A FUEL DISTRIBUTOR HAVING A PLUG CLOSURE SYSTEM FOR A FUEL CHARGE ASSEMBLY

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a fuel distributor for a fuel charge assembly according to the preamble of Claim 1.

Background of the Invention

A fuel distributor for a fuel charge assembly with fuel injectors, in particular for common rail systems, is known in the art. The fuel distributor is a component of a fuel charge assembly and provides to feed fuel to fuel injectors of an internal combustion engine. Each of the fuel injectors are connected to the fuel distributor via each of the injector cups formed on the fuel distributor.

The fuel distributor has a connection bore for allowing fluid flow coming from a fuel chamber of the fuel distributor to an inner volume of an injector cup. The connection bore extending from an outer wall of the fuel distributor toward the fuel chamber is created by a drilling process and is sealed with a closure (i.e., plug). It is important that the location of the injector cup of the fuel injector must be suitable for receiving the corresponding fuel injector of the internal combustion engine.

When there is not a sufficient distance for fluid connection between the injector cup and the fuel chamber, a connection bore is provided by a simple drilling process and a fluid connection is provided there between. And then corresponding plugs should be used to seal off the created holes on an outer wall of the fuel distributor.

A prior art publication in the technical field of the invention may be referred to as CN212406922 (U) which discloses a fuel distributor having a main body formed by the forging process. The main body has a hole created on the main body and is sealed off by a plug placed within the created hole.

A prior art publication in the technical field of the invention may be referred to as WO2012150074 (A1) document. The document discloses a fuel distributor which serves in particular for fuel injection systems of mixture-compressing, applied-ignition internal combustion engines comprises a housing in which a fuel chamber is formed. Here, at least one cup is provided which is arranged eccentrically with respect to the fuel chamber. The cup is connected at least via a duct portion of a duct to the fuel chamber. Furthermore, the duct portion is sealed off with respect to the environment by a closure provided on the duct.

Brief Description of the Invention

An object of the invention is to provide a reliable plug closure system for sealing an inlet of a connection bore of the fuel distributor in a practical manner during manufacturing of the fuel distributor.

The present invention proposes a fuel distributor for a fuel charge assembly, the fuel distributor comprising: a main body having a fuel chamber formed along a longitudinal axis of the fuel distributor; at least one cup having an injector chamber extending along a first axis wherein each cup is arranged eccentrically with respect to the fuel chamber; at least one connection bore having an inlet which is connecting an auxiliary hole of the injector chamber of the cup to the fuel chamber. The fuel distributor comprises a plug closure system having a plug with a first groove formed on the plug to fix a fixing member on the plug by inserting the fixing member from outside of the main body by means of a slot formed on the main body and a second groove to fix an O-ring on the plug where the plug is inserted into the inlet of the connection bore; to close and seal off the inlet of the connection bore.

Thus, a reliable closing and sealing off the connection bores on the main body of the fuel distributor is provided in a practical manner. The fuel pressure inside the fuel chamber of the fuel distributor also, provides to keep the position of the plug closure system in the inlet by pushing the plug towards the inlet. At the same time, the O-ring of the plug closure system provides sealing and the fixing member provides to keep and fix the position of the plug.

In a possible embodiment of the present invention, the fixing member is a U-shaped fixing member such as a U-clip. Thus, a reliable fixing of the plug in the inlet is provided.

In a possible embodiment of the present invention, the fixing member is made of a metal material. Thus, a stable fixing is provided.

In a possible embodiment of the present invention, a position of the slot is arranged on a vertical axis on the fuel distributor as to be reached from an upper face of the main body. Thus, assembling of the fixing member is realized easily.

In a possible embodiment of the present invention, the plug of the plug closure system is arranged as insertable and press-fitted into the inlet of the connection bore where the inlet is formed from an outer wall of the main body towards inside the main body. Thus, the position of the plug is kept and the plug is inserted into the inlet easily. In another possible embodiment of the present invention, the plug has a circular cross-sectional view corresponding to a circular cross-sectional view of the inlet of the fuel distributor. Thus, the plug is fitted into the inlet.

