US3763902A - Fuel injection valve - Google Patents

Abstract

A fuel injection valve for use on a container of a liquefield volatile fuel such as butane which is adapted to be used with either stem-type, disc-type or ball-type filling valves associated with a lighter, candle or cooking range utilizing butane as a fuel. The fuel injection valve includes a fuel dispensing nozzle which is depressed during a fueling operation against a spring pressure to open a path for fuel flow from inside the fuel container through the nozzle. The end of the fuel nozzle is provided with a tapered bore segment to operably contact and actuate a stem member of a stem-type filling valve to open the valve and nodular extensions are provided on the end of the fuel nozzle to contact and depress a disc member of a disctype filling valve or ball member of a ball-type filling valve to open the valve.

Description

United States Patent 1191 Donahue Oct. 9, 1973 FUEL INJECTION VALVE Primary ExaminerEdward L. Roberts [75] Inventor: Gerald E. Donahue, lrvington, NJ. Attorney-Lewis Eslmger et [73] Assignee: Ronsou Corporation, Woodbridge,

NJ. [57] ABSTRACT Filed; P 1972 A fuel injection valve for use on a container of a liquefield volatile fuel such as butane which is adapted to 21 A LN ..245 113 l 1 pp 0 be used with either stem-type, disc-type or ball-type filling valves associated with a lighter, candle or cook- [52] US. Cl. 141/349, 141/293 i g ra ge utilizing butane as a fuel, The fuel injection [51] ll". Cl 865') 1/04 valve includes a fuel dispensing 02213 which is de- [58] Fltld 01 Search 141/2, 3, 291-296, pressed during a fueling operation against a spring 141/346, 349-35l; l37/6l4-02; 251/149 R pressure to open a path for fuel flow from inside the fuel container through the nozzle. The end of the fuel Rdefellcfis Cited nozzle is provided with a tapered bore segment to op- UNITED STATES PATENTS erably contact and actuate a stem member of a stem- 3,085,601 4/1963 Zellweger 141 293 type filling Valve open the valve and nodular exten- 3,115,9o7 12/1963 Labat 141/349 x Sions are provided On the end of the fuel nozzle to 3,174,519 3/1965 Pizzurro et a1.... 141/295 contact and depress a disc member of a disc-type fi1l- 3,473,886 10/1969 Leeds 141/348 X ing valve or ball member of a ball-type filling valve to open the valve.

5 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures PATENIEUDBI 1913 3,768,902

SHEET 1. [if 3 W M X 1 i PATENTEDUCT m 3.763.902

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FUEL INJECTION VALVE The present invention relates to fuel injection valves and more in particular to fuel injection valves for use on containersof pressurized liquefied fuel used to fuel lighting devices which may have either a stem-type, disc-type or ball-type filling valve.

Lighters, candles and portable cooking ranges which utilize a liquefied fuel under pressure such as butane must be periodically refueled. The fuel for refueling is commonly dispensed from a container, where it is stored under pressure, through a fuel injection valve with one type of fuel dispensing nozzle fixed on the end I of the container and separate adapters are provided to be inserted over the dispensing nozzle configuration provided with the container in order to accommodate a filling valve of a different type.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a fuel injection valve assembly for use on a container of a pressurized liquefied fuel which can accommodate either a stem-type, disc-type or ball-type filling valve with equal facility.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a fuel injection vlave assembly and fuel dispensing nozzle configuration wherein the nozzle is adapted to accommodate either stem-type, disc-type or ball-type filling valves over a wide range of sizes and configuration.

These and other objects and advantages will become more readily apparent in the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a fuel container and filling valve;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged vertical section of the end of the fuel dispensing nozzle of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the fuel dispensing nozzle end of the present invention taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view of the fuel container and fuel injection valve assembly of the present invention in operable engagement with a filling valve of the stem type;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the fuel container and fuel injection vlave assembly of the present invention in operable engagement with a filling valve of the disc yp FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken on the line 7--7 of FIG. 6; and

FIG. 8 is a sectional view of the fuel container and fuel injection vlave assembly in operable engagement with a ball-type filling valve.

With reference now to the drawings and particularly FIGS. 1 to 3, a fuel container 10 adapted to hold a supply of a liquefied fuel, such as butane, uner pressure is provided with a fuel injection vlave assembly 12 at one end. The valve assembly 12 includes an extending fuel dispensing nozzle member 14 adapted to contact and actuate a filling valve in the fuel reservoir of a lighter or the like. The nozzle 14 serves to direct the fuel from container 10 to the fuel reservoir and is provided with a knecked down end segment 16 to contact and actuate the filling vlave.

