Cylinder injection engine and fuel injection nozzle used for the engine

• US 6,722,340 B1
• Filed: 09/13/2001
• Issued: 04/20/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Shiraishi, Takuya, Sukegawa, Yoshihiro, Tokuyasu, Noboru, Nogi, Toshiharu, Kihara, Yusuke, Nakayama, Yoko
• Primary Examiner(s): Kwon, John
• Application Number:
  US09/936,425
• Time in Patent Office: 950 Days
• Field of Search: 123/301, 123/302, 123/305, 123/295, 239/533.11, 239/533.12, 239/585--58
• US Class Current: 123/305
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 17/005 having direct injection in the combustion chamber
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 2023/106 Tumble flow, i.e. the axis of rotation of the main charge flow motion is horizontal
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 2075/125 Direct injection in the combustion chamber for spark ignition engines, i.e. not in pre-combustion chamber
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 2275/48 Tumble motion in gas movement in cylinder
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 23/105 the fuel is sprayed directly onto or close to the spark plug
• CPC Class Codes: F02F 1/4214 specially adapted for four or more valves per cylinder
• CPC Class Codes: F02F 2001/245 the valve stems being orientated at an angle with the cylinder axis
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 51/0671 the armature having an elongated valve body attached thereto
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 51/0682 the body being hollow and its interior communicating with the fuel flow F02M51/0675 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 61/042 The valves being provided with fuel passages
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 61/162 Means to impart a whirling motion to fuel upstream or near discharging orifices
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 69/045 for injecting into the combustion chamber F02M69/046 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/12 Improving ICE efficiencies

Abstract

A fuel injector employed in a direct injection engine comprising a spark plug arranged on the top of a combustion chamber, a fuel injector located on said combustion chamber and an intake air control means installed on an intake manifold. A forward tumble air flow is formed in the combustion chamber by the intake air control means, and the fuel injector is available in two types; an annular (conical) spray type characterized by uniform density and a spray type characterized by high/low density. In the case of latter type, arrangement is made to ensure that the denser portion is placed face-to-face with the spark plug. Spray fuel rises along the wall surface of the combustion chamber on the intake side, and is carried to the spark plug by forward tumble air flow (called “tumble guide”) moving from the fuel injector to the spark plug. This allows stratified charge combustion to be performed in the operation range from low to high speed ranges, with the result that discharge of gas containing hazardous gas component such as THC is reduced and fuel economy is improved.

Claims

1. A direct injection engine wherein an air flow is formed to move from the fuel injector located in a combustion chamber to the spark plug arranged on the top of said combustion chamber, and fuel is sprayed from said fuel injector slightly before ignition timing and is carried by said air flow to reach the spark plug exactly at the ignition timing of said spark plug, wherein the fuel sprayed from the fuel injector exhibits a high/low density when viewed from a surface perpendicular to a spray axis line, and wherein the fuel injector is mounted on a said combustion chamber so that a denser fuel spray portion is placed face-to-face with the spark plug.