# US 2019/0170103 A1 · Fuel injector

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- Number: US 2019/0170103 A1
- Document ID: US20190170103A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 15/832,295
- Filed: 2017-12-05
- Published: 2019-06-06
- Earliest claimed: 2017-12-05
- Assignees: Caterpillar Inc.
- Applicants: Caterpillar Inc.
- Inventors: Glen Clifford Martin; Jonathan W. Anders; Robert M. Campion; Bobby John
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190170103A1

## CPC

- F02M 61/168: {Assembling; Disassembling; Manufacturing; Adjusting}
- F02M 43/04: Injectors peculiar thereto
- F02M 61/1806: {characterised by the arrangement of discharge orifices, e.g. orientation or size}
- F02M 2200/46: Valves, e.g. injectors, with concentric valve bodies
- F02M: SUPPLYING COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL WITH COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURES OR CONSTITUENTS THEREOF

## Abstract

A fuel injector includes a nozzle including at least one outer orifice. The at least one outer orifice selectively injects a first fuel. An outer check is disposed movably within the nozzle. The outer check includes at least one first orifice and at least one second orifice. The at least one first orifice and the at least one second orifice are disposed circumferentially spaced apart with respect to one another. Each of the at least one first orifice and the at least one second orifice selectively injects a second fuel. An inner check is disposed movably and concentrically within the outer check. The at least one outer orifice is adapted to selectively injects at least one of the first fuel and the second fuel therethrough based on a position of each of the outer check and the inner check.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A fuel injector comprising:
a nozzle including at least one outer orifice provided therein, the at least one outer orifice adapted to selectively inject a first fuel therethrough;
an outer check disposed movably within the nozzle, the outer cheek including at least one first orifice and at least one second orifice provided therein, the at least one first orifice and the at least one second orifice disposed circumferentially spaced apart with respect to one another, each of the at least one first orifice and the at least one second orifice adapted to selectively inject a second fuel therethrough; and
an inner check disposed movably and concentrically within the outer check,
wherein the at least one outer orifice is adapted to selectively inject at least one of the first fuel and the second fuel therethrough based on a position of each of the outer check and the inner check.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The fuel injector of claim 1, wherein any one of the at least one first orifice and the at least one second orifice is adapted to selectively align with respect to the at least one outer orifice to sequentially inject the first fuel and the second fuel through the at least one outer orifice based on the position of each of the outer check and the inner check.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The fuel injector of claim 1 further includes;
a first passage provided, between the nozzle and the outer check, the first passage adapted to allow flow of the first fuel therethrough, wherein the first passage is adapted to be selectively connected to the at least one outer orifice based on the position of the outer check; and
a second passage provided between the outer check and the inner check, the second passage adapted to allow flow of the second fuel therethrough, wherein the second passage is adapted to be selectively connected to each of the at least one first orifice and the at least one second orifice based on the position of the inner check.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The fuel injector of claim 1, wherein the outer check is rotated about a central axis to selectively align any one of the at least one first orifice and the at least one second orifice with respect to the at least one outer orifice.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The fuel injector of claim 1, wherein:
the at least one outer orifice includes a plurality of outer orifices, each of the plurality of outer orifices disposed circumferentially spaced apart with respect to one another,
the at least one first orifice includes a plurality of first orifices, each of the plurality of first orifices disposed circumferentially spaced apart with respect to one another, and
the at least one second orifice includes a plurality of second orifices, each of the plurality of second orifices disposed circumferentially spaced apart with respect to one another and each of the plurality of first orifices.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The fuel injector of claim 5, wherein:
the plurality of outer orifices is provided at a first included angle,
the plurality of first orifices is provided at a second included angle, and
the plurality of second orifices is provided at a third included angle, such that each of the first included angle, the second included angle, and the third included angle is different with respect to one another.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The fuel injector of claim 5, wherein:
the plurality of outer orifice is provided at a first included angle,
the plurality of first orifice is provided at a second included angle, and
the plurality of second orifice is provided at a third included angle, such that each of the first included angle, the second included angle, and the third included angle is equal to one another.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The fuel injector of claim 1, wherein:
each of the first fuel and the second fuel is any one of natural gas, alcohol, diesel, and gasoline.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The fuel injector of claim 1, wherein the first fuel is the same as the second fuel.