Referring to FIGS. 4 through 7 as well, fuel dispensing nozzle 14 includes a solid base segment 18 integral with an extending cylindrical segment, 20 defining a fuel passage 22 therethrough. An access passage 24 is provided through the wall of the cylindrical segment 20 to permit fuel to flow from the pressurized container 10 through the nozzle 14.

Fuel container 10 includes an end cap assembly 26 in which is housed the fuel injection valve assembly 12. End cap' assembly 26 includes an end wall member 28 suitably secured to the container 10 provided with a central opening 30 therein through which nozzle 14 is slidably disposed. A valve housing 32 is secured to the underside of end wall 28 and a sealing ring 34 is mounted against the end cap member 28 to seal the container. Sealing ring 34 includes a through bore 36 therein having an internal diameter closely approximating the external diameter of cylindrical segment 20 of nozzle 14 and effectively seals the container against escape of fuel through opening 30.

Extending from the opposite side of base segment 18 is a cylindrical member 38 disposed within housing 32. A compression spring member 40 is provided to seat against the base segment 18 and a shoulder segment 42 within housing 32. Compression spring member 40 tends to urge the nozzle outwardly so that base segment 18 seats against sealing ring 36 with access passage 24 in register with sealing ring 36 effectively sealing the fuel passage in nozzle 14 so that no fuel can enter the access passage and nozzle 14. When the fuel container is engaged upon a filling vlave, the container is pressed against the filling valve so that nozzle 14 is displaced inwardly into container 10 against the force of spring 40 until access passage 24 clears the confines of sealing ring 36. Thus a path for fuel flow is opened from within the container to the fuel passage 22 in nozzle 14.

Referring again to FIGS. 2 and 3, end 16 of the nozzle 14 is provided with an opening 44 which has a greater diameter than the fuel passage 22 through the nozzle terminating in a transitional segment 46 having an inwardly sloping wall segment 48. The end 50 of nozzle 14 is also provided with at least a ,pair of diametrically opposed nodular extensions 52, whose function will be described more fully hereinafter. 1

FIG. 5 shows diagrammatically a stem-type filling valve assembly 54 mounted within a wall 56 of a fuel reservoir in a device (not shown) such as a lighter, candle or the like. The filling valve assembly 54 includes a cylindrical housing 58 suitably affixed and recessed within the wall 56 of the fuel reservoir by mating screw threads 60. A movable vlave stem 62 having a filling bore 64 extending therethrough and terminating in a lateral through passage 66 is disposed within the valve housing 58.

The valve stem 62 is slidably supported within the valve housing 58 and includes a shoulder segment 68 which provides a bearing surface for one end of a compression spring 70. The other end of spring 70 abuts against a retaining ring 72 fixed within housing 58 and,

when no force is exerted on the stem 62, the spring urges the stem upwardly so that the lateral through passsage 66 is in register with a sealing ring 74 fixed within valve housing 58..When the fuel reservoir is to be filled, fuel injection nozzle 14 is telescoped over the top of vlave stem 62 and the pressure exerted on the fuel container depresses the valve stem against the action of the spring 70 so that through passage 66 is moved below sealing ring 74 to permit fuel flow to the fuel reservoir through filling bore 64 and out through passage 66 through an opening 76 in the valve housing and into the fuel reservoir.

As best seeen in FIGS. 2 and 3, the internal cofiguration of end 16 of the fuel injection nozzle 14 is designed so as to accommodate a wide variation in stem sizes and configuration. vThe internal diameter of the fuel passage of nozzle 14 at its end 16 decreases from a maximum at 44 through a transition zone at 46 to a minimum diameter at passage 22. Thus the nozzle is able to accommodate stems of stem valves which vary from a maximum external diameter corresponding to the external diameter at section 44 to a minimum external diameter corresponding to slightly larger than the internal diameter of the passage 22. This is so because the inwardly inclinded tapered section 46 will contact the upper surface of valve stem in this diameter range and, when pressure on the fuel container 10 is exerted, the valve stem will be depressed to free the fuel passage to the fuel reservoir while simultaneously depressing the fuel injection nozzle 14 against the pressure of spring 40 to open a fuel passage from the interior of container 10 to the interior of the fuel reservoir. Since the fuel is stored in container 10 under pressure, the fuel flow is from container 10 into the fuel reservoir.

