Demand fuel pressure regulator
First Claim
1. A fuel pressure regulator for a no-return fuel delivery system for an internal combustion engine with an air intake manifold and at least one fuel injector, the regulator comprising:
- a housing, a flexible diaphragm defining in cooperation with the housing first and second chambers, said diaphragm having generally opposed faces with one of the faces communicating with only the first chamber and the other face communicating with only the second chamber, one of the chambers having a passage for continuously communicating with an air intake manifold of an engine, the other chamber having an inlet for supplying fuel to said other chamber and an outlet for continuously communicating with at least one fuel injector of the engine for supplying fuel thereto, a valve associated with said inlet and movable to open and closed positions to control the flow of fuel through said inlet and into said other chamber, an actuator pin carried by one of said diaphragm and said valve for movement therewith for opening and closing said valve, a first spring yieldably biasing said diaphragm toward said valve, so that under normal operating conditions said diaphragm actuates said valve to maintain a substantially constant pressure drop across the injectors, and when said valve closes and the volume of fuel trapped between the injector and said valve expands, the diaphragm moves away and disengages from said valve to accommodate the expansion of the fuel.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A fuel pressure regulator for a no-return fuel system for an automotive engine with fuel injectors having a housing with a flexible diaphragm between first and second chambers. The second chamber has a fuel inlet with a valve therein to admit fuel to the second chamber and an outlet to supply fuel to the engine. The second chamber is in continuous communication with the engine to accumulate any fuel expansion that may occur during engine deceleration or when the engine is turned off due to heating the fuel. The first chamber continuously communicates with the engine air intake manifold so that fuel is supplied to the engine fuel injectors at a substantially constant pressure drop across the injectors.
-
Citations
21 Claims
-
1. A fuel pressure regulator for a no-return fuel delivery system for an internal combustion engine with an air intake manifold and at least one fuel injector, the regulator comprising:
- a housing, a flexible diaphragm defining in cooperation with the housing first and second chambers, said diaphragm having generally opposed faces with one of the faces communicating with only the first chamber and the other face communicating with only the second chamber, one of the chambers having a passage for continuously communicating with an air intake manifold of an engine, the other chamber having an inlet for supplying fuel to said other chamber and an outlet for continuously communicating with at least one fuel injector of the engine for supplying fuel thereto, a valve associated with said inlet and movable to open and closed positions to control the flow of fuel through said inlet and into said other chamber, an actuator pin carried by one of said diaphragm and said valve for movement therewith for opening and closing said valve, a first spring yieldably biasing said diaphragm toward said valve, so that under normal operating conditions said diaphragm actuates said valve to maintain a substantially constant pressure drop across the injectors, and when said valve closes and the volume of fuel trapped between the injector and said valve expands, the diaphragm moves away and disengages from said valve to accommodate the expansion of the fuel.
- View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 21)
-
7. A fuel pressure regulator for use in a no-return fuel delivery system for an internal combustion engine including a fuel supply with a pump responsive to application of electrical power for delivering fuel under pressure, an engine air intake manifold, a fuel rail for delivery of fuel to a plurality of fuel injectors, and a pressure control to regulate fuel pressure from the fuel supply, said pressure regulator comprising:
- a housing, a diaphragm defining in cooperation with the housing a first chamber and a second chamber, a manifold reference line communicating the first chamber with the air intake manifold, a fuel inlet in the second chamber, a fuel outlet in the second chamber to supply fuel to the fuel rail, a valve seat associated with said fuel inlet and having a surface for engagement with a complementary valve element, a first spring in said first chamber for urging said diaphragm generally axially toward said valve seat, a valve element having an exterior surface portion for sealing engagement with said valve seat, a valve actuator carried by one of said diaphragm and said valve element, and a valve spring yieldably urging said valve element toward said seat, so that under normal operating conditions said valve actuator remains in engagement with the other of said diaphragm and said valve element to open and close the valve as required to maintain a substantially constant pressure differential across the injectors, and said second chamber being in constant communication with the fuel rail through said fuel outlet to accumulate fuel expansion due to any rise in temperature in the fuel rail.
- View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
Specification