Actuating fluid delivery system for a fuel injector
AssigneeInternational Truck and Engine Corporation
InventorsKenneth R. Seymour, II, Martin R. Zielke, Edgardo Y. Estacio
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A fluid delivery system for delivering a supply of a fluid from a fluid source to at least one fuel injector includes a rail for conveying a fluid and being positionable proximate the fuel injector. The rail has a fluid passageway defined therein, the fluid passageway being in fluid communication with the source of fluid. A connector is in fluid communication with both the rail and with the fuel injector for fluidly connecting the rail to the fuel injector. The connector is universally shiftable in three orthogonal axes for accommodating static tolerances existing between the rail and the fuel injector and for accommodating dynamic relative motion between the rail and the fuel injector.
Claims63
A fluid delivery system for servicing a plurality of fuel injectors of an engine by delivering a supply of a fluid from a fluid source to each fuel injector of the plurality of fuel injectors, comprising:
- rail means for conveying fluid, the rail means being positionable proximate the plurality of fuel injectors and having a fluid passageway defined therein, the fluid passageway being in fluid communication with the source of fluid;
- and
- connector means being in fluid communication with both the rail means and with a fuel injector of the plurality of fuel injectors for fluidly connecting the rail means to the fuel injector, the connector means being moveable in three planes to accommodate static tolerances existing between the rail means and the fuel injector and being moveable in three orthogonal axes during operation of the engine to accommodate dynamic relative motion between the rail means and the fuel injector, the connecting means having at least a first ball and a first socket forming a first coupling, the first ball being rotatably shiftable in the first socket, the shifting of the first ball providing for motion in the plane that is disposed in an orthogonal relationship to the first axis.
A fluid delivery system for servicing a plurality of fuel injectors by delivering a supply of a fluid from a fluid source to each fuel injector of the plurality of fuel injectors, comprising:
- rail means for conveying fluid, the rail means being positionable proximate the plurality of fuel injectors and having a fluid passageway defined therein, the fluid passageway being in fluid communication with the source of fluid;
- and
- connector means being in fluid communication with both the rail means and with a fuel injector of the plurality of fuel injectors for fluidly connecting the rail means to the fuel injector, the connector means being moveable in three planes to accommodate static tolerances existing between the rail means and the fuel injector and being moveable in three orthogonal axes to accommodate dynamic relative motion between the rail means and the fuel injector, the rail means being a rail assembly having an elongate rail and a plurality of intersecting sleeves, the fluid passageway being defined in the rail and an intersecting sleeve of the plurality of intersecting sleeves being associated with each fuel injector to be serviced, each rail assembly sleeve having a fluid chamber defined therein, at least one bore being defined through a rail assembly sleeve wall, the bore effecting fluid communication between the fluid chamber and the rail fluid passageway.
A connector for fluidly coupling a fluid conveying rail to a fuel injector coupled to an engine, the connector being translatable in a first longitudinal axis with respect to the rail and, having at least a first ball and a first socket forming a first coupling, the first ball being rotatably shiftable in the first socket during engine operation, the shifting of the first ball providing for motion in the plane that is disposed in an orthogonal relationship to the first axis.
A fluid delivery system for servicing a plurality of fuel injectors by delivering a supply of a fluid from a fluid source to the plurality of fuel injectors, comprising:
- a rail assembly for conveying a fluid, the rail assembly being positionable proximate the plurality of fuel injectors and having a fluid passageway defined therein, the fluid passageway being in fluid communication with the source of fluid;
- and
- a connector assembly being in fluid communication with both the rail assembly and with a certain fuel injector of the plurality of fuel injectors for fluidly connecting the rail assembly to the fuel injector, the connector assembly being moveable in three orthogonally disposed axes for accommodating static tolerances existing between the rail assembly and the fuel injector and for accommodating dynamic relative motion between the rail assembly and the fuel injector and including a connecting assembly tube having a first ball being disposed external to the connecting assembly tube, the first ball being sealably, rotatably disposed in a first socket defined in a first collar.
A fluid delivery system for delivering a supply of a fluid from a fluid source to a plurality of fuel injectors, comprising:
- a common rail for conveying a fluid, the common rail being positionable proximate the plurality of fuel injectors, the common rail having a rail assembly, the rail assembly having an elongate rail and an intersecting sleeve associated with each of the fuel injectors of the plurality of fuel injectors, a fluid conveying connector being connectable to a respective fuel injector being disposed in each respective intersecting sleeve, a fluid passageway being defined in the rail, the fluid passageway being in fluid communication with the source of fluid.
A coupler for fluidly coupling a rail assembly including a fluid conveying connector to a fuel injector, the fuel injector having a fluid passageway defined therein, the injector fluid passageway being fluidly communicable with a rail fluid passageway defined in a generally tubular rail component, the coupler comprising:
- a ferrule being annularly disposed with respect to the fluid conveying connector component and being disposable in an inner circumferential surface of a receiver component that is operably coupled to the fuel injector;
- and
- a lock nut being annularly disposed with respect to the fluid conveying connector component, the lock nut having a ferrule engaging surface disposed opposite a ferrule surface and having a first set of threads engageable with a second set of threads defined on the receiver component, whereby threadedly engaging the first and second set of threads acts to force the ferrule engaging surface into compressive engagement with the ferrule surface for compressing the ferrule in a space defined between the fluid conveying connector component and the inner circumferential surface of the receiver to form a substantially fluid-tight seal between the fluid conveying connector component and the fuel injector.
A connector of an actuating fluid delivery system, the connector for mating with a fuel injector, comprising:
- a claw lock engagement device for effecting a sealing engagement with the fuel injector having at least two semi-circular claws, each claw defining a portion of a helix extending from an entry end to a trailing end, the entry end being of lesser radius than the trailing end.
A connector of an actuating fluid delivery system, the connector for mating with a fuel injector, comprising:
- a lock nut, the lock nut being threadedly engageable with threads defined on a threaded connector surface, such threaded engagement acting to compress a sealing ferrule.
A method of conveying an actuating fluid from a fluid source to a plurality of fuel injectors having the steps of:
- fluidly coupling an elongate rail having a fluid passage defined therein to the actuating fluid source;
- fluidly coupling the rail to each of the plurality of fuel injectors by means of a connector that is in fluid communication with the rail and with a certain fuel injector of the plurality of fuel injectors;
- and
- minimizing the static and dynamic stresses on the fuel injector by providing for translatability of the connector in a first longitudinal axis and shiftability of the connector in a second axis and a third axis at least in part by means of a ball that is shiftable responsive to the imposition of the dynamic stresses, the second and third axes being disposed orthogonal to one another and orthogonal to the first axis.
A method of conveying an actuating fluid from an actuating fluid rail to a plurality of fuel injectors having the steps of:
- fluidly coupling the rail to each of the plurality of fuel injectors by means of a connector that is in fluid communication with the rail and with a certain fuel injector of the plurality of fuel injectors;
- and
- minimizing the static and dynamic stresses on the fuel injector by providing for translatability of the connector in a first longitudinal axis and shiftability of the connector in a second axis and a third axis, the second and third axes being disposed orthogonal to one another and orthogonal to the first axis, the dynamic stress being minimized at least in part by a ball being shiftable responsive to the imposition of such stresses.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.