Claims:We Claim

1. A fuel injector (10), said fuel injector (10) comprising:
an injector body (12); characterized in that
an axial bore (14) defined anywhere along a longitudinal length of said injector body (12) and in flow communication with a longitudinal bore 25, the axial bore (14) adapted to leak off excess pressurized fuel that flows through said injector body (12) via the longitudinal bore (25).

2. The fuel injector (10) in accordance with Claim 1 further comprising an adapter (16) secured to said injector body (12), said adapter (16) adapted to be rotated about a longitudinal axis of said fuel injector (10).

3. The fuel injector (10) in accordance with Claim 2 wherein said adapter (16) comprises a recess (18) that is circumferentially defined within said adapter (16) and in flow communication with the axial bore (14), the recess (18) adapted to receive pressurized fuel that flows through the axial bore (14) and through the longitudinal bore (25) of said injector body 12.

4. The fuel injector (10) in accordance with Claim 3 wherein said adapter (16) comprises two O-rings (20) that are in communication with the recess (18), the two O-rings (20) adapted to facilitate retaining the fuel that is received within the recess (18).

5. The fuel injector (10) in accordance with Claim 2 further comprising a snap ring (22) that is secured to said injector body (12) and positioned below said adapter (16), said snap ring (22) facilitates securing said adapter (16) to said injector body (12).

6. The fuel injector (10) in accordance with Claim 2 wherein said adapter (16) comprises a plurality of fins (24) that are defined around a circumference of said adapter (16), said plurality of fins (24) adapted to conduct the heat away from the fuel that is received within the recess (18), thereby decreasing a temperature of the fuel that is within the recess (18).

7. The fuel injector (10) in accordance with Claim 3 further comprising a swivel connector (26) secured to said adapter (16) and in flow communication with the recess (18) and adapted to be rotated about an axis that is orthogonal to the longitudinal axis, the swivel adapter (26) adapted to receive pressurized fuel from the recess (18) and deliver pressurized fuel out of said fuel injector (10).
, Description:Complete Specification:

The following specification describes and ascertains the nature of this invention and the manner in which it is to be performed.
Field of the invention
[0001] This invention relates to a fuel injector, and more specifically to a fuel leak apparatus in a fuel injector.

Background of the invention
[0002] US 5645224 A describes a unit fuel pump injector having a controlled leak path from the high pressure fluid volume surrounding the needle check in order to divert fuel flow away from the injection spray orifices. The fuel flow divertion occurs only during the injector operation when the check is traveling between its seat and its travel stop. This design improves the ability to modulate fuel delivery of unit injectors at low engine speeds and idle conditions and thereby eliminates or significantly reduces hunting or wandering of engine speed at such conditions while not significantly influencing the fuel delivered at large rack positions.

Brief description of the accompanying drawing
[0003] Figure 1 illustrates a schematic diagram of a fuel leak apparatus in a fuel injector.

Detailed description of the embodiments
[0004] Figure 1 illustrates a fuel injector 10 in one embodiment of the invention. The fuel injector 10 comprises an injector body 12, and an axial bore 14 defined anywhere along a longitudinal length of the injector body 12 and in flow communication with a longitudinal bore 25, the axial bore 14 adapted to leak off excess pressurized fuel that flows through the injector body 12 via the longitudinal bore 25.

[0005] In the exemplary embodiment, the fuel injector 10 comprises an injector body 12. The injector body 12 comprises a longitudinal bore 25 defined there through that is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the fuel injector 10, and is adapted to channel pressurized fuel that is supplied to an inlet port of the fuel injector 10. An axial bore 14 is defined anywhere along a length of a longitudinal axis of the injector body 12. More specifically, the axial bore 14 is drilled in the injector body 12 in an axial direction that is orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the fuel injector 10. Moreover, the axial bore 14 is defined anywhere along the longitudinal length of the injector body 12 of the fuel injector 10 and extends from the longitudinal bore 25 to an outer circumference of the fuel injector 10.

