Fuel injector assembly for mounting a fuel injector to a fuel rail and permitting alignment of the fuel injector

A fuel injector assembly, comprising:

• a fuel rail;
• a cup having an upper portion and a lower portion, the upper portion connected to the fuel rail, the lower portion including an interior, an exterior, and a lower surface, the connection between the upper portion of the cup and the fuel rail including a furnace braze;
• a fuel injector having an inlet, an outlet, and a fuel passageway extending from the inlet to the outlet, the inlet disposed within the interior of the cup;
• a collar proximate the lower surface of the cup, the collar cincturing the inlet of the fuel injector;
• a ring cincturing the inlet of the fuel injector;
• a fastener secured to the exterior of the cup such that the ring establishes an interference fit between the collar and the inlet of the fuel injector;
• a wrap cincturing the exterior of the cup and the fastener, the wrap formed by heating and shrinking material to secure cup and the fastener;
• and
• an engine head including an interior, the outlet of the fuel injector disposed within the interior of the engine head.

A method of aligning a fuel injector connected to a fuel rail with an engine head, the fuel injector having an inlet, an inlet seal cincturing the inlet, an outlet, an outlet seal cincturing the outlet, a collar cincturing the inlet, and a fuel passageway extending from the inlet to the outlet, comprising:

• disposing the inlet seal in an interior of the fuel rail;
• pivoting the fuel injector about the inlet seal such that the outlet of the fuel injector is aligned with an interior of the engine head;
• disposing the outlet seal in the interior of the engine head;
• and
• forming an interference fit between the collar and the inlet of the fuel injector.

A method of attaching a fuel injector to a fuel rail, the fuel injector having an inlet, an inlet seal cincturing the inlet, an outlet, an outlet seal cincturing the outlet, and a fuel passageway extending from the inlet to the outlet, comprising:

• disposing the inlet seal in an interior of the fuel rail;
• cincturing the inlet of the fuel injector with a collar;
• and
• connecting a fastener to an exterior of the fuel rail such that the collar forms an interference fit with the inlet of the fuel injector.

A locking mechanism to secure a fuel injector to a fuel rail, the fuel injector having an inlet disposed within the fuel rail, comprising:

• a collar cincturing the inlet of the fuel injector and disposed proximate a bottom surface of the fuel rail;
• a ring cincturing the inlet of the fuel injector;
• and
• a fastener secured to an exterior surface of the fuel rail such that the ring provides an interference fit between the collar and the inlet of the fuel injector.