초록

A poppet for a fuel injector having a head with one or more ducts that help reduce the formation of deposits on the head.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A fuel injector nozzle comprising:a poppet that is reciprocatable within a body to control the discharge of fuel from the fuel injector nozzle, the poppet comprising:a stem;a head having a tip, a hollow interior, an impact surface that impacts said body during operation of the fuel injector nozzl

1. A fuel injector nozzle comprising:a poppet that is reciprocatable within a body to control the discharge of fuel from the fuel injector nozzle, the poppet comprising:a stem;a head having a tip, a hollow interior, an impact surface that impacts said body during operation of the fuel injector nozzle, and a duct separate from said hollow interior, passing through at least a portion of said head, communicating said hollow interior with an area external of said head, being located at least partially outside of said body, and being located at least partially between said tip and said impact surface. 2. The fuel injector nozzle of claim 1, said duct being substantially transverse to a longitudinal axis of said stem. 3. The fuel injector nozzle of claim 1, said duct including a cylindrical slot. 4. The fuel injector nozzle of claim 1, said duct including an elongated slot. 5. The fuel injector nozzle of claim 1, said impact surface including a contact ring. 6. The fuel injector nozzle of claim 1, said hollow interior including a cylindrical bore. 7. The fuel injector nozzle of claim 1, said head including a necked portion located between said tip and said impact surface. 8. The fuel injector nozzle of claim 7, said duct being located at said necked portion. 9. The fuel injector nozzle of claim 8, said head including a truncated conical portion located between said necked portion and said tip. 10. The fuel injector nozzle of claim 1, said duct being located adjacent said impact surface. 11. The fuel injector nozzle of claim 1, said stem including an internal channel. 12. The fuel injector nozzle of claim 11, said stem including an outlet that communicates an area external of said stem with said internal channel. 13. The fuel injector nozzle of claim 1, said duct being a first duct, further comprising a second duct, said second duct passing through at least another portion of said head, communicating said hollow interior with said area external of said head, and being located at least partially between said tip and said impact surface. 14. The fuel injector nozzle of claim 13, further comprising a third duct, said third duct passing through a further portion of said head, communicating said hollow interior with said area external of said head, and being located at least partially between said tip and said impact surface. 15. The fuel injector nozzle of claim 14, further comprising a fourth duct, said fourth duct passing through an additional portion of said head, communicating said hollow interior with said area external of said head, and being located at least partially between said tip and said impact surface. 16. The fuel injector nozzle of claim 1, said duct being one of a plurality of ducts that each communicate said hollow interior with said area external of said head and are each located at least partially between said tip and said impact surface. 17. The fuel injector nozzle of claim 1, in combination with a fuel injector. 18. The fuel injector nozzle of claim 17, said fuel injector being an air assist fuel injector. 19. A fuel injector nozzle, comprising:a body having a channel in which an outwardly opening poppet is reciprocatable between a first position at which an impact surface of said poppet abuts against a surface of said body to prevent discharge of fuel from said fuel injector nozzle and a second position at which said impact surface is spaced away from said surface of said body to permit discharge of fuel from said fuel injector nozzle, said poppet having a plurality of ducts, each of said ducts being located downstream of said impact surface with respect to a direction of movement of said poppet away from said surface of said body, each of said ducts communicating a hollow interior of said poppet with an area external of said poppet. 20. The fuel injector nozzle of claim 19, each of said plurality of ducts being equidistantly spaced from each other. 21. The fuel injector nozzle of claim 19, each of said plurality of ducts being located radially about a longitudinal center axis of said poppet. 22. The fuel injector nozzle of claim 19, each of said plurality of ducts being equidistantly spaced from each other and located radially about a longitudinal center axis of said poppet. 23. The fuel injector nozzle of claim 19, said poppet including a bulbous portion located downstream of said impact surface with respect to said direction of movement and a necked portion located between said impact surface and said bulbous portion, said plurality of ducts being located at said necked portion. 24. The fuel injector nozzle of claim 23, said bulbous portion including a portion shaped like a truncated cone. 25. The fuel injector nozzle of claim 23, said hollow interior including a cylindrical bore located along a longitudinal center axis of said poppet and extending from a tip of said bulbous portion to a location adjacent said impact surface. 26. The fuel injector nozzle of claim 19, each of said plurality of ducts including an elongated slot. 27. The fuel injector nozzle of claim 19, each of said plurality of ducts including a cylindrical slot. 28. The fuel injector nozzle of claim 19, said plurality of ducts comprising at least four ducts. 29. The fuel injector nozzle of claim 19, said plurality of ducts comprising at least twelve ducts. 30. The fuel injector nozzle of claim 19, said plurality of ducts consisting of four ducts. 31. The fuel injector nozzle of claim 19, said plurality of ducts consisting of twelve ducts. 