Patent ID: 7137383
Filing Date: 2006-11-21
Classification: F02D,F02M,Y02T

Abstract:
1. A fuel injector for vaporizing and metering a liquid fuel to an internal combustion engine, comprising: (a) at least one capillary flow passage having an inlet end and at least one outlet end; (b) a heat source arranged along said at least one capillary flow passage, said heat source operable to heat the liquid fuel in said at least one capillary flow passage to a level sufficient to change at least a portion thereof from the liquid state to a vapor state and deliver a stream of substantially vaporized fuel from said outlet end of said at least one capillary flow passage; and (c) a valve for metering substantially vaporized fuel to the internal combustion engine, said valve located downstream of said outlet end of said at least one capillary flow passage, said valve including a low mass member for substantially occluding the stream of fuel to the internal combustion engine; and (d) a nozzle to atomize a portion of the liquid fuel; wherein said low mass member for substantially occluding the stream of fuel to the internal combustion engine is formed of a material having low mass and/or a low coefficient of thermal conductivity.