Abstract:
The present disclosure relates in general to injectors and, more specifically, to a fuel injection assembly that may be used in an internal combustion engine. In some embodiments, a fuel injection assembly may include: a fuel injector with a fuel inlet port and a fuel outlet end; and an injector cup with a recess receiving the fuel inlet port of the fuel injector through an opening of the recess. The injector cup comprises a collar extending circumferentially around the opening. The injector cup comprises a tab extending longitudinally beyond the opening in a direction towards the fuel outlet end. The tab projects axially beyond the collar in a longitudinal direction towards the fuel outlet end. The fuel injector comprises a pocket receiving the tab.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application is a U.S. National Stage Application of International Application No. PCT/EP2015/053515 filed Feb. 19, 2015, which designates the United States of America, and claims priority to EP Application No. 14159677.5 filed Mar. 14, 2014, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0002]    The present disclosure relates in general to injectors and, more specifically, to a fuel injection assembly that may be used in an internal combustion engine. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    Fuel injection assemblies are in widespread use for dosing fuel from a fuel reservoir, such as a fuel rail, to an internal combustion engine, and in particular directly into combustion chambers of the internal combustion engine. 
         [0004]    For example, EP 2014909 A2 discloses a fuel injection system with a fuel injector socket including a first attachment feature and a fuel injector including a second attachment feature that corresponds with the first attachment feature. The first attachment feature engages with the second attachment feature connecting the fuel injector to the fuel injector socket and preventing rotational movement of the fuel injector relative to the fuel injector socket. The corresponding attachment features not only enable simple connection and disconnection of a fuel injector to a fuel injector socket of a fuel rail, but can also be integrated into existing injector to fuel rail assembly processes and are applicable in any fuel injection system. The corresponding attachment features may be used with metal fabricated fuel rail assemblies as well as for fuel rail assemblies where the manifold supply tube and the fuel injector sockets are over molded with a plastic material. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0005]    The present disclosure teaches improved fuel injection assemblies. 
         [0006]    In some embodiments, a fuel injection assembly ( 1 ) having a longitudinal axis (L) may comprise: a fuel injector ( 10 ) having a fuel inlet port ( 110 ) and a fuel outlet end ( 120 ), and an injector cup ( 20 ) having a recess ( 210 ) in which the fuel inlet port ( 110 ) of the fuel injector ( 10 ) is received through an opening ( 215 ) of the recess ( 210 ). The injector cup ( 20 ) comprises a collar ( 230 ) which extends circumferentially around the opening ( 215 ). The injector cup ( 20 ) comprises a tab ( 220 ) which extends longitudinally beyond the opening ( 215 ) in direction towards the fuel outlet end ( 120 ). The tab ( 220 ) projects axially beyond the collar ( 230 ) in longitudinal direction towards the fuel outlet end ( 120 ). The fuel injector ( 10 ) comprises a pocket ( 130 ) in which the tab ( 220 ) is received. 
         [0007]    In some embodiments, the collar ( 230 ) comprises an end surface ( 240 ) of the injector cup ( 20 ), the end surface being coplanar with the opening ( 215 ) of the recess ( 210 ). 
         [0008]    In some embodiments, the fuel inlet port ( 110 ) is comprised by a metallic tubular body ( 12 ) of the fuel injector ( 10 ) and the pocket ( 130 ) is comprised by a plastic housing ( 14 ) which laterally surrounds the metallic tubular body ( 12 ). 
         [0009]    In some embodiments, a the pocket ( 130 ) extends into the plastic housing ( 14 ) from an opening of the pocket to a bottom surface of the pocket in longitudinal direction (L) towards the fuel outlet end ( 120 ) of the fuel injector ( 10 ). 
         [0010]    In some embodiments, the tab ( 220 ) is inserted in longitudinal direction (L) into the pocket through the opening in such fashion that it is axially displaceable in reciprocating fashion relative to the pocket ( 130 ). 
         [0011]    In some embodiments, the fuel injector ( 10 ) comprises an electrical connector ( 140 ) which, in top view along the longitudinal axis (L), is arranged subsequent to the pocket ( 130 ) in radial direction away from the metallic tubular body ( 12 ). 
         [0012]    In some embodiments, the injector cup ( 20 ) is a one-piece part including the tab ( 220 ) and recess ( 210 ). 
