# US 5,341,785 A · Fuel delivery system for internal combustion engines > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 5,341,785 A - Document ID: US5341785A - Status: Granted - Kind: A - Application number: 07/915,268 - Filed: 1992-07-20 - Granted: 1994-08-30 - Earliest claimed: 1992-07-20 - Assignees: Echlin Inc. - Inventors: John D. Meaney - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5341785A ## CPC - F02M 69/18: the means being metering valves throttling fuel passages to injectors or by-pass valves throttling overflow passages, the metering valves being actuated by a device responsive to the engine working parameters, e.g. engine load, speed, temperature or quantity of air (the means varying fuel pressure in a fuel by-pass passage, the pressure acting on a throttle valve against the action of metered or throttled fuel pressure for variably throttling fuel flow to injection nozzles F02M69/26) - F02M 69/50: Arrangement of fuel distributors {, e.g. with means for supplying equal portion of metered fuel to injectors (F02M69/147 takes precedence)} - F02M: SUPPLYING COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL WITH COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURES OR CONSTITUENTS THEREOF ## Abstract A fuel delivery system for internal combustion engines that includes a source of fuel under pressure, fuel lines for feeding fuel to the individual cylinders of the engine, and a distributor for metering fuel under pressure from the source to the individual fuel lines. The fuel metering distributor includes a fuel cavity coupled to the fuel source for receiving fuel under pressure, apertures in the sidewall of the cavity coupled to associated individual fuel lines, and a piston slidably disposed in the cavity for opening the individual apertures to the cavity as a function of position of the piston within the cavity. A linear electromagnetic actuator is coupled to the piston for controlling position of the piston within the cavity as a function of engine operating conditions. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the apertures comprise circumferentially spaced slits positioned in the cavity sidewall so that all of the slits have identical cross sectional openings to fuel flow for a given position of the piston within the cavity. Thus, fuel is automatically identically metered to all of the engine cylinders through operation of a single actuator, thereby eliminating individual electromagnetic fuel injectors at the various engine cylinders. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A fuel delivery system for an internal combustion engine having at least one cylinder, said system comprising: a source of fuel under pressure, a fuel line for feeding fuel to the at least one engine cylinder, and fuel metering means for metering fuel under pressure from said source to said fuel line, said fuel metering means comprising a linear electromagnetic actuator, valve means coupled to said actuator and responsive to linear motion imparted to said valve means by said actuator for variably controlling flow of fuel from said source to said line, said valve means and said actuator being continuously variable between fully closed and fully open positions of said valve means, and means for continuously energizing said actuator and thereby controlling flow of fuel through said valve means continuously between said fully closed and fully open positions of said valve means as a function of engine operating conditions, said actuator providing the sole motive force to said valve means responsive to engine operating conditions. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system set forth in claim 1 wherein said valve means comprises a fuel cavity coupled to said source and having a cavity sidewall, and an aperture in said sidewall coupled to said fuel line. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The system set forth in claim 2 wherein said valve means further comprises a piston slidably disposed in said cavity and cooperating with said sidewall for opening said aperture to said cavity as a function of position of said piston within said cavity, said linear electromagnetic actuator being coupled to said piston for controlling position of said piston within said cavity. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The system set forth in claim 3 wherein said aperture is of rectangular geometry having one linear dimension parallel to motion of said piston within said cylinder such that cross sectional area of said aperture opened by said piston varies as a linear function of position of said piston within said cylinder. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The system set forth in claim 3 for supplying fuel to plural engine cylinders, said system comprising a plurality of said fuel lines for individually feeding fuel to the engine cylinders, and a plurality of said apertures circumferentially spaced from each other in said cavity sidewall and individually coupled to said fuel lines. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The system set forth in claim 5 wherein said apertures are of identical geometry. ### Claim 7 (depends on 4) The system set forth in claim 4 further comprising means coupled to said cavity for maintaining substantially constant fuel pressure within said cavity. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The system set forth in claim 7 wherein said pressure-maintaining means comprises a fuel pressure regulator coupled to said cavity, and a return line coupling said regulator to said source. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The system set forth in claim 1 further comprising means disposed at the engine cylinder and coupled to said fuel line for atomizing fuel delivered from said fuel line. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The system set forth in claim 9 wherein said atomizing means comprises a mechanical poppet injector. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The system set forth in claim 1 wherein said means for energizing said actuator comprises at least one sensor for supplying an electrical signal as a function of an operating condition at the engine, and engine control means responsive to said at least one sensor for variably energizing said actuator. ### Claim 12 A fuel delivery system for an internal combustion engine having plural cylinders that comprises: a source of fuel under pressure, fuel metering means that includes a cavity, a plurality of fuel lines individually coupling said cavity to an associated cylinder, and electromagnetic motor means operatively coupled to said cavity for controlling flow of fuel from said source through said cavity and fuel lines, said fuel metering means and said electromagnetic motor means being continuously variable between fully open and fully closed conditions at said metering means, and means for energizing said motor means as a continuously variable function of engine operating conditions between said fully open and said fully closed conditions at said metering means, said motor supplying the sole motive force to said fuel meter means responsive to engine operating conditions. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The system set forth in claim 12 wherein said cavity and fuel lines are constructed and arranged such that substantially identical quantities of fuel are fed to the engine cylinders.