Fuel injector using two piezoelectric devices
AssigneeBrunswick Corporation
InventorChristopher J. Taylor
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Abstract
A fuel injector uses two or more individual piezoelectric devices. A first piezoelectric device is used to actuate a valve which allows pressurized fuel to pass from a pressure chamber through an outlet port. The fuel is pressurized by a second piezoelectric device. In certain applications, a return piezoelectric device is arranged in opposing configuration to the first piezoelectric device so that the valve can be positively moved both into its opened and closed positions rather than depending on the return force of a spring.
Claims22
A fuel injection system, comprising:
- an outlet port;
- a valve which is movable along a path between a first position and a second position, said outlet port being blocked by said valve when said valve is in said first position, said outlet port being unblocked by said valve when said valve is in said second position;
- a first piezoelectric device disposed in force transmitting association with said valve to selectively move said valve along said path;
- a pressure chamber;
- and
- a second piezoelectric device disposed in pressure affecting association with said pressure chamber, whereby movement of said second piezoelectric device changes the pressure of a fuel within said pressure chamber by exerting a force on said fuel within said pressure chamber and movement of said valve under the influence of said first piezoelectric device causes said fuel, which is pressurized within said pressure chamber, to flow from said pressure chamber and through said outlet port;
- wherein said second piezoelectric device is a transducer exerting a force directly on the fuel within the pressurization chamber to create the pressurized fuel.
A fuel injection system, comprising:
- a piezoelectric driven pressurizing chamber;
- an outlet port disposed in fluid communication with said piezoelectric driven pressurizing chamber;
- and
- a piezoelectric actuated valve which is movable from a first position in which said piezoelectric actuated valve closes said outlet port and a second position in which said piezoelectric actuated valve opens said outlet port, wherein the piezoceramic driven pressurizing chamber includes a piezoelectric device which is a transducer exerting a force directly on the fuel within the piezoceramic driven pressurizing chamber to create pressurized fuel.
A method for injecting fuel for an internal combustion engine, comprising the steps of:
- providing a first piezoelectric device associated in force transmitting relation with a valve;
- providing a second piezoelectric device associated in pressure affecting relation with a pressure chamber, said pressure chamber having an outlet port;
- changing the pressure of a fluid within said pressure chamber by actuating said second piezoelectric device and thereby exerting a force on said fluid to change said pressure on said fluid;
- and
- moving said valve from a first position, which blocks said outlet port, toward a second position, which does not block said outlet port, by actuating said first piezoelectric device, whereby pressurized fluid flows through said outlet port from said pressure chamber when said valve moves away from said first position wherein said second piezoelectric device is a transducer exerting a force directly on the fuel within the pressurization chamber to create the pressurized fuel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.