This invention is directed to a device and a method for positioning parts in a fuel injector during assembly of the injector.
In a conventional high-pressure fuel injector arrangement, a stacking arrangement is used for assembly of the injector. The parts to be assembled may include a first portion, a spacer and a nozzle assembly. The conventional injector 10, as seen in
The first portion 101, spacer 105 and the nozzle assembly 104 all have inlet and outlet ports or passages that must be aligned for optimum fuel metering performance. The conventional injector, therefore, relies upon positioning pins 106 for a precise alignment between these ports or passages. However, in order to form positioning holes for the pins 106, precise machining is believed to be required for these holes. Additionally, two positioning pins are required to prevent misalignment of the assembled parts. This is believed to add to the parts' cost and count during assembly of the fuel injector. Finally, the use of positioning pins and holes is believed to require at least three steps to mount the tubular members together, adding to manufacturing inefficiency.
Thus, there is a strong need to overcome these and other problems associated with the conventional fuel injector positioning assembly arrangement.
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a device and a procedure to permit the precise positioning of parts in the fuel injector to overcome the disadvantages of the related art.
The present invention provides a fuel injector. The fuel injector comprises a first tubular member adapted to contain a hydraulic actuator, the first tubular member being provided with a key way, a second tubular member adapted to contain a metering nozzle, the second tubular member contiguously abutting the first tubular member, the second tubular being provided with a second key way, the first key way and the second key way being substantially aligned, and a curvilinear member abutting the first and second tubular members, the curvilinear member having at least a portion adapted to be disposed in the first and second key ways.
The present invention further provides a method of positioning elements within a fuel injector. The method comprises, providing a first tubular element with a first groove disposed circumferentially thereon, a second tubular element with a second groove disposed circumferentially thereon, aligning the first groove with the second groove, and preventing any movement of the first groove relative to the second groove.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein and constitute part of this specification, illustrate presently preferred embodiments of the invention, and, together with the general description given above and the detailed description given below, serve to explain features of the invention.
Referring to
More than two members of the fuel injector can be aligned in this manner. In particular,
As shown in
Rather than using a key portion 400 or 401, a stamped portion 402 can also be used with a band 302 as shown in
Alternatively, as shown in
Finally, as shown in
As can be seen by the foregoing, the benefits for using the retaining and positioning arrangements described herein are twofold: first, costly precise machining required to form the positioning holes for the pins are believed to be eliminated. Second, the two positioning pins are no longer required, thereby reducing parts count. Third, only two steps are required, i.e., lining up the tubular members and the inserting the band into the grooves rather than three or more steps that are believed to be required for the conventional arrangement.
While the claimed invention has been disclosed with reference to certain preferred embodiments, numerous modifications, alterations, and changes to the described embodiments are possible without departing from the sphere and scope of the claimed invention, as defined in the appended claims. Accordingly, it is intended that the claimed invention not be limited to the described embodiments, but that it have the full scope defined by the language of the following claims, and equivalents thereof.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20030010837 A1 | Jan 2003 | US |