Spring locator for damping device

A fuel rail assembly comprising:

• a fuel rail having a longitudinal axis and an inner wall;
• and
• a damper assembly in the fuel rail, the damper assembly including
• a damper, and
• a spring locator coupled with the damper, the spring locator having two positioning portions outwardly biased to engage the inner wall and position the damper assembly axially in the fuel rail.

A fuel rail assembly comprising:

• a fuel rail having an axis, a fuel injector socket and an inner wall, the inner wall including a fuel injector port communicating with the fuel injector socket;
• and
• a damper assembly in the fuel rail, the damper assembly including
• a one-piece extruded metal damper having first and second ends and a top portion, a bottom portion and two side walls extending between the top portion and the bottom portion, the damper having an inner surface defining a hollow cavity having a thickness and a width,
• a first metal wire spring locator at least partially received in the first end, the first spring locator including a first substantially U-shaped copper-coated sealing portion bonded to the inner surface of the damper by induction brazing, the first sealing portion including a first cross member and first and second arms extending from the first cross member, the first cross member being bonded to both side walls, the first arm being bonded to the top portion and the second arm being bonded to the bottom portion, the first sealing portion further having a wire diameter substantially the same as the cavity thickness and a width substantially the same as the cavity width to substantially seal the cavity, and two first positioning portions extending from the first sealing portion and outward from the first end of the damper, the first positioning portions being outwardly biased to flex against and engage the inner wall of the fuel rail to position the damper assembly axially in the fuel rail;
• and
• a second metal wire spring locator at least partially received in the second end, the second spring locator including a second substantially U-shaped copper-coated sealing portion bonded to the inner surface of the damper by induction brazing, the second sealing member including a second cross member and first and second arms extending from the second cross member, the second cross member being bonded to both side walls, the first arm being bonded to the top portion and the second arm being bonded to the bottom portion, the second sealing portion further having a wire diameter substantially the same as the cavity thickness and a width substantially the same as the cavity width to substantially seal the cavity, and two first positioning portions extending from the second sealing portion and outward from the second end of the damper, the second positioning portions being outwardly biased to flex against and engage the inner wall of the fuel rail to position the damper assembly axially in the fuel rail.

A method of assembling a fuel rail, the method comprising:

• inserting a sealing member into one end of a damper having an inner surface;
• bonding the sealing member to the inner surface to substantially seal the end of the damper;
• and
• inserting the damper and the sealing member into a fuel rail.