Title: Fuel rail delivery system arrangement
Abstract: An air fuel delivery system arrangement for an engine is provided, including an air manifold body, having a first set of runners for a first cylinder bank with inlets on a first side and outlets on a second side of the manifold body and a second set of runners for a second cylinder bank with inlets on a second side and outlets on a first side. And a first fuel rail is included, having outlets for connection with fuel injectors for delivering fuel to the first cylinder bank being positioned generally between the inlets of the manifold body. A second fuel rail is also included, having outlets for connection with fuel injectors for delivering fuel to the second cylinder bank being positioned generally between the inlets of the manifold body being generally vertically aligned with the first fuel rail.
Patent Number: 6,990,959 Issued on 01/31/2006 to Zdroik, et al.
| Inventors:
|
Zdroik; Michael J. (Metamora, MI);
Doherty; Robert (Syracuse, IN);
Roe; Jackson Zel (Goshen, IN)
|
| Assignee:
|
Millennium Industries Corp. (Auburn Hills, MI)
|
| Appl. No.:
|
003065 |
| Filed:
|
December 3, 2004 |
| Current U.S. Class: |
123/456; 123/468; 123/184.31; 123/184.61 |
| Current Intern'l Class: |
F02M 37/04 (20060101) |
| Field of Search: |
123/456,468,469,184.31,184.61
|
References Cited [Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
| 6019089 | Feb., 2000 | Taylor et al.
| |
| 6341595 | Jan., 2002 | Scollard et al.
| |
| 6619264 | Sep., 2003 | Bolsover et al.
| |
| 2005/0115544 | Jun., 2005 | Kim.
| |
| 2005/0139196 | Jun., 2005 | Seymour.
| |
Primary Examiner: Moulis; Thomas
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Dykema Gossett PLLC
Claims
The invention claimed is:
1. A fuel rail combination for a V-type spark-ignited liquid fuel internal combustion
engine wherein one fuel rail delivers fuel to a first bank of said engine and another
fuel rail delivers fuel to another bank of said engine, said combination comprising:
a first elongated fuel rail having a main body with cupped outlets extending
angularly therefrom, said first fuel rail cupped outlets extending a first distance,
said first fuel rail having a connection bracket connected with said main body
with a fastener bracket extending therethrough; and
a second elongated fuel rail having a main body for positioning generally adjacent
to and above said first fuel rail, said second elongated fuel rail having cupped
outlets extending angularly from a main body of said second elongated fuel rail
in a generally direction of extension of said first fuel rail cupped outlet, said
second fuel outlets extending generally a second distance greater than said first
distance, said second fuel rail having a connection bracket with a fastener aperture
aligned with said fastener aperture of said connection bracket of said first fuel rail.
2. A fuel rail combination as described in claim 1, wherein said fuel rails main
bodies have a thin section for absorption of pressure pulsations and a thick section
joined to said thin section, and wherein said connection brackets are connected
to said thick section.
3. A fuel rail combination as described in claim 2, wherein said thin section
of said first and second fuel rails is on top and wherein said brackets cause said
first and second fuel rails to be joined with a clearance therebetween.
4. A fuel rail combination as described in claim 1, wherein said fuel rails are
fluidly connected to one another.
5. A fuel rail combination as described in claim 4, wherein said second fuel
rail is connected with said first fuel rail via a direct connection via an extension
extending between the fuel rails and wherein said manifold extends in a direction
generally parallel to the direction of extension of said second cupped outlet.
6. An air fuel delivery system arrangement for a reciprocating piston internal
combustion engine comprising:
an air manifold body, said manifold body having a first set of runners for a
first engine cylinder bank with inlets on a first side and outlets on a second
side of said manifold body, said manifold body having a second set of runners for
a second engine cylinder bank with inlets on a second side and outlets on a first
side of said manifold body;
a first fuel rail, having outlets for connection with fuel injectors for delivering
fuel to said first cylinder bank of said engine, said fuel rail being positioned
generally between said inlets of said manifold body; and
a second fuel rail, having outlets for connection with fuel injectors for delivering
fuel to said second cylinder bank of said engine, said second fuel rail being positioned
generally between said inlets of said manifold body being generally vertically
aligned with said second fuel rail.
7. An air fuel delivery system arrangement as described in claim 6, wherein said
fuel rails are fluidly connected with one another.
8. An air fuel delivery system arrangement as described in claim 7, wherein said
fuel rails are of the non-circulating type.