         [0013]    In some embodiments, the assembly further comprises a spring clip ( 30 ) which is arranged and preloaded in longitudinal direction between a shoulder ( 150 ) of the fuel injector ( 10 ) and an end surface ( 240 ) of the injector cup ( 20 ). 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0014]    Further advantages and advantageous embodiments and developments of the fuel injection assembly will become apparent from the following exemplary embodiments which are described in the following in connection with schematic figures. 
           [0015]    In the figures: 
           [0016]      FIG. 1  shows a schematic side view of a fuel injection assembly according to a first exemplary embodiment with the injector cup and the portion of the plastic housing of the fuel injector being cut open longitudinally, and 
           [0017]      FIG. 2  shows a portion of the fuel injection assembly according to  FIG. 1  in a perspective view in an un-assembled state. 
       
    
    
       [0018]    In the embodiment and the figures, identical or similar elements or elements having the same function are provided with the same reference symbols. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0019]    In some embodiments, the fuel injection assembly has a longitudinal axis. It comprises a fuel injector and an injector cup. The fuel injector—which also may be denoted as a fuel injection valve—has a fuel inlet port and a fuel outlet end. In particular, the fuel outlet end comprises one or more injection nozzles through which the fuel injector is operable to dispense fuel. The fuel inlet port and the fuel outlet end are arranged subsequently along the longitudinal axis, in particular at opposite longitudinal ends of the fuel injector. 
         [0020]    In some embodiments, the injector cup has a recess in which the fuel inlet port of the fuel injector is received through an opening of the recess. In particular, a base portion of the injector cup comprises the recess and the recess extends into the base portion from the opening in longitudinal direction away from the fuel outlet end of the fuel injector. The base portion may also be denoted as a base body. During assembling the fuel injection assembly, the fuel injector is inserted into the recess trough the opening. The opening is in particular co-planar with a downstream end surface of the base portion of the injector cup. 
         [0021]    In some embodiments, the injector cup comprises a tab which extends longitudinally beyond the opening towards the fuel outlet end. The fuel injector comprises a pocket in which the tab is received. In particular, a main extension direction of the tab is parallel to the longitudinal axis. In particular, the tab is received in the pocket trough an opening of the pocket and the pocket extends from the opening in longitudinal direction towards the fuel outlet end of the fuel injector. 
         [0022]    In some embodiments, the injector cup is a one-piece part comprising the recess—in particular the base portion with the recess—and the tab. The injector cup, in particular the base body and the tab, may be made from a metal or from an alloy. 
         [0023]    By means of the subject fuel injection assembly, rotational alignment of the fuel injector with respect to the injector cup—so-called “indexing” of the fuel injector relative to the injector cup—is achieved. The indexing is particularly precise and at the same time cost-effective. Small tolerances are achievable since the indexing is effected directly between the fuel injector and the injector cup without any further intervening parts (such as a spring clip) which have the risk to introduce additional tolerances. In addition, the fuel injection assembly may be operable to limit the tilt between the fuel injector and the injector cup by means of the tab which is received in the pocket. 
         [0024]    In some embodiments, the fuel inlet port is comprised of a metallic tubular body of the fuel injector and the pocket is comprised of a plastic housing which laterally surrounds a portion of the metallic tubular body. In some embodiments, the pocket is a particularly mechanically robust element in the plastic housing. Prominent projecting portions of the plastic housing for the indexing feature, being comparatively mechanically weak and having the risk that other components could get caught during the assembling process, can be avoided. 
         [0025]    In some embodiments, the fuel injector comprises an electrical connector. The electrical connector is in particular configured for feeding electrical power to an actuator assembly of the fuel injector. In some embodiments, the electrical connector is arranged subsequent to the pocket and the tab in radial direction away from the tubular body in top view along the longitudinal axis. In other words, the metallic tubular body, the pocket and the electrical connector follow one another in this order in radial outward direction in a protection on a common plane which is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. The pocket and the electrical connector can be axially offset relative to one another. The electrical connector may be comprised by the plastic housing of the fuel injector. By means of such an arrangement, a particularly space-saving configuration is achievable. 
