Patent ID: 8311723

Claim:
A fuel injector configured to inject fuel into a combustion chamber, the fuel injector comprising: a body having a base portion opposite a nozzle portion, wherein the base portion is configured to receive the fuel into the body, and the nozzle portion is configured to be positioned adjacent to the combustion chamber; a valve assembly carried by the base portion of the body, the valve assembly having— a first valve coupled to a first actuator; a second valve coupled to a second actuator, wherein the first actuator is independently movable from the second actuator to introduce the fuel into the base portion, and the second actuator is independently movable from the first actuator to introduce the fuel into the nozzle portion for direct fuel infection into the combustion chamber; and an igniter carried by the nozzle portion of the body positioned immediately adjacent to the combustion chamber and configured to ignite the fuel in the combustion chamber.