Field of the invention
[0001] This invention relates to an electromagnet, and more specifically to an electromagnet that is adapted to displace a control rod position of a control rod that is secured to a high pressure fuel pump.
Background of the invention
[0002] US 2018045154 A describes an electromagnetically actuatable rate control valve for controlling a delivery rate of a high pressure pump includes an electromagnet, a valve element, an armature shaft, and at least one strength element. The valve element is movable in an axial direction and is configured to open and to close the electromagnetically actuatable rate control valve. The armature shaft transmits a force. The force is produced by the electromagnet and acts on the valve element in the axial direction. The at least one strength element is configured to raise at least the strength of the armature shaft. The armature shaft includes a needle region adjacent to the valve element and an armature region remote from the valve element. The needle region and the armature region are integral with each other.
Brief description of the accompanying drawing
[0003] Figure 1 illustrates an electromagnet that is adapted to displace a control rod
that is secured to a high pressure fuel pump.
Detailed description of the embodiments
[0004] Figure 1 illustrates a high pressure fuel pump 10. The high pressure fuel pump 10 comprises a housing 12, and a control rod 14 positioned within the housing 12. The control rod 14 is adapted to be displaced to facilitate regulating a quantity of fuel that is delivered from the high pressure fuel pump 10. An electromagnet 16 is secured to the control rod 14, the electromagnet 16 adapted to displace the control rod 14 to facilitate regulating a quantity of fuel that is delivered from the high pressure fuel

pump 10. In addition, the electromagnet 16 is in electronic communication with an engine control unit 18.
[0005] The high pressure fuel pump 10 illustrated in Figure 1 comprises a housing 12. In an exemplary embodiment, a control rod 14 is positioned within the housing 12 and is adapted to reciprocate within the housing 12. More specifically, the displacement of the control rod 14 within the housing 12 of the high pressure fuel pump 10 causes a variation in the fuel that is delivered from the high pressure fuel pump 10 to an engine. More specifically, a displacement of the control rod 14 within the housing 12 of the high pressure fuel pump 10 causes a helix groove that is defined on a plunger of the high pressure fuel pump to rotate. The degree of rotation of the helix groove that is defined on the plunger of the high pressure fuel pump 10 is proportional to the quantity of fuel that is delivered from a pumping chamber of the high pressure fuel pump 10 to the engine.
[0006] In an exemplary embodiment, an electromagnet 16 is secured to the control rod 14. The electromagnet 16 is adapted to displace the control rod 14 by attracting and repelling the control rod 14 towards and away from the electromagnet 16 to facilitate regulating a quantity of fuel that is delivered from the high pressure fuel pump 10. In addition, the electromagnet 16 is in electronic communication with an engine control unit 18. The engine control unit 18 is adapted to regulate the quantity of electric power supplied to the electromagnet 16 to facilitate reciprocating the control rod 14 to a desired position. The movement of the control rod 14 to a desired position facilitates controlling the pre-determined quantity of pressurized fuel from the high pressure fuel pump 10 to the engine.
[0007] In the exemplary embodiment, the engine control unit 18 is adapted to receive an electronic signal from an engine speed sensor that is indicative of the engine speed.

On receiving the electronic signal from the engine speed sensor that is indicative of engine speed, the engine control unit 18 is adapted to transmit an electronic signal to the electromagnet 16 to facilitate varying a magnetic intensity of the electromagnet 16. In an exemplary embodiment, the electromagnet 16 comprises a storage chamber that comprises a plurality of electrical leads that is in electronic communication with the engine control unit 18. More specifically, the storage chamber that is present in the electromagnet 16 comprises a plurality of electrical leads that is in electronic communication with the engine control unit 18. Once the engine control unit 18 receives an electronic signal from the engine speed sensor that is indicative of the engine speed of the vehicle, the engine control unit 18 is adapted to transmit an electronic signal to the electromagnet 16 via the plurality of electrical leads to facilitate varying a magnetic intensity of the electromagnet 16. More specifically, the magnetic intensity of the electromagnet 16 is varied depending on the variation in the speed between the actual engine speed of the vehicle and a theoretical engine speed of the vehicle, which is what the actual engine speed of the vehicle is increased or decreased to attain correspondingly.
[0008] In the exemplary embodiment, the electromagnet 16 comprises an electromagnet element 20 that is in electronic communication with the plurality of electrical leads that is present within the storage chamber within the electromagnet 16. More specifically, the electric power that is supplied by the electrical leads to the electromagnet element 20 is used to energize the electromagnet element 20. Therefore, by varying the electric power that is supplied by the electrical leads to the electromagnet element 20, the strength of the magnetic field that is generated by the electromagnet element 20 may be varied correspondingly. A first end of the electromagnet element 20 is secured to the housing of the electromagnet 16. More specifically, the first end of the electromagnet element 20 is secured to the housing of the electromagnet 16 by means of a mechanical fastener. In an alternate exemplary