9. An air fuel delivery system arrangement as described in claim 6, wherein said
fuel rails have cupped outlets for receipt of said fuel injectors; and
wherein a fuel rail which is vertically aligned above said other fuel rail has
longer cupped outlets than said other fuel rail.
10. An air fuel delivery system arrangement as described in claim 7, wherein
one of said fuel rails has a member insertable in said other fuel rail to allow
fluid communication between said fuel rails.
11. An air fuel delivery system arrangement as described in claim 6, wherein
said said fuel rails are fluidly connected by a hose.
12. An air fuel delivery system arrangement as described in claim 6, wherein
said fuel rails are connected with said manifold body.
13. An air fuel delivery system arrangement as described in claim 6, wherein
said first and second fuel rails are substantially identical to one another.
14. An air fuel delivery system arrangement as described in claim 6, wherein
said first and second fuel rails are connected to said manifold body by a common fastener.
15. An air fuel delivery system arrangement as described in claim 6, wherein
said manifold body has at least one fuel injector inlet.
16. An air fuel delivery system arrangement as described in claim 6, wherein
said fuel rails are generally elongated and a major portion of a top of said fuel
rail which is located above the other said fuel rail is below a top of said inlet
runners of said manifold body.
17. An air fuel delivery system arrangement as described in claim 6, wherein
said manifold body is a polymeric molded member.
18. An air fuel delivery system arrangement as described in claim 6, wherein
said fuel rails are provided by metallic members.
19. An air fuel delivery system arrangement as described in claim 18, wherein
said fuel rails' bodies are formed by two separate members, one member being substantially
thinner than said other metallic member to allow for absorption of pressure pulsation
by said thinner member.
20. An air fuel delivery system arrangement as described in claim 6, wherein
said air manifold body is adapted for a V type engine.
21. An air fuel delivery system arrangement as described in claim 10, wherein
said fuel rail having an insert connected thereto, said insert extends in a direction
generally parallel with a injector cup connected to said fuel rail which is generally
on top.
22. A air fuel delivery system arrangement as described in claim 6, wherein said
fuel rails are substantially identical to one another.
23. An air fuel delivery system arrangement for a V-type reciprocating piston
internal combustion engine comprising:
a molded air manifold body, said manifold body having a first set of runners
for a first engine cylinder bank with air inlets on a first side and air outlets
on a second side of said manifold body, said manifold body having a second set
of runners for a second cylinder bank with air inlets on a second side of said
manifold body and air outlets on a first side of said manifold body and said manifold
body having inlets for insertion of fuel injectors to place said fuel injectors
in close proximity to said runners;
a first elongated fuel rail having a main body and extending cup outlets for
connection with fuel injectors for delivery of fuel to said first cylinder bank
of said engine, the first fuel rail being positioned generally between said inlets
of said manifold body; and
a second elongated fuel rail having a main body and extending cup outlets projecting
further from said main body of said fuel rail than said cup outlets of said first
fuel rail, said second fuel rail cup outlets providing for connection with fuel
injectors for delivering fuel to said second cylinder bank of said engine, said
second fuel rail being positioned generally between said air inlets of said manifold
body generally above said first fuel rail, and said second fuel rail being fluidly
connected with said first fuel rail.
24. A V-type reciprocating piston internal combustion engine comprising:
an engine block having a first bank of cylinders and a second bank of cylinders,
said first and second banks of cylinders being angled from one another;
an air manifold body for delivering air to said cylinders, said air manifold
body having a first set of runners for said first engine cylinder bank with air
inlets on a first side and air outlets on a second side of said manifold body,
said manifold body having a second set of runners for said second engine cylinder
bank with air inlets on a second side and air outlets on a first side of said manifold body;
a first fuel rail having air outlets for connection with fuel injectors for delivering
fuel to said first cylinder bank of said engine, said first fuel rail being positioned
generally between said air inlets of said manifold body;
a second fuel rail having air outlets for connection with fuel injectors for
delivering fuel to said second cylinder bank of said engine, said second fuel rail
being positioned generally between said air inlets of said manifold body and being
generally vertically aligned with said first fuel rail; and
fuel injectors connected with said outlets of said first and second fuel rails
for delivering fuel to said first and second cylinder engine banks.
25. An engine as described in claim 24, wherein said cylinders are inclined from
one another by 60 degrees or less.
