Ternary phase, fluid controlled, differential injection pressure fuel element

A fuel injection element for fuel injectors utilized in internal combustion engines comprising:

• an injection dement body having a fuel inlet port for pressurized fuel and a fuel discharge port;
• said injection element body further having an upper fuel chamber therein adjacent said fuel inlet port;
• said injection element body further having intermediate fuel passages connected to said upper fuel chamber;
• a fuel injection control valve in said injection element body and having a seated closed position between said fuel inlet port and said upper fuel chamber to provide a buildup of fuel pressure at said fuel inlet port;
• means admitting a pressurized independent hydraulic control fluid to directly urge said fuel injection control valve to its seated position in opposed relation to said pressurized fuel and varying the pressure of said pressurized control fluid supplied to said injection element body continuously during operation of the engine in response to selected sensed operating conditions of said engine, the pressure of said pressurized fuel at said fuel inlet port varying continuously in response to changes in the pressure of said pressurized control fluid to provide opening and closing of said fuel injection control valve at varying fuel pressures and varying control fluid pressures;
• said fuel injection control valve moving from its seated position in response to a pressure differential between the pressurized fuel and the pressurized hydraulic control fluid to allow fuel to pass into said upper fuel chamber and fuel passages to said lower fuel chamber;
• and
• means for permitting exit of pressurized fuel from said fuel discharge port.

A fuel injection element for injection of fuel into the cylinders of a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine, comprising:

• an injection element body for each of the fuel injectors of the engine, each said injection element body having a fuel inlet port for pressurized fuel and a fuel discharge port;
• each said injection element body further having an upper fuel chamber therein adjacent said fuel inlet port;
• each said injection element body further having a lower fuel chamber therein adjacent said fuel discharge port and fuel passages connecting said upper fuel chamber and said lower fuel chamber;
• a fuel injection control valve in each said injection element body and having a seated closed position between said fuel inlet port and said upper fuel chamber to provide a buildup of fuel pressure at said fuel inlet port;
• a fuel injection valve in each said injector body and having a seated closed position between said lower fuel chamber and said fuel discharge port;
• control pressure means admitting a pressurized independent hydraulic control fluid directly urging said fuel injection control valve and said fuel injection valve to their seated positions in opposed relation to said pressurized fuel, the pressure of said pressurized control fluid supplied to said fuel injection element varying continuously during operation of the engine in response to selected sensed operating conditions of said engine, the pressure of said pressurized fuel at said fuel inlet port varying continuously in response to changes in the pressure of said pressurized control fluid to permit opening and closing of said fuel injection control valve at varying control fluid pressures and varying fuel pressures;
• said fuel injection control valve first moving from its seated position in response to a pressure differential between the pressurized fuel and the pressurized hydraulic control fluid to allow fuel to pass into said upper fuel chamber and fuel passages to said lower fuel chamber;
• and
• said fuel injection valve then moving from its seated position in response to a pressure differential between the fuel in said lower fuel chamber and the pressurized hydraulic control fluid to allow the fuel to exit said fuel discharge port for entry into one of the engine cylinders.

A fuel injection element for the injection of fuel into a cylinder of an internal combustion engine and operated in response to fluid pressure differentials between pressurized fuel and a separate independent pressurized control fluid each supplied to said fuel injection element at a variable pressure dependent on selected sensed operating conditions of the engine;

• said fuel injection element comprising:
• a body having a fuel inlet port to receive pressurized fuel and a fuel discharge port to inject pressurized fuel into the cylinder of the internal combustion engine;
• a lower fuel chamber in said body adjacent said fuel discharge port and an upper fuel chamber in said body adjacent said fuel inlet port;
• fuel passages connecting said upper fuel chamber and said lower fuel chamber;
• an upper valve seat between said fuel inlet port and said upper fuel chamber;
• a lower valve seat between said fuel discharge port and said lower fuel chamber;
• a fuel injection control valve in said body mounted for movement between a closed seated position on said upper valve seat blocking fuel from said fuel inlet port to said upper fuel chamber to provide a buildup of fuel pressure at said fuel inlet port, and an open unseated position on said upper valve seat permitting fuel to pass from said fuel inlet port to said upper fuel chamber;
• a fuel injection valve in said body mounted for movement between a closed seated position on said lower valve seat blocking fuel from passing said fuel discharge port, and an open unseated position on said lower valve seat permitting fuel to pass said fuel discharge port for discharge into the cylinder;
• a control fluid inlet port in said body to admit the separate independent pressurized control fluid of a variable pressure for acting against said fuel injection control valve and said fuel injection valve in opposed relation to said pressurized fuel to urge said fuel injection control valve and said fuel injection valve to seated closed position on their respective seats, the control pressure of said pressurized control fluid varying continuously during operation of said engine in response to selected sensed operating conditions of said engine, the pressure of said pressurized fuel at said fuel inlet port accumulating thereat in the closed position of said fuel injection control valve and varying continuously during operation of said engine in response to the varying pressure of said pressurized control fluid from selected sensed operating parameters of said engine to permit opening said fuel injection control valve for supply of pressurized fuel to said fuel injection valve at varying fuel pressures;
• said fuel injection control valve in a first step of operation first moving to unseated open position in response to a predetermined pressure differential between the accumulated pressurized fuel at said fuel inlet port and said separate independent pressurized control fluid to permit fuel to pass into said upper fuel chamber and said fuel passages to said lower fuel chamber;
• said fuel injection valve in a second step of operation then moving to unseated open position in response to a predetermined pressure differential between the pressurized fuel at said lower fuel chamber and the separate independent pressurized control fluid for the injection of fuel from said fuel discharge port;
• said fuel injection control valve in a third step of operation next returning to closed seated position on said upper valve seat in response to a predetermined pressure differential between the pressurized fuel in said upper fuel chamber and the separate independent pressurized control fluid thereby to block fuel passing from said fuel inlet port to said upper fuel chamber;
• and
• said fuel injection valve in a fourth step of operation then moving to closed seated position on said lower valve seat in response to a predetermined pressure differential between the pressurized fuel in said lower fuel chamber and the separate independent pressurized control fluid to block fuel passing to said fuel discharge port from said lower fuel chamber;
• whereby a cycle of operation of the fuel injection element is completed successively by said steps with variable time intervals between successive steps.

