Patent ID: 9291138
Filing Date: 2016-03-22
CPC Classification: F02M

Claim Text:
1. A fuel injector for injecting fuel at high pressure into a combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine, comprising: an injector body including a longitudinal axis, an outer housing, an injector cavity, a fuel delivery circuit, and an injector orifice communicating with one end of the injector cavity to discharge fuel from the fuel delivery circuit into the combustion chamber; a nozzle valve element positioned in one end of the injector cavity adjacent the injector orifice, the nozzle valve element movable between an open position in which fuel may flow through the injector orifice into the combustion chamber and a closed position in which fuel flow through the injector orifice is blocked; a control volume positioned to receive a pressurized supply of fuel; a drain circuit positioned to drain fuel from the control volume toward a low pressure drain, the drain circuit including an axially inward flow passage extending the longitudinal axis toward the injector orifice and positioned to receive drain fuel flow from the control volume to direct drain fuel flow in a direction along the longitudinal axis toward the injector orifice, and the drain circuit including a transverse flow passage including a first end and a second end; and an injection control valve assembly positioned along the drain circuit to control fuel flow from the control volume, the injection control valve assembly including a valve housing having a valve cavity including an actuator, a fuel injector control valve positioned within the valve cavity, a control valve member positioned in the valve cavity to move between an open position permitting flow through the drain circuit and a closed position blocking flow through the drain circuit, and an actuator positioned in the valve cavity to cause movement of the control valve member between the open and closed positions, wherein the first end of the transverse flow passage is in fluid communication with the valve cavity and the second end of the transverse flow passage is in fluid communication with the axially inward flow passage and the first end, and the actuator includes a stator and an armature operably connected to the control valve member, the first end of the transverse flow passage opening into the valve cavity radially adjacent a portion of the valve cavity that is under a distal surface of the armature.