Information
-
Patent Grant
-
6820594
-
Patent Number
6,820,594
-
Date Filed
Monday, February 10, 200321 years ago
-
Date Issued
Tuesday, November 23, 200419 years ago
-
Inventors
-
Original Assignees
-
Examiners
Agents
-
CPC
-
US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 123 467
- 251 117
- 251 118
- 251 121
- 137 6253
- 137 62533
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International Classifications
-
Abstract
The valve having a valve member guided displaceably in the direction of its longitudinal axis protrudes into a valve pressure chamber and has a sealing face extending transversely to axis, has a sealing face, which it cooperates with a valve seat, extending transversely to axis, for at least extensively closing off an opening, surrounded by the valve seat, from the valve pressure chamber. The sealing face is surrounded by an annular face, which when the valve member rests on the valve seat is disposed at a slight spacing from the valve seat. The valve member has a plurality of apertures, distributed over its circumference, through which the opening communicates with the valve pressure chamber when the valve member is resting on the valve seat.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention is directed to an improved valve for controlling a communication in a high-pressure fluid system, in particular in a fuel injection system for an internal combustion engine.
2. Description of the Prior Art
One valve of the type with which this invention is concerned, known from European Patent Disclosure EP 0 840 003 A, serves to control a communication in a fuel injection system for an internal combustion engine. The valve has a valve member, which is guided displaceably in the direction of its longitudinal axis and protrudes into a pressure chamber, and which in the pressure chamber has a sealing face, on a face end disposed transversely to its longitudinal axis. The valve member, with its sealing face, cooperates with a valve seat, disposed transversely to its longitudinal axis, for closing off an opening, surrounded by the valve seat, from the pressure chamber. High pressure prevails in the pressure chamber, and the opening leads to a relief chamber, and the communication of the pressure chamber with the relief chamber and thus the pressure in the pressure chamber are controlled by the valve member. To achieve secure sealing off of the opening from the pressure chamber, a high pressure per unit of surface area of the sealing face on the valve seat is needed. To limit the requisite contact pressure of the valve member on the valve seat to a magnitude that can still be controlled, it is necessary to embody the sealing face with the smallest possible surface area. Because of the impact load that occurs when the valve member, with its sealing face, strikes the valve seat, damage to the sealing face can easily occur, in the form of broken-out places. Through these broken-out places, fluid from the pressure chamber can flow out via the opening. Because of the high pressure difference, very high flow velocities occur, which leads to erosion, or in other words a removal of material from the valve member, thus enlarging the broken-out places. As a result, with increasing time in use of the valve, the sealing action becomes poorer, and finally the valve is no longer functional. Because of production variations in the valve member and/or the valve seat, small through openings may also be present between the sealing face and the valve seat, which as indicated above enlarge over the time in use of the valve and lead to functional failure.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The valve according to the invention has the advantage over the prior art that the valve function is assured even over a long time in use of the valve. By means of the apertures of the valve member, a slight leakage is brought about intentionally, but this is not significant to the function of the valve, and by means of the annular face, it is attained that when fluid flows out of the pressure chamber, only a low flow velocity occurs, and so there is not erosion of the valve member or the valve seat. The valve thus has only slight overall leakage, which, however, remains at least approximately constant over the time in use.
Various advantageous features and refinements of the valve of the invention are disclosed. One embodiment makes a simple embodiment of the apertures possible. Another embodiment makes a low flow velocity of the fluid flowing out of the pressure chamber possible and the flow velocity of the outflowing fluid may be made at least approximately constant. A further embodiment makes simple production of the valve member possible.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which:
FIG. 1
is a longitudinal sectional view schematically showing a fuel injection system with a valve for use in an internal combustion engine;
FIG. 2
, in an enlarged view, shows the valve in a longitudinal section;
FIG. 3
shows the valve in a cross section taken along the line III—III in
FIG. 2
; and
FIG. 4
shows an enlarged detail of the valve, marked IV in FIG.