In another possible embodiment of the present invention, the O-ring is made of a plastic material. Thus, a resiliently entrance of the plug can be realized towards inside the inlet by means of the O-ring. Also, the sealing in the inlet is provided by the O-ring in a reliable manner.

In another possible embodiment of the present invention, the fuel distributor is formed via forging. Thus, a uniform embodiment of the fuel distributor with the other design elements of the fuel charge assembly is provided. The design elements are such as a main body, at least one injector cup, mounting brackets, fuel inlet fitting and sensor fitting.

In another possible embodiment of the present invention, the inlet and the connection bore have the same diameters. Thus, same driller can be used in one drilling process.

In another possible embodiment of the present invention, the first axis of the auxiliary hole is arranged to extend perpendicularly according to the longitudinal axis of fuel chamber. Thus, the positions of the cups are arranged on the fuel distributor.

In another possible embodiment of the present invention, a position of the plug closure system is arranged between the end of the inlet of the connection bore and the auxiliary hole of the cup. Thus, a reliable sealing off is provided on the inlet.

Brief Description of the Figures

Figure-1 illustrates a perspective view of a fuel distributor according to the present invention. Figure-2 illustrates a two-dimensional of the fuel distributor according to the present invention.

Figure-3 illustrates a cross-sectional view (B-B) of a fuel distributor according to the present invention without the plug closure system.

Figure-4 illustrates a two-dimensional view of a fuel distributor with plug closure system, according to the present invention.

Figure-5 illustrates a cross-sectional view (A-A) of the fuel distributor taken from figure-4.

Figure-6 illustrates a perspective-front view of a fuel distributor with the plug closure system according to the present invention.

Figure-7 illustrates a two-dimensional - top view of a fuel distributor with the plug closure system, according to the present invention.

Figure-8 illustrates a cross-sectional view (D-D) of the fuel distributor taken from figure-7.

Figure-9 illustrates a perspective-backside view of a fuel distributor with the plug closure system, according to the present invention.

Figure-10 illustrates a two-dimensional - front view of a fuel distributor with the plug closure system, according to the present invention. Figure-11 illustrates a cross-sectional view (C-C) of the fuel distributor taken from figure-10.

Figure-12 illustrates a perspective view of the plug with O-ring of the plug closure system to be used in the fuel distributor according to the present invention.

Figure-13 illustrates a two-dimensional view of the plug with O-ring of the plug closure system to be used in the fuel distributor.

Figure-14 illustrates a cross-sectional view (A-A) of the plug with O-ring taken from figure-13.

Figure-15 illustrates a perspective view of a fixing member of the plug closure system.

Detailed Description of the Figures

The present invention proposes a fuel distributor (10) for a fuel charge assembly having fuel injectors, in particular for common rail systems.

The fuel distributor (10) is produced by a forging method. All design elements of the fuel distributor (10) such as a main body (11), at least one injector cup (30), mounting brackets, fuel inlet fitting and sensor fitting (13) are formed uniform on the fuel distributor (10) during forging process. This is the advantage of forging process in the fuel charge assembly production over brazing method. But this advantage brings difficulties for connection bore (14) creation. The connection bore (14) should be closed from an inlet (15) side on a wall thickness of the main body (11).

In brazing method, the design elements are manufactured separately, and they are brought together by brazing process, in the prior art. But in the forging method, a pre material is performed by hot pressing of material between two dies. Then, the fuel distributor (10) and all design elements of the fuel distributor (10) which are roughly formed, are extracted from dies. Lastly, machining and drilling processes are realized for the last shape of the elements.

The fuel distributor (10) feeds fuel to fuel injectors (not shown in the figures). And a fuel charge assembly comprises a number of fuel injectors and the fuel distributor (10). The proposed fuel distributor (10) comprises a main body (11) having a fuel chamber (12) formed along a longitudinal axis (X) of the fuel distributor (10); at least one cup (30) having an injector chamber (31) extending along a first axis (F) wherein each cup (30) is arranged eccentrically with respect to the fuel chamber (12); at least one connection bore (14) having an inlet (15) which is connecting an auxiliary hole (32) of the injector chamber (31) of the cup (30) to the fuel chamber (12).

