Abstract:
In a fuel injection valve used in an internal combustion engine, fuel spray travel distance is shortened. 
     There is provided a fuel injection valve including a seat member, in which the seat member includes a conical seat surface that seats fuel by coming in contact with a valve body, and inlet opening portions of a plurality of fuel injection holes on the conical seat surface, and is configured such that an axis of the injection hole connecting the centers of an inlet and an outlet of the fuel injection hole is along a plurality of different conical surfaces, and in which, in an outlet section that is configured of a plane parallel to an inlet section of the inlet opening portion of the fuel injection hole and is positioned at the outlet of the fuel injection hole, the seat member includes the injection hole in which a major axis direction of an ellipse of the outlet section has an inclination angle of greater than 0 degrees with respect to a straight line in a fuel injection direction, which is obtained by projecting the axis of the injection hole on the outlet section, and an inclination angle of a degree before being perpendicular to the straight line in the fuel injection direction.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to a fuel injection valve that is used in an internal combustion engine such as a gasoline engine, and to a fuel injection valve in which fuel leakage is prevented by a valve coming in contact with a valve seat, and the fuel is injected by the valve separating from the valve seat. 
       BACKGROUND ART 
       [0002]    In the related art, a technique is disclosed in which, a flow route of the fuel is not bent while the fuel flowing into a fuel injection hole reaches an outlet from an inlet of the fuel injection hole, and atomization of the injected fuel is promoted by obtaining the expansion and contraction of the volume without particularly increasing the discharging pressure of a fuel pump. In recent years, the regulations of exhaust gas of automobiles have been strengthened, and internal combustion engines of automobiles have been required to reduce particulate matter such as harmful exhaust gas HC (hydrocarbon) or soot. This exhaust matter is generated in such a manner that the fuel adhering to a wall surface in a cylinder or an intake valve due to impact causes an unburnt state so that the flame has difficulty propagating, or the fuel becomes locally rich. In order to suppress such circumstances, it is necessary to shorten the spray itself so that the spray does not collide with the wall surface in the cylinder, and to improve a degree of freedom for laying out the spray so that the spray does not collide with the intake valve and the like. In the related art, in the injection hole, the sectional area of a flow path of the fuel is changed in a flowing direction, swirling velocity components are generated in the section perpendicular to a central axis of the injection hole (regardless of velocity components in an injection direction), and the spray is diffused by the swirling velocity components when the fuel is injected from the injection hole. As a result, the spray can be shortened. 
       CITATION LIST 
     Patent Literature 
       [0003]    PTL 1: JP-A-2010-112196 
       SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
     Technical Problem 
       [0004]    In the invention of the related art, the distribution of the swirling velocity components in the injection hole is symmetric with respect to the injection direction (the distribution of the swirling velocity components in a section is symmetric with respect to a straight line that is obtained by projecting a central axis line of the injection hole on the section of the injection hole), and as a result, the swirling velocity components, of which the directions are opposite to each other, cancel each other. Therefore, there is a problem in that a diffusion effect of the spray may not be sufficiently obtained. 
         [0005]    An object of the invention is to provide a fuel injection device which can reduce the amount of fuel adhering to an intake valve or a wall surface in a cylinder when the fuel is directly injected in the cylinder so as to reduce the emission amount of harmful substances, and has a high degree of freedom for configuring the shape of spray and a short fuel spray travel distance. 
       Solution to Problem 
       [0006]    In order to solve the problem described above, in the invention, various means described below are used. 
         [0007]    There is provided a fuel injection valve including: a seat member, in which the seat member includes a conical seat surface that seats fuel by coming in contact with a valve body, and inlet opening portions of a plurality of fuel injection holes on the conical seat surface, and in which, in an outlet section that is configured of a plane parallel to an inlet section of the inlet opening portion of the fuel injection hole and is positioned at an outlet of the injection hole, the seat member includes the injection hole in which a major axis direction of an ellipse of the outlet section has an inclination angle of greater than 0 degrees to a degree perpendicular to a straight line in a fuel injection direction, which is obtained by projecting an axis of the injection hole on the outlet section. 
       Advantageous Effects of Invention 
       [0008]    According to the invention, it is possible to provide a fuel injection valve that causes an internal combustion engine to be implemented which can shorten a fuel spray travel distance, can prevent adhering on an intake valve by improving layout properties of spray, and enhances exhaust performance. 
