# US 2013/0152556 A1 · Fluid injector having heater > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2013/0152556 A1 - Document ID: US20130152556A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/328,448 - Filed: 2011-12-16 - Published: 2013-06-20 - Earliest claimed: 2011-12-16 - Assignees: Caterpillar Inc. - Inventors: Glenn B. Cox; Sridhar Thangaswamy - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130152556A1 ## CPC - F02M 53/04: Injectors with heating, cooling, or thermally-insulating means - F01N 3/0253: {adding fuel to exhaust gases} - F01N 3/2033: {using a fuel burner or introducing fuel into exhaust duct} - F02M 53/00: Fuel-injection apparatus characterised by having heating, cooling or thermally-insulating means - F01N 2240/14: a fuel burner - F02M 2200/06: Fuel-injection apparatus having means for preventing coking, e.g. of fuel injector discharge orifices or valve needles - Y02T 10/12: Improving ICE efficiencies - F02M: SUPPLYING COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL WITH COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURES OR CONSTITUENTS THEREOF - F01N: GAS-FLOW SILENCERS OR EXHAUST APPARATUS FOR MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; GAS-FLOW SILENCERS OR EXHAUST APPARATUS FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES (arrangements in connection with gas exhaust of propulsion units in vehicles B60K13/00; combustion-air intake silencers specially adapted for, or arranged on, internal-combustion engines F02M35/00; protecting against, or damping, noise in general G10K11/16) - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION ## Abstract A fluid injector unit for use in an exhaust treatment system includes; a fluid injector having a fluid receiving end and a fluid injecting end, a heater disposed about the fluid injecting end of the fluid injector, an electrical contact member electrically connected to the heater, and a thermal ground disposed about a distal end of the electrical contact member from the heater. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A fluid injector unit for use in an exhaust treatment system, comprising: a fluid injector having a fluid receiving end and a fluid injecting end; a heater disposed about the fluid injecting end of the fluid injector; an electrical contact member electrically connected to the heater; and a thermal ground disposed about a distal end of the electrical contact member from the heater. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The fluid injector unit of claim 1, wherein the heater includes a coaxial wiring including a conductive inner core, an electrically insulating sheath surrounding the conductive inner core and a conductive outer sheath surrounding the electrically insulating sheath. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The fluid injector unit of claim 2, wherein the electrical contact member includes: a sleeve coupled to the conductive outer sheath of the heater; an electrical contact pin disposed axially within the sleeve and protruding therefrom, the electrical contact pin being electrically connected to the conductive inner core of the heater; an insulative layer disposed between the sleeve and the electrical contact pin; an elastomeric end seal axially surrounding a portion of the electrical contact pin corresponding to the distal end of the electrical contact member; and an end cap axially surrounding the elastomeric end seal and at least a portion of the sleeve. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The fluid injector unit of claim 3, wherein the thermal ground is in contact with only the end cap of the electrical contact member. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The fluid injector unit of claim 1, wherein the thermal ground is a thermally conductive polymer adhesive compound. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The fluid injector of claim 1, wherein the heater includes at least one heater coil disposed around the fluid injecting end of the fluid injector. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The fluid injector unit of claim 6, further comprising a heat shield disposed substantially surrounding the at least one heater coil. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The fluid injector unit of claim 7, further comprising an insulative air gap disposed between the at least one heater coil and the heat shield. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The fluid injector of claim 7, wherein the fluid injector, the heater, and the heat shield are retained in place by a mixing plate. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The fluid injector of claim 1, wherein a fluid received and injected by the fluid injector is diesel fuel. ### Claim 11 A regeneration system comprising: a housing; and a fluid injector unit received within the housing, the fluid injector unit including: a fluid injector having a fluid receiving end and a fluid injecting end; a heater disposed about the fluid injecting end of the fluid injector; an electrical contact member electrically connected to the heater and received within the housing; and a thermal ground disposed about a distal end of the electrical contact member wherein the thermal ground thermally couples the electrical contact member to the housing. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The exhaust aftertreatment auxiliary regeneration system of claim 11, further including a coolant chamber disposed within the housing and axially surrounding at least a portion of the fluid injector. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The exhaust aftertreatment auxiliary regeneration system of claim 12, further including a fuel chamber disposed within the housing and axially surrounding at least a portion of the fluid injector. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The exhaust aftertreatment auxiliary regeneration system of claim 13, wherein the thermal ground thermally connects the distal end of the electrical contact member with the housing. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The exhaust aftertreatment auxiliary regeneration system of claim 14, wherein at least a portion of the housing in contact with the thermal ground is cooled by fluid flow through at least one of the coolant chamber and the fuel chamber. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The exhaust aftertreatment auxiliary regeneration system of claim 11, further comprising an O-ring seal coupled to the thermal ground and axially surrounding the distal end of the electrical contact member. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The exhaust aftertreatment auxiliary regeneration system of claim 11, further comprising a spark plug disposed in the housing. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The exhaust aftertreatment auxiliary regeneration system of claim 11, further comprising a thermocouple disposed in the housing. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) The exhaust aftertreatment auxiliary regeneration system of claim 11, further comprising a mixing plate connecting the fluid injector unit and the housing. ### Claim 20 An exhaust treatment system, comprising: a passageway configured to receive exhaust; and an auxiliary regeneration system configured to inject fluid into the exhaust within the passageway, wherein the auxiliary regeneration system includes: a fluid injector having a fluid receiving end and a fluid injecting end; a heater disposed about the fluid injecting end of the fluid injector; an electrical contact member electrically connected to the heater; and a thermal ground thermally coupling the housing and the electrical contact module, wherein the thermal ground is disposed at an end of the electrical contact module opposite to the heater and the passageway.