Fuel injection valve

A fuel injection valve comprising:

• a body having a nozzle hole to inject high-pressure fuel into a combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine;
• a nozzle needle movable back and forth in the body to open and close the nozzle hole;
• a control chamber configured to apply fuel pressure on the nozzle needle in a closing direction;
• a first intermediate chamber configured to be communicated with the control chamber through a control chamber communication passage, the first intermediate chamber configured to receive high-pressure fuel through a high-pressure passage;
• a second intermediate chamber communicated with a low-pressure portion through an exhaust passage;
• a valve cylinder partitioning the first intermediate chamber from the second intermediate chamber;
• a valve element configured to communicate the control chamber communication passage with the first intermediate chamber and to block the control chamber communication passage from the first intermediate chamber, the valve element configured to communicate the exhaust passage with the second intermediate chamber and to block the exhaust passage from the second intermediate chamber;
• a valve element spring configured to bias the valve element in a direction to communicate the control chamber communication passage with the first intermediate chamber and to block the exhaust passage from the second intermediate chamber;
• and
• an actuator configured to actuate the valve element in a direction to block the control chamber communication passage from the first intermediate chamber and to communicate the exhaust passage with the second intermediate chamber, wherein
• the valve element includes:
• a first valve element located in the first intermediate chamber, the first valve element including a high-pressure-side valve portion in a tubular shape, the high-pressure-side valve portion configured to make contact with and to move away from a high-pressure seat surface, which is formed on the body, to block the control chamber communication passage from the first intermediate chamber and to communicate the control chamber communication passage with the first intermediate chamber;
• a second valve element located in the second intermediate chamber, the second valve element including a low-pressure-side valve portion, the low-pressure-side valve portion configured to make contact with and to move away from a low-pressure seat surface, which is formed in the body, to block the exhaust passage from the second intermediate chamber and to communicate the exhaust passage with the second intermediate chamber;
• a rod portion in a columnar shape, the rod portion located between the first valve element and the second valve element and slidably held at a cylinder hole, which is formed in the valve cylinder;
• and
• a valve element internal passage configured to communicate the control chamber communication passage with the second intermediate chamber, wherein
• the high-pressure-side valve portion has an outer diameter, which is greater than an outer diameter of the rod portion.