         [0009]    Objects, configurations, and effects other than those described above are clarified with the description of the following embodiments. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         [0010]      FIG. 1  is a sectional view illustrating an embodiment of a fuel injection valve according to the invention. 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  is a sectional view illustrating the vicinity of a tip of a valve body of a fuel injection valve of a first embodiment according to the invention in an enlarged manner. 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  is an example of arrangement of injection holes when lower end portions of a nozzle body in  FIG. 1  are seen from the below. 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  is an example in which the invention is applied to the injection hole arranged on the lower end portion of the nozzle body in  FIG. 2 . 
           [0014]      FIG. 5  illustrates an inlet section of the injection hole and an outlet section of the injection hole when the injection hole, to which the invention is applied, in  FIG. 4  is seen from the inlet side toward the outlet side of the injection hole (First Embodiment). 
           [0015]      FIG. 6  illustrates an inlet section of an injection hole and an outlet section of the injection hole in the related art, which corresponds to  FIG. 5 . 
           [0016]      FIG. 7  is a diagram illustrating a shortening effect of a fuel spray travel distance according to the invention. 
           [0017]      FIG. 8  illustrates an inlet section of the injection hole and an outlet section of the injection hole when the injection hole, to which the invention is applied, in  FIG. 4  is seen from the inlet side toward the outlet side of the injection hole (Second Embodiment). 
           [0018]      FIG. 9  illustrates an inlet section of the injection hole and an outlet section of the injection hole when the injection hole, to which the invention is applied, in  FIG. 4  is seen from the inlet side toward the outlet side of the injection hole (Third Embodiment). 
           [0019]      FIG. 10  illustrates an inlet section of the injection hole and an outlet section of the injection hole when the injection hole, to which the invention is applied, in  FIG. 4  is seen from the inlet side toward the outlet side of the injection hole (an example to which the first embodiment is applied). 
           [0020]      FIG. 11  illustrates swirling velocity components in the inlet section of the injection hole and the outlet section of the injection hole of  FIG. 5 . 
           [0021]      FIG. 12  illustrates swirling velocity components in the outlet section of the injection hole in the related art. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
     First Embodiment 
       [0022]    The fuel injection valve according to the first embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to  FIGS. 1 to 7  and  FIGS. 11 and 12 . 
         [0023]    An electromagnetic fuel injection valve  100  illustrated in  FIG. 1  is an example of an electromagnetic fuel injection valve for a cylinder direct injection type gasoline engine. However, the effect of the invention can be effective for an electromagnetic fuel injection valve for a port injection type gasoline engine or a fuel injection valve driven by piezoelectric elements or magnetostrictive elements. 
         [0024]    (Description of Basic Operation of Injection Valve) 
         [0025]    In  FIG. 1 , fuel is supplied from a fuel supply port  112  and is supplied to the inside of the fuel injection valve. The electromagnetic fuel injection valve  100  illustrated in  FIG. 1  is an electromagnetically driven fuel injection valve of a normally closed type. When a coil  108  is not electrically conducted, a valve body  101  is biased by a spring  110  so as to be pressed against a seat member  102 , and thus the fuel is sealed. At this time, in the fuel injection valve for cylinder injection, the pressure of the fuel to be supplied is in a range of about 1 MPa to 35 MPa. 
         [0026]      FIG. 2  is a sectional view illustrating the vicinity of the injection hole provided on the tip of the valve body in an enlarged manner. When the fuel injection valve is in a closed-valve state, the valve body  101  is in contact with a valve seat surface  203 , which is configured by a conical surface provided on the seat member  102  bonded to a nozzle body  104  by welding or the like, and thus the sealing of the fuel is secured. At this time, the contact portion on the valve body  101  side is formed by a spherical surface  202 , and the contact between the valve seat surface  203  of the conical surface and the spherical surface  202  is almost line contact. When the coil  108  illustrated in  FIG. 1  is electrically conducted, the magnetic flux density is generated in a core  107 , a yoke  109 , and an anchor  106  that configure a magnetic circuit of an electromagnetic valve, and thus magnetic attraction is generated in a space between the core  107  and the anchor  106 . When the magnetic attraction is increased to be larger than the biasing force of the spring  110  and a force by the pressure of the fuel described above, the valve body  101  is attracted to the core  107  side by the anchor  106  while being guided by the guide member  103  and the valve body guide  105  and thus is in an opened-valve state. 
         [0027]    In the opened-valve state, a gap is generated between the valve seat surface  203  and the spherical surface portion  202  of the valve body, and the fuel starts to be injected. When the fuel starts to be injected, the energy applied as the pressure of the fuel is converted into kinetic energy, and thus the fuel reaches the fuel injection hole  201  to be injected. 
