Piezoelectric fuel injector valve
AssigneeTeledyne Industries, Inc.
InventorHans U. Bart
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An electrically operated valve in which the valve operating means is controlled in its opening movement by a piezoelectric element. The expansion or contraction of the piezoelectric element provides a lift force to the valve operating means while, preferably, a hydraulic or mechanical amplification stage is included to provide an exceedingly rapid mode of operation. The valve is particularly advantageous to control the multiple and discrete injections of fuel into an internal combustion engine.
Claims5
A liquid fuel injector valve for an internal combustion engine said valve comprising:
- a. a valve body adapted to contain liquid fuel therein under pressure, said valve body having a liquid fuel inlet port and a liquid fuel outlet port;
- b. closure means movable between a first position where said closure means closes said outlet port to a second position where said outlet port is open;
- c. a piezoelectric element cooperative with said closure means for effecting the movement of said closure means from said first position to said second position in response to an electrical potential imposed across said element;
- d. biasing means for maintaining said closure means in said first position in the absence of said imposed potential;
- e. a lever having a relatively short arm, a relatively long arm and a pivot point therebetween, means for biasing said short arm against said element so that said short arm follows the movements of said element, wherein said long arm is mechanically coupled to said closure means whereby said lever magnifies the stroke of said closure means relative to the stroke of said element;
- and
- wherein the opening of said outlet port causes liquid fuel contained within said valve body under pressure to jet from said outlet port.
A liquid fuel injector valve for an internal combustion engine said valve comprising:
- a. a valve body adapted to contain liquid fuel therein under pressure, said valve body having a liquid fuel inlet port and a liquid fuel outlet port;
- b. closure means movable between a first position where said closure means closes said outlet port to a second position where said outlet port is open;
- c. a piezoelectric element cooperative with said closure means for effecting the movement of said closure means from said first position to said second position in response to an electrical potential imposed across said element;
- d. biasing means for maintaining said closure means in said first position in the absence of said imposed potential;
- and
- wherein the opening of said outlet port causes liquid fuel contained within said valve body under pressure to jet from said outlet port;
- a lever having a relatively short arm, a relatively long arm a pivot point therebetween and a second spring adapted to bias said short arm against said element in a manner such that said short arm follows the movements of said element;
- and
- wherein said closure means is a valve needle which seats in said outlet port and moves cooperatively with said long arm,
- said biasing means is a spring,
- wherein said short arm moves cooperatively with said element,
- and wherein movement of said lever effects a magnification of the stroke of said needle relative to the stroke of said element.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.