Patent ID: 8910882

Claim:
A fuel injector, comprising: a fuel nozzle having at least one injection orifice; a needle element having a tip end and a base end and being movable within the fuel nozzle between a first position at which the tip end of the needle element inhibits fuel flow through the at least one injection orifice and a second position at which fuel flow through the at least one injection orifice is substantially uninhibited by the tip end of the needle element; a control chamber located at the base end of the needle element; a body; a control valve disposed within the body and movable to selectively drain the control chamber, thereby causing the needle element to move between the first and second positions; an armature disposed within an armature cavity of the body and selectively energized to move the control valve; and a pressure reducer disposed within the body and configured to reduce a pressure of the armature cavity; the fuel injector being configured to receive a high-pressure fuel for injection, and a low-pressure fuel for cooling, wherein the low-pressure fuel is directed through the pressure reducer, and wherein the pressure reducer includes a venturi having an effuser portion, a neck portion, and a diffuser portion configured to receive the low-pressure fuel, and a passage that extends from the armature cavity to the neck portion.