TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present disclosure, in general, relates to protection systems for vehicle engine systems and, more particularly, to a protective bracket structure for fuel injection systems so as to maintain fuel injection system integrity in the event of frontal vehicle offset crash.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Background description includes information that may be useful in understanding the present invention. It is not an admission that any of the 10 information provided herein is prior art or relevant to the presently claimed invention, or that any publication specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.
[0003] Modern vehicles, such as passenger and commercial vehicles, have various components and systems within vehicle engine systems. Examples of such components and systems can include an air intake system and a fuel injection 15 system. The air intake system may include a surge tank and an intake manifold. The intake manifold connects to an upper portion of an engine where the fuel injection system is also connected. The fuel injection system can include a fuel injector rail and fuel injectors connected to the fuel injector rail. The fuel injectors along with the fuel injector rail are installed just above the intake 20 manifold.
[0004] Components of the air intake system can be subjected to various forces resulting from collisions, accidents, or impacts to the area near the engine system of the vehicle. For example, the surge tank may contact a dash panel during a frontal vehicle offset crash. Under certain impact conditions, portions of the surge 25 tank or the intake manifold may fracture, break, crack, or otherwise fail. Such failure can cause damage to the fuel injection systems or components such as the
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fuel injector rail or the fuel injector. This failure of the fuel injection system may lead to a fire in the vehicle.
[0005] Various protective bracket structures for protection of the fuel injection components have been designed in the state of the art. One such protective bracket structure is described in US Patent Application Publication US 5 20170306909 (‘909 patent application). The ‘909 application describes a protective member having at least one leg secured to the intake side, the main body extending from the at least one leg upward in an arcuate manner with a convex side facing forward along a front side of the fuel rail and bent rearward in an upper part thereof, and an abutting projection extending from an upper end of 10 the main body and projecting upward and rearward.
[0006] Accordingly, those skilled in the art can appreciate that the protective bracket structure described in the ‘909 application is cumbersome and complex to manufacture. Also, the protective bracket structure of ‘909 is installed in such a manner that it covers the entire fuel pipe extending along with front intake side of 15 a cylinder head. Such installation requires multiple mounting regions and space of the bracket structure in an engine bay of vehicles.
[0007] Therefore, there is a need for a new design of the protective bracket structure for maintaining fuel injection system integrity in the event of a frontal vehicle offset crash. 20
OBJECTS OF THE DISCLOSURE
[0008] Some of the objects of the present disclosure, which at least one embodiment herein satisfy, are listed hereinbelow.
[0009] It is a general object of the present disclosure to provide a protective bracket structure for maintaining fuel injection system integrity in the event of a 25 frontal vehicle offset crash.
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[0010] It is another object of the present disclosure to provide a protective bracket structure which can be installed between a fuel injector rail and an intake manifold with a gap between the flange and a runner of the intake manifold.
[0011] It is another object of the present disclosure to provide a protective bracket structure which can be secured on the already available mounting 5 connections of either the fuel injector rail or the intake manifold.
[0012] These and other objects and advantages will become more apparent when reference is made to the following description and accompanying drawings.
SUMMARY
[0013] This summary is provided to introduce concepts related to a protective 10 bracket structure for fuel injectors so as to maintain fuel injection system integrity in the event of frontal vehicle offset crash. The concepts are further described below in the detailed description. This summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter. 15
[0014] In an embodiment, the present disclosure relates to a protective bracket structure for fuel injection systems. The protective bracket structure includes at least two legs, each of which has a hole for securing the protective bracket structure on an intake manifold over mounting holes formed for mounting of a fuel delivery rail. In an implementation, the at least two legs are aligned to a 20 loading direction arising out of a frontal vehicle offset crash. The protective bracket structure further includes a flange connected along its longitudinal peripheral edge to the at least two legs so as to form an L-shape of the protective bracket structure. The flange is installed between a fuel injector rail and the intake manifold with a gap between the flange and the runner of the intake manifold. 25
[0015] In an aspect, the protective bracket structure is secured on the intake manifold using fasteners.