Referring now to FIGS. 6 and 7, the operation of the fuel injection valve of the present invention on a disctype filling valve is shown. in a disc-type filling valve assembly 80 the valve assembly is recessed within a wall 82 of a fuel reservoir with the filling vlave assembly being fastened to the fuel reservoir wall by mating screw threads 84.

In this type of filling valve the cylindrical valve housing 86 includes an end wall member 88 and an upper fuel inlet opening 90 which is normally sealed by a disctype sealing member 92 carried by a movable plunger element 94. The plunger element 94 has an upper shoulder segment 96 and a lower shank segment 98 and a compression spring member 100 is disposed about shank segment 98 and seats against shoulder 96 of plunger element 94 and against end wall 88 of the valve housing 86. The spring 100 normally urges the plunger element 94 upwardly so that the sealing disc 92 is pressed into sealing contact against fuel access passage 90 to seal the fuel reservoir. A fuel access passage 102 is provided in the side wall of the housing 86 immediately below the fuel access opening 90.

When the fuel nozzle 14 of the present invention is utilized in filling valves of the disc-type, the end 16 of the filling nozzle is placed in contact with the sealing disc 92 and pressure is exerted on the fuel container 10 to depress the disc 92 and plunger 94 against the force of spring 100 to unseat the sealing disc 92 from the fuel access opening 90. Simultaneously, the exterted pressure depresses the nozzle 14 against the force of spring 40 to open a fuel passage from the interior of fuel container 10 through the nozzle 14. The nodular extensions 52 on the end of nozzle 14 contact the disc 92 so that the end 50 of nozzle 14 is spaced above the surface of the sealing disc 92 to provide an access passage 104 so that fuel dispensed from container 10 through the nozzle 14 flows through the access passage 104 and passage 102 to the interior of the fuel reservoir.

Thus the nodular extensions 52 on the end wall 50 of fuel nozzle 14 provide a ready means of contacting a sealing disc in a disc-type filling valve and, when pressure is exerted on the fuel container associated with the fuel nozzle, to depress the sealing disc away from the sealing engagement in the filling valve and define a fuel passage through the valve to fill the fuel reservoir.

As seen in FIG. 8, the operation of the fuel injection valve of the present invention on a ball-type filling valve assembly is shown. In a ball-type filling valve the valve assembly 110 is recessed within a wall 112 of a fuel reservoir and the valve assembly is suitably secured to the fuel reservoir wall by mating screw threads 114.

The ball-type filling valve includes a cylindrical valve housing 116 closed by a lower end wall member 118. An annular stop 120 is provided spaced from the end wall 118 and an annular seal 12], which is preferably a rubber-like material is disposed adjacent the annular stop 120. A ball member 122 is provided within the housing 116 and a spring 124 within the housing acts against end wall 118 and ball 122 to urge the ball upwardly against the annular stop and seal 121 to seal the circular opening 126 defined by the annular seal 121.

Fuel access passages 128 are provided in the wall of the housing 116 below the annular seal 12] and when the ball 122 is urged against the annular seal 120 by spring 124 the ball effectively seals the fuel access passages 128 as well as the opening 128 so that the fuel reservoir is sealed.

When the fuel nozzle 14 of the present invention is used with filling valves of the ball-type the end 16 of the filling nozzles is placed in contact with the ball 122 and pressure is exerted on the fuel container to depress the ball 122 against the force of spring 124. Ball 122 retracts from opening 126 and moves clear of fuel access passages 128 to open a passage for fuel flow into the fuel reservoir.

The exerted pressure depresses nozzle 14, as set forth above, so that a fuel passage is opened from the interior of the fuel container through the nozzle 14. The nodular extensions 52 on the end of nozzle 14 contact the surface of ball 122 and limit the degree of contact between the nozzle end and the spherical surface of ball 122. Thus an access 130 between the nozzle end 50 and the surface of ball 122 is maintained and fuel dispensed from the container through the nozzle flows through access 130 and passages 128 to the interior of the fuel reservoir.

It is thus seen that the present invention provides a multi-purpose fuel injection valve assembly to accommodate a wide variation in valve sizes and configurations of either the stem-type, disc-type or ball-type filling valve.

