Injector with improved corrosion protection

Abstract

The present invention relates to an injector for injecting a fluid, the injector comprising: a housing (32); a receiving portion (6) arranged on the housing (32), the receiving portion being configured to receive a surrounding channel seal (4), wherein the receiving portion (6) divides the outer side of the injector (3) into a first external region (33) and a second external region (34); a bridging connection portion (5) that connects the first external region (33) to the second external region (34) so as to provide a through path for the fluid to bridge the channel seal.

Description

Field of the Invention

[0001] The present invention relates to an injector for injecting a fluid, in particular a fuel injector, which has improved corrosion protection. The present invention also relates to an internal combustion engine having such an injector. Background Art

[0002] In an internal combustion engine in which fuel is directly injected into the combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine, an injector passage (Schacht) is usually provided in the cylinder head, which houses the fuel injector. In order to prevent liquids, dirt, etc. from entering the injector passage from the outside, a so-called passage seal is provided, which seals the injector passage from the environment. However, it has now been determined that, for example, when cleaning the engine with a high-pressure cleaner, the liquid will enter the injector passage through the passage seal. Even when the internal combustion engine is running and there is high temperature, this liquid cannot return to the environment through the sealing passage seal, but will cause corrosion of the injector components and may cause an electrical short circuit in extreme cases. Therefore, it is desirable to achieve an improved passage seal. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In contrast, the injector for injecting a fluid according to the present invention has the following advantages: Corrosion and electrical problems caused by liquids acting on the injector in the assembled state of the injector can be avoided. In the assembled state, the injector is arranged in the injector passage, wherein the injector passage is sealed from the environment by a passage seal. During the operation of the injector, a liquid, such as water, will now accumulate in the region of the injector passage, and this liquid can be discharged to the environment by the solution according to the present invention. According to the present invention, this is achieved in the following way: The injector includes a housing and a receiving portion arranged around the housing. The receiving portion is provided for receiving the passage seal. Here, the receiving portion divides the outer side of the injector into a first outer region and a second outer region in the axial direction, wherein according to the present invention there is a bridging connection between the first outer region and the second outer region. The bridging connection provides a through-path for the fluid, which bridges the passage covering portion. Thereby, the fluid accumulated in the injector passage can be discharged to the environment.

[0004] Preferred embodiments show an expansion of the present invention.

[0005] The bridging connection preferably comprises a recess constructed in the housing, which connects a first outer region of the housing to a second outer region. Here, in the assembled state of the injector with a channel seal, the recess is constructed radially inside the channel seal and enables fluid exchange. The recess is particularly preferably provided to be straight. The recess can be oriented parallel to the central axis of the injector or can also be oriented obliquely to the central axis of the injector. Furthermore, a plurality of recesses can be present along the periphery of the housing for bridging the receiving portion for the channel cover.

[0006] Further preferably, the receiving portion comprises a first circumferential edge protruding outwards and a second circumferential edge protruding outwards, wherein the first circumferential edge and the second circumferential edge are constructed circumferentially and are provided for receiving the channel seal therebetween. Here, the bridging connection preferably has interruptions on the first circumferential edge and the second circumferential edge respectively in order to provide a through-path for the fluid.

[0007] According to an alternative configuration of the invention, the bridging connection on the housing has at least one protruding region in the region of the receiving portion for the channel cover, which protruding region is provided for preventing complete abutment of the installed channel seal, in order to define a through-path for the fluid, which through-path connects the first outer region of the housing to the second outer region. Due to the protruding region, the channel seal does not directly abut against the outer side of the housing in the assembled state, so that at least one through-path for the fluid from the first outer region to the second outer region is obtained. A plurality of protruding regions are preferably provided along the circumference of the housing, thereby correspondingly generating a plurality of through-paths for the fluid.

[0008] According to another alternative embodiment of the invention, the bridging connection comprises at least one through-opening in the housing, which connects the first outer region of the housing to the second outer region. The through-opening passes through the housing here and is arranged such that the receiving portion for the channel seal is bridged. Here, the through-opening can be completely provided in the housing and completely bridge the channel seal in the assembled state, or it is also conceivable that in a configuration, the through-opening only bridges a part of the receiving portion for the channel seal and the remaining part on the channel seal is then bridged by the recess and / or by the protruding region.

[0009] In order to prevent as much as possible the intrusion of fluid from the outside into the injector channel, the bridging connection is preferably constructed as a labyrinth portion. Here, the bridging connection is not provided as a straight groove or the like, but the through-path is deflected one or more times, so that no straight connection portion is provided between the first outer region and the second outer region of the housing.

[0010] Further preferably, the injector includes a channel seal, in particular a channel seal made of an elastic material, wherein the channel seal is arranged in the receiving part of the housing. The channel seal can be, for example, an O-ring or another circumferentially closed ring.

[0011] The housing is preferably an injection-molded housing, which is injection-molded onto the base body of the injector. Thereby, the bridging connection can be easily integrated into the housing to be injection-molded, so that no additional processing steps are required to manufacture the bridging connection. Thereby, an injector with improved corrosion protection can be manufactured very simply and at low cost.

[0012] Further preferably, the injector is part of a cylinder head assembly, which includes a cylinder head and an injector according to the invention.

