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US 12,215,658 B2Granted
Fuel injector with radially orientable nozzle holes using splines
AssigneeCummins Inc.
InventorsJordan P. Steele, Michael A. Lucas, Derek G. Weiler
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present disclosure provides a fuel injector, comprising: a body including a plurality of body alignment features; a nozzle including a plurality of nozzle alignment features and a plurality of nozzle holes for injecting fuel; and a plurality of alignment guides configured to mate with the plurality of body alignment features and the plurality of nozzle alignment features to align the nozzle with the body such that the plurality of nozzle holes is in a desired orientation relative to the body.
Claims20
A fuel injector, comprising:
- a body including a plurality of body alignment features;
- a nozzle including a plurality of nozzle alignment features and a plurality of nozzle holes for injecting fuel;
- and
- a clocking ring having an inner surface with a plurality of alignment guides configured to mate with the plurality of body alignment features and the plurality of nozzle alignment features to align the nozzle with the body such that the plurality of nozzle holes is in a desired orientation relative to the body, wherein each of the plurality of alignment guides is spaced apart by an angle of 180 degrees from another of the plurality of alignment guides to ensure the clocking ring can be mated with the plurality of body alignment features and the plurality of nozzle alignment features in at least two ways to provide at least two different orientations of the plurality of nozzle holes of the nozzle relative to the body;
- wherein the clocking ring includes a side wall, an upper edge, a lower edge, and a circumferential chamfer formed along the side wall adjacent at least one of the upper edge and the lower edge.
2 more elements
A fuel injector, comprising:
- a body having body grooves formed into an exterior, circumferential surface of one end of the body;
- a nozzle having nozzle grooves formed into an exterior, circumferential surface of one end of the nozzle and spaced apart from one another to correspond to a spacing between the body grooves, the nozzle including a plurality of nozzle holes adjacent an end of the nozzle for injecting fuel into a combustion chamber of an engine;
- and
- a clocking ring having an interior surface with a plurality of splines extending therefrom, the plurality of splines being disposed circumferentially on the interior surface to slide into the body grooves and the nozzle grooves to retain the body and the nozzle in a desired orientation relative to one another, wherein each of the plurality of splines is spaced apart by an angle of 180 degrees from another of the plurality of splines to ensure the clocking ring can be mated with the body grooves and the nozzle grooves in at least two ways to provide at least two different orientations of the plurality of nozzle holes of the nozzle relative to the body.
1 more element
A method of assembling a fuel injector, comprising:
- forming a body having a plurality of body alignment features on an outer surface;
- forming a nozzle having a plurality of nozzle alignment features on an outer surface, the nozzle including a plurality of nozzle holes for injecting fuel;
- forming a ring having a plurality of internal alignment features;
- installing the ring onto the body such that the body alignment features mate with the internal alignment features;
- and
- installing the nozzle into the ring to engage the body such that the nozzle alignment features mate with the internal alignment features;
- wherein each of the plurality of internal alignment features is spaced apart by an angle of 180 degrees from another of the plurality of internal alignment features to ensure the ring can be mated with the plurality of body alignment features and the plurality of nozzle alignment features in at least two ways to provide at least two different orientations of the plurality of nozzle holes of the nozzle relative to the body;
- wherein at least one of the body alignment features, the nozzle alignment features and the internal alignment features is formed using broaching.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.