Internal-combustion engines – Charge forming device – Fuel injection system
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-22
2001-11-13
Miller, Carl S. (Department: 3747)
Internal-combustion engines
Charge forming device
Fuel injection system
C123S456000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06314943
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fuel supply rail for a fuel injector in a cylinder head of an internal combustion engine.
2. Description of Related Art
Internal combustion engines with direct injection spark ignition require fuel to be injected into the engine combustion chambers by respective fuel injectors mounted on the water cooled engine cylinder head. Each fuel injector is provided with an injector seat that engages a seat on the cylinder head to provide a heat transfer path to the cylinder head in order to provide cooling of the fuel injector in use on the engine. Since thermal expansion rates are different between a typical aluminum alloy cylinder head and a stainless steel fuel injector housing, a cantilever spring clip separate from the fuel injector has been used in the past to retain and load or bias each fuel injector relative to the cylinder head seat prior to assembly of the fuel rail that supplies fuel to the fuel injectors. Use and assembly of such separate cantilever spring clips in this manner is disadvantageous in that the numerous separate cantilever clips complicate assembly of the fuel injectors as well as servicing of the fuel injection system on the vehicle and provides a fuel injector load tolerance range relative to the cylinder head that can be excessive or deficient as a result of part dimensional tolerance range and thermal expansion effects.
An object of the present invention is to provide an improved fuel injector system having a fuel supply rail assembly with an integrated fuel injector load spring that overcomes the above discussed disadvantages.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a fuel injector system including a fuel supply rail assembly having a plurality of fuel injector-receiving housings for mounting on the cylinder head of an internal combustion engine and a fuel injector load spring integrated in each fuel rail housing in a manner to bias a fuel injector received in each housing within a preselected injector load tolerance range relative to the cylinder head. To this end, each fuel injector load spring is disposed inside each fuel rail housing between the fuel rail housing and a respective fuel injector received therein. The fuel injector load spring integrated in the fuel supply rail in this manner maintains a minimum fuel injector load relative to the cylinder head to provide a satisfactory heat transfer path to the cylinder head and limits maximum fuel injector loading. Integration of the fuel injector load spring in the fuel supply rail simplifies assembly of the fuel injector system as well as servicing thereof and provides more accurate control of the fuel injector load tolerance range.
The above objects and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent from the following description taken with the following drawings.
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Burch Craig Edward
Mayol Dale Mathew
Ford Global Technologies Inc.
Miller Carl S.
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