32. The fuel injector nozzle of claim 19, each of said plurality of ducts being located adjacent said impact surface. 33. The fuel injector nozzle of claim 19, said poppet including a internal channel. 34. A fuel injector nozzle, comprising:a poppet having a stem and a head having a tip, a hollow interior, an impact surface that impacts a body of the nozzle during operation of the fuel injector nozzle, and means for communicating said hollow interior with an area external of said head at a location at least partially between said tip and said impact surface, said poppet being reciprocatable in said body to control the discharge of fuel from said fuel injector nozzle, said means for communicating being located at least partially outside of said body. 35. A fuel injector, comprising:a poppet comprising:an elongated stem having a longitudinal axis; anda head having a proximal end, a distal end located opposite from said proximal end, an impact surface at said distal end that impacts a body of the fuel injector during operation of the fuel injector, and a duct passing through at least a portion of said head at an angle substantially transverse to said longitudinal axis and at a location between said proximal end and said distal end, said poppet being reciprocatable within said body to control the discharge of fuel from said fuel injector, said duct being located at least partially outside of said body. 36. The fuel injector of claim 35, said duct being located adjacent said impact surface. 37. The fuel injector of claim 36, said duct being one of a plurality of ducts. 38. A fuel injector comprising:a poppet comprising:a stem; anda head having a wall defined by an exterior surface and an interior surface, said interior surface defining a hollow interior, said wall having a plurality of ducts passing therethrough, said fuel injector being configured such that fuel is not dischargeable from said fuel injector through said plurality of ducts when said fuel injector is injecting fuel. 39. The fuel injector of claim 38, said poppet being an outwardly opening poppet. 40. The fuel injector of claim 38, said wall having a proximal end portion and a distal end portion located opposite from said proximal end portion, said plurality of ducts being located at intervals along a length of said wall between said distal end portion and said proximal end portion. 41. The fuel injector of claim 40, said intervals being equal intervals. 42. The fuel inje ctor of claim 38, said plurality of ducts being spaced about a majority of said exterior surface. 43. The fuel injector of claim 38, a center axis of each of said plurality of ducts being substantially noncoplanar with a longitudinal axis of said stem. 44. The fuel injector of claim 38, said interior surface including a cylindrical surface. 45. The fuel injector of claim 38, said head including a necked portion. 46. The fuel injector of claim 45, said head including a bulbous portion. 47. A fuel injector nozzle, comprising:a body having a channel in which an outwardly opening poppet is reciprocatable between a first position at which an impact surface of said poppet abuts against a surface of said body and a second position at which said impact surface is spaced away from said surface of said body, said poppet having a plurality of ducts, each of said ducts being located downstream of said impact surface with respect to a direction of movement of said poppet away from said surface of said body, each of said ducts communicating a hollow interior of said poppet with an area external of said poppet, said poppet including a bulbous portion located downstream of said impact surface with respect to said direction of movement and a necked portion located between said impact surface and said bulbous portion, said plurality of ducts being located at said necked portion. 48. The fuel injector nozzle of claim 47, said bulbous portion including a portion shaped like a truncated cone. 49. The fuel injector nozzle of claim 47, said hollow interior including a cylindrical bore located along a longitudinal center axis of said poppet and extending from a tip of said bulbous portion to a location adjacent said impact surface. 50. A fuel injector, comprising:a poppet having an impact surface that is reciprocatable between an open position and a closed position to control the discharge of fuel from the fuel injector, said poppet having a plurality of ducts, each of said ducts being located downstream of said impact surface of said poppet with respect to a direction of flow of fuel through said fuel injector, each of said ducts communicating a hollow interior of said poppet with an area external of said poppet, said fuel injector being configured such that fuel is not dischargeable from said fuel injector through said plurality of ducts when said fuel injector is injecting fuel. 51. A reciprocatable poppet for controlling the discharge of fuel from a fuel injector, comprising:a stem;a head having a tip, a hollow interior, an impact surface, and a duct separate from said hollow interior, passing through at least a portion of said head, communicating said hollow interior with an area external of said head, and being located at least partially between said tip and said impact surface, said head including a necked portion located between said tip and said impact surface, said duct being located at said necked portion, said head including a truncated conical portion located between said necked portion and said tip. 52. A reciprocatable poppet for controlling the discharge of fuel from a fuel injector, comprising:a stem;a head having a tip, a hollow interior, an impact surface, and a duct separate from said hollow interior, passing through at least a portion of said head, communicating said hollow interior with an area external of said head, and being located at least partially between said tip and said impact surface, said duct being located adjacent said impact surface.