Patent ID: 7866577

Claim:
A fuel injection valve comprising: a tubular housing that defines a fuel channel therein, through which fuel flows; a tubular stator that is received in the housing; a tubular movable core that is received in the housing, wherein: the movable core is axially opposed to the stator; the movable core defines a bore formed therethrough; the movable core has an end face adjacent to the stator; the end face has a region that is opposed to the stator; the region includes a non-contact surface, which is prevented from contacting the stator, and a contact surface, which is adapted to contact the stator; and the non-contact surface and the stator define a space therebetween when the contact surface contact the stator; a coil that is adapted to generate a magnetic field when the coil is energized to develop magnetic attractive force between the stator and the movable core, wherein the magnetic attractive force causes the stator to attract the movable core such that the contact surface of the movable core is brought into contact with the stator; a nozzle hole that is positioned on a downstream end of the housing in a flow direction of fuel; a valve member that is slidably received in the bore of the movable core, wherein: the valve member extends through the bore; the valve member is separate from the movable core; the valve member includes a body and a stopper that radially outwardly projects from the body; and the stopper of the valve member is configured to engage with the movable core such that the valve member is axially movable together with the movable core in order to control injection of fuel through the nozzle hole; and at least one communicating passage that is coupled to the space, wherein: the fuel channel includes: a first fuel passage defined inside the stator upstream of the movable core in the flow direction; and a second fuel passage located downstream of the movable core in the flow direction; and the at least one communicating passage connects the space with a corresponding one of the first fuel passage and the second fuel passage.