Granted Patent B2

US 12,326,130 · App. 18/101,114 · Granted Jun 10, 2025

Inventors: Constantine Xykis (Hartland, WI); Mark Damico (Island Lake, IL); Andy Suhy (Shelby Township, MI); Matthew Marek (Lombard, IL); Rahul Mangalore (Naperville, IL); Brian White (Stillwater, OK); Grant Stockton (Glen Ellyn, IL); Arkadiusz Gazdowicz (Elk Grove Village, IL); Greg Wanek (Skokie, IL)

Assignee: Power Solutions International, Inc.

F02M61/10F02M61/1886

Abstract

Claims (30)

1. A fuel injector for liquefied gaseous fuel comprising:

a housing defining a fuel path from an inlet end to an outlet end;

a nozzle disposed at the outlet end of the housing, wherein the nozzle includes an orifice for delivering liquid fuel from the fuel injector and forms a valve seat; and

a valve assembly disposed in the housing and configured to control flow of fuel through the orifice, the valve assembly comprising:

a reciprocating valve body that is movable within the housing between a closed position and an open position, and

a valve seal held by the valve body, wherein the valve seal is formed of an elastomeric material and includes a flat sealing surface that faces the nozzle and is configured to contact the valve seat so as to inhibit flow of fuel through the orifice,

wherein the valve seat includes an annular upward projection that surrounds the orifice and is configured to engage the flat sealing surface of the valve seal.

2. The fuel injector of claim 1 , wherein the nozzle is configured as a substantially flat plate.

3. The fuel injector of claim 1 , wherein the valve seal is disposed in a cavity within the valve body.

4. The fuel injector of claim 3 , wherein the valve seal includes a side surface that extends upward from the flat sealing surface.

5. The fuel injector of claim 4 , wherein an interior wall of the cavity of the valve body covers the side surface of the valve seal.

6. The fuel injector of claim 1 , wherein the annular upward projection is surrounded by a trough.

7. The fuel injector of claim 6 , wherein the valve seat includes a support surface surrounding the trough, and wherein the support surface is configured to limit movement of the valve body.

8. The fuel injector of claim 7 , wherein the upward projection extends higher than the support surface.

9. The fuel injector of claim 7 , wherein a slot extends outward from the trough and is configured to maintain pressurized fuel within the trough.

10. The fuel injector of claim 1 , wherein the valve body is configured to move at least 0.015 inches.

11. The fuel injector of claim 1 , wherein the fuel injector includes a return path from the valve body to the inlet end.

12. The fuel injector of claim 11 , wherein the return path surrounds an inlet portion of the fuel path.

13. A method of delivering liquefied gaseous fuel from a fuel injector, the method comprising:

providing pressurized liquefied gaseous fuel to the fuel injector, the fuel injector comprising:

a housing defining a fuel path from an inlet end to an outlet end,

a nozzle disposed at the outlet end of the housing, the nozzle forming a valve seat and including an orifice therein, and

a valve assembly disposed in the housing, the valve assembly including a reciprocating valve body and a valve seal held by the valve body, wherein the valve seal is formed of an elastomeric material and includes a flat sealing surface that faces the nozzle, wherein the valve seat includes an annular upward projection that surrounds the orifice, and wherein the annular upward projection presses into the flat sealing surface of the valve seal when the valve is in the closed position;

holding the valve body in a closed position in which the flat sealing surface contacts the valve seat of the nozzle so as to inhibit flow of fuel through the orifice; and

moving the valve body away from the nozzle so as to allow liquid fuel to pass through the orifice and be delivered from the fuel injector.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the valve seal is disposed in a cavity within the valve body, wherein the valve seal includes a side surface that extends upward from the flat sealing surface, and wherein an interior wall of the cavity of the valve body covers the side surface of the valve seal.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the valve body is moved away from the nozzle by at least 0.015 inches.

16. The method of claim 13 , further comprising recirculating the fuel to the intake end along a return path so as to cool components of the fuel injector.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising boiling the fuel within the return path.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the return path surrounds an inlet portion of the fuel path.

Assignments (2)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (31)