Patent Application
20180372046
This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2017-0081249, filed Jun. 27, 2017, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety into this application.
The present invention relates generally to an injector fixing structure of a fuel rail and, more particularly, to an injector fixing structure of a fuel rail which prevents an injector from being separated from the fuel rail.
As well known to those skilled in the art, fuel rails and injectors are assembled into modules to form engine components, thereby reducing costs in engine assembly and increasing efficiency.
However, the injector fixing structure of the fuel rail of the fuel rail module according to the related art is problematic in that because there is provided no fixing feature for preventing the injector 1 from being separated in a direction indicated by the arrow A in
The above information disclosed in this section is merely for enhancement of understanding of the background of the invention and therefore it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art.
An object of the present invention is to provide an injector fixing structure of a fuel rail, the injector fixing structure capable of preventing an injector from being separated from the fuel rail while maintaining a basic structure and performance of the injector.
In order to accomplish the above object, the present invention provides an injector fixing structure of a fuel rail, which may be used in a fuel rail module and be configured such that an injector cup that includes a slot formed at a side thereof and an injector that includes an anti-rotation pin inserted into the slot may be coupled to each other by a clip. The injector fixing structure may include a lock formed integrally with the anti-rotation pin, and a fixing member coupled to the slot and allowing the lock to be secured when the anti-rotation pin is inserted into the slot such that the anti-rotation pin may be prevented from being separated from the slot.
Further, the fixing member may be disposed at a lower end portion of the slot of the injector cup such that after the anti-rotation pin is inserted through a space between the slot and the fixing member, the lock may be secured to an upper end portion of the fixing member. Additionally, the anti-rotation pin may be divided into first to third pin members.
Meanwhile, the lock may be formed on a front surface of the second pin member that is a middle pin member of the first to third pin members. The second pin member may be elastically deformed in a rearward direction upon insertion into the slot such that the lock is allowed to pass through the fixing member, and be then restored to an original shape thereof after the lock has passed through the fixing member, whereby the lock is secured to the fixing member.
Alternatively, the lock may be formed on an outer side surface of each of the first and third pin members that are left and right oppositely disposed pin members of the first to third pin members. Further, the slot may include stepped portions disposed at a lower end portion of the slot by protruding from each of opposite inside surfaces of the slot such that the locks are secured to the stepped portions. The first and third pin members may be elastically deformed in left and right directions upon insertion into the slot such that the locks are allowed to pass through the stepped portions of the slot, and be then restored to original shapes thereof after the locks have passed through the stepped portions, whereby the locks are secured to the stepped portions.
In addition, the lock may be formed on a rear surface of the second pin member that is a middle pin member of the first to third pin members. Further, the slot may include a stepped portion disposed at a lower end portion of the slot by protruding in a forward direction such that the lock is secured to the stepped portion. The second pin member may be elastically deformed in the forward direction upon insertion into the slot such that the lock is allowed to pass through the stepped portion of the slot, and be then restored to an original shape thereof after the lock has passed through the stepped portion, whereby the lock is secured to the stepped portion.
The present invention may prevent separation of the injector from the fuel rail during transportation of the fuel rail module, thereby improving assemblability of the fuel rail module in engine assembly and increasing process efficiency.
The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.
The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Referring to
The fixing member 21 may be coupled to a slot 20 of the injector cup 2 such that a space where the anti-rotation pin 10 of the injector 1 is inserted may be defined between the slot 20 and the fixing member 21. The fixing member 21 may be coupled to a lower end portion of the slot 20 of the injector cup 2 such that the anti-rotation pin 10 may be inserted between the slot 20 and the fixing member 21 and then the lock 14 may be secured to an upper end portion of the fixing member 21. Since the anti-rotation pin 10 may be divided into the first to third pin members 11, 12, and 13, each pin member may be elastically deformed in forward, rearward, left, and right directions. Accordingly, the second pin member 12 that includes the lock 14 formed thereon may be elastically deformed in the rearward direction upon insertion into the slot 20 such that the lock 14 may be allowed to pass through the fixing member 21, and then be restored to an original shape thereof after the lock 14 has passed through the fixing member 21, whereby the lock 14 may be secured to the fixing member 21.
