fuel flow limiter assembly includes a limiter body forming a central bore, and including a shutoff piston within the central bore having a closing hydraulic surface exposed to a fluid pressure of the fuel inlet, and being movable from an open position, to a closed position based on a fuel pressure drop from a fuel inlet to a fuel outlet in the limiter assembly. A fuel filter is resident in the limiter assembly and supported in a connector coupled to the limiter body. The fuel filter is elongate and projects from the connector into a fuel flow path from the fuel inlet to the fuel outlet.

Fuel flow limiter assembly having integral fuel filter and fuel system using same

A method for identifying a type of a fuel injector installed in an internal combustion engine includes generating a control signal to supply electrical energy from a power source for actuating the fuel injector, monitoring the electrical energy, identifying a pattern in the electrical energy, the pattern being indicative of the type of the fuel injector, and outputting a notification indicative of an incorrect injector type based on the pattern.

Method and system for identification of fuel injector type

A fuel injector body includes a body that includes an at least partially annular configuration defining a longitudinal axis, a circumferential direction, and a radial direction. A first counterbore and a first cavity extend from the first end toward the second end, and an external interface portion including a sealing surface is disposed axially between the first end and a shoulder. The first cavity defines a bottom surface and a peripheral surface, and the body also includes a leak passage extending from the bottom surface that is in communication with the first cavity.

Fuel injector with internal leak passage to injector drain

A fuel injector body includes an at least partially annular configuration defining a longitudinal axis, a circumferential direction, and a radial direction. A first counterbore and a first cavity extend from the first end toward the second end, and an external interface portion includes a sealing surface disposed axially between the first end and a shoulder. The first cavity defines a bottom surface and a peripheral surface defining a first cavity diameter, and the sealing surface defines a sealing surface diameter. A ratio of the sealing surface diameter to the first cavity diameter ranges from 0.3 to 4.4.

Fuel injector with internal radial seal with thin wall counterbore

A valve assembly for a pump includes an electrical actuator having a stator and an armature, where the armature includes a top armature surface facing the stator and having an inwardly stepped-up profile that forms a raised surface at a radially inward location, and a lower, gap-forming surface at a radially outward location that forms a gap between the armature and the stator when the electrical actuator is activated to facilitate displacing fluid and avoiding production of high velocity, potentially damaging fluid flows.

Valve assembly having electrical actuator with stepped armature

A valve assembly for a fuel pump is provided. The valve assembly may include an inlet valve limited to a first range of travel extending between a fully closed position and a fully opened position of the inlet valve, a valve pin coupled to the inlet valve, an armature pin selectively engaging the valve pin, and an armature coupled to the armature pin and limited to a second range of travel extending between an engaged position and a disengaged position that is less than the first range of travel.

Partial travel solenoid valve actuation arrangement

A fuel system for an internal combustion engine includes a common rail and a plurality of fuel injectors connected to the common rail and each including an outlet check, an injection control valve, and an injection rate controller. The injection rate controller varies a flow area to a nozzle of the fuel injector such that a pressure drop through the fuel injector is varied to provide injection rate shaping.

Flexible rate shape common rail fuel system and fuel injector for same

A fuel injector includes an injector body forming an actuator portion. An actuator bore is formed in the actuator portion and is at least partially defined by an inner surface and by an end surface. An actuator disposed in the actuator bore and has an outer surface such that a flow channel can be defined between the inner surface of the actuator bore and the outer surface of the actuator. A cooling flow passage is formed in the injector body, in fluid communication with the actuator bore, and is adapted to supply cooling fluid to the actuator bore. A drain passage is formed in the injector body, in fluid communication with the actuator bore. An internal cooling fluid flow path extends from the cooling flow passage, through the flow channel, and from the flow channel through the drain passage.

System and method for internal cooling of a fuel injector

A nozzle assembly for a fuel injector capable of withstanding high-pressures includes a nozzle chamber defined by a high-pressure containment sleeve, a tip component defining a nozzle outlet, and an injector stack component. A leakage path is defined between an injector body casing and an outer wall surface of the high-pressure containment sleeve and a needle valve member that opens and closes the nozzle outlet is out of contact with the high-pressure containment sleeve. The high-pressure containment sleeve has a hollow, cylindrical shape and has an inner wall exposed to fluid pressure inside the nozzle chamber that is free of stress concentrating surface features associated with heart shaped cavities in the prior art.

High-pressure containment sleeve for nozzle assembly and fuel injector using same

An apparatus and method for controlling fluid flow is disclosed. An electromagnetic actuator may include a stator having an inner pole member and an outer pole member. The outer pole member may have a fluid passageway therein for transmitting fluid through the outer pole member. The actuator may further include a coil disposed around the inner pole member and arranged between the inner pole member and the outer pole member. The actuator may also include an armature moveable under the influence of a magnetic field generated by the stator and coil and operable to affect transmission of the fluid through the fluid passageway.

Electromagnetic actuator and method for controlling fluid flow

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

A solenoid actuated device such as a fuel injector includes an actuator body having a plurality of body pieces, and a single-pole solenoid actuator assembly positioned at least partially within the actuator body. The single-pole solenoid actuator assembly includes a one-piece compound armature housing having a load carrying component clamped between the first body piece and the second body piece, and a flux carrying component. The load carrying component includes a high structural strength and a low flux permeability, and the flux carrying component includes a low structural strength and a high flux permeability. A method of making a solenoid actuated device includes placing an armature at a sliding radial air gap with a flux carrying component of a one-piece compound armature housing, and establishing a structural load path by placing a load carrying component of the compound armature housing between a first actuator body piece and a second actuator body piece. A method of operating a single-pole solenoid actuator device includes supporting a flux carrying component of a one-piece compound armature housing with a load carrying component of the compound armature housing, channeling magnetic flux across a sliding air gap between a flux carrying component and the armature, and channeling a clamping load between a first actuator body piece and a second actuator body piece through the load carrying component of the compound armature housing.

Solenoid actuated device and methods

A housing for an armature of a fuel injector, a fuel injector and a fuel injection system are disclosed. The armature housing includes a first cylindrical portion for slidably accommodating the armature pin. The first cylindrical portion has a minimum inner diameter that is closely matched to the maximum outer diameter of the armature pin. A second cylindrical portion of the armature housing accommodates the armature. The second cylindrical portion has an inner minimum diameter that is closely matched to the maximum outer diameter of the armature. The disclosed armature housing provides more reliable and more consistent movement of the armature.

Fuel injection systems and armature housings

Growing community of inventors

Chillicothe, IL, United States of America

Stephen Robert Lewis