Fuel injection device for an internal combustion engine, and associated method

A method of channeling fuel into a combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine, comprising:

• receiving the fuel within an injector body axial bore defined by an injector body that extends axially therethrough to a nozzle exit that extends into the combustion chamber;
• channeling the fuel through the nozzle exit into the combustion chamber;
• controlling, via a controller by actuation of a first actuator comprising a resilient member that axially moves a flow rate control member disposed within the injector body axial bore, a flow rate of the fuel channeled into the combustion chamber by moving the flow rate control member axially with respect to the nozzle exit and causing the flow rate control member to interact with the nozzle exit, wherein the resilient member is disposed adjacent to an outer surface of the flow rate control member;
• and
• controlling, via the controller by actuation of a second actuator that axially moves a pintle member disposed within a flow rate control member axial bore defined by the flow rate control member, a spray angle of the fuel channeled into the combustion chamber without substantially altering the flow rate of the fuel by moving the pintle member axially with respect to the flow rate control member axial bore independently of the flow rate control member and causing the pintle member to interact with the nozzle exit, wherein the pintle member comprises a longitudinally extending body that is hollow throughout an entirety of its length, a curved transition region having a first end adjacent to a first end of the longitudinally extending body, and a terminal portion disposed adjacent to a second end of the curved transition region and comprising a cylindrical portion having a constant diameter that is at least partially disposed external to the nozzle exit of the injector body axial bore;
• wherein the flow rate and the spray angle of the fuel channeled into the combustion chamber are independently controlled;
• wherein the second actuator is configured to continually adapt the spray angle, which comprises a hollow cone spray pattern, based on a position of a piston within the combustion chamber;
• and
• wherein the terminal portion of the pintle member is adjustably displaceable from the nozzle exit in order to provide at least a narrow, hollow spray cone angle, an intermediate, hollow spray cone angle, and a wide, hollow spray cone angle, a spray axis of each hollow cone spray angle being coincident to a longitudinal central axis of the pintle member.

A fuel injection device adapted to channel fuel into a combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine, comprising:

• an injector body defining an injector body axial bore extending axially therethrough and comprising a nozzle exit that extends into the combustion chamber, where the injector body receives the fuel within the injector body axial bore and channels the fuel through the nozzle exit;
• a flow rate control member disposed within the injector body axial bore and that moves axially with respect thereto;
• a first actuator comprising a resilient member, controlled via a controller, that controls a flow rate of the fuel channeled into the combustion chamber by causing the flow rate control member to move axially with respect to the injector body axial bore and to interact with the nozzle exit, the flow rate control member further defining a flow rate control member axial bore, wherein the resilient member is disposed adjacent to an outer surface of the flow rate control member;
• a pintle member disposed within the flow rate control member axial bore and that moves axially with respect thereto, wherein the pintle member comprises a longitudinally extending body that is hollow throughout an entirety of its length, a curved transition region having a first end adjacent to a first end of the longitudinally extending body, and a terminal portion disposed adjacent to a second end of the curved transition region and comprising a cylindrical portion having a constant diameter that is at least partially disposed external to the nozzle exit of the injector body axial bore;
• and
• a second actuator, controlled via the controller, that controls a spray angle of the fuel channeled into the combustion chamber without substantially altering the flow rate of the fuel by causing the pintle member to move axially with respect to the flow rate control member axial bore independently of the flow rate control member and to interact with the nozzle exit;
• wherein the flow rate and the spray angle of the fuel channeled into the combustion chamber are independently controlled;
• wherein the second actuator is configured to continually adapt the spray angle, which comprises a hollow cone spray pattern, based on a position of a piston within the combustion chamber;
• and
• wherein the terminal portion of the pintle member is adjustably displaceable from the nozzle exit in order to provide at least a narrow, hollow spray cone angle, an intermediate, hollow spray cone angle, and a wide, hollow spray cone angle, a spray axis of each hollow cone spray angle being coincident to a longitudinal central axis of the pintle member.