26. A method of assembling a fuel rail delivery system arrangement to a V-type
reciprocating piston internal combustion engine comprising:
providing an air manifold body, said manifold body having a first set of runners
for a first engine cylinder bank with air inlets on a first side and air outlets
on a second side of said manifold body, said manifold body having a second set
of runners for a second engine cylinder bank with air inlets on a second side of
said manifold body and air outlets on a first side of said manifold body and providing
on said manifold body injector inlets for injecting fuel into said first and second
sets of injector runners;
positioning between said inlets of said manifold body a first fuel rail having
outlets for connection with fuel injectors for delivering fuel to said first cylinder
bank of said engine, and connecting fuel injectors between said fuel rail fuel
injector outlets and said manifold body fuel injector inlets; and
positioning generally above said first fuel rail a second fuel rail having outlets
for fuel injectors for delivering fuel to said second cylinder bank of said engine
and connecting fuel injectors between said second fuel rail injector outlet and
said injector inlets for said second set of runners.
27. A method as described in claim 26, wherein placement of said second fuel
rail with respect to said air manifold body causes an extension of one of said
fuel rails to be inserted into said other fuel rail.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The field of the present invention is air and fuel delivery system arrangements
for reciprocating piston, internal combustion engines. The present invention relates
particularly to V-type internal combustion engines having spark-ignited, multiple
injector fuel systems.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In order to increase fuel economy, there has been a constant quest to reduce
the
physical envelope of the vehicle engine so that the engine compartment may be made
smaller to accomplish aerodynamic improvements in the overall vehicle. Additionally,
another trend to improve vehicle fuel economy is to go to fuel injection systems
wherein each engine cylinder receives fuel from an individualized fuel injector.
Most V-type automotive engines utilize two separate fuel manifolds (more commonly
referred to as fuel rails), which deliver fuel pressurized by a fuel pump to a
group or bank of fuel injectors. In most applications, the fuel rails are connected
to brackets. The brackets typically are spaced apart and an air manifold is placed
between the two separate fuel rails. It is well known to those skilled in the art
that many automotive vehicles which utilize fuel injectors, require some method
of dampening pressure pulsations (caused by the rapid opening and closing of the
fuel injectors) within the fuel rail so that there may be an accurate delivery
of fuel by the fuel injectors.
Initially, fuel pressure pulsations were mainly dampened by the addition
of a pressure dampener connected directly to the fuel rail or via a line leading
to the fuel rail. Increasingly, it has been desirable to eliminate using a separate
component damper and to utilize the fuel rail itself for dampening pulsations.
This tendency of utilizing the fuel rail itself to dampen pulsations has caused
the overall size of fuel rails to generally increase.
It is desirable that the space envelope taken up by the fuel delivery system
of
the vehicle be minimized due to overall engine compartment space considerations.
It is desirable to provide an air fuel delivery system wherein for a V-type engine,
both fuel rails may be placed in a more central location.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To make manifest the above-noted and other desires, a revelation of the present
invention is brought forth. In a preferred embodiment, the present invention provides
an air fuel delivery system arrangement for a V-type reciprocating piston internal
combustion engine. The arrangement includes a portion of the air manifold body
having a first set of runners for a first engine cylinder bank having air inlets
on a first side and air outlets on a second side. A second set of runners is provided,
having air inlets on the second side and air outlets on the first side for delivering
air to a second bank of cylinders of the engine. A first fuel rail is provided
which has cupped injector outlets which are generally aligned with fuel injector
inlets for the first engine bank. The first fuel rail is positioned between the
inlets of the first and second sets of runners of the air manifold.
A second fuel rail is also provided. The second fuel rail has a series of cupped
outlets also. The second fuel rail delivers fuel via fuel injectors which are connected
between the second fuel rail and fuel injector inlets for the second bank of engine
cylinders. The second fuel rail is positioned generally vertically adjacent with
the first fuel rail.
The present invention is advantageous in that it allows the fuel rails to be
placed generally vertically aligned with each other and also allows their placement
at a central point of the engine when utilizing V-type engines. Additionally, the
inventive fuel air delivery system arrangement allows for easier installation of
the fuel injectors between the fuel rails and the fuel injector inlets and also
allows for placement of the fuel injectors in such a manner that minimizes opportunities
for damaging the fuel injector due to misalignment during assembly.
Further features and advantages of the present invention will become more
apparent to those skilled in the art after a review of the invention as it is shown
in the accompanying drawings and detailed description.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an air fuel delivery system arrangement according
to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the air fuel delivery system arrangement
shown in FIG. 1 slightly tilted and looking generally in an opposite direction
from that of FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a side elevational view a fuel rail combination utilized in the air
fuel delivery system arrangement shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.
FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the air fuel delivery system arrangement shown
in FIGS. 1 and 2.
FIG. 5 is a schematic view of a V-type engine utilizing an air fuel delivery
system arrangement according to the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a top plan view of an alternate preferred embodiment fuel rail combination
to that shown in FIGS. 1-3.
FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of a fuel rail combination to that shown in
FIG. 6.
FIG. 8 is a sectional view of the fuel rail combination shown in FIG. 7, taken
along line 8—8.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring to FIGS. 1-4, an air fuel delivery system arrangement
7
is provided. This air fuel delivery system arrangement is preferably used in a
V-type reciprocating piston, spark-ignited, internal combustion engine. The air
fuel delivery system arrangement
7 is particularly useful in V-type engines
wherein the combustion cylinders are inclined from one another 60 degrees or less,
which typically has most applications in automotive engines that are transverse
mounted in front wheel drive vehicles.
The arrangement
7 includes an air manifold body
10. The air manifold
body
10 is typically a molded thermoplastic polymeric material such as Nylon®,
plastic or can be aluminum or other suitable material. Often, the material will
be fiberglass reinforced. The manifold body has a first set of runners
12.
The runners
12 have air inlets
14 on a first side
16 of the
air manifold body. The air manifold body
10, on its second side
18,
has a series of air outlets
20 for the runners
12. The air outlets
20 deliver air to a first cylinder bank
22 of a spark-ignited, internal
combustion engine
24 (FIG. 4).
In a similar manner, the air manifold body
10 has a second set of runners
26, with air inlets
28 on side
18 of the air manifold body
and air outlets
30 on side
16 of the air manifold body. The second
set of runners
26 deliver air to the cylinders of the engine
24 on
a second bank
32.
The air manifold body
10 has a series of outer fastener towers
34
to allow the air manifold body to be connected to an upper portion of the air manifold
(not shown). A set of fastener apertures
25 allow the air manifold body
10 to be connected with a head of the engine
24. The air manifold
body
10 also has two (only one shown in FIG. 3) fuel rail connection towers
36.
The air manifold body
10, for each runner, has a fuel injector inlet
38.
The fuel injector inlet
38 allows for insertion of a fuel injector to allow
the fuel injector outlet (not shown) to disperse fuel into a passage which is in
close proximity with the runner.
The air fuel delivery system arrangement
7 of the present invention includes
a fuel rail combination
44. The fuel rail combination
44 includes
a first generally elongated fuel rail
46. The first fuel rail
46
has a fuel inlet
48. The fuel inlet
48 is connected via a hose
50
(FIG. 3). The hose
50 is connected with a connector
52. The connector
52 is in turn connected with a hose
54, which is connected with a
fuel inlet
56 associated with a second fuel rail
58. Fuel is delivered
to the connector
52 via a hose
60. The fuel rail combination
44
is of the non-recirculating type. Fuel delivered to the fuel inlets
48,
56 does not recirculate back to a fuel tank or pump reservoir, but instead
exits out of the fuel rails as therein delivered through the fuel injectors.
The first fuel rail
46 has an elongated body
62. The fuel rail
elongated body
62 has an upper thin stamped female clamshell member
64
which is sealably joined (usually soldered) to a stamped thicker male clamshell
member
66. The stampings of the first fuel rail body
62 are essentially
identical to the male and female clamshell stampings which make up the second fuel
rail
58, with the exception that the second fuel rail
58 has its
inlet connected with its top thin female clamshell stamping
68 rather than
its lower clamshell stamping
70.
Typically, the female clamshell stamping
64 will be of stainless
steel or mild carbon steel having a thickness and range between 0.010 to 0.035
inch. The thick male clamshell stamping
66 will be made of the same material,
typically having a thickness in the range of 0.030 to 0.045 inch. The thinness
of the female clamshell stamping allows the first fuel rail
46 to be self
damping, allowing the upper female clamshell member
64 to absorb pressure
pulsations caused by the opening and closing of the fuel injectors connected with
the first fuel rail
46.
The thick male stamping
66 has connected thereto three cupped outlets
72. The cupped outlets receive the upper inlet end of the fuel injectors
40. The first fuel rail
46 delivers fuel to the cylinders of the
first engine bank
22. The second fuel rail
58 delivers fuel to the
second engine bank
32. The main body
62 on the first fuel rail has
its male stamping
66 connected with a bracket
73. The bracket
73
is mated with a bracket
76 which is in turn fixably connected with the second
fuel rail
58. The brackets
73,
76 have aligned apertures to
allow a fastener (not shown) to connect the two brackets to the fuel rail connection
tower
36. As shown in FIG. 4, brackets
73,
76 are on the right
side. A virtually identical connection arrangement connects the first
46
and second
58 fuel rails on their left side with a similar connection tower
36 (not shown) at a location toward the blind end of the fuel rails.