embodiment, the first end of the electromagnet element 20 is secured to the housing of the electromagnet 16 using any mechanical fastening means that is known in the art including but is not limited to an adhesive.
[0009] In an exemplary embodiment, the high pressure fuel pump 10 further comprises a spring element 22. A first end of the spring element 22 is positioned against a wall of the electromagnet 16. Therefore, when the spring element 22 is compressed, the spring element 22 presses against the wall of the electromagnet 16. An opposite second end of the spring element 22 is positioned against a metal plate 24 that is secured to the control rod 14 of the high pressure fuel pump 10. In the exemplary embodiment, the opposite second end of the spring element 22 is positioned against the metal plate 24 that is secured to the control rod 14 of the high pressure fuel pump 10 by means of a mechanical fastener. More specifically, the metal plate 24 that is secured to the control rod 14 of the high pressure fuel pump 10 is secured by screwing external screw threads that are defined on a shank portion of the metal plate 24 on internal screw threads that are defined on the control rod 14.
[0010] When the electromagnet element 20 is energized by the engine control unit, the metal plate 24 is adapted to be attracted towards the control rod. When the metal plate 24 is attracted by the electromagnet element 20, the control rod 14 that is secured to the metal plate 24 is adapted to be displaced against a force of the spring element 22. The displacement of the control rod 14 against the restoring force of the spring element 22 causes a variation in the quantity of fuel that is delivered from the high pressure fuel pump 10 to the engine. The variation in the quantity of fuel that is delivered from the high pressure fuel pump 10 to the engine is caused due to the rotation of the plunger that is secured to the control rod 14 of the high pressure fuel pump 10. When the electromagnetic force exerted by the electromagnet element 20 is terminated by stopping the supply of power by the engine control unit 18 to the electromagnet

element 20, the metal plate 24 that is secured to the control rod 14 is restored to its original position due to the restoring force that is applied by the spring element 22 on the metal plate 24. When the control rod 14 is restored to its original position due to the restoring force applied by the spring element 22 on the metal plate 24, the plunger of the high pressure fuel pump 10 is rotated in a direction that is opposite to the direction when the control rod 14 was displaced when the electromagnetic element 20 was energized by the engine control unit 18. In the exemplary embodiment, the metal plate 24 may be secured to the control rod 14 by means of a mechanical fastener.
[0011] A working of the electromagnet 16 that is adapted to displace the control rod 14 that is secured to the high pressure fuel pump 10 is described as an example. When the engine speed sensor transmits an electronic signal to the engine control unit 16 that is indicative of the engine speed, the engine control unit 18 compared the actual engine speed that is received from the engine speed sensor with a theoretical engine speed at which the engine is pre-determined to be operated. If there exists a deviation between the actual engine speed with the theoretical engine speed at which the engine is pre¬determined to be operated, the engine control unit 18 transmits a corresponding electronic signal to the electromagnetic element 20, thereby adjusting the magnetic force of the electromagnetic element 20. The magnitude of the magnetic force that is generated by the electromagnetic element 20 is proportional to the deviation between the actual engine speed and the theoretical engine speed at which the engine is pre¬determined to be operated. Once the electromagnetic element 20 is energized by supplying electric power by the engine control unit 18, the metal plate 24 that is secured to the control rod 14 is displaced towards the electromagnet element 20. The degree of displacement of the control rod 14 towards the electromagnetic element 20 is against the resistive force of the spring element 22, and increases with an increase in the magnetic intensity of the electromagnetic element 20. Therefore, when the magnetic intensity of the electromagnetic element 20 increases by increasing the

