Patent ID: 6997166

Claim:
A fuel injector for use in a fuel system for an internal combustion engine, the fuel injector comprising: a supply passage for high pressure fuel, an injection nozzle including a valve needle which is engageable with a valve needle seating to control fuel delivery from the injector, a surface associated with the valve needle being exposed to fuel pressure within a control chamber, a first restricted flow path providing communication between the supply passage and the control chamber, a control valve for controlling fuel pressure within the control chamber, and a supplementary flow path controlling communication between the supply passage and the control chamber under the control of the control valve, so as to allow high pressure fuel to flow between the supply passage and the control chamber, wherein the supplementary flow path includes a second restricted flow path and wherein the control valve is operable to control whether fuel flows through the second restricted flow path either (i) between the control chamber and a low pressure drain or (ii) between the supply passage and the control chamber.