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 an adapter that is secured within an overflow valve of a fuel injector

Background of the invention
[0002] CN 113790119 A describes a fuel injector test device. The fuel injection test device comprises an adapter, an adapter set, a mist eliminator, a mount and an oil collector. The adapter is cylindrically shaped, the upper part for fitting a fuel injector, the lower part is a fuel flow channel which is fitted to the mount by means of an adapter sleeve, which has different sizes to fit different fuel injectors. The mist eliminator sleeve is positioned outside the adapter. The upper end is fitted to the adapter sleeve, while the lower end is closed, and the side wall is provided with overflow holes. The oil collector is sheathed outside the mist eliminator, the upper end is fitted with a mounting seat, and an outlet is provided at the bottom. A multi-stage annular structure oil path is formed by a fuel flow channel of the adapter, a gap provided between the adapter and the mist. A first annular equilibrium flow channel is formed between the adapter and the mist eliminator, and a second annular equilibrium flow channel formed by an outer diameter of the mist and an inner diameter of the oil collector, so as to avoid fluctuations in the fuel injection flow rate. The present invention solves the problems of low versatility, high production costs, and low resource utilization on existing fuel injector testing devices.

Brief description of the accompanying drawing
[0003] Figure 1 illustrates an L-shaped adaptor that is secured within an overflow valve of a fuel injector in one embodiment of the invention.

Detailed description of the embodiments
[0004] Figure 1 illustrates a fuel injector 10. The fuel injector 10 comprises a housing 12, and a spring chamber 14 positioned within the housing 12. The spring chamber 14 comprises a plurality of spring elements 16 that are positioned within the spring chamber 14, wherein the spring elements 16 are adapted to compress against an injector needle 18 to facilitate closing an outlet of the fuel injector 10. An overflow supply path 22 comprising an upstream end 24 and a downstream end 26 is described. The upstream end 24 of the overflow supply path 22 is in flow communication with the spring chamber 14 and is adapted to receive pressurized fuel from the spring chamber 14. The downstream end 26 of the overflow supply path 22 is in flow communication with the overflow outlet path 23 of the fuel injector 10. An L-shaped adaptor 28 comprising a first arm 30, a second arm 32, and an elbow shaped portion 34 is secured between the first arm 30 and the second arm 32. The first arm 30 of the L-shaped adaptor 28 comprises an O-ring 36 secured thereto and a snap disc 38 defined on the first arm 30 of the L-shaped adaptor 28 and adjoining the elbow shaped portion 34. The O-ring 36 is secured to the first arm 30 of the L-shaped adaptor 28 and the snap disc 38 defined on the first arm 30 and adjoining the elbow shaped portion 34 facilitate securing the L-shaped adaptor 28 to the housing 12 of the fuel injector 10.

[0005] Figure 1 illustrates an L-shaped adaptor 28 that is secured within an overflow outlet path of a fuel injector 10 in one embodiment of the invention. The fuel injector 10 comprises a housing 12, and a spring chamber 14 positioned within the housing 12. The spring chamber 14 comprises a plurality of spring elements 16 that are each positioned within the spring chamber 14. More specifically, each of the spring elements 16 are adapted to compress against an injector needle 18 to facilitate closing an outlet 20 of the fuel injector 10. In an exemplary embodiment, an overflow supply path 22 comprises an upstream end 24 and a downstream end 26. The upstream end 24 of the overflow supply path 22 is in flow communication with the spring chamber 14 and is adapted to receive pressurized fuel that flows from the spring chamber 14. The downstream end 26 of the overflow supply path 22 is in flow communication with an overflow supply port of the fuel injector 10 and is adapted to supply pressurized fuel to the overflow supply port of the fuel injector 10.

[0006] In an exemplary embodiment, an L-shaped adaptor 28 comprises a first arm 30, a second arm 32, and an elbow shaped portion 34 that is secured between the first arm 30 and the second arm 32 respectively. The first arm 30 of the L-shaped adaptor 28 comprises an O-ring 36 that is secured thereto. More specifically, the O-ring 36 is positioned within a groove that is defined in the first arm 30 and secured within the groove that is defined in the first arm 30. Therefore, the O-ring 36 is prevented from being withdrawn from within the groove that is defined in the first arm 30. The O-ring 36 facilitates securing the L-shaped adaptor 28 to the housing 12 of the fuel injector 10 by preventing the O-ring 36 from translating within the groove that is defined in the first arm 30 of the L-shaped adaptor 28. A snap disc 38 is defined on the first arm 30 of the L-shaped adaptor 28 and adjoins the elbow shaped portion 34 of the L-shaped adaptor 28. More specifically, the snap disc 38 is rotatable about the first arm 30 of the L-shaped adaptor 28 such that the snap disc 38 is positioned within a groove 42 that is defined in the housing 12 of the fuel injector 10. As the snap disc 38 is rotated and thereby positioned within the housing 12 of the fuel injector 10, the L-shaped adaptor 28 is prevented from being withdrawn from within the housing 12 of the fuel injector 10. Therefore, the snap disc 38 that is defined on the first arm 30 of the L-shaped adaptor 28 when rotated within the housing 12 of the fuel injector 10 facilitates securing the L-shaped adaptor 28 to the housing 12 of the fuel injector 10.

