Claims
- 1. A fuel injection system for use with a pressurized fuel source, said system comprising:
- a fuel body defining a cylindrical fuel chamber with at least one side wall and two end walls for receiving fuel at a controlled pressure, said body having an inlet connector, multiple outlet connectors, and at least one of the end walls operative to dampen pressure pulsations acting on said wall by varying the volume of the chamber in response to such pressure pulsations;
- a plurality of fuel injectors mountable to cylinder inlet passages of an internal combustion engine for metering fuel directly to separate inlet ports of an internal combustion engine; and
- a plurality of flexible fuel tubes connecting said fuel injectors with separate ones of said outlet connectors for distributing fuel to said injectors at said controlled pressure.
- 2. A fuel injection system as in claim 1 wherein said fuel injectors have solenoid actuated injection valves.
- 3. A fuel injection system as in claim 1 wherein said fuel chamber is generally symmetrical.
- 4. A fuel injection system as in claim 1 wherein the interior dimensions of said outlet connectors and said fuel tubes are selected to minimize pressure drop during the flow of fuel from the fuel chamber to the respective injectors.
- 5. A fuel injection system as in claim 1 wherein said pressure responsive wall is formed as an edge supported membrane made from a relatively rigid material.
- 6. A fuel injection system as in claim 5 wherein said relatively rigid material is selected from the group consisting of resilient metals and plastics.
- 7. A fuel injection system for use with a pressurzed fuel source, said system comprising:
- a fuel body defining a compact fuel chamber for receiving fuel at a controlled pressure, said body having an inlet flow connector, multiple outlet connectors, and a pressure responsive wall of said fuel chamber operative to dampen pressure pulsations acting on said wall by varying the volume of the chamber in response to such pressure pulsations, wherein said pressure responsive wall includes a fuel pressure regulator diaphragm;
- a plurality of fuel injectors mountable to cylinder inlet passages of an internal combustion engine for metering fuel directly to separate inlet ports of an internal combustion engine; and
- a plurality of flexible fuel tubes connecting said fuel injectors with separate ones of said outlet connectors for distributing fuel to said injectors at said controlled pressure.
- 8. A fuel injection system as in claim 7 wherein said diaphragm opens a bleed valve in response to excessive pressure in the fuel chamber thereby further damping pressure pulsations therein.
- 9. A fuel injection system as in claim 8 wherein said diaphragm forms part of a unitized diaphragm and valve assembly further comprising:
- an inner retention member having a first flange sealingly engaging an outer periphery of the diaphragm on one side thereof and a tubular mounting portion extending from an inner edge of the flange axially inward away from the diaphragm and seated in a peripheral wall of said chamber;
- an outer retention member having a second flange sealingly engaging said outer periphery of the diaphragm on an opposite side thereof and a tubular outer portion extending from an inner edge of the second flange axially outward;
- one of said first and second flanges being bent around said outer periphery of the diaphragm and crimped against the other of said first and second flanges to sealingly retain said diaphragm periphery between said first and second flanges;
- a valve member carried on a central portion of said diaphragm on the same side as said inner retention member for movement with said diaphragm central portion axially of said tubular portions; and
- a spring seat carried on said central portion of the diaphragm on the same side as said outer retention member for movement with said diaphragm central portion, said spring seat connecting outwardly with a tubular axial extension adapted to receive a biasing spring in engagement with the spring seat.
- 10. A fuel injection system as in claim 9 wherein said inner retention member includes projection means engageable with recesses in said peripheral wall to maintain said diaphragm and valve assembly seated in said chamber peripheral wall.
- 11. A fuel injection system as in claim 9 including a cover mounted on said peripheral wall of the chamber and outwardly enclosing said diaphragm and valve assembly and a biasing spring compressed between said spring seat and said cover and urging said valve member against a valve seat within said chamber for controlling fuel pressure regulation by said diaphragm and valve assembly.
- 12. A unitized diaphragm and valve assembly comprising:
- a pressure regulator diaphragm;
- an inner retention member having a first flange sealingly engaging an outer periphery of the diaphragm on one side thereof and an open ended tubular mounting portion extending from an inner edge of the flange axially inward away from the diaphragm;
- an outer retention member having a second flange sealingly engaging said outer periphery of the diaphragm on an opposite side thereof and an open ended tubular outer portion extending from an inner edge of the second flange axially outward;
- one of said first and second flanges being bent around said outer periphery of the diaphragm and crimped against the other of said first and second flanges to sealingly retain said diaphragm periphery between said first and second flanges;
- a valve member carried on a central portion of said diaphragm on the same side as said inner retention member for movement with said diaphragm central portion axially of side tubular portions; and
- a spring seat carried on said central portion of the diaphragm on the same side as said outer retention member for movement with said diaphragm central portion, said spring seat connecting outwardly with a tubular axial extension adapted to receive a biasing spring in engagement with the spring seat.
- 13. A unitized diaphragm and valve assembly as in claim 12 wherein said tubular mounting portion of the inner retention member includes retaining projections for engaging recesses in an associated chamber peripheral wall.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application 60/063,702 filed Oct. 29, 1997.
US Referenced Citations (27)
Foreign Referenced Citations (3)
Number |
Date |
Country |
0427977A1 |
Oct 1990 |
EPX |
19650784A1 |
Jun 1998 |
DEX |
WO9831932 |
Jan 1998 |
WOX |