Fuel injector for direct injection of gaseous fuel

Abstract

A fuel injector for direct injection of gaseous fuel is provided. The fuel injector extends along an axial direction from a proximal side to a distal side and includes: an injector body defining a fuel passage and having a distally disposed end portion that defines a valve seat extending around an outlet opening; an outward opening pintle received in the injector body to be axially movable between a proximal pintle position, in which it engages the valve seat to close the outlet opening and a distal pintle position, in which it releases the outlet opening; an armature element being axially movable from a proximal armature position to a distal armature position in a distal movement, in which it moves the pintle into the distal pintle position, and back to the proximal armature position in a proximal movement; and an actuator element adapted to initiate the distal movement. In order to provide reliable means for preventing impact damage in an injector valve of an injector for gaseous fuel, a damping space is at least partially defined by the armature element and the injector body, which damping space is increased by the proximal movement, and wherein a valve mechanism is adapted to at least partially close a connecting path between the damping space and the fuel passage during the proximal movement and to open the connecting path during the distal movement.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.