Fitting Connection Assembly for a Fluid Delivery System

A fuel rail assembly comprising a fuel rail, a fuel injector supported by the fuel rail and a retaining pin that retains the fuel injector in connection with the fuel rail, wherein

• the fuel rail comprises:
• a log including a main fuel passage;
• and
• an injector cup that is disposed on an outer surface of the log, the injector cup including
• a sidewall, an inner surface of the sidewall defining a blind bore that opens at one end of the injector cup,
• is coaxial with a first axis, and
• is in fluid communication with the main fuel passage,
• the sidewall defining a retainer opening that is
• coaxial with a second axis that is perpendicular to the first axis, and
• offset relative to the first axis,
• the fuel injector comprises:
• an injector housing that includes
• a fuel inlet end that is disposed in the blind bore,
• a fuel outlet end disposed opposite to the fuel inlet end, the fuel outlet end disposed outside of the blind bore, and
• an annular groove located between the fuel inlet end and a midpoint of the injector housing, the annular groove being disposed in the blind bore;
• and
• a seal that encircles an outer surface of the injector housing, the seal disposed between the annular groove and the fuel inlet end, the seal being disposed in the blind bore and providing a fluid seal between the injector housing and a surface of the blind bore,
• and wherein,
• the retaining pin is disposed in the retainer opening such that a portion of the retaining pin resides in the annular groove whereby the retaining pin retains the fuel inlet end of the fuel injector within the blind bore, the retaining pin including
• a pin first end,
• a pin second end that is opposite the pin first end, and
• a pin longitudinal axis that extends through the pin first and second ends, and
• the retaining pin is elastically expandable and contractible in a direction perpendicular to the pin longitudinal axis.

A fuel rail assembly comprising a fuel rail, an inlet fitting and a retaining pin that retains the inlet fitting in an inlet passageway of the fuel rail, wherein

• the fuel rail comprises:
• a main fuel passage;
• an inlet disposed at one end of the main fuel passage, the inlet including the inlet passageway that permits communication between the environment and the main fuel passage, the inlet passageway and the main fuel passage being coaxial with a first axis;
• and
• a retainer opening that is coaxial with a second axis that is perpendicular to the first axis, the retainer opening disposed in the inlet,
• the inlet fitting comprises:
• a leading end disposed in the inlet passageway;
• a trailing end opposite the leading end and disposed outside the fuel rail, the trailing end including an external thread that is configured to engage an internal thread of a fluid delivery line;
• a fitting longitudinal axis that extends between the leading end and the trailing end;
• a fitting through passage that is co-linear with the fitting longitudinal axis and extends between the leading end and the trailing end, the fitting through passage communicating with the inlet passageway;
• a channel that is parallel to the second axis, and
• a seal that surrounds the leading end and provides a fluid tight seal between the inlet fitting and a surface of the main fuel passage;
• and wherein,
• the retaining pin is disposed in the retainer opening such that a portion of the retaining pin resides in the channel whereby the retaining pin retains the inlet fitting within the inlet passageway of the fuel rail, and
• the retaining pin is elastically expandable and contractible in a direction perpendicular to the second axis.