2
.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
In
FIG. 1
, a fuel injection system for an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle is shown. The engine is preferably a self-igniting internal combustion engine. The fuel injection system is preferably embodied as a so-called unit fuel injector, and for each cylinder of the engine, it has one high-pressure fuel pump
10
and one fuel injection valve
12
, communicating with the pump, which form a common unit. Alternatively, the fuel injection system can be embodied as a so-called pump-line-nozzle system, in which the high-pressure fuel pump and fuel injection valve of each cylinder are disposed separately from one another and communicate with one another via a line. The high-pressure fuel pump
10
has a pump body
14
with a cylinder bore
16
, in which a pump piston
18
is guided tightly; the piston is driven at least indirectly by a cam
20
of a camshaft of the engine, counter to the force of a restoring spring
19
, to execute a reciprocating motion. In the cylinder bore
16
, the pump piston
18
defines a pump work chamber
22
, in which fuel is compressed at high pressure in the pumping stroke of the pump piston
18
. Fuel is delivered to the pump work chamber
22
from a fuel tank
24
of the motor vehicle.
The fuel injection valve
12
has a valve body
26
, which is connected to the pump body
14
and can be embodied in multiple parts, and in which an injection valve member
28
is guided longitudinally displaceably in a bore
30
. The valve body
26
, in its end region toward the combustion chamber of the cylinder of the engine, has at least one and preferably a plurality of injection openings
32
. The injection valve member
28
, in its end region toward the combustion chamber, has a sealing face
34
, which for instance is approximately conical and which cooperates with a valve seat
36
, embodied in the valve body
26
in its end region toward the combustion chamber, from which or downstream of which valve seat the injection openings
32
lead away. In the valve body
26
, between the injection valve member
28
and the bore
30
, toward the valve seat
36
, there is an annular chamber
38
, which in its end region remote from the valve seat
36
changes over, by means of a radial widening of the bore
30
, into a pressure chamber
40
surrounding the injection valve member
28
. At the level of the pressure chamber
40
, as a result of a cross-sectional reduction, the injection valve member
28
has a pressure shoulder
42
. The end of the injection valve member
28
remote from the combustion chamber is engaged by a prestressed closing spring
44
, by which the injection valve member
28
is pressed toward the valve seat
36
. The closing spring
44
is disposed in a spring chamber
46
of the valve body
26
that adjoins the bore
30
.
The end of the spring chamber
46
remote from the bore
30
in the valve body
26
is adjoined by a further bore
48
, in which a control piston
50
that is connected to the injection valve member
28
is guided tightly. The bore
48
forms a control pressure chamber
52
, which is defined by the control piston
50
in the form of a movable wall. The control piston
50
is braced, via a piston rod
51
that is smaller in diameter than the control piston, on the injection valve member
28
and can be connected to the injection valve member
28
. The control piston
50
can be embodied integrally with the injection valve member
28
, but for the sake of assembly it is preferably connected to the injection valve member
28
in the form of a separate part.
From the pump work chamber
22
, in
FIG. 1
, a conduit
60
leads through the pump body
14
and the valve body
26
to the pressure chamber
40
of the fuel injection valve
12
. From the pump work chamber
22
or from the conduit
60
, a conduit
62
leads to the control pressure chamber
52
. A conduit
64
can also be made to communicate with the control pressure chamber
52
; this conduit forms a communication with a relief chamber, as which the fuel tank
24
or some other region in which a low pressure prevails can serve, as least indirectly. From the pump work chamber
22
or from the conduit
60
, a communication
66
leads to a relief chamber, which is controlled by a first electrically actuated control valve
68
. The fuel tank
24
or some other low-pressure region can serve at least indirectly as the relief chamber. The control valve
68
can, as shown in
FIG. 1
, be embodied as a 2/2-way valve. The switching of the control valve
68
between its two switching positions is effected by an actuator
69
, which can for instance be an electromagnet, counter to a restoring spring.
For controlling the pressure in the control pressure chamber
52
, a second electrically actuated control valve
70
is provided. The second control valve
70
is embodied as a 3/2-way valve, which can be switched back and forth between two switching positions. In a first switching position of the control valve
70
, this valve causes the control pressure chamber
52
to communicate with the pump work chamber
22
and to be disconnected from the relief chamber
24
, and in a second switching position of the control valve
70
, the control pressure chamber
52
is disconnected from the pump work chamber
22
by this valve and made to communicate with the relief chamber
24
. A throttle restriction
63
is provided in the communication
62
of the control pressure chamber
52
with the pump work chamber
22
, and a throttle restriction
65
is provided in the communication
64
of the control pressure chamber
52
with the relief chamber
24
. The throttle restriction
63
can be disposed upstream of the control valve
70
in the communication
62
, or, as shown in
FIG. 1
, downstream of the control valve
70
in the communication
62
. The control valve
70
has an actuator
71
, which may be an electromagnet, and by which the control valve
70
can be switched back and forth between its two switching positions counter to a restoring spring. The two control valves
68
,
70
are triggered by an electronic control unit
67
.
