Gas feeding system for an internal combustion engine, having a pressure reducing valve and a pressure regulating solenoid valve

• US 7,069,917 B2
• Filed: 02/10/2005
• Issued: 07/04/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Metatron S.r.l. (MF International SA)
• Original Assignee: C.R.F. Societa Consortile Per Azioni
• Inventors: Ricco, Raffaele, Ricco, Mario, De Matthaeis, Sisto Luigi, Amorese, Claudio, Manodoro, Dario
• Primary Examiner(s): Cronin, Stephen K.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ali, Hyder
• Application Number:
  US11/054,561
• Publication Number:
  US 20050241625A1
• Time in Patent Office: 509 Days
• Field of Search: 123/527, 123/525, 123/529
• US Class Current: 123/527
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 21/0209 Hydrocarbon fuels, e.g. methane or acetylene
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 21/0233 Details of actuators therefor
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 21/0239 Pressure or flow regulators therefor
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 21/0242 Shut-off valves; Check valves; Safety valves; Pressure relief valves
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 21/0245 High pressure fuel supply systems; Rails; Pumps; Arrangement of valves
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 16/2097 using pistons within the main valve
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/30 Use of alternative fuels, e.g. biofuels

Abstract

In a gas-supply system for internal-combustion engines, a pressure-reducing valve is set between the reservoir of the gas and a distribution manifold or rail that feeds the gas to a series of electromagnetically controlled injectors associated to the various cylinders of the engine. The reduced pressure supplied by the pressure-reducing valve is further reduced via a pressure-regulating solenoid valve, to an extent that depends upon the supply current of its solenoid. The electrical supply to the solenoid of said solenoid valve is controlled by an electronic control unit according to the signal issued by a sensor of the pressure in the rail and according to stored maps, which supply the optimal pressure value for each operating condition of the engine.

Claims

1. A system for supplying gas to an internal-combustion engine, comprising:

a plurality of electromagnetically controlled injectors, associated to the various cylinders of the engine;

a gas distribution rail communicating with said injectors;

a reservoir for supply of gas to the rail, where pressurized gas is accumulated;

pressure-reducing valve means set in the connection between the reservoir and the rail, for bringing the pressure of the gas supplied to the rail from the value of the gas pressure inside the reservoir to a reduced value, which depends upon the current supplied to a solenoid forming part of said pressure-reducing valve means,

wherein the current supplied to said solenoid is controlled by an electronic control unit according to a comparison of the signal issued by a pressure sensor indicating the pressure existing in the rail, with a signal indicating a desired pressure within the rail,

wherein the said signal indicating the desired pressure is derived according to the detection of one or more operating parameters of the engine and according to a series of stored maps indicating the pressure value desirable in the various operating conditions of the engine,

wherein said pressure-reducing valve means comprise;

a pressure-reducing valve, and

a pressure-regulating solenoid valve, including said solenoid, located downstream of said pressure-reducing valve, in the connection between said pressure-reducing valve and said rail, and

wherein said pressure-regulating solenoid valve comprises;

a valve body where a restricted passage is defined, which communicates with an inlet passage, which is connected to the outlet of said pressure-reducing valve, to an outlet passage connected to said rail,

a valve member cooperating with one end mouth of said restricted passage and carried by one end of an anchor cooperating with said solenoid, and

wherein said anchor has its end opposite to the end carrying the valve member which faces one end of the solenoid and is pushed by a spring away from said end of the solenoid and towards said end mouth of said restricted passage.