Fuel injection apparatus for internal combustion engines

A fuel injection apparatus for internal combustion engines, the apparatus comprising

• one fuel pump (10) for each cylinder of the engine, which pump has a pump piston (18), driven by the engine in a reciprocating motion, that defines a pump work chamber (22), which communicates via a line (14) with a fuel injection valve (12), disposed on the engine separately from the fuel pump (10), which valve has an injection valve member (28), by which at least one injection opening (32) is controlled, and which is movable in the opening direction (29), counter to a closing force, by the pressure generated in the pump work chamber (22),
• at least one first electrically triggered control valve (160) by which a communication (59) of the pump work chamber (22) with a relief chamber (24) is controlled,
• the first control valve (160) being disposed near the fuel pump (10), and
• a second electrically triggered control valve (64;
• 164;
• 264) which is disposed near the fuel injection valve (12) and by which the pressure prevailing in a control pressure chamber (52) of the fuel injection valve (12) is controlled, by which pressure the injection valve member (28) is urged at least indirectly in the closing direction, wherein the first control valve (160) can assume three switching positions, and wherein a first switching position the pump work chamber (22) is disconnected from the relief chamber (24);
• in a second switching position the pump work chamber (22) has a throttled communication with the relief chamber (24);
• and in a third switching position the pump work chamber (22) has a less severely throttled or an unthrottled communication with the relief chamber (24).