electric power supplied by the engine control unit 18 to the electromagnetic element 20, the metal plate 24 is attracted towards the electromagnetic element 20 against a resistive force of the spring element 22. The degree to which the metal plate 24 is attracted towards the electromagnetic element 20 against the resistive force of the spring element 22 is proportional to the degree of displacement of the control rod 14. The degree of displacement of the control rod 14 away/towards from the electromagnet element 20 is proportional to the quantity of fuel delivered from the high pressure fuel pump 10 to the engine.
[0012] Once the electromagnet element 20 is de-energized by cutting off the power supplied by the engine control unit 18 to the electromagnet element 20, the control rod 14 and the metal plate 24 that is secured to the control rod 14 are drawn away from the electromagnetic element 20 due to the repelling force of the spring element 22. The movement of the control rod 14 away from the electromagnetic element 20 causes the reduction and the ultimate stoppage of fuel that is delivered from the high pressure fuel pump 10 to the engine. Once the electromagnet element 20 is energized by supplying power by the engine control unit 18 to the electromagnet element 20, the metal plate 24 that is secured to the control rod 14 is attracted towards the electromagnet element 20, thereby causing a displacement of the control rod 14 against a resistive force of the spring element 22 to begin delivering pressurized fuel from the high pressure fuel pump 10 to the engine once more.
[0013] 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 We Claim
1. A high pressure fuel pump (10), said high pressure fuel pump (10) comprising:
a housing (12);
a control rod (14) positioned within said housing (12), said control rod (14) adapted to be displaced to facilitate regulating a quantity of fuel that is delivered from said high pressure fuel pump (10); characterized in that an electromagnet (16) that is secured to said control rod (14), said electromagnet (16) adapted to displace said control rod (14) to facilitate regulating a quantity of fuel that is delivered from said high pressure fuel pump (10), said electromagnet (16) in electronic communication with an engine control unit (18).
2. The high pressure fuel pump (10) in accordance with Claim 1 wherein said engine control unit (18) is adapted to receive an electronic signal from an engine speed sensor that is indicative of the engine speed, said engine control unit (10) adapted to transmit an electronic signal to said electromagnet (16) to facilitate varying a magnetic intensity of said electromagnet (16).
3. The high pressure fuel pump (10) in accordance with Claim 1 wherein said electromagnet (16) comprises a storage chamber that comprises a plurality of electrical leads that is in electronic communication with said engine control unit (18), said engine control unit (18) adapted to transmit an electronic signal to said electromagnet (16) via said plurality of electrical leads to facilitate varying a magnetic intensity of said electromagnet (16).

4. The high pressure fuel pump (10) in accordance with Claim 3 wherein said electromagnet (16) comprises an electromagnet element (20) that is in electronic communication with said plurality of electrical leads, said electromagnet element (20) adapted to be energized by varying the electric power supplied by said plurality of electrical leads to said electromagnet element (20), wherein an magnitude of the magnetic intensity of the electromagnet element (20) varies in proportion to the variation in the electric power supplied by said plurality of electrical leads to said electromagnet element (20).
5. The high pressure fuel pump (10) in accordance with Claim 4 further comprising a spring element (22), a first end of said spring element (22) positioned against a wall of said electromagnet (16), an opposite second end of said spring element (22) positioned against a metal plate (24) that is secured to said control rod (14) of said high pressure fuel pump (10), said metal plate (24) adapted to be attracted when said electromagnet element (20) is energized to facilitate displacing said control rod (14) against a force of said spring element (22), said spring element (22) adapted to apply a restoring force on said metal plate (24) when said electromagnet element (20) is de-energized.
6. The high pressure fuel pump (10) in accordance with Claim 5 wherein said metal plate (24) is secured to said control rod (14) by means of a mechanical fastener.
7. An engine control unit, said engine control unit adapted to:
receive an electronic signal from a vehicle speed sensor, said electronic signal indicative of a speed of an engine;
determine if the speed of the vehicle is deviating from a predetermined speed of the vehicle at a given operating point; and

actuating an electromagnet (16) that is in electronic communication with a control rod (14) of a vehicle, wherein a magnitude of the actuation is proportional to the deviation in the speed of the vehicle from the predetermined speed of the vehicle at the given operating point to facilitate displacing the control rod (14) of the vehicle to a pre-determined position.