The brackets
73,
76 by virtue of their connection with their respective
male stamped clamshell members do not inhibit the absorption of vibration by the
female stamped clamshell members and additionally, are offset so that there is
always a clearance between the first and second fuel rails
46,
58.
The cupped outlets
72 of the first fuel rail extend angularly toward the
first cylinder bank of the engine for a first given distance, typically 8-15 mm.
The cupped outlets
74 of the second fuel rail angularly extend in the opposite
direction toward the first cylinder bank
32. The second fuel rail angularly
extends outward generally opposite the direction of the cupped outlets
72
toward the second cylinder bank
32.
Since the second fuel rail
58 is aligned generally above the first rail
46, its cupped outlets
74 extend outward typically 25-35 mm, which
is a greater distance than the cupped outlets
72. Accordingly, the fuel
injectors associated with the second set of runners will have their outlets positioned
generally the same as the fuel injectors associated with the first set of runners.
The fuel rail connection brackets
73,
76, in combination with the
tower
36 position the fuel rail combination
44 such that the fuel
rails are positioned generally between the area next to
14,
28 of
the runners. Additionally, the fuel injector combination
44 is typically,
but not required to be positioned so that the top surface
84 of the second
fuel rail main body is lower than the top surface of the air manifold body
10.
During vehicle assembly, typically the fuel rails
46,
58 will
be fluidly connected via the hoses
50,
54. First fuel rail
46
will then be connected with the manifold body
10. Fuel injectors
40
will have their inlet ends sealably connected and inserted within the cupped outlets
72 of the first fuel rail and the outlet end of the fuel injectors
40
will have their outlet ends sealably inserted within the fuel injector inlets
38
of the manifold body.
To prevent damage to the fuel injectors, typically the first fuel rail will be
brought in at an angle in order not to damage the fuel injectors. The second fuel
rail is then brought in and the aperture on its bracket
76 is aligned with
bracket aperture
73. The above angular movement is critical and more acute
when using long injector tip type fuel injectors (so-called extended tip injectors),
which limit angular movement of the injectors during installation.
Connecting the fasteners with the connection towers
36 will then
complete installation of this portion of the fuel rail system
7 to the vehicle.
It is obvious to those skilled in the art that the upper manifold portion will
then be connected with the manifold body
10 (not shown). Since the second
fuel rail
58 is not fixably connected to the first fuel rail
46 during
initial assembly, the second fuel rail
58 can be brought in angularly in
such a manner with the proper assembly of its associated fuel injectors and in
a manner which minimizes any chance of damage to a fuel injector due to misalignment
during assembly.
Referring to FIGS. 6-8, an alternative embodiment fuel rail combination
144 is provided. Fuel rail combination
144 has a first fuel rail
146 and a second fuel rail
158. The fuel rails
146,
158
have cupped outlets
72,
74 essentially identical to those described.
Additionally, the fuel rails
146,
158 have main bodies generally
similar to those aforedescribed. A major difference in the fuel rails
146,
158 is that the second fuel rail
158 has a male fluid connector projection
163 which sealably can be inserted through a female receptacle
165
provided in the lower first fuel rail
146.
Assembly to the manifold body
10 will be essentially identical with
the exception that connection of the top fuel rail
158 to the air manifold
body
10 will also cause insertion of the male connector
153 within
the female receptacle
165. Hence, the fuel rails
146,
158
are directly connected to one another, therefore eliminating any need for a fuel
inlet directly to the first fuel rail
146. Accordingly, the fuel inlet
148
of the upper fuel injector serves to provide fuel to both fuel rails
146,
158.
The direction of extension of the male connector
163 will be generally
parallel to the direction of extension of the cupped outlets
74 so that
the assembly of the top fuel rail to the manifold body and the assembly of the
associated fuel injectors between the fuel rail and the manifold body will be along
the same path as the insertion of the male connecting member
163.
The present invention has been shown in an embodiment of a self dampening rail.
However, the fuel rails of the present invention can have a non-stamped material
construction and/or a tubular or polygonal cross sectional construction may be
utilized. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art of other changes and
modifications which can be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the
invention as it is encompassed by the following claims.
*