The present invention advantageously further comprises a plug closure system (20) having a plug (22) with a first groove (23) formed on the plug (22) to fix a fixing member (21) on the plug (22) by inserting the fixing member (21) from outside of the main body (11) by means of a slot (17) formed on the main body (11) and a second groove (25) to fix an O-ring (24) on the plug (22) where the plug (22) is inserted into the inlet (15) of the connection bore (14); to close and seal off the inlet (15) of the connection bore (14).

The fixing member (21) is a U-shaped fixing member such as a U-clip as can be seen from the fig. 15. The fixing member (21) can be manufactured from a metal material.

The plug (22) is in a cylindrical shape which corresponds to a cylindrical inner volume of the inlet (15) of the connection bore (14) as in the figures; 5 and 11 . The first groove (23) and the second groove (25) of the plug (22) are formed as circular forms on the plug (22). The fixing member (21) can be insertable via a slot (17) and fixed on the first groove (23) of the plug (22) as can be seen from the figures; 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 . The slot (17) is arranged on a vertical axis (Y) on the fuel distributor (10) as to be reached from an upper face (18) of the main body (11). Also, the slot (17) has a U-shaped gap corresponding to the U-shaped of the fixing member (21) as can be seen from the figures; 1 , 2 and 3. But also, the gap of the slot (17) is bigger than the dimension of the fixing member (21). Thus, the fixing member (21) inserted also onto the plug (22) and the fixing member (21) holds and secures the plug (22) in a tight manner. Also, the fixing member (21) can be reachable from an outer wall from outside of the main body (11) after assembly. The plug (22) has a stopper (26) adjacent to the first groove (23) from one side and the stopper (26) provides to fix the fixing member (21) on the plug (22) and prevents back out of the plug (22) from the inlet (15).

Referring to the Figures; 1 , 2, 4, 6, 7, 9 and 10, the main body (11) of the fuel distributor (10) is formed via forging method and like a tubular body. All the injector cups (30) are formed eccentrically according to a longitudinal axis (X) of the main body (11). Auxiliary hole (32) is adjusted and drilled in a closer distance to the fuel chamber (12) of the fuel distributor (10). Therefore, the auxiliary hole (32) is formed on a first axis (F) parallel to a center axis of the injector chamber (31). And the plug closure system (20) is disposed between the auxiliary hole (32) and the inlet (15) of the connection bore (14).

In a manufacturing method, a driller can be used to create the inlet (15) and the connection bore (14) at the same time to reach the fuel chamber (12). Accordingly, the inlet (15) and the connection bore (14) have the same diameters, since the same driller is used and the holes are formed together.

Referring to the Figures; 1 , 2, 4, 6, 7, 9 and 10, the number of the created connection bores (14) is the same as with numbers of the cups (30). Each cup (30) is provided with the corresponding connection bores (14). Accordingly, each connection bores (14) have an inlet (15) formed on an outer wall of the main body (11 ). An end (16) is an open hole of the inlet (15) of the connection bore (14) which is opening through outside of the fuel distributor (10).

Referring to Figures; 2, 5, 6, 7 and 10, the fuel distributor (10) has three perpendicularly oriented cups (30) with respect to the longitudinal axis (X) of the fuel distributor (10). Accordingly, three separate plug closure system (20) can be used to seal off the inlet (15) of the connection bore (14). The plug (22) of the plug closure system (20) is arranged as insertable and press-fitted into the inlet (15) of the connection bore (14).

Reference list:

10. Fuel distributor

11 . Main body

12. Fuel chamber

13. Sensor fitting

14. Connection bore

15. Inlet

16. End

17. Slot

18. Upper face

20. Plug closure system

21. Fixing member

22. Plug

23. First groove

24. O-ring

25. Second groove

26. Stopper

30. Cup

31. Injector chamber

32. Auxiliary hole

X: longitudinal axis

F: first axis

Y: vertical axis