Fuel injector tappet retention mechanism

A method of making a fuel injector, said fuel injector having an injector body, a tappet, a biasing means, and a retention clip, said injector body having a centerline axis and a barrel, said barrel having an inner surface and an outer surface and defining a retention opening, said barrel inner surface defining a bore, said tappet having a cylindrical body with an inner surface, a bottom surface and a retention slot therethrough, and said retention clip having a body and a protrusion with a first end, said method comprising:

• placing said retention clip into said bore of said barrel of said injector body such that said retention clip body is surrounded by said inner surface of said barrel of said injector body and said first end of said protrusion of said retention clip extends through said retention opening;
• bringing said biasing means into contact with said fuel injector body;
• moving said bottom surface of said tappet cylindrical body toward said injector body such that said inner surface of said tappet cylindrical body surrounds said outer surface of said barrel of said injector body;
• aligning said retention slot with said retention opening;
• moving said bottom surface of said tappet cylindrical body toward said protrusion of said retention clip such that said tappet forces said first end of said protrusion towards said centerline axis of said fuel injector body;
• and
• moving said bottom surface of said tappet cylindrical body such that said retention slot is aligned with said retention opening and said first end of said protrusion extends from said retention opening into said retention slot.

An internal combustion engine comprising:

• a cylinder block having at least one cylinder bore therein;
• a cylinder head attached to said cylinder block;
• and
• at least one fuel injector positioned over said cylinder bore and attached to at least one of said cylinder block and said cylinder head, said fuel injector having an injector body, a tappet, a biasing means, and a retention clip, said injector body having a barrel, said barrel having an inner surface and an outer surface and defining a retention opening, said inner surface of said barrel defining a bore, said tappet slidably engaged with said outer surface of said barrel of said injector body and having a retention slot therethrough, and said retention clip having a body located within said bore of said barrel of said injector body and having a protrusion that extends through said retention opening and into said retention slot.