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[0016] In an aspect, a plurality of beads is provided in the region of connection of the at least two legs and the flange.
[0017] In an aspect, the length of the flange corresponds to the width of the intake manifold.
[0018] In an aspect, the flange is corrugated partly or fully on its surface. 5
[0019] In an aspect, the at least two legs and the flange are formed by carrying out a stamping operation on a single flat metal sheet.
[0020] Various objects, features, aspects, and advantages of the inventive subject matter will become more apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments, along with the accompanying drawing figures in which 10 like numerals represent like components.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0021] The illustrated embodiments of the subject matter will be best understood by reference to the drawings, wherein like parts are designated by like numerals throughout. The following description is intended only by way of 15 example, and simply illustrates certain selected embodiments of devices, systems, and methods that are consistent with the subject matter as claimed herein, wherein: [0022] FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a protective bracket structure, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure; 20 [0023] FIG. 2 illustrates an overlap of the protective bracket structure with an intake manifold in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure; [0024] FIG. 3 illustrates a side view of the protective bracket structure installed between a fuel injector rail and an intake manifold in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure; and 25
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[0025] FIG. 4 illustrates a side view of the protective bracket structure aligned with the direction of loading direction arising out of a frontal vehicle offset crash, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0026] The detailed description of various exemplary embodiments of the 5 disclosure is described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the embodiments are described herein in such details as to clearly communicate the disclosure. However, the amount of details provided herein is not intended to limit the anticipated variations of embodiments; on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives 10 falling within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims.
[0027] It is also to be understood that various arrangements may be devised that, although not explicitly described or shown herein, embody the principles of the present disclosure. Moreover, all statements herein reciting principles, aspects, 15 and embodiments of the present disclosure, as well as specific examples, are intended to encompass equivalents thereof.
[0028] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of example embodiments. As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an”, and “the” are intended to include the 20 plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises”, “comprising”, “includes”, and/or “including” when used herein, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, 25 components and/or groups thereof.
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[0029] It should also be noted that in some alternative implementations, the functions/acts noted may occur out of the order noted in the figures. For example, two figures shown in succession may, in fact, be executed concurrently or may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon the functionality/acts involved. 5
[0030] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which example embodiments belong. It will be further understood that terms, e.g., those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the 10 context of the relevant art and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.
[0031] Embodiments explained herein pertain to a protective bracket structure for fuel injection systems so as to maintain fuel injection system integrity in the event of frontal vehicle offset crash. Regardless of their specific construction, the 15 protective bracket structure may be formed from steel, plastic, aluminum, or any suitable material based on performance requirement.
[0032] FIG. 1 shows a protective bracket structure 100 in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The protective bracket structure 100 includes at least two legs 102-1, 102-2. In the present embodiment, the number of 20 legs is selected based on required mounting stiffness of protective bracket and width of intake manifold. With the increase in width of the intake manifold, number of legs for mounting the protective bracket can be increased. Accordingly, as can be appreciated by those skilled in the art that although the number of legs described in the present disclosure is two, the number of legs can be varied 25 depending upon dimensions of the intake manifold and stiffness required for mounting of the protective bracket.
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[0033] Further, each of the at least two legs 102-1, 102-2 includes holes 104-1, 104-2 for mounting of the protective bracket structure 100 on an intake manifold using a fastener 404 (FIG. 4). The holes 104-1, 104-2 of the at least two legs 102-1, 102-2 are matched with mounting holes formed on the intake manifold for mounting of a fuel delivery rail. 302 (FIG. 3), so that the protective bracket 5 structure 100 can share the mounting holes for the fuel delivery rail 302 and can be secured on the intake manifold 202 using the fastener 404. In other embodiment, the structure 100 can be mounted on the intake manifold 202 at a location different than the mounting holes for the fuel delivery rail 302 depending upon engine room layout. 10
[0034] The at least two legs 102-1, 102-2 are connected to a longitudinal peripheral edge of a flange 106 so as to form an L-shape of the protective bracket structure 100. In an example, the at least two legs 102-1, 102-2 are positioned or connected on the flange 106 at a predefined gap from each other. In an aspect, the length of the flange 106 corresponds to the width of the intake manifold 202 for a 15 three-cylinder engine, as shown in FIG. 2.