A fuel injection element for the injection of fuel into a cylinder of an internal combustion engine and operated in response to pressure differentials between pressurized fuel and a separate pressurized control fluid of a variable pressure dependent on selected sensed operating conditions of the engine;

• said fuel injection element comprising:
• a body having a fuel inlet port where fuel pressure accumulates and a fuel discharge port to inject pressurized fuel into the cylinder of the internal combustion engine;
• a lower fuel chamber in said body adjacent said fuel discharge port;
• a fuel passage connecting said fuel inlet port and said lower fuel chamber;
• a fuel injection control valve in said body mounted for movement between a closed position blocking fuel from passing said fuel inlet port to said lower fuel chamber to permit an accumulation of fuel pressure at said fuel inlet port, and an open position permitting fuel to pass said fuel inlet port to said lower fuel chamber through said fuel passage with the fuel accelerating in said passage;
• a fuel injection valve in said body mounted for movement between a closed position blocking fuel from passing to said fuel discharge port from said lower fuel chamber, and an open position to permit fuel to pass to said discharge port from said lower fuel chamber;
• and
• a control fluid inlet port in said body to admit the separate pressurized control fluid for acting against said fuel injection control valve and said fuel injection valve to urge said fuel injection control valve and said fuel injection valve to closed position, the pressure of said pressurized control fluid varying continuously during operation of said engine in response to selected sensed operating conditions of said engine, the pressure of said pressurized fuel supplied to said fuel inlet port accumulating thereat and varying continuously during operation of said engine in response to the varying pressure of said pressurized control fluid to permit opening of said fuel injection control valve at varying fuel pressures at said fuel inlet port for supply of fuel to said fuel injection valve.

A method for the injection of fuel from a fuel injection element into a cylinder of an internal combustion engine;

• said method comprising the following steps:
• providing a fuel injection body having a fuel inlet port for pressurized fuel and a control fluid port for a separate pressurized control fluid;
• providing a fuel injection valve in said injection body between the fuel inlet port and a fuel discharge port and mounted for movement between a seated closed position blocking fuel from passing to the fuel discharge port, and an open position permitting discharge of fuel from said fuel discharge port;
• providing a fuel injection control valve in said injection body in a fuel passage between said fuel inlet port and said fuel discharge port upstream of said fuel injection valve and movable between a seated closed position blocking fuel passing from said fuel inlet port to said fuel injection valve to permit the accumulation of fuel pressure at said fuel inlet port, and an open position permitting fuel to pass from said fuel inlet port to said fuel injection valve;
• supplying pressurized control fluid to said control fluid port at a variable pressure dependent on sensed operating conditions of the engine with said pressurized control fluid acting against said fuel injection valve and said fuel injection control valve in a direction opposed to said pressurized fuel;
• the pressure of said pressurized control fluid varying continuously during operation of the engine in response to selected sensed operating conditions of said engine;
• supplying pressurized fuel to said fuel inlet port at a variable supply pressure dependent on the pressure of said pressurized control fluid from sensed operating conditions of said engine, and effecting a buildup of fuel pressure at said fuel inlet port in a closed position of said fuel injection control valve;
• unseating said fluid injection control valve at a predetermined pressure differential between the pressurized fuel accumulated at said inlet port in the closed position of said fuel injection control valve and the separate pressurized control fluid at said control fluid port to permit fuel to pass to said fuel injection valve;
• and
• then unseating said fuel injection valve in said injection body at a predetermined pressure differential between the pressurized fuel supplied to said fuel inlet port and the separate pressurized control fluid supplied to said control fluid port for the injection of fuel from said fuel discharge port.