         [0026]    In some embodiments, the injector cup comprises a collar which extends circumferentially around the opening of the recess. The collar is in particular in one piece with the base portion of the injector cup and comprises in particular the end surface of the base portion. The tab may project longitudinally beyond the collar in longitudinal direction towards the fuel outlet end of the fuel injector. For example, the injector cup is represented by a part which is in particular at least one of deep-drawn, stamped and bent and which comprises the recess, the collar and the tab. The collar may have a cut-out, and the tab merges with the base body in the region of the cut-out. In this way, a particularly cost effective and space saving configuration is achievable. 
         [0027]    In some embodiments, the collar extends circumferentially around the recess and comprises an end surface of the injector cup. The end surface is in particular perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. The end surface may be coplanar with the opening of the recess. In other words, the end surface is perforated by the opening. The tab projecting longitudinally beyond the collar in longitudinal direction towards the fuel outlet end may be particularly well visible during assembling the fuel injection assembly so that the assembling operation may be particularly easy and/or quick. The tab may also be operable to guide the relative movement of injector and injector cup over a particularly large distance when the cup is shifted over the injector during assembling the fuel injection assembly. 
         [0028]    In some embodiments, the pocket extends into the plastic housing from an opening of the pocket to a bottom surface of the pocket in longitudinal direction towards the fuel outlet end of the fuel injector. In this way, the assembly can be assembled particularly easily. 
         [0029]    In some embodiments, the fuel injection assembly further comprises a spring clip which is arranged and preloaded in longitudinal direction between a shoulder of the fuel injector and an end surface of the injector cup, in particular of the collar. The spring clip is in particular operable to bias the fuel injector away from the injector cup in longitudinal direction. In this way, the fuel injector can be, for example, pressed against a cylinder head of the internal combustion engine when the injector cup is positionally fixed with respect to the cylinder head. 
         [0030]    In some embodiments, the tab is axially displaceable within the pocket. The tab may be inserted in longitudinal direction into the pocket in such fashion that it is axially displaceable in reciprocating fashion relative to the pocket. In this way, the assembly can be assembled particularly easily. In this way, the rotational orientation between the fuel injector and the injector cup can already be established while preloading the spring clip. In addition or alternatively, the fuel injection assembly is particularly insensitive to production tolerances and mounting tolerances relating to the relative longitudinal positions of the injector cup and the fuel injector. 
         [0031]      FIG. 1  shows a schematic side view of a fuel injection assembly  1  according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention.  FIG. 2  shows a perspective view of a portion of the fuel injection example  1 . 
         [0032]    The fuel injection example has a longitudinal axis L. It comprises a fuel injector  10  and an injector cup  20 . The fuel injector  10  has a tubular metallic body  12  and a plastic housing  14 . The injector cup  20  and a portion of the plastic housing  14  are longitudinally cut open in the representation of  FIG. 1 . 
         [0033]    The fuel injector  10  extends the longitudinal axis L from a fuel inlet port  110  to a fuel outlet end  120 . A portion of the metallic tubular body  12  between the fuel inlet port  110  and the fuel outlet end  120  is circumferentially enclosed by the plastic housing  14 . The plastic housing  14  comprises an electrical connector  140 . In the present embodiment, the plug direction of the electrical connector  140  is parallel to the longitudinal axis L. However, it is conceivable that the plug direction is inclined with respect to the longitudinal access.  FIGS. 1 and 2  illustrate the electrical connector with a mating connector being plugged in. 
         [0034]    The injector cup  20  is a one-piece part which comprises a recess  210  in which the fuel inlet port  110  of the fuel injector  10  is arranged. During assembling the fuel injection assembly  1 , the fuel inlet port  110  of the fuel injector  10  is inserted in longitudinal direction L into the recess  210  though an opening  215  of the recess  210 . The recess  210  extends into a base portion  205  of the injector cup  20  from the opening  215  in axial direction L from the fuel outlet end  120  towards the fuel inlet port  110 . At its axial end remote from the opening  215 , the recess  210  merges into a fluid inlet opening  250  of the injector cup  20 . Through the fluid inlet opening  250  the injector cup is in particular connected or connectable to a fuel reservoir such as a fuel rail either directly or via a pipe. The fuel rail and/or the pipe (not shown in the figures) may be comprised by the fuel injection assembly  1 . 