         [0028]      FIG. 3  is an example of arrangement of injection holes when lower end portions of the seat member  102  in  FIG. 1  are seen from below. Six injection holes  301  are arranged with an intersection point  302  as the center, which is between a central axis  204  of the fuel injection valve in a vertical direction and the lower end portion of the seat member  102 . 
         [0029]    (Description of Flowing Effect) 
         [0030]      FIG. 4  is an example in which the invention is applied to the injection hole  201  arranged on the lower end portion of the seat member  102  in  FIG. 2 . The ranges of arrows illustrated in  FIG. 4  illustrate an inlet section  401  and an outlet section  402  of an inlet opening portion of the injection hole  201 . The outlet section  402  is configured of a plane parallel to the inlet section  401 . The center of the inlet section  401  and the outlet section  402  matches the central axis  403  of the injection hole  201 , and the outlet section  402  includes an intersection point between a substantial outlet opening portion  404  of the injection hole  201  and the central axis  403  of the injection hole. 
         [0031]      FIG. 5  illustrates a positional relationship between the inlet section  401  of the injection hole and the outlet section  402  of the injection hole when the injection hole, to which the invention is applied, in  FIG. 4  is seen from the inlet side toward the outlet side of the injection hole. The inlet section  401  and the outlet section  402  are configured to have an elliptical shape. Major axis directions  504   a  and  504   b  of ellipses of the outlet section  402  have an inclination angle β  505  larger than 0 degrees, with respect to a fuel injection direction  502 , which is illustrated by a straight line obtained by projecting the central axis  403  of the injection hole on the outlet section. The inclination angle β  505  is an inclination angle in which the elliptical shape of the outlet section is not line-symmetric with respect to (perpendicular to) the straight line indicating the fuel injection direction  502  (that is, β has a value ( 505   a  of  FIG. 5 ) between 0 degrees and 90 degrees, and β has a value in a clockwise direction ( 505   b  in  FIG. 5 ) in addition to the value in a counterclockwise direction illustrated in  FIG. 5 ). 
         [0032]    The fuel flows in the inlet section  401 , first, from a flowing direction  501  toward the center  302  of the seat member  102 . Then, in the injection hole, the fuel flows toward the fuel injection direction  502 , and then the fuel is injected from the injection hole. A twisting angle α  503  is defined by the flowing direction  501  toward the inlet section  401  and the injection direction  502 . 
         [0033]    Meanwhile,  FIG. 6  illustrates a relationship between an inlet section  601  and an outlet section  602  in the related art. In the related art, a major axis direction of an ellipse of the inlet section  601  and a major axis direction of an ellipse of the outlet section  602  match the fuel injection direction  502 . The inclination angle β is 0 degrees. 
         [0034]    The effect of the invention will be described with reference to  FIG. 11 . Arrows in the drawing illustrate swirling velocity components in the section of the inlet section  401  and the outlet section  402 . In the section of the inlet section  401 , a swirling velocity component  1101  and a swirling velocity component  1102  are formed to be almost line-symmetric with respect to the flowing direction  501 . In addition, in the outlet section  402 , a swirling velocity distribution having different strengths of a swirling velocity component  1103  and a swirling velocity component  1104  is generated in the section by the action of the twisting angle α  503 , which is defined by the flowing direction  501  and the injection direction  502  illustrated in  FIG. 5 , and the inclination angles β  505   a  and  505   b,  which are defined between the injection direction  502  and the major axis directions  504   a  and  504   b  of the outlet section  402 . After injection, the swirling velocity components having a different strength do not become zero by canceling each other in the atmosphere, and result in the shortening of the fuel spray travel distance by obtaining the diffusion effect of the spray.  FIG. 7  illustrates an effect of the twisting angle α  503  and the inclination angle β  505  on the fuel spray travel distance. A fuel spray travel distance  702  is decreased as the twisting angle α  503  is increased, and is transited to be increased after reaching a minimum distance. Meanwhile, by adding the effect of the inclination angle β  505 , the entire fuel spray travel distance at the twisting angle α  503  can be shortened as indicated by  701  compared to a case of the inclination angle β of 0 degrees. Therefore, the twisting angle α can cause the fuel spray travel distance to be effectively shortened even in a case of the injection hole of 0 degrees or 180 degrees. As illustrated in  FIG. 12  of the related art, when the twisting angle α  503  is 0 degrees or 180 degrees, in an outlet section  1203 , swirling velocity components  1202   a  and  1202   b  are formed to be line-symmetric with respect to an injection direction  1201 . The line-symmetrical swirling velocity components have an action for canceling each other after the fuel injection. Therefore, the diffusion effect of the spray becomes weak, and thus the fuel spray travel distance becomes longer. 