The second control valve
70
will now be explained in further detail in conjunction with
FIGS. 2 and 3
. The control valve
70
has a valve member
72
, which is guided displaceably in the direction of its longitudinal axis
73
via a shaft
74
, and which with an end region
75
of enlarged diameter compared to the shaft
74
protrudes into a valve pressure chamber
77
. The communication
62
to the pump work chamber
22
discharges into the valve pressure chamber
77
on one side, and the communication
64
to the relief chamber
24
discharges into it on the other side. The communication
62
extends in the form of an annular gap embodied between the shaft
74
and a bore
76
surrounding it. The bore
76
is embodied with a smaller diameter than the valve pressure chamber
77
. The communication
64
discharges into the valve pressure chamber
77
at an opening
78
and is surrounded by a face
79
, which extends transversely, and preferably at least approximately perpendicular, to the longitudinal axis
73
of the valve member
72
and forms a valve seat. The valve member
72
, toward the valve seat
79
, has an at least approximately cylindrical extension
80
, whose face end forms a sealing face
81
that extends transversely, preferably at least approximately perpendicular, to the longitudinal axis
73
of the valve member
72
. The extension
80
has a smaller diameter than the end region
75
of the valve member
72
, but the diameter of the extension
80
is greater than that of the opening
78
. Inside the extension
80
, an indentation
82
is embodied on the face end, so that the sealing face
81
is annular.
The inner extension
80
of the valve member
72
is surrounded by a further at least approximately cylindrical outer extension
83
of larger diameter. An annular face
84
surrounding the sealing face
81
is formed on the face end of the outer extension
83
and is offset from the sealing face
81
in the direction of the longitudinal axis
73
of the valve member
72
, so that the sealing face
81
protrudes toward the valve seat
79
by an amount A relative to the annular face
84
. The annular face
84
extends transversely to the longitudinal axis
73
of the valve member
72
, and preferably approximately perpendicular to the longitudinal axis
73
. Between the inner extension
80
and the outer extension
83
, an annular groove
85
indented relative to the annular face
84
is also embodied on the face end. In the jacket of the inner extension
80
, distributed over its circumference, a plurality of apertures
86
are provided, which preferably extend at least approximately radially to the longitudinal axis
73
of the valve member
72
. The apertures
86
create a communication between the valve pressure chamber
77
, surrounding the jacket of the inner extension
80
, and the indentation
82
inside the extension
80
. The apertures
86
are preferably embodied as grooves made in the extension
80
and preferably originating at the sealing face
81
.
At the transition from the bore
76
to the valve pressure chamber
77
, a conical transition face
87
is provided, which forms a second valve seat. At the transition from the end region
75
to the shaft
74
, a second, conical sealing face
88
is disposed on the valve member
72
; it cooperates with the valve seat
87
to control the communication
62
. In the first switching position of the control valve
70
, the valve member
72
rests with its second sealing face
88
on the second valve seat
87
, so that the communication
62
with the pump work chamber
22
is severed. In the second switching position of the control valve
70
, the valve member
72
with its second sealing face
88
is spaced apart from the second valve seat
87
, so that the communication
62
to the pump work chamber
22
is opened. The end region
75
of the valve member
72
in the valve pressure chamber
77
is preferably at least approximately pressure-balanced, so that essentially no resultant pressure force in the direction of its longitudinal axis
73
is exerted on the valve member
72
.
In the second switching position of the control valve
70
, the valve member
72
rests with its sealing face
81
on the valve seat
79
, and the annular face
84
is disposed at the spacing A from the valve seat
79
, so that between the annular face and the valve seat
79
, an annular-gaplike flow cross section remains open. The second sealing face
88
of the valve member
72
, in the second switching position, is disposed with spacing from the second valve seat
87
, so that high pressure prevails in the valve pressure chamber
77
. From the valve pressure chamber
77
, fuel can flow through the flow cross section and the apertures
86
in the valve member
72
into the indentation
82
, and from there via the opening
78
and the communication
64
into the relief chamber
24
. The control valve
70
thus has a defined leakage; the leakage is kept slight by an appropriate selection of the number and cross-sectional area of the apertures
86
. The flow of fuel flowing out of the valve pressure chamber
77
through the flow cross section between the annular face
84
and the valve seat
79
thus takes place at a low flow velocity, and preferably a laminar flow develops. The flow velocity at the apertures
86
is likewise low, so that no erosion occurs at the valve member
72
or at the valve seat.
