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:
Sep. 28, 1999
Filed:
Mar. 16, 1998
William J Rodier, Metamora, IL (US);
Caterpillar Inc., Peoria, IL (US);
Abstract
A method of regulating pressure in a hydraulically-actuated fuel injection system is described. The hydraulically-actuated fuel injection system includes a high pressure pump coupled to an engine and connected to a high pressure rail. The rail is connected to a plurality of hydraulically-actuated fuel injectors that each include a control valve. The control valve of the individual injectors are periodically activated in a conventional manner sufficiently to perform injection events. At the same time, an electronic control module continues to determine the magnitude of fluid pressure in the high pressure rail. The electronic control module also identifies any idle fuel injectors that are between injection events. If the fluid pressure in the rail is too high, then the control valve of an idle fuel injector is activated for a pressure regulation event that is insufficient for the idle fuel injector to inject fuel, but sufficient to allow some fluid pressure from the rail to escape through the control valve of the injector to a low pressure drain.