Patent ID: 8479711

Claim:
A piezoelectric-actuated fuel injector for injecting fuel into a combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine, comprising: an injector body including a barrel, a nozzle housing having a nozzle cavity, a retainer connecting said barrel and said nozzle housing, and an injector orifice communicating with one end of said nozzle cavity to discharge fuel into the combustion chamber; a nozzle valve element positioned in said nozzle cavity adjacent said injector orifice, said nozzle valve movable between an open position in which fuel flows through said injector orifice into the combustion chamber and a closed position in which fuel flow through said injector orifice is blocked; a piezoelectric actuator including a stack of piezoelectric elements movable to expand in a first direction and movable to contract in a second direction opposite said first direction; a hydraulic link assembly positioned within said nozzle cavity, said hydraulic link assembly including a hydraulic link housing having an inner bore, a hydraulic link plunger positioned to slidably move in said inner bore and operably connected to said piezoelectric actuator, and a hydraulic link operatively connecting said hydraulic link plunger and said nozzle valve element.