Fuel injector for direct injection of gaseous fuel

Abstract

A fuel injector for direct injection of gaseous fuel, extending along an axial direction from a proximal side to a distal side, 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 for engaging the pintle from the proximal side and being axially movable between a proximal armature position and a distal armature position, which corresponds to the distal pintle position; and a solenoid actuator adapted to initiate a movement of the armature element towards the distal armature position. In order to provide reliable means for preventing impact damage in an injector for gaseous fuel, at least one damper space is defined between the armature element and the injector body so that a volume of the damper space is changed by an axial movement of the armature element, wherein a gap width of any gap in a boundary region delimiting the damper space is less than 15 μm, except for at least one gas-exchange path to which the damper space is connected, which gas-exchange path is open for gas exchange in any position of the armature element.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.