### Claim 10

A fuel injection system comprising:
a first fuel source adapted to provide a first fuel therefrom;
a second fuel source adapted to provide a second fuel therefrom;
a fuel injector provided in fluid communication with each of the first fuel source and the second fuel source, the fuel injector comprising:
a nozzle including at least one outer orifice provided therein., the at least one outer orifice adapted to selectively inject the first fuel therethrough;
an outer check disposed movably within the nozzle, the outer check including at least one first orifice and at least one second orifice provided therein, the at least one first orifice and the at least one second orifice disposed circumferentially spaced apart with respect to one another, each of the at least one first orifice and the at least one second orifice adapted to selectively inject the second fuel therethrough; and
an inner check disposed movably and concentrically within the outer check, wherein the at least one outer orifice is adapted to selectively inject at least one of the first fuel and the second fuel therethrough based on a position of each of the outer check and the inner check; and
a controller communicably coupled to each of the first fuel source, the second fuel source, and the fuel injector.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The fuel injection system of claim 10, wherein the controller is configured to:
provide flow of the first fuel from the first fuel source to the fuel injector;
provide flow of the second fuel from the second fuel source to the fuel injector;
control a position of the outer check;
inject, selectively, the first fuel through the at least one outer orifice;
control a position of the inner check;
inject, selectively, the second fuel through any one of the at least one first orifice and the at least one second orifice; and
inject, selectively, at least one of the first fuel and the second fuel through the at least one outer orifice.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The fuel injection system of claim 11, wherein the controller is further configured to control the position of at least one of the inner check and the outer check to align any one of the at least one first orifice and the at least one second orifice with the at least one outer orifice to sequentially inject the first fuel and the second fuel through the at least one outer orifice.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The fuel injection system of claim 11, wherein controlling the position of the outer check further includes rotating the outer check about a central axis to selectively align any one of the at least one first orifice and the at least one second orifice with respect to the at least one outer orifice.

### Claim 14 (depends on 10)

The fuel injection system of claim 10, wherein:
the at least one outer orifice includes a plurality of outer orifices, each of the plurality of outer orifices disposed circumferentially spaced apart with respect to one another,
the at least one first orifice includes a plurality of first orifices, each of the plurality of first orifices disposed, circumferentially spaced apart with respect to one another, and
the at least one second orifice includes a plurality of second orifices, each of the plurality of second orifices disposed circumferentially spaced apart with respect to one another and each of the plurality of first orifices.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The fuel injection system of claim 14, wherein:
the plurality of outer orifices is provided at a first included angle,
the plurality of first orifices is provided at a second included angle, and
the plurality of second orifices is provided at a third included angle, such that each of the first included angle, the second included angle, and the third included angle is equal to one another.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

The fuel injection system of claim 14, wherein:
the at least one outer orifice is provided at a first included angle,
the at least one first orifice is provided at a second included angle, and
the at least one second orifice is provided at a third included angle, such that each of the first included angle, the second included angle, and the third included angle is different with respect to one another.

### Claim 17 (depends on 11)

The fuel injection system of claim 11, wherein:
each of the first fuel and the second fuel is any one of natural gas, alcohol, diesel, and gasoline.

### Claim 18 (depends on 11)

The fuel injection system of claim 11, wherein the first fuel is the same as the second fuel.

### Claim 19

A method fix controlling a fuel injector, the fuel injector having a nozzle, an outer check, and an inner check, the method comprising:
providing flow of a first fuel to the fuel injector;
providing flow of a second fuel to the fuel injector;
controlling a position of the outer check;
injecting, selectively, the first fuel through at least one outer orifice;
controlling a position of the inner check;
injecting, selectively, the second fuel through any one of at least one first orifice and at least one second orifice; and
injecting, selectively, at least one of the first fuel and the second fuel through the at least one outer orifice.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, further including:
controlling the position of at least one of the inner check and the outer check to align any one of the at least one first orifice and the at least one second orifice with the at least one outer orifice to sequentially inject the first fuel and the second fuel through the at least one outer orifice.