In
FIG. 4
, a modified version of the control valve
70
is shown, in which the annular face
84
of the valve member
72
does not extend perpendicular to the longitudinal axis
73
of the valve member
72
, but instead extends such that beginning at its radially inner edge toward its radially outer edge, it approaches the valve seat
79
and thus the spacing A decreases. The annular face
84
can be embodied as at least approximately conical. Preferably, the annular face
84
is embodied conically in such a way that the flow cross section between the annular face
84
and the valve seat
79
, when the valve member
72
is resting with its sealing face
81
on the valve seat
79
, is at least approximately constant over the radial course of the annular face. The flow cross section is formed by a cylindrical jacket face, which results as the product of the circumference, which is the product of twice the radius and π, and the spacing A. As a result, it is attained that the flow velocity of the fuel is at least approximately constant, and no acceleration of the flow occurs. The annular face
84
can alternatively be embodied as arched.
The function of the fuel injection system will now be explained. Fuel from the fuel tank
24
is delivered to the pump piston
18
in its intake stroke. Fuel injection begins in the pumping stroke of the pump piston
18
, with a preinjection in which the first control valve
68
is closed by the control unit
67
, so that the pump work chamber
22
is disconnected from the relief chamber
24
. The control unit
67
also puts the second control valve
70
in its second switching position, so that the control pressure chamber
52
now communicates with the relief chamber
24
and is disconnected from the pump work chamber
22
. In that case, high pressure cannot build up in the control pressure chamber
52
. When the pressure in the pump work chamber
22
and thus in the pressure chamber
40
of the fuel injection valve
12
is so great that the pressure force exerted by this pressure on the injection valve member
28
via the pressure shoulder
42
is greater than the total of the force of the closing spring
44
and the pressure force acting on the control piston
50
as a result of the residual pressure operative in the control pressure chamber
52
, the injection valve member
28
moves in the opening direction
29
and opens the at least one injection opening
32
.
To terminate the preinjection, the second control valve
70
is put in its first switching position by the control unit, so that the control pressure chamber
52
is disconnected from the relief chamber
24
and communicates with the pump work chamber
22
. The first control valve
68
remains in its closed position. In the control pressure chamber
52
, high pressure builds up, as in the pump work chamber
22
, so that a high pressure force in the closing direction acts on the control piston
50
, and the injection valve member
28
is moved into its closing position.
For an ensuing main injection, the second control valve
70
is put in its second switching position by the control unit
67
, so that the control pressure chamber
52
communicates with the relief chamber
24
and is disconnected from the pump work chamber
22
. The fuel injection valve
12
then opens, as a consequence of the reduced pressure force on the control piston
50
, and the injection valve member
28
moves into its open position.
To terminate the main injection, the second control valve
70
is put in its first switching position by the control unit
67
, so that the control pressure chamber
52
is disconnected from the relief chamber
24
and communicates with the pump work chamber
22
, and high pressure builds up in the pump work chamber, and via the force acting on the control piston
50
, the fuel injection valve
12
is closed. After the main injection, a postinjection can also ensue, for which purpose the second control valve
70
is put in its second switching position. To terminate the postinjection, the second control valve
70
is returned to its first switching position, and/or the first control valve
68
is opened.
A control valve
70
embodied as described above can also be employed in other fuel injection systems or high-pressure fluid systems for controlling a communication. The control valve
70
can also be embodied as a 2/2-way valve, a 2/3-way valve, or a 3/3-way valve.
The foregoing relates to preferred exemplary embodiments of the invention, it being understood that other variants and embodiments thereof are possible within the spirit and scope of the invention, the latter being define by the appended claims.
Claims
- 1. In a valve for controlling a communication in a high-pressure fluid system, in particular in a fuel injection system for an internal combustion engine, having a valve member (72) that is guided displaceably in the direction of its longitudinal axis (73) and protrudes into a valve pressure chamber (77), in which high pressure prevails at least intermittently, and that in the valve pressure chamber (77), on a face end extending transversely to its longitudinal axis (73), has a sealing face (81), with which it cooperates with a valve seat (79), extending transversely to its longitudinal axis (73), for at least extensively closing off an opening (78), surrounding by the valve seat (79), from the valve pressure chamber (77), the improvement comprisingan annular face (84) surrounding the sealing face (81) on the face end of the valve member (72) and disposed with slight spacing (A) from the valve seat (79) in the direction of its longitudinal axis (73) when the valve member (72) with its sealing face (81) is resting on the valve seat (79), and a plurality of apertures (86) formed in the valve member (72) and distributed over its circumference, the opening (78) communicating through the apertures (86) with the valve pressure chamber (77) when the valve member (72), with its sealing face (71), is resting on the valve seat (79).
