Fuel injection valve for an automotive vehicle

A fuel injection valve for an automotive vehicle, comprising:

• (a) a housing having a nozzle at the one end portion thereof through which fuel is ejected, a valve seat portion proximate said nozzle, and a fuel passageway having an inlet portion formed in said housing near a middle portion thereof and an outlet portion formed in said housing near the nozzle;
• (b) a valve element for opening and closing the nozzle, said valve element being disposed against the valve seat portion within said housing communicating with the fuel passageway, said valve element being urged in the direction of opening the nozzle when fuel pressure acts on the valve seat portion;
• (c) a saw-toothed armature having radially extending flat surfaces and having said valve element at an end thereof, said armature being free to move in the axial direction within said housing;
• (d) a saw-toothed core having radially extending flat surfaces and being provided with a coil wound around said saw-toothed core and energized by a unidirectional current, said core being fixed to said housing, the radially extending flat surfaces of said saw-toothed core forming a plurality of working surfaces in cooperation with the radially extending flat surfaces of said saw-toothed armature in order to actuate said armature in the axial direction, said saw-toothed core being operable to urge said armature in the direction of closing the nozzle when said coil is energized;
• and
• (e) a spring positioned between said armature and said core, said spring urging said armature in the direction to close the valve, the closing force of said spring being less than the opening force due to fuel pressure applied on said valve element,
• whereby said armature and said core cooperate to operate said valve element with a fast response time to open said nozzle when said coil is deenergized.