Importance

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Abstract

The present invention relates to an improved fuel injector rocker lever designed to maintain relatively high fuel injection pressures when the engine speed decreases from full-rated power to torque peak conditions. The fuel injector rocker lever is designed with a size and shape so as to make the rocker lever flexible, thereby allowing the rocker lever to store and release strain energy when actuating the fuel injector. Thus, as engine speed decreases, the fuel injection pressure decreases at a lower rate when compared to a stiff actuating train because the fuel injector train is storing more strain energy due to its flexible nature. Generally, the improved rocker lever is designed with a vertically thin and horizontally wide arm which increases its width from the fuel injector actuator to the pivot point of the rocker lever. By reducing the thickness of the rocker lever, the stiffness decreases significantly, thereby permitting more strain energy to be stored and released by the rocker lever. Moreover, the stress experienced over the length of the lever arm is constant since the lever width increases away from the fuel injector contact point. Ultimately, the present design permits higher average fuel injection pressures during decreasing engine speed transients and therefore improves engine emissions.

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First Claim