- 2. The valve of claim 1, wherein the apertures (86) extend at least approximately radially to the longitudinal axis (73) of the valve member (72).
- 3. The valve of claim 1, wherein the apertures (86) are formed by grooves that are disposed in the sealing face (81) and are open toward the valve seat (79).
- 4. The valve of claim 2, wherein the apertures (86) are formed by grooves that are disposed in the sealing face (81) and are open toward the valve seat (79).
- 5. The valve of claim 1, wherein the annular face (84) is embodied such that over its radial course, beginning at its radially inner edge, toward its radially outer edge, it approaches the valve seat (79).
- 6. The valve of claim 2, wherein the annular face (84) is embodied such that over its radial course, beginning at its radially inner edge, toward its radially outer edge, it approaches the valve seat (79).
- 7. The valve of claim 3, wherein the annular face (84) is embodied such that over its radial course, beginning at its radially inner edge, toward its radially outer edge, it approaches the valve seat (79).
- 8. The valve of claim 5, wherein the annular face (84) is embodied as at least approximately conical.
- 9. The valve of claim 6, wherein the annular face (84) is embodied as at least approximately conical.
- 10. The valve of claim 7, wherein the annular face (84) is embodied as at least approximately conical.
- 11. The valve of claim 5, wherein the annular face (84) is embodied such that the size of an open flow cross section existing between it and the valve seat (79) is at least approximately constant over the radial course of the annular face (84).
- 12. The valve of claim 8, wherein the annular face (84) is embodied such that the size of an open flow cross section existing between it and the valve seat (79) is at least approximately constant over the radial course of the annular face (84).
- 13. The valve of claim 9, wherein the annular face (84) is embodied such that the size of an open flow cross section existing between it and the valve seat (79) is at least approximately constant over the radial course of the annular face (84).
- 14. The valve of claim 10, wherein the annular face (84) is embodied such that the size of an open flow cross section existing between it and the valve seat (79) is at least approximately constant over the radial course of the annular face (84).
- 15. The valve of claim 1, further comprising an annular groove (85) indented relative to the annular face (84) and disposed on the face end of the valve member (72), between the sealing face (81) and the annular face (84).
- 16. The valve of claim 2, further comprising an annular groove (85) indented relative to the annular face (84) and disposed on the face end of the valve member (72), between the sealing face (81) and the annular face (84).
- 17. The valve of claim 1, wherein the sealing face (81) is embodied on an at least approximately cylindrical inner extension (80) of the valve member (72); and wherein the annular face (84) is embodied on an at least approximately cylindrical outer extension (83) of the valve member (72) that has a larger diameter than the inner extension (80).
- 18. The valve of claim 1, wherein the valve member (72) in the valve pressure chamber (77) is at least approximately pressure-balanced, so that at least approximately no resultant pressure force acts on it in the direction of its longitudinal axis (73).
- 19. The valve of claim 1, wherein, when the valve member (72) with its sealing face (81) is resting on the valve seat (79), an at least approximately laminar flow of low flow velocity develops between the annular face (84) and the valve seat (79).
- 20. A fuel injection system for an internal combustion engine, the system comprisingone high-pressure fuel pump (10) and one fuel injection valve (12), communicating with the pump, for each cylinder of the engine, the high-pressure fuel pump (10) having a pump piston (18), driven in a reciprocating motion by the engine and defining a pump work chamber (22) that communicates with a pressure chamber (40) of the fuel injection valve (12), the injection valve (12) having an injection valve member (28), by which at least one injection opening (32) is controlled and which is movable by the pressure prevailing in the pressure chamber (40), counter to a closing force (44), in an opening direction (29) to open the at least one injection opening (32), a first electrically actuated control valve (68), by which at least indirectly a communication (66) of the pump work chamber (22) with a relief chamber (24) is controlled, and a second electrically actuated control valve (70), by which at least one communication (64) of a control pressure chamber (52) with the relief chamber (24) is controlled, the injection valve member (28) being acted upon at least indirectly in a closing direction by the pressure prevailing in the control pressure chamber (52), the first control valve (68) and/or as the second control valve (70) being a valve as defined in claim 1.
Priority Claims (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
102 05 218 |
Feb 2002 |
DE |
|
US Referenced Citations (6)