According to the injector fixing structure of the fuel rail according to the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention having the above configuration, when the anti-rotation pin 10 of the injector 1 is inserted into the slot 20 of the injector cup 2, the anti-rotation pin 10 may be supported and retained by the slot 20 and the fixing member 21 to prevent the injector 1 from being separated in the forward and rearward directions, while the first and third pin members 11 and 13 of the anti-rotation pin 10 may be supported and retained on left and right opposed inside surfaces of the slot 20, respectively, to prevent the injector 1 from rotating in the left and right directions. Furthermore, the lock 14 of the second pin member 12 may be secured to the fixing member 21 supportably and retainably to prevent the injector 1 from being separated in upward and downward directions. Consequently, secure and reliable coupling of the injector 1 may be maintained during transportation of a fuel rail module.
The first and third pin members 11 and 13 that include the locks 14 formed thereon may be elastically deformed in the left and right directions upon insertion into the slot 20 such that the locks 14 may be allowed to pass through the stepped portions 22 of the slot 20, and then be restored to original shapes thereof after the locks 14 have passed through the stepped portions 22, whereby the locks 14 may be secured to the stepped portions 22 of the slot 20.
According to the injector fixing structure of the fuel rail according to the second exemplary embodiment of the present invention having the above configuration, when the anti-rotation pin 10 of the injector 1 is inserted into the slot 20 of the injector cup 2, the anti-rotation pin 10 may be supported and retained by the slots 20 and the fixing member 21 to prevent the injector 1 from being separated in the forward and rearward directions, while the first and third pin members 11 and 13 of the anti-rotation pin 10 may be supported and retained on the left and right opposed inside surfaces of the slot 20, respectively, to prevent the injector 1 from rotating in the left and right directions. Furthermore, the locks 14 of the first and third pin members 11 and 13 may be respectively secured to the stepped portions 22 of the slot 20 supportably and retainably to prevent the injector 1 from being separated in the upward and downward directions. Consequently, secure and reliable coupling of the injector 1 may be maintained during transportation of a fuel rail module.
The second pin member 12 having the lock 14 formed thereon may be elastically deformed in the forward direction upon insertion into the slot 20 such that the lock 14 may be allowed to pass through the stepped portion 22 of the slot 20, and then be restored to an original shape thereof after the lock 14 has passed through the stepped portion 22, whereby the lock 14 may be secured to the stepped portion 22 of the slot 20.
According to the injector fixing structure of the fuel rail according to the third exemplary embodiment of the present invention having the above configuration, when the anti-rotation pin 10 of the injector 1 is inserted into the slot 20 of the injector cup 2, the anti-rotation pin 10 may be supported and retained by the slot 20 and the fixing member 21 to prevent the injector 1 from being separated in the forward and rearward directions, while the first and third pin members 11 and 13 of the anti-rotation pin 10 may be supported and retained on the left and right opposed inside surfaces of the slot 20, respectively, to prevent the injector 1 from rotating in the left and right directions. Furthermore, the lock 14 of the second pin member 12 may be secured to the stepped portion 22 of the slot 20 supportably and retainably to prevent the injector 1 from being separated in the upward and downward directions. Consequently, secure and reliable coupling of the injector 1 may be maintained during transportation of a fuel rail module.
Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions and substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed in the accompanying claims.
The present invention is intended to cover not only the exemplary embodiments, but also various alternatives, modifications, equivalents and other embodiments that may be included within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims. In addition, the scope of the present invention is defined by the accompanying claims rather than the description which is presented above.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-20170081249 | Jun 2017 | KR | national |
