Common rail injector with active needle closing device

A fuel injector assembly comprising:

• a housing defining a bore including an inlet and an outlet;
• a needle valve movable between an open position that provides for fuel flow through the outlet, and a closed position preventing fuel flow through the outlet, the needle valve including an upper portion and a lower portion;
• a valve for controlling movement of the needle valve by selectively reducing pressure on the upper portion of the needle valve below a pressure on the lower portion of the needle valve such that the needle valve is hydraulically biased toward the open position;
• and
• a metering land selectively overlapping a metering bore to define a flow passage that creates a desired pressure differential between an upper surface of the metering land and a lower surface that generates a hydraulic bias on the needle valve toward the closed position.