# US 11,359,589 B2 · Valve for metering a fluid > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,359,589 B2 - Document ID: US11359589B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/470,831 - Filed: 2017-10-19 - Published: 2019-10-10 - Granted: 2022-06-14 - Earliest claimed: 2016-12-21 - Assignees: Robert Bosch GmbH - Applicants: Robert Bosch GmbH - Inventors: Murat Ucal; Andreas Glaser; Axel Heinstein; Christian Suenkel; Frank Mueller; Joerg Abel; Marcel Behringer; Martin Buehner; Matthias Boee; Norbert Redlich; Peter Schramm; Stefan Cerny - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11359589B2 ## CPC - F02M 51/0671: {the armature having an elongated valve body attached thereto} - F02M 51/0685: {the armature and the valve being allowed to move relatively to each other or not being attached to each other} - F02M 55/008: {Arrangement of fuel passages inside of injectors} - F02M 61/12: characterised by the provision of guiding or centring means for valve bodies - F02M 61/205: {Means specially adapted for varying the spring tension or assisting the spring force to close the injection-valve, e.g. with damping of valve lift} - F02M 63/0075: {Stop members in valves, e.g. plates or disks limiting the movement of armature, valve or spring} - F02M: SUPPLYING COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL WITH COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURES OR CONSTITUENTS THEREOF ## Abstract A valve for metering a fluid is described, which is used, in particular, as a fuel injector for internal combustion engines, including an electromagnetic actuator and a valve needle actuatable by the actuator, an armature of the actuator being guided on valve needle, a stop element which limits a movement of the armature relative to the valve needle being situated on the valve needle, and the armature including a spring receptacle which is open toward the stop element and in which a spring supported on the stop element is inserted. The valve needle is guided via the armature and/or the stop element along a longitudinal axis of a housing. Furthermore, as viewed along the longitudinal axis, a length of the spring receptacle is smaller than a spring length of the spring in the non-actuated initial state. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A valve for metering a fluid, comprising: a housing; an electromagnetic actuator; a valve needle actuatable by the actuator, wherein an armature of the actuator is guided on the valve needle; a stop element that limits a movement of the armature relative to the valve needle, wherein the stop element is situated on the valve needle; a spring supported on the stop element, wherein the armature includes a spring receptacle that is open toward the stop element and in which the spring supported on the stop element is inserted, wherein the valve needle is guided via at least one of the armature and the stop element along a longitudinal axis of the housing, and wherein as viewed along the longitudinal axis, a length of the spring receptacle is smaller than a spring length of the spring in a non-actuated initial state; and a guide extension that faces away from the stop element and guides the armature along the longitudinal axis on the valve needle, wherein the guide extension is provided on the armature. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The valve as recited in claim 1, wherein the valve is a fuel injector for an internal combustion engine. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The valve as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of: a guide web faces the stop element and guides the armature along the longitudinal axis on the valve needle is formed on the armature, and the spring receptacle is formed by an annular groove not abutting the valve needle. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The valve as recited in claim 1, wherein one of the guide extension is formed on the armature, and the guide extension is integrally joined to the armature. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The valve as recited in claim 1, wherein the guide extension is a sleeve-shaped guide extension. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The valve as recited in claim 1, wherein the spring, during actuation, is shortenable to the length of the spring receptacle which is predefined by the spring receptacle of the armature. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The valve as recited in claim 1, wherein the armature includes at least one through-opening that extends along the longitudinal axis and is combined with the spring receptacle. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The valve as recited in claim 1, wherein the stop element has a hollow cylindrical basic shape having an outside diameter with respect to the longitudinal axis and, on an outer side of the basic shape, at least one recess is formed up to a second diameter with respect to the longitudinal axis, and wherein a support area for the spring is situated within the outside diameter of the stop element and outside the second diameter of the stop element. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The valve of claim 1, wherein the guide extension has a sleeve-shaped configuration, so that an outside diameter on the guide extension is smaller than an outside diameter on an outer side of the armature. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The valve of claim 9, wherein the spring includes ground spring ends, which results in reduced wear and a more uniform force introduction into the armature on the spring support surface and on the stop of the stop element. ### Claim 11 A valve for metering a fluid, comprising: a housing; an electromagnetic actuator; a valve needle actuatable by the actuator, wherein an armature of the actuator is guided on the valve needle; a stop element that limits a movement of the armature relative to the valve needle, wherein the stop element is situated on the valve needle; a spring supported on the stop element, wherein the armature includes a spring receptacle that is open toward the stop element and in which the spring supported on the stop element is inserted, wherein the valve needle is guided via at least one of the armature and the stop element along a longitudinal axis of the housing, and wherein as viewed along the longitudinal axis, a length of the spring receptacle is smaller than a spring length of the spring in a non-actuated initial state; and wherein, as viewed along the longitudinal axis, at least one of: a guide length over which the armature is guided on the valve needle is not smaller than an armature length, and the guide length over which the armature is guided on the valve needle is made up of a length of the armature that is shortened by the length of the spring receptacle, plus at least one of a length of a guide web and a length of a guide extension. ### Claim 12 A valve for metering a fluid, comprising: a housing; an electromagnetic actuator; a valve needle actuatable by the actuator, wherein an armature of the actuator is guided on the valve needle; a stop element that limits a movement of the armature relative to the valve needle, wherein the stop element is situated on the valve needle; a spring supported on the stop element, wherein the armature includes a spring receptacle that is open toward the stop element and in which the spring supported on the stop element is inserted, wherein the valve needle is guided via at least one of the armature and the stop element along a longitudinal axis of the housing, and wherein as viewed along the longitudinal axis, a length of the spring receptacle is smaller than a spring length of the spring in a non-actuated initial state; wherein the armature includes at least one through-opening that extends along the longitudinal axis and is combined with the spring receptacle, and wherein the at least one through-opening has an expanded kidney-shape in a circumferential direction. ### Claim 13 A valve for metering a fluid, comprising: a housing; an electromagnetic actuator; a valve needle actuatable by the actuator, wherein an armature of the actuator is guided on the valve needle; a stop element that limits a movement of the armature relative to the valve needle, wherein the stop element is situated on the valve needle; a spring supported on the stop element, wherein the armature includes a spring receptacle that is open toward the stop element and in which the spring supported on the stop element is inserted, wherein the valve needle is guided via at least one of the armature and the stop element along a longitudinal axis of the housing, and wherein as viewed along the longitudinal axis, a length of the spring receptacle is smaller than a spring length of the spring in a non-actuated initial state; and a guide extension that guides the armature along the longitudinal axis on the valve needle, wherein the guide extension is provided on the armature; wherein the spring receptacle directly abuts the valve needle, and wherein the spring receptacle is implemented by a cylindrical recess oriented on the longitudinal axis. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The valve of claim 13, wherein the spring receptacle has a length 1, which is shorter than a length L of the armature between end faces of the armature, wherein the length 1 is extended by a length s′ via the guide extension, and wherein the length s′ is predefined so that a guide length s′+1 is at least as large as the length L of the armature between the end faces of the armature. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The valve of claim 13, wherein the guide extension has a sleeve-shaped configuration, so that an outside diameter on the guide extension is smaller than an outside diameter on an outer side of the armature. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The valve of claim 15, wherein the spring includes ground spring ends, which results in reduced wear and a more uniform force introduction into the armature on the spring support surface and on the stop of the stop element.