[0007] In an exemplary embodiment, the O-ring 36 that is secured to the first arm 30 of the L-shaped adaptor 28 is positioned within a groove that is defined in the housing 12. More specifically, the O-ring 36 that is secured to the first arm 30 of the L-shaped adaptor 28 facilitates securing the L-shaped adaptor 28 to the housing 12 of the fuel injector 10 by securing the first arm 30 of the L-shaped adaptor 28 to the housing 12 of the fuel injector 10. In addition, in an exemplary embodiment, the snap disc 38 that is defined on the first arm 30 of the L-shaped adaptor 28 adjoins the elbow shaped portion 34 of the L-shaped adaptor 28 and facilitates securing the L-shaped adaptor 28 to the housing 12 of the fuel injector 10. More specifically, the snap disc 38 that is defined on the first arm 30 of the L-shaped adaptor 28 and adjoins the elbow shaped portion 34 is rotated within the groove 42 that is defined within the housing 12 of the fuel injector 10. When the snap disc 38 that is defined on the first arm 30 of the L-shaped adaptor 28 is rotated within the groove 42 that is defined within the housing 12 of the fuel injector 10, the first arm 30 and hence the L-shaped adaptor 28 is secured within the housing 12 of the fuel injector 10.

[0008] In an exemplary embodiment, an end of the first arm 30 of the L-shaped adaptor 28 comprises a circular shaped orifice 44. The circular shaped orifice 44 that is defined at the end of the first arm 30 of the L-shaped adaptor 28 is in flow communication with the overflow outlet path 23 whose upstream end 24 is in flow communication with the spring chamber 14. Therefore, the circular shaped orifice 44 that is defined at the end of the first arm 30 of the L-shaped adaptor 28 is adapted to receive pressurized fuel that is channeled through the overflow supply path 22 and therein direct the pressurized fuel through the L-shaped adaptor 28 and out of the opposite end of the L-shaped adaptor 28.

[0009] In an exemplary embodiment, an end of the second arm 32 of the L-shaped adaptor 28 comprises a conically shaped orifice 46 that is in flow communication with the circular shaped orifice 44 of said L-shaped adaptor 28. More specifically, the conically shaped orifice 46 is secured to an end of the second arm 32 of the L-shaped adaptor 28 and is in flow communication with the circular shaped orifice 44 that is secured to an end of the first arm 30 of the L-shaped adaptor 28. The conically shaped orifice 46 that is secured to an end of the second arm 32 of the L-shaped adaptor 28 is adapted to deliver the pressurized fuel that flows through the overflow supply path 22 back to the fuel tank, and is therefore not delivered to the engine.

[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.
, Claims: CLAIMS

We Claim

1. A fuel injector (10), said fuel injector (10) comprising:
a housing (12);
a spring chamber (14) positioned within said housing (12), the spring chamber (14) comprising a plurality of spring elements (16) that are positioned within the spring chamber (14), wherein the plurality of spring elements (16) are adapted to compress against an injector needle (18) to facilitate closing an outlet (20) of the fuel injector (10);
an overflow supply path (22) comprising an upstream end (24) and a downstream end (26), the upstream end (24) of the overflow supply path (22) in flow communication with the spring chamber (14) and adapted to receive pressurized fuel from the spring chamber (14), the downstream end (26) of the overflow supply path (22) in flow communication with an overflow outlet path (23) of said fuel injector (10); characterized in that
an L-shaped adaptor (28) comprising a first arm (30), a second arm (32), and an elbow shaped portion (34) secured between said first arm (30) and said second arm (32), said first arm (30) of said L-shaped adaptor (28) comprising an O-ring (36) secured thereto and a snap disc (38) defined on said first arm (30) of said L-shaped adaptor (28) and adjoining the elbow shaped portion (34), said O-ring (36) secured to said first arm (30) of said L-shaped adaptor (28) and said snap disc (38) defined on said first arm (30) and adjoining the elbow shaped portion (34) facilitate securing said L-shaped adaptor (28) to said housing (12) of said fuel injector (10).

2. The fuel injector (10) in accordance with Claim 1, wherein said O-ring (36) secured to said first arm (30) of said L-shaped adaptor (28) is positioned within the overflow outlet path (23) that is defined in said housing (12) to facilitate securing said L-shaped adaptor (28) to said housing (12) of said fuel injector (10).

3. The fuel injector (10) in accordance with Claim 1, wherein said snap disc (38) defined on said first arm (30) of said L-shaped adaptor (28) and adjoining the elbow shaped portion (34) facilitates securing said L-shaped adaptor (28) to said housing (12) of said fuel injector (10).

4. The fuel injector (10) in accordance with Claim 3, wherein said snap disc (38) defined on said first arm (30) of said L-shaped adaptor (28) and adjoining the elbow shaped portion (34) is rotated within a groove (42) defined in said housing (12) of said fuel injector (10) such that said snap disc (38) defined on said first arm (30) of said L-shaped adaptor (28) is positioned within the groove (42) defined in said housing (12) of said fuel injector (10) to facilitate securing said L-shaped adaptor (28) to said housing (12) of said fuel injector (10).

5. The fuel injector (10) in accordance with Claim 3, wherein an end of said first arm (30) of said L-shaped adaptor (28) comprises a circular shaped orifice (44) that is in flow communication with the overflow supply path (22), the L-shaped adaptor (28) adapted to receive pressurized fuel that is channeled through the overflow supply path (22) via the circular shaped orifice (44).

6. The fuel injector (10) in accordance with Claim 5, wherein an end of said second arm (32) of said L-shaped adaptor (28) comprises a conically shaped orifice (46) that is in flow communication with the circular shaped orifice (44) of said L-shaped adaptor (28), the conically shaped orifice (46) of said second arm (32) adapted to receive pressurized fuel that flows through the L-shaped adaptor (28) via the circular shaped orifice (44).