Abstract:
Coupling system between engine head, injector and fuel manifold in which the head has a seating designed to house the said injector, whilst the fuel manifold extends above the head, and is connected to the injector through a bush projecting from the fuel manifold; the injector being coupled to the said seating by means of a ball coupling; the fuel manifold being rigidly secured to the head of the engine, and an opposing spring being interposed between the fuel manifold and the said injector to compress the injector inside the seat.

Description:
The present invention concerns a coupling system between the engine head, the injector and the fuel manifold. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     As it is well known, on internal combustion engines at present available in commerce the fuel supply to the combustion chamber is increasingly more frequently achieved by means of one or several injectors housed inside suitable seats recessed into the engine head. Such injectors receive the fuel under high pressure from a fuel manifold which extends above the actual injectors. 
     The focal point of fuel supply groups described above is the connection between the injector and the fuel manifold which has to be achieved in such a manner as to exclude whatsoever fuel leakage. Such a connection nevertheless calls for design details which by frequently causing misalignment between the injector which projects from the recessed seating in the engine head and the fuel manifold located above the head, involves constraints by interposing between the injector and the fuel manifold a connection seal able to prevent any misalignment. 
     FIG. 1 illustrates a known coupling system between the engine head, the injector and the fuel manifold, in which the injector  100  is locked inside the seating  101  recessed in the head  102  by means of a securing strap  103  bolted into the head  102 . The upper end of the injector  100  is connected to the fuel manifold  104  by means of a rigid bush  105  which has a first end placed on the injector  100  and a second end inserted into the inside of a corresponding seat  106  formed in the actual fuel manifold  104 . The rigid bush  105  is coupled to the injector  100  and to the fuel manifold  104  with a certain clearance in such a manner as to make good the eventual unseating, and is held secured to the fuel manifold  104  by means of a flexible locking component  107  located on the outside of the rigid bush  105 . The seal is ensured by means of two annular packings positioned to coincide with the two ends of the rigid bush  105 . 
     It is manifest that a connection between injector and fuel manifold such as is shown in FIG. 1 is extremely costly, greatly complicates the assembly of the fuel supply group on the engine, and finally doubles the number of possible fuel leakage points. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The purpose of the present invention is therefore to achieve a coupling system of an economical nature and basically more secure between the injector and the fuel manifold. 
     According to the present invention a coupling system is achieved between the engine head, the injector and the fuel manifold in which the engine head has a seat able to accommodate the said injector; the system being characterised by the fact that the injector is coupled with the seat by way of a ball-coupling which allows orientation as required by the injector inside the said seat. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The present invention is now described with reference to the appended drawings  2  and  3 , which illustrate a non-restrictive operating example, in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a prior art device 
     FIG. 2 illustrates with parts in section and parts removed for greater clarity, a coupling system between the engine head, the injector and the fuel manifold achieved according to the details of the invention; 
     FIG. 3 is a variation in the coupling system between the engine head, the injector and the fuel manifold illustrated in FIG.  2 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     With regard to reference numbers  1 ,  2  and  3  respectively indicating the head of an internal combustion engine, the injector able to provide on demand a specific quantity of fuel inside the combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine, and the fuel manifold inside which the fuel is accumulated under high pressure to be directed towards the combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine. 
     The head  1 , the injector  2  and the fuel manifold  3  are interconnected in such a manner that the fuel under high pressure entering the fuel manifold  3  is able to enter the combustion chamber of the engine which in the example shown here, is partly arranged inside the head  1 , and hereinafter appears under reference  4 . To house the injector  2 , the head  1  of the internal combustion engine has a seat  5  communicating with the combustion chamber  4  of the internal combustion engine. The said seat  5  extends in the head  1  coaxially with axis X perpendicular with the example shown for the outer surface of the head  1 , and has an upper portion  5   a  of mainly cylindrical form, able to be engaged by the central body  2   a  of the injector  2 ; a lower portion  5   b  of essentially truncated cone form, communicating with the combustion chamber  4  and able to be engaged by the end portion  2   b  of the injector  2  in which is recessed the spray nozzle; and finally an intermediate portion  5   c  connecting the portions  5   a  and  5   b  one with the other. With regard to FIG. 2, the upper portion  5   a  and the intermediate portion  5   c  are separated from each other by an annular shoulder  6  coaxial with axis X, having the form of a spherical crown with a recess turned towards the lower portion  5   b,  or towards the inside of the head  1 . The inside of the spherical surface belonging to the spherical crown defined by the annular shoulder  6  is located along axis X, coinciding with the centre of the annular seat  7  resented by the injector  2  on the outer surface of the end portion  2   b,  immediately pstream of the spray nozzle. 
