Patent ID: 7055762

Claim:
An injection valve with a capacitive valve lift sensor for an internal combustion engine, the valve comprising: a nozzle body formed with a valve seat; a valve needle longitudinally guided in and electrically insulated from said nozzle body, said valve needle having a first end assigned to said valve seat and a second end; said valve needle and said valve seat forming respective electrodes of a capacitor connected in an electric circuit, said capacitor having a capacitance varying with a valve lift of said valve needle; and an electrically conductive injector body connected to said electric circuit and carrying said nozzle body with said valve seat, and wherein said second end of said valve needle is connected to said electric circuit; said electric circuit having a voltage interface via a conductor passed in an insulated fashion in an axial hole formed in said injector body, said conductor being connected to an electrically conductive contact spring disposed in an insulated fashion in said injector body, said contact spring being supported such that contact is established on a bottom of a head of a conductive injector piston, being pressed for establishing contact against said second end surface of said valve needle facing away from said valve seat.