What is claimed is:

l. A fuel injection nozzle for use in a fuel injection valve assembly on a fuel container containing a supply of a liquefied fuel comprising,

an elongated nozzle member operatively associated within said valve assembly,

said nozzle member defining a fuel passage therein adapted to communicate with the interior of said fuel container when said fuel container is engaged with and placed in refueling position on a filling valve assembly of a fuel reservoir to be refueled,

said nozzle member provided with means to operatively engage a stem member of a stem-type filling valve thereby to open said stem-type vlave to open a fuel flow path from said container to the fuel reservoir associated with said stem-type valve, and said nozzle member further provided with means separate from said first named means to operatively engage a disc member of a disc-type filling valve and a ball member of a ball-type filling valve thereby to open said disc-type and ball-type valves to open a fuel flow path from said container to the fuel reservoir associated with said valves.

2. A fuel injection nozzle as defined in claim 1 wherein said means to engage a stem memberof a stem-type filling valve comprises an opening with the end of said nozzle to telescopingly engage said stem member, said opening being defined by a bore within said nozzle end, said bore including a first segment near said nozzle end having a cross-sectional area greater than the cross-sectional area of said nozzle fuel passage and transitional segment adjacent said first segment dates stem members varying in size between the limits of the maximum and minimum cross-sectional areas of said bore.

3. A fuel injection nozzle as defined in claim 2 wherein said first bore segment is a cylindrical bore and said transitional segment is a frusto-conical segment having an inwardly sloping wall terminating at said nozzle fuel passage.

4. A fuel injection nozzle as defined in claim 1 wherein said means to engage a disc member of a disctype filling valve and a ball member ofa ball-type filling valve comprises, at least one nodular extension extending from the end of said nozzle wherein when said nozzle is engaged against a disc member of a disc-type filling valve and a ball member of a ball-type filling valve said nodular extension limits the extent of contact between said nozzle end and said disc member and ball member to define a fuel exit passage between the nozzle end and said disc member and ball member whereby fuel may flow from said nozzle through said filling valves to a fuel reservoir.

5. A fuel injection nozzle as defined in claim 4 wherein at least a pair of said nodular extensions are provided on diametrically opposite positions on said nozzle end.

Claims (5)

1. A fuel injection nozzle for use in a fuel injection valve assembly on a fuel container containing a supply of a liquefied fuel comprising, an elongated nozzle member operatively associated within said valve assembly, said nozzle member defining a fuel passage therein adapted to communicate with the interior of said fuel container when said fuel container is engaged with and placed in refueling position on a filling valve assembly of a fuel reservoir to be refueled, said nozzle member provided with means to operatively engage a stem member of a stem-type filling valve thereby to open said stem-type valve to open a fuel flow path from said container to the fuel reservoir associated with said stem-type valve, and said nozzle member further provided with means separate from said first named means to operatively engage a disc member of a disc-type filling valve and a ball member of a ball-type filling valve thereby to open said disc-type and ball-type valves to open a fuel flow path from said container to the fuel reservoir associated with said valves.

2. A fuel injection nozzle as defined in claim 1 wherein said means to engage a stem member of a stem-type filling valve comprises an opening within the end of said nozzle to telescopingly engage said stem member, said opening being defined by a bore within said nozzle end, said bore including a first segment near said nozzle end having a cross-sectionaL area greater than the cross-sectional area of said nozzle fuel passage and transitional segment adjacent said first segment with a decreasing cross-sectional area moving axially inwardly of said nozzle end wherein the corss-sectional area of said bore decreases from the cross-sectional area at said first segment to the cross-sectional area at said fuel passage whereby said nozzle end accommodates stem members varying in size between the limits of the maximum and minimum cross-sectional areas of said bore.

3. A fuel injection nozzle as defined in claim 2 wherein said first bore segment is a cylindrical bore and said transitional segment is a frusto-conical segment having an inwardly sloping wall terminating at said nozzle fuel passage.

4. A fuel injection nozzle as defined in claim 1 wherein said means to engage a disc member of a disc-type filling valve and a ball member of a ball-type filling valve comprises, at least one nodular extension extending from the end of said nozzle wherein when said nozzle is engaged against a disc member of a disc-type filling valve and a ball member of a ball-type filling valve said nodular extension limits the extent of contact between said nozzle end and said disc member and ball member to define a fuel exit passage between the nozzle end and said disc member and ball member whereby fuel may flow from said nozzle through said filling valves to a fuel reservoir.

5. A fuel injection nozzle as defined in claim 4 wherein at least a pair of said nodular extensions are provided on diametrically opposite positions on said nozzle end.

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