         [0035]    According to the invention, it is possible to shorten the fuel spray travel distance, and also it is possible to promote the atomization of spray liquid droplets. According to the invention, it is possible to obtain the diffusion effect of spray, and thus the contact area between the fuel and the air is increased. As a result, a shearing effect by the air is increased and thus the atomization of the spray is promoted. In addition, in  FIG. 8 , an effect of an end-widened flow path in which the sectional area of the injection hole is increased in an outlet direction, and an effect of the inclination angle β  505  are combined, and thus great effects of the shortening of the fuel spray travel distance and the promoting of the atomization of the spray can be obtained. These effects are similar in other embodiments. 
         [0036]    The shape of the injection hole exemplified in the embodiment can be processed by applying a laser along the elliptic outlines of the outlet section and the inlet section, in laser processing. In addition, in the embodiment, a case in which the inlet section and the outlet section of the injection hole have an elliptical shape is described, but even in a case in which apart of the elliptic outline is made uneven as illustrated in  FIG. 10 , the same operational effect can be obtained. Further, in the embodiment, the inlets of the fuel injection hole on the seat surface are configured to be arranged at approximately equal intervals with the same distance from the central axis of the fuel injection valve. However, even when the inlets of the fuel injection hole have different distances from the central axis of the fuel injection valve and different intervals from each other, the operational effect of the embodiment is not impaired. In addition, in the embodiment, a case in which the number of fuel injection holes is six is described, but when the number of fuel injection holes is different from six, the same operational effect is obtained and the effect is not impaired. Similarly, in a case of a configuration in which the number of fuel injection holes is the same as that of the example, and the spray shape is different from that of the embodiment, the operational effect according to the invention is not impaired. 
       Second Embodiment 
       [0037]    A fuel injection valve according to a second embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to  FIGS. 3 ,  5 , and  8 .  FIG. 8  illustrates a positional relationship between an inlet section  801  and an outlet section  802  of the injection hole in the embodiment, components to which the same reference signs as those used in the first embodiment are assigned have the same or equivalent functions as in the first embodiment, and thus the description thereof is omitted. 
         [0038]    In  FIG. 8 , the inlet section  801  of the injection hole is configured to have a perfect circle shape. The effects of the invention will be described below.  FIG. 3  is an example of arrangement of injection holes when lower end portions of the seat member  102  in  FIG. 1  are seen from the below, but the injection holes have different injection directions. Therefore, the inlet sections of the injection holes are different for each injection hole. As a result, the flowing amounts of injection from each injection hole are caused to be different for each injection hole. If the shape of the inlet section of the injection hole is an elliptical shape, the entrance loss varies due to the fuel flowing direction  501  illustrated in  FIG. 5  and thus the flowing amount of the injection is changed. In the invention, it is possible to prevent the flowing amount of the injection of each injection hole from being changed by making the inlet section of each injection hole have a perfect circle shape as illustrated in  FIG. 8 . In addition, when the inlet section  801  is made to have a perfect circle shape, the increasing rate of the sectional area toward the outlet section  802  is increased, and since the curvature of the inner wall of the injection hole is constant in a perfect circle, the swirling velocity component illustrated in the first embodiment is strengthened. Therefore, it is possible to further enhance the diffusion effect of the spray. Accordingly, in combination with the effect of the swirling velocity component in an outlet section by the inclination angle β  505 , which is defined by the major axis direction  504  of the outlet section  802  and the injection direction  502  described in the first embodiment, it is possible to further shorten the fuel spray travel distance. 
         [0039]    In the embodiment, a case is described in which the inlet section of the injection hole has a perfect circle shape and the outlet section has an elliptical shape, but even in a case where a part of the outline of the perfect circle and the ellipse is made uneven as illustrated in  FIG. 10 , the same operational effect is obtained. 
       Third Embodiment 
       [0040]    A fuel injection valve according to a third embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to  FIG. 9 .  FIG. 9  illustrates a positional relationship between an inlet section  901  and an outlet section  902  of the injection hole in the embodiment, components to which the same reference signs as those used in the first embodiment are assigned have the same or equivalent functions as in the first embodiment, and thus the description thereof is omitted. 
         [0041]    In  FIG. 9 , the injection hole is configured by two flow paths. A first flow path is formed to be an elliptic cylinder obtained by sliding a section having the same area as the inlet section in an outlet direction with the axis of the injection hole as a center, and a second flow path is formed to be a tapered shape in which the sectional area of the flow path increases as the flow path goes from an inlet side toward an outlet side. Further, a major axis  904  of an ellipse of the outlet section  902  of a part having a tapered shape has the inclination angle β  505  with respect to the injection direction  502 . Even in the structure exemplified in the embodiment, it is possible to obtain the same effect as the invention illustrated in the first embodiment. 
