The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 20, 1997
Filed:
Jun. 05, 1996
Gary L Gant, Columbus, IN (US);
George L Muntean, Columbus, IN (US);
Harry L Wilson, Columbus, IN (US);
John R Youngblood, Columbus, IN (US);
Mark S Cavanagh, Columbus, IN (US);
Cummins Engine Company, Inc., Columbus, IN (US);
Abstract
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.