A fuel injector ( 10; 100 ) comprises an inlet ( 60 ) from which fuel can be transferred into a cavity ( 61 ) of the injector, at least one outlet orifice ( 86 ) communicating with said cavity ( 61 ), and ejecting means ( 44, 88 ) operable to apply force to fuel in said cavity to cause said fuel to be ejected through said orifice as discreet charges at pre-determined intervals. The operation of said ejecting means ( 44, 88 ) is also operable to transfer further fuel into said cavity ( 61 ).
1. A fuel injector which comprises a housing having an inlet for fuel from which fuel can be transferred into a cavity of the injector, at least one outlet orifice communicating with said cavity, a one-way valve carried by the housing operable to prevent fuel leaving the cavity other than by said outlet orifice, and ejecting means operable to reciprocate a piston within the housing, the piston having a force-applying end separated from the cavity by said one-way valve and a passage through the piston communicating with said force-applying end, said piston being operable in reciprocation to transfer fuel through said passage and to apply force to said transferred fuel by way of said force-applying end to cause transfer of said fuel into said cavity to be ejected through said orifice as discrete charges at predetermined intervals, said passage containing a one-way valve mounted adjacent to the force-applying end of the piston.
2. A fuel injector which comprises an inlet for fuel from which fuel can be transferred into a cavity of the injector, at least one outlet orifice communicating with said cavity, and ejecting means operable to apply force to fuel in said cavity to cause said fuel to be ejected through said orifice as discreet charges at predetermined intervals:
characterized in that the operation of said electing means is also operable to transfer fuel into said cavity, and said ejecting means is operable to move a piston to apply force to fuel in said cavity and said further fuel is transferred to said cavity through a passage through said piston, said passage containing a one-way valve.
3. A fuel injector according to claim 2 , characterized in that said one-way valve Is mounted at a force-applying end of the piston.
4. A fuel injector according to claim 2 , characterized in that the diameter of the force-applying-end of the piston has a small ratio to the stroke of the piston.
5. A fuel injector according to claim 2 , characterized in that the movement of said piston is also effective to draw fuel in through said inlet.
6. A fuel injector according to claim 2 , characterized in that the ejecting means comprises an electro-magnetic coil and at least a portion of the piston is made of soft-magnetic material.
7. A fuel injector according to claim 6 , characterized in that the ejecting means also comprises a spring operable to move the piston in the opposite direction to the coil.
8. A fuel injector according to claim 7 , characterized in that the coil is operable to move the piston to compress the spring and the spring is operable to move the piston to cause fuel to be ejected.
9. A fuel injector according to claim 1 , characterized in that said cavity is bounded by a one-way valve.
10. A fuel injector according to claim 1 , characterized in that the force-applying end of the piston has a diameter that is related to the stroke of the piston as a ratio in the range of 1:2 to 2:1.
11. A fuel injector according to claim 10 , characterized in that the diameter of the force-applying end of the piston is smaller than the stroke of the piston.
12. A fuel injector according to claim 1 , characterized in that the one-way valve contained in the passage comprises an unsprung valve arranged to be opened to a passage of fuel when the piston is at rest.
13. A fuel injector according to claim 12 , characterized in that the one-way valve contained in the passage comprises a seat and a ball disposed between the seat and the force-applying end of the piston, the ball being arranged to be seated by displacement of the piston by the ejecting means towards the cavity.
14. A fuel injector, comprising:
a housing having an inlet, a cavity, and at least one outlet orifice communicating with said cavity;
a piston having a passage communicating with said inlet to receive fuel entering said fuel injector through said inlet, said passage extending through said piston and communicating with said cavity such that the fuel is transferred from said inlet to said cavity via said passage, said piston having a force-applying end adjacent said cavity;
a first one-way valve carried by said piston and being located adjacent said force-applying end such that the transferred fuel moving through said passage passes through said first one-way valve as it exits said piston; and
a second one-way valve carried by said housing end being located between said piston and said cavity to prevent fuel leaving the cavity other than by said outlet orifice.
15. A fuel injector according to claim 14 , wherein said cavity is bounded at an upper end by said second one-way valve and at a lower end by said outlet orifice.