[0035] In an aspect, the flange 106 is corrugated partly or fully on its surface, so as to enhance the rigidity of the flange 106.
[0036] In an aspect, the at least two legs 102-1, 102-2 and the flange 106 are formed by carrying out a stamping operation on a single flat metal sheet. 20
[0037] In an aspect, a plurality of beads 108-1, 108-2 are provided in the region of connection of the at least two legs 102-1, 102-2 and the flange 106, so as to increase bending stiffness of the protective bracket structure 100. [0038] FIG. 3 illustrates a side view of the protective bracket structure 100 installed between a fuel injector rail 302 (or fuel injector 304) and the intake 25 manifold 202 in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. As can be seen from FIG. 3, the protective bracket structure 100 is installed between the
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fuel injector rail 302 and the intake manifold 202 with a gap between the flange 106 and a runner 306 of the intake manifold 202. The protective bracket structure 100 prevents contact of the intake manifold 202 with the fuel injector rail 302 during frontal vehicle offset crash and avoids any damage to the fuel injector rail 302 thereby preventing any fuel leakage. 5
[0039] Additionally, in an aspect, as shown in FIG. 4, the protective bracket structure 100 is aligned to a loading direction 402 arising out of a frontal vehicle offset crash in its installed condition. In particular, the at least two legs 102-1, 102-2 are aligned to the loading direction 402 forming an angle θ° with the vertical axis. Such alignment of the protective bracket structure 100 with the 10 loading direction 402 prevents the protective bracket structure 100 from bending at the time of loading during frontal vehicle offset crash.
[0040] Thus, with the implementation of the protective bracket structure 100, the hitting of the intake manifold 202 to the fuel injector rail 302 is avoided completely. Also, the structure of the protective bracket structure 100 is simple 15 and easy to manufacture and implement.
[0041] While the foregoing describes various embodiments of the invention, other and further embodiments of the invention may be devised without departing from the basic scope thereof. The scope of the invention is determined by the claims that follow. The invention is not limited to the described embodiments, 20 versions or examples, which are included to enable a person having ordinary skill in the art to make and use the invention when combined with information and knowledge available to the person having ordinary skill in the art.

We claim:
1. A protective bracket structure (100) for fuel injection system, comprising: at least two legs (102-1, 102-2), wherein each of the at least two legs (102-1, 102-2) comprise a hole (104-1, 104-2) for securing the protective bracket structure (100) on an intake manifold (202), 5 wherein the at least two legs (102-1, 102-2) are aligned to a loading direction (402) arising out of a frontal vehicle offset crash; and a flange (106) connected along its longitudinal peripheral edge to the at least two legs (102-1, 102-2) so as to form a L-shape of the protective bracket structure (100), wherein the flange (106) is 10 installed between a fuel injector rail (302) and the intake manifold (202) with a gap between the flange 106 and a runner (306) of the intake manifold 202. 2. The protective bracket structure (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the protective bracket structure (100) is secured on the intake manifold using 15 at least one fastener (404). 3. The protective bracket structure (100) as claimed in claim 1, comprising a plurality of beads (108-1, 108-2) provided in the region of connection of the at least two legs (102-1, 102-2) and the flange (106). 4. The protective bracket structure (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the 20 length of the flange (106) corresponds to the width of the intake manifold (202). 5. The protective bracket structure (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein flange (106) is corrugated partly or fully on its surface. 6. The protective bracket structure (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the 25 at least two legs (102-1, 102-2) and the flange (106) are formed by carrying out a stamping operation on a single flat metal sheet.
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7. The protective bracket structure (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the protective bracket structure (100) is secured on the intake manifold (202) over mounting holes formed for mounting of the fuel delivery rail (302).