Internal-combustion engines – Charge forming device – Fuel injection system
Reexamination Certificate
2000-08-03
2003-05-20
Miller, Carl S. (Department: 3747)
Internal-combustion engines
Charge forming device
Fuel injection system
C123S468000, C439S130000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06564775
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to fuel injection systems for internal combustion engines and, more particularly, to fuel delivery pipes for delivering fuel to fuel injectors.
2. Description of the Related Art
An example of a known fuel delivery pipe is shown in
FIGS. 33 and 34
. As shown in
FIG. 33
, the fuel delivery pipe has a cylindrical main body
210
and a plurality of injector connecting portions
214
mounted on the main body
210
. Further, as shown in
FIG. 34
, an injector
250
is connected to each of the injector connecting portions
214
. Fuel is supplied into the main body
210
of the fuel delivery pipe and then to each injector
250
.
The main body
210
is integrally formed of a synthetic resin or a composite of a synthetic resin and other materials. An external wiring connector
218
is integrally formed with the main body
210
and has a connecting terminal
236
to which a fuel injection signal is supplied by external wiring. An injector connector
280
is provided on each injector connecting portion
214
and has a connecting terminal
281
. The connecting terminal
281
is connected to a connecting terminal
257
of each injector
250
. The connecting terminal
236
of the connector
218
is connected to the connecting terminal
281
of the injector connector
280
by wires
260
. The wires
260
are embedded or installed within the main body
210
by injection molding when the main body
210
is molded. Such a fuel delivery pipe in which wires
260
are installed within the main body by injection molding is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Publication No. 3-39194 and Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 8-303319.
In this known fuel delivery pipe, the wires
260
have a tendency to become distorted as a result of the high molding pressure applied to the wires when the main body
210
is molded. The distortion of the wires
260
may result in wiring defects, such as breakage or short circuits or exposure of the wires
260
on the outer surface of the main body
210
.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 10-184490 discloses a connector block for a fuel injector in which the wires are not installed by an injection molding process. The connector block has a plurality of injector connectors and an external wiring connector on the main body. Each of the injector connectors is adapted to be connected to a connecting terminal of the injector. Further, the connecting portion of each connector is adapted to be connected to the external wiring connector. The wires that connect the injector connector and the external wiring connector are embedded in a close relationship within a wire distribution enclosure.
However, in this known connector block, the wires cross or overlap each other within the wire distribution enclosure. Therefore, wiring defects may result, such as breakage or short circuits.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is, accordingly, an object of the present teachings to provide improved fuel delivery pipes and wiring methods for the delivery pipes, which can reduce or substantially prevent wiring defects, such as breakage or short circuits.
In one aspect of the present teachings, fuel delivery pipes are taught that have a wire distribution enclosure for protecting wires that couple induction signals from an external source to the injectors. Wall-like wiring guides are preferably provided within the wife distribution enclosure. The wires may be wound around or hooked on the wire guides. Preferably, the wire guides may be disposed in a position to change the wiring direction of the wires. The wall-like wiring guides may partition the wire distribution enclosure into sections and the wires may be separately laid in each of the sections. Thus, the wires do not cross each other, thereby reducing or preventing wiring defects, such as breakage or short circuits.
Further, a surrounding wall may be provided to surround the wire distribution enclosure, and connecting terminals of the injectors may extend through the surrounding wall. The surrounding wall may have wire-receiving grooves for passing the wires through the surrounding wall. With such a construction, the wires can be installed within the wire distribution enclosure.
In another aspect of the present teachings, methods are taught for installing the wires without causing the wires to cross each other between an injector independent connecting terminal and injector common connecting terminals of the injectors and an external wiring common connecting terminal and external wiring independent connecting terminals of the external wiring connector. Preferably, such wire installation method include routing a single wire along a wire routing path, connecting the wire to the connecting terminals and removing or cutting out unnecessary or surplus portions of the wire to form a plurality of separate connections. In this case, the wire is routed along a wire routing path, thereby facilitating the wire installation, connection and removal operations. Auxiliary guides are preferably used in the routing step, thereby further facilitating the wire routing operation. The auxiliary guides are preferably not integral with the fuel delivery pipe.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5295468 (1994-03-01), Blessing et al.
patent: 5471961 (1995-12-01), McArthur et al.
patent: 5531202 (1996-07-01), Lorraine
patent: 5533485 (1996-07-01), Bronkal
patent: 5598824 (1997-02-01), Treusch et al.
patent: 5663881 (1997-09-01), Cook, Jr.
patent: 5718206 (1998-02-01), Sawada et al.
patent: 5735247 (1998-04-01), Tsuzuki et al.
patent: 6012418 (2000-01-01), Bodenhausen et al.
patent: 6062200 (2000-05-01), Hofmeister
patent: 6227170 (2001-05-01), Koshiba
patent: 3-39194 (1991-06-01), None
patent: 4 263913 (1992-09-01), None
patent: 8 303319 (1996-11-01), None
patent: 10 184490 (1998-07-01), None
Hagiwara Shoichi
Hirabayashi Taro
Kikuta Hikaru
Sakuma Yoshihiro
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