[0006] An adapter 16 is secured to the injector body 12 of the fuel injector 10. More specifically, the adapter 16 is secured to the injector body 12 of the fuel injector 10 such that the adapter 16 may be rotated/oriented about the longitudinal axis of the fuel injector 10. In the exemplary embodiment, the adapter 16 comprises a recess 18. The recess 18 is circumferentially defined within the adapter 16 and is positioned proximate to the injector body 12 of the fuel injector 10. The recess 18 is in flow communication with the axial bore 14 and is adapted to receive and store pressurized fuel that flows through the axial bore 14 that is drilled through the injector body 12. Therefore, when the adapter 16 is rotated about the longitudinal axis of the fuel injector 10, the fuel that is present within the recess 18 of the adapter 16 is delivered in any plane that is orthogonal to the longitudinal axis and delivered in any direction that is 360 degrees about the longitudinal axis. The adapter 16 comprises two O-rings 20 that are in communication with the recess 18. In the exemplary embodiment, the two O-rings 20 are positioned against a sidewall of the recess 18 and secured thereto to facilitate retaining the fuel that is received and stored within the recess 18. In the absence of the two O-rings 20, the fuel that is received and stored within the recess 18 would drip down along the sidewall of the injector body 12 of the fuel injector 10.

[0007] The fuel injector 10 further comprises a snap ring 22 that is secured to the injector body 12. In the exemplary embodiment, the snap ring 22 is positioned below the adapter 16 and locked on to the injector body 12 of the fuel injector 10. Therefore, the snap ring 22 facilitates securing the adapter 16 to the injector body 12 of the fuel injector 10. In the absence of the snap ring 22, the adapter 16 would not be held in place, and would subsequently slide along the injector body 12 of the fuel injector 10 before falling off from the fuel injector 10. The adapter 16 comprises a plurality of heat dissipating fins 24 that are defined about a circumference of the adapter 16. More specifically, the plurality of fins 24 are defined longitudinally along the adapter body of the adapter 16 and is manufactured from a heat conducting material. The plurality of fins 24 that are defined longitudinally along the adapter body of the adapter 16 are adapted to dissipate the heat from the fuel that is received within the recess 18, thereby decreasing a temperature of the fuel. The fuel at the reduced temperature is supplied from the recess 18 back to the fuel tank. Therefore, the fuel that is present within the fuel tank is prevented from getting heated up due to the reduced temperature returning fuel that flows from the recess 18 that is defined in the adapter 16.

[0008] A swivel connector 26 is secured to the adapter 16 and in flow communication with the recess 18. The swivel connector 26 is adapted to be rotated about an axis that is orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the fuel injector 10 to facilitate changing an angular orientation of the fuel outlet supply path that extends from the adapter body of the adapter 16 back to the fuel tank. The swivel adapter 26 is adapted to deliver pressurized fuel from the recess 18 out of the fuel injector 10 via the adapter 16 and into the fuel tank.

[0009] A working of the fuel leak apparatus for the fuel injector 10 is described as an example. Pressurized fuel flows through the longitudinal bore 25 of the fuel injector 10 from where it is delivered to an engine cylinder via the fuel injector needle. The excess pressurized fuel that is required to be leaked out of the fuel injector 10 and back to the fuel tank flows through the axial bore 14 that is in flow communication with the longitudinal bore 25. The excess pressurized fuel flows into the recess 18 of the adapter 16 where it fills the circumferential recess 18 of the adapter 16. The heat possessed by the fuel that is in the recess 18 is allowed to dissipate out of the recess 18 due to the conducting nature of the material of the adapter 16. The cooled fuel that is present within the recess 18 of the adapter 16 is channeled out of the adapter 16. More specifically, the adapter 16 may be swiveled by rotating it about the longitudinal axis. Therefore, depending on the alignment of the outlet of the adapter 16, the fuel is supplied out of the adapter 16 in the desired angular orientation to the swivel connector 26. The swivel connector 26 may be rotated about the horizontal axis to facilitate aligning the outlet of the swivel connector 26 in the desired direction. The swivel connector 26 is coupled in flow communication with a fuel supply path that is in flow communication with the fuel tank. Therefore, depending on the orientation of the fuel supply path that is coupled between the swivel connector 26 and the fuel tank, the swivel connector 26 may be rotated about the horizontal axis to align the swivel connector 26 with the fuel supply path that is connected between the swivel connector 26 and the fuel tank. Therefore, the cooled fuel that exits from the adapter 16 flows through the swivel connector 26 and is channeled back to the fuel tank via the fuel supply path that is connected between the swivel connector 26 and the fuel tank where it is retained therein.

[0010] It must be understood that the embodiments explained above are only illustrative and do not limit the scope of the disclosure. Many modifications in the embodiments with regard to dimensions of various components are envisaged and form a part of this invention. The scope of the invention is only limited by the scope of the claims.