         [0042]    Further, similarly to the case illustrated in the second embodiment, when the inlet section  901  of the injection hole illustrated in  FIG. 9  is made to have a perfect circle shape, it is possible to obtain the same effect as that in the second embodiment. 
         [0043]    In the embodiment, a case is described in which the inlet section and the outlet section of the injection hole have an elliptical shape, but even in a case in which a part of the elliptic outline is made uneven as illustrated in  FIG. 10 , the same operational effect can be obtained. 
         [0044]    The shape of the injection hole illustrated in the embodiment can be processed by using a punch in addition to the laser processing. Formation can be performed in such a manner that, first, the injection hole is opened from the inlet side with an elliptic-cylinder-shaped pin, and then a tapered-shaped pin is pressed against the injection hole from the outlet side. 
         [0045]    The invention illustrated by using the first, second, and third embodiments can further shorten the fuel spray travel distance by using the following schemes. 
         [0046]    A first scheme is a method of increasing the flowing rate at a seat portion that is positioned on the upstream side of the injection hole. Since the direction of the flowing at the seat portion on the upstream side of the injection hole is approximately parallel to the inlet section of the injection hole, the flowing rate at the seat portion is increased, and the swirling velocity component of the inlet section also becomes faster. As a result, the diffusion effect of the spray is increased and the fuel spray travel distance is shortened. 
         [0047]    A second scheme is a method of correcting the speed distribution on the upstream side of the seat portion by using a swirl flow or the like. As described in the first to third embodiments, the formation of the swirling velocity component in the injection hole is affected by the twisting angle α  503  formed by the fuel flowing direction toward the inlet section of the injection hole and the fuel injection direction. It is possible to control the twisting angle α  503  by changing the fuel flowing direction toward the inlet section of the injection hole by using the swirl flow for the speed distribution on the upstream side of the seat portion. Therefore, it is possible to shorten the fuel spray travel distance. 
       REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 
       [0000]    
       
           100  ELECTROMAGNETIC FUEL INJECTION VALVE 
           101  VALVE BODY 
           102  SEAT MEMBER 
           103  GUIDE MEMBER 
           104  NOZZLE BODY 
           105  VALVE BODY GUIDE 
           106  NEEDLE 
           107  MAGNETIC CORE 
           108  COIL 
           109  YOKE 
           110  BIASING SPRING 
           111  CONNECTOR 
           112  FUEL SUPPLY PORT 
           201  INJECTION HOLE 
           202  SPHERICAL SURFACE OF VALVE BODY 
           203  VALVE SEAT SURFACE 
           204  CENTRAL AXIS OF FUEL INJECTION VALVE IN VERTICAL DIRECTION 
           401  INLET SECTION 
           402  OUTLET SECTION 
           403  CENTRAL AXIS OF INJECTION HOLE 
           404  OUTLET OPENING PORTION 
           501  FUEL FLOWING DIRECTION 
           502  FUEL INJECTION DIRECTION 
           503  TWISTING ANGLE α 
           504  MAJOR AXIS DIRECTION OF ELLIPSE OF OUTLET SECTION OF INJECTION HOLE 
           505 ,  505   a,    505   b  INCLINATION ANGLE β 
           601  INLET SECTION 
           602  OUTLET SECTION 
           701  FUEL SPRAY TRAVEL DISTANCE 
           702  FUEL SPRAY TRAVEL DISTANCE 
           801  INLET SECTION 
           802  OUTLET SECTION 
           901  INLET SECTION 
           902  OUTLET SECTION 
           903  A BOUNDARY BETWEEN ELLIPTIC CYLINDER PORTION AND TAPERED PORTION 
           1001  ELLIPTICAL SHAPE OF INLET 
           1002  ELLIPTICAL SHAPE OF OUTLET 
           1101  SWIRLING VELOCITY COMPONENT IN INLET SECTION 
           1102  SWIRLING VELOCITY COMPONENT IN INLET SECTION 
           1103  SWIRLING VELOCITY COMPONENT IN OUTLET SECTION 
           1104  SWIRLING VELOCITY COMPONENT IN OUTLET SECTION 
           1201  INJECTION DIRECTION OF INJECTION HOLE 
           1202   a  SWIRLING VELOCITY COMPONENT IN OUTLET SECTION 
           1202   b  SWIRLING VELOCITY COMPONENT IN OUTLET SECTION 
           1203  OUTLET SECTION