Claims
- 1. A fuel injector comprising:a housing having an inlet, an outlet and a longitudinal axis extending therethrough; a seat, the seat including a sealing surface, an orifice, a first channel surface, a terminal seat surface and a longitudinal axis extending therethrough; a metering disc contiguous to the seat, the metering disc including a second channel surface confronting the first channel surface, the metering disc having a plurality of metering orifices extending generally parallel to the longitudinal axis, the metering orifices being located about the longitudinal axis and defining a first virtual circle greater than a second virtual circle defined by a projection of the sealing surface onto a metering disc so that all of the metering orifices are disposed outside the second virtual circle; a closure member being reciprocally located between a first position wherein the closure member is displaced from the seat, and a second position wherein the closure member is biased against the seat, precluding fuel flow past the closure member; and a controlled velocity channel formed between the first and second channel surfaces, the controlled velocity channel having a first portion changing in cross-sectional area as the channel extends outwardly from the orifice of the seat to a location cincturing the plurality of metering orifices, such that a flow path exiting through each of the metering orifices forms a spray angle oblique to the longitudinal axis.
- 2. The fuel injector of claim 1, wherein the plurality of metering orifices includes at least two metering orifices diametrically disposed on the first virtual circle.
- 3. The fuel injector of claim 1, wherein the plurality of metering orifices includes at least two metering orifices disposed at a first arcuate distance relative to each other on the first virtual circle.
- 4. The fuel injector of claim 1, wherein the plurality of metering orifices includes at least three metering orifices spaced at different arcuate distances on the first virtual circle.
- 5. The fuel injector of claim 1, wherein the plurality of metering orifices includes at least two metering orifices, each metering orifice having a through-length and an orifice diameter and configured such that an increase in a ratio of the through-length relative to the orifice diameter results in a decrease in the spray angle relative to the longitudinal axis.
- 6. The fuel injector of claim 1, wherein the plurality of metering orifices includes at least two metering orifices, each metering orifice having a through-length and an orifice diameter and configured such that an increase in a ratio of the through-length relative to the orifice diameter results in a decrease in an included angle of a spray cone produced by each metering orifice.
- 7. The fuel injector of claim 1, wherein the first portion extends from a first position contiguous to the seat orifice through a second position to the location contiguous to the terminal seat surface, the first position being located at a first distance from the longitudinal axis and at a first spacing along the longitudinal axis relative to the metering disc and the second position being located at a second distance from the longitudinal axis and a second spacing from the metering disc along the longitudinal axis, such that a product of the first distance and first spacing is generally equal to the a product of the second distance and second spacing.
- 8. The fuel injector of claim 1, wherein the projection of the sealing surface further converging at a virtual apex disposed within the metering disc, and the channel includes a second portion extending from the first portion, the second portion having a constant sectional area as the channel extends along the longitudinal axis.
- 9. The fuel injector of claim 8, wherein the first portion extends from a first position contiguous to the seat orifice to a second position contiguous to the second portion, the first position being located at a first distance from the longitudinal axis and at a first spacing along the longitudinal axis relative to the metering disc and the second position being located at a second distance from the longitudinal axis and at a second spacing from the metering disc along the longitudinal axis, such that a product of the first distance and first spacing is generally equal to the a product of the second distance and second spacing.
- 10. A seat subassembly comprising:a seat having a sealing surface, an orifice, a first channel surface, a terminal seat surface and a longitudinal axis extending therethrough; a metering disc contiguous to the seat, the metering disc including a second channel surface confronting the first channel surface, the metering disc having a plurality of metering orifices extending generally parallel to the longitudinal axis, the metering orifices being located about the longitudinal axis and defining a first virtual circle greater than a second virtual circle defined by a projection of the sealing surface onto a metering disc so that all of the metering orifices are disposed outside the second virtual circle; and a controlled velocity channel formed between the first and second channel surfaces, the controlled velocity channel having a first portion changing in cross-sectional area as the channel extends outwardly from the orifice of the seat to a location cincturing the plurality of metering orifices, such that a flow path exiting through each of the metering orifices forms a spray angle oblique to the longitudinal axis.
- 11. The seat subassembly of claim 10, wherein the plurality of metering orifices includes at least two metering orifices diametrically disposed on the first virtual circle.
- 12. The seat subassembly of claim 10, wherein the plurality of metering orifices includes at least two metering orifices disposed at a first arcuate distance relative to each other on the first virtual circle.
- 13. The seat subassembly of claim 10, wherein the plurality of metering orifices includes at least three metering orifices spaced at different arcuate distances on the first virtual circle.
- 14. The seat subassembly of claim 10, wherein the plurality of metering orifices includes at least two metering orifices, each metering orifice having a through-length and an orifice diameter and configured such that an increase in a ratio of the through-length relative to the orifice diameter results in a decrease in the spray angle relative to the longitudinal axis.
- 15. The seat subassembly of claim 10, wherein the plurality of metering orifices includes at least two metering orifices, each metering orifice having a through-length and an orifice diameter and configured such that an increase in a ratio of the through-length relative to the orifice diameter results in a decrease in an included angle of a spray cone produced by each metering orifice.
- 16. The seat subassembly of claim 10, wherein the first portion extends from a first position contiguous to the seat orifice through a second position to the location contiguous to the terminal seat surface, the first position being located at a first distance from the longitudinal axis and at a first spacing along the longitudinal axis relative to the metering disc and the second position being located at a second distance from the longitudinal axis and a second spacing from the metering disc along the longitudinal axis, such that a product of the first distance and first spacing is generally equal to the a product of the second distance and second spacing.
- 17. The seat subassembly of claim 10, wherein the projection of the sealing surface further converging at a virtual apex disposed within the metering disc, and the channel includes a second portion extending from the first portion, the second portion having a constant sectional area as the channel extends along the longitudinal axis.
- 18. The seat subassembly of claim 17, wherein the first portion extends from a first position contiguous to the seat orifice to a second position contiguous to the second portion, the first position being located at a first distance from the longitudinal axis and at a first spacing along the longitudinal axis relative to the metering disc and the second position being located at a second distance from the longitudinal axis and at a second spacing from the metering disc along the longitudinal axis, such that a product of the first distance and first spacing is generally equal to the a product of the second distance and second spacing.
Parent Case Info
This application claims the benefits of U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/296,565 filed on Jun. 6, 2001, which provisional patent application is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.
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Apr 2001 |
EP |
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JP |
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Provisional Applications (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60/296565 |
Jun 2001 |
US |