     In the example illustrated here, in particular, the annular shoulder  6  is formed complete with an inserted bush  8  coaxial with axis X, inside the upper portion  5   a  of the seat  5 . Obviously it is also possible to achieve an annular shoulder  6  directly on the side wall of the seat  5 . 
     The injector in turn is provided with an annular shoulder  9  extending coaxially with axis A of the injector  2 , on the outside of the central body  2   a  of the injector  2 . The said annular shoulder  9  provides a shape additional to the annular shoulder  6  in such a manner as to be located so as to bear thereupon it, the latter defining a spherical coupling  10 . 
     Similarly to the annular shoulder  6 , in the illustrated example the annular shoulder  9  is achieved by means of a keyed bush  11 , coaxial with axis A, on the outside of the central body  2   a  of the injector  2 . Obviously in this case also, the annular shoulder  9  can be achieved directly on the outer lateral surface of the central body  2   a  of the injector  2 . 
     As the central body  2   a  of the injector  2  engages in the upper portion of the seat  5  with a given clearance, and the lower portion  5  has a truncated cone differing from the intermediate portion  5   c,  the spherical coupling existing between the injector  2  and the seat  5  allows a variation at will of the position of the injector  2  on the inside of the seat  5 . In particular the ball coupling  10  allows the injector  2  to be inclined in one way or the other inside the seat  5 , in such a way that the axis A of the injector  2  is inclined by a specific angle defined in relation to axis X of the seat  5 . With reference to FIG. 2, the fuel manifold  3  extends above the head  1  coaxially with an axis Y, preferably though not necessarily, parallel with the outer surface  1   a  of the head  1 , and rigidly secured to the head  1  of the engine by means of securing components not illustrated here, and has a connecting bush  12  which extends towards the injector  2  located in the seat  5  of the head  1 . The said bush  12  is designed to admit internally a part of the end portion  2   c  of the injector  2  which projects externally from the seat  5 . 
     In the event of design tolerance requirements, if the bush  12  is not perfectly aligned with the seat  5 , or should it fail to be coaxial with axis X, the presence of the ball coupling  10  between the injector  2  and seat  5  allows the orientation of the injector  2  in such a manner that the end portion  2   c  may be introduced into the bush  12 . 
     Also in the event that the injector  2  fails to be perfectly aligned with the bush  12 , an annular seal  13  located on the end portion  2   c  of the injector  2  prevents fuel from escaping under high pressure. 
     Locking means  15  are finally provided to retain the injector  2  inside the seat  5  with the annular shoulder  9  bearing against the annular shoulder  6  in such a manner as to achieve the ball coupling  10 . 
     In the example illustrated here, such locking means  15  consist of a compressed retaining spring, which is located between the injector  2  and the fuel manifold  3  in such a manner as to squeeze the injector  2  inside the seat  5 . In FIG. 2 the said retaining spring is housed inside the bush  12  in such a manner as to have a first end bearing against the end portion  2   c  of the injector  2 , and a second end bearing against the bottom of the bush  12 . 
     In the variation illustrated in FIG. 3, the retaining spring is a rated spring perfectly fitting the injector  2  in such a way as to present a first end bearing against the central body  2   a  of the injector  2 , and a second end bearing against the peripheral edge  12   a  of the bush  11 . Obviously the rated spring is without centre rib so as not to interfere with the pin of the injector  2 . 
     The operation of the coupling system between the engine head  1 , the injector  2  and the fuel manifold  3 , is easily inferred from the above description, and consequently does not require further explanations. It is obvious that the aforementioned coupling system, having eliminated a number of initially essential components, has greatly reduced costs and assembly time. The said system also has the further advantage of having reduced to the minimum essentials the number of connections by means of which fuel under high pressure may escape. 
     Finally it is clear that the coupling system between the engine head  1 , the injector  2  and the fuel manifold  3  described and illustrated here will allow modifications and variations yet without departing from the scope of the present invention.