         [0035]    A fluid tight seal is established between the fluid injector  10  and the injector cup  20  by means of a sealing ring  40  which is arranged laterally between the fuel inlet port  110  and a circumferential surface of the recess, i.e. an inner surface of the circumferential sidewall of the base portion  205 . In  FIG. 1 , the sealing ring  40  is represented oversized relative to the lateral dimension of the recess  210  in order to indicate that the sealing ring  40  is compressed when the fuel inlet port  110  is inserted into the recess  210 . In this way, a hydraulic connection is established between the fluid inlet opening  250  of the injector cup  20  and the fuel outlet end  120  of the fuel injector  10  through the recess  210  of the injector cup  20  into the fuel inlet port  110  of the fuel injector and further through the metallic tubular body  12  to the fuel outlet end  120  where the fuel is dispensed from the fuel injector  10  when a valve assembly of the fuel injector  10  is in an open configuration in order to release the fuel flow through one or more injection nozzles at the fuel outlet end  120 . 
         [0036]    At an axial end which faces in longitudinal direction towards the fuel outlet end  120 , the injector cup  20  has a collar  230 . The collar  230  extends circumferentially around the recess  210  and comprises an end surface  240  of the injector cup  20 . The end surface  240  is coplanar with the opening  215  of the recess  210 . 
         [0037]    A spring clip  30  is arranged axially between the end surface  240  and a shoulder  150  of the plastic housing  14  of the fuel injector  10 . A rotational position of the spring clip  30  with respect to the fuel injector  10  is fixed by means of a radial protrusion of the plastic housing  14  engaging into an inversely shaped cut-out of the spring clip  30  (see e.g. the leftmost portion of the spring clip  30  in  FIG. 2 ). 
         [0038]    In an assembled state of the fuel injection assembly,  1 , the spring clip  30  is preloaded so that it is operable to bias the end surface  240  of the injector cup  20  and the shoulder  150  of the fuel injector in axial direction L away from one another. In this way, the fuel injector  10  can be pressed into contact with a cylinder head of an internal combustion engine. For preloading the spring clip  30 , the fuel inlet port  110  of the fuel injector  10  is inserted into the recess and the injector cup  20  is moved in longitudinal direction L towards the fuel outlet end  120  relative to the fuel injector  10 . The injector cup  20  or another part of the fuel injection assembly  1  which is positionally fixed with respect to the injector cup  20  may, for example, be fixed to the cylinder head for maintaining the preload of the spring clip  30 . 
         [0039]    In order to set a predetermined rotational orientation of the fuel injector  10  with respect to the injector cup  20 , the fuel injection assembly  1  has an indexing assembly which comprises a tab  220  of the injector cup  20  and a pocket  130  of the fuel injector  10 . The tab  220 , which is a section of the one-piece part that represents the injector cup  20 , has a main extension direction which is parallel to the longitudinal axis L and extends in axial direction towards the fuel outlet end  120  beyond the opening  215  of the recess  210  and beyond the collar  230 . The injector cup  20  is, for example, a stamped and bended metal part, the recess  210  being introduced into the metal part by stamping and the tab  220  being bent from an orientation where its main extension direction is directed radially outward to the end configuration having its main extension direction parallel to the longitudinal axis L during manufacturing of the injector cup  20 . 
         [0040]    The tab  220  is inserted in longitudinal direction L into the pocket  130 . In  FIG. 2 , for better representability of the fuel injection assembly  1 , the fuel injection assembly  1  is shown in an un-assembled or partially assembled state, the tab  220  not yet being received in the pocket  130 . 
         [0041]    The pocket  130  is comprised by the plastic housing  14  of the fuel injector  10 . The pocket  130  is arranged, in top view along the longitudinal axis L, radially between the electrical connector  140  and the metallic tubular body  12 . In other words, the metallic tubular body  12 , the pocket  130  and the electrical connector  140  follow one another in this order in radial outward direction. The pocket  130  extends into the plastic housing  14  from an opening of the pocket to a bottom surface of the pocket in longitudinal direction L towards the fuel outlet end  120  of the fuel injector  10 . The tab  220  is received in the pocket  130  through the opening of the pocket  130  in such fashion that it is axially displaceable in reciprocating fashion relative to the pocket  130 .