[0013] The invention also relates to an internal combustion engine having an injector according to the invention, in particular a fuel injector. The fuel injector is preferably arranged in the cylinder head of the internal combustion engine and injects fuel directly into the combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine. Description of the Drawings

[0014] The preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. In the drawings:

[0015] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an injector located in the injector channel of the cylinder head in the assembled state is shown;

[0016] Figure 2 Shows Figure 1 A schematic enlarged view of the housing of the injector with a bridging connection;

[0017] Figure 3 A schematic cross-sectional view of an injector with a bridging connection according to a second embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0018] Figure 4 Shows Figure 3 A schematic partial perspective view of the injector;

[0019] Figure 5 A schematic partial perspective view of an injector according to a third embodiment of the present invention is shown, and

[0020] Figure 6 Shows Figure 5 A schematic partial perspective view of the injector with an assembled channel seal. Detailed Description of the Embodiment

[0021] The following will refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 to describe in detail the injector 3 according to the first preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 1 shows the assembled state of the injector 3, which is assembled in the injector passage 21. The injector passage 21 is provided in the cylinder head 2 of the internal combustion engine. From Figure 1 it is clearly visible that the injector 3 injects fuel directly into the combustion chamber 20 of the internal combustion engine.

[0023] A channel seal 4 is provided on the housing 32 of the injector 3, which seals the injector passage 21 relative to the environment 23. Here, from Figure 1 it can be seen that an intermediate space 22 is obtained between the injector 3 and the cylinder head 2 in the injector passage 21.

[0024] Also shown on the injector 3 are a fuel connection 30 and an electrical connection 31.

[0025] In order to enable the liquid accumulated in the intermediate space 22 of the injector passage 21 to escape into the environment 23, for example, when cleaning the engine with a high-pressure cleaner, a bridging connection 5 is provided according to the invention, which can be made of Figure 2 seen in detail. Here, the bridging connection part 5 provides a fluid through-path from a first outer region 33 of the housing to a second outer region 34 of the housing. Here, the housing is divided into the first and second outer regions 33, 34 by an accommodating part 6 on the housing, wherein the accommodating part 6 is provided for accommodating the channel seal 4.

[0026] From Figure 2 it can be seen that the accommodating part 6 includes a first annular edge 7 protruding outward and a second annular edge 8 protruding outward, and the two annular edges are arranged circumferentially on the outer side of the housing.

[0027] The first annular edge and the second annular edge 7, 8 are parallel to each other here and are respectively located in a plane perpendicular to the axial direction X-X of the injector 3. An accommodating part bottom 9 is provided between the first and second annular edges 7, 8, Figure 2 and a channel seal not shown in the figure is sealed on the accommodating part bottom.

[0028] From Figure 2 it can be further seen that interruptions 7a, 8a are respectively provided on the first and second annular edges 7, 8, and the groove 50 of the bridging connection part passes through the interruptions. Thereby, the housing is deeper in the regions of the interruptions 7a, 8a and the accommodating part bottom 9, so that there is a through-path from the first outer region 33 to the second outer region 34, and the liquid or the evaporated liquid in the injector passage can escape into the environment 23 via this through-path.

[0029] In this embodiment, the groove 50 is arranged linearly and parallel to the central axis X-X of the injector. However, the groove 50 can also be inclined with respect to the central axis of the injector. Additionally, it is also possible that a plurality of grooves are provided on the receiving part 6 along the periphery of the housing 32 and accordingly a plurality of interruptions are provided.

[0030] Therefore, compared with the prior art, the corrosion of the injector in the injector channel can be significantly reduced by providing the connecting part 5 of the bridging channel seal 4. The liquid present in the injector channel can escape to the environment 23 through the through-path on the bridging connection part 5. According to the invention, electrical problems that may be caused by the liquid present in the injector channel 21 can also be avoided.

[0031] Figure 3 and Figure 4 Fig. shows an injector 3 according to a second preferred embodiment of the invention. Identical or functionally identical components are labeled with the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment.

[0032] In the second embodiment, the bridging connection member 5 includes a labyrinth portion 53, which is provided on the outer side of the housing 32 of the injector 3. In Figure 3 it is also schematically shown the assembled channel seal 4, which in this embodiment is a circumferentially closed ring having a quadrangular cross-section and a sealing lip 40 integrally formed on the ring. The labyrinth portion 53 is configured as a groove or an elongated recess both in the first circumferential ring edge 7, the second circumferential ring edge 8 and in the receiving part bottom 9. Thereby, no interruption of the first and second ring edges 7 is required for the bridging connection part. The advantage of this configuration with the labyrinth portion 53 is that the intrusion of liquid from the outside into the injector channel 21 is made difficult, in particular by the labyrinth portion 53. It should be noted that preferably a plurality of such labyrinth portions 53 are provided along the periphery of the housing in order to provide a plurality of through-paths for the escape of liquid from the injector channel 21 to the environment 23. In other respects, this embodiment corresponds to the first embodiment, so that reference can be made to the description given there.

[0033] Figure 5 and Figure 6 Fig. shows an injector 3 according to a third embodiment of the invention. Identical or functionally identical components are again labeled with the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment.

[0034] From Figure 5 and Figure 6It can be seen that the injector 3 in the first embodiment has a receiving portion 6 for receiving the channel seal 4, and the receiving portion includes a first surrounding rim 7 and a second surrounding rim 8. A bottom 9 of the receiving portion is provided between the first rim and the second rim 7, 8, so that the channel seal 4 can be reliably assembled. Here, different from the first embodiment, in the third embodiment, no groove is provided as the bridging connection portion 5, but a first protruding region 51 and a second protruding region 52 are formed on the bottom 9 of the receiving portion. As can be seen from Figure 5 the first protruding region and the second protruding region 51, 52 protrude from the bottom 9 of the receiving portion. In addition, the first protruding region and the second protruding region 51, 52 connect the first rim 7 to the second rim 8. With this configuration, in the case where the channel seal 4 is assembled in the receiving portion 6, it is ensured that the channel seal 4 does not abut against the bottom of the receiving portion along the entire periphery of the bottom of the receiving portion, but is slightly spaced from the bottom 9 of the receiving portion in the regions of the first protruding region and the second protruding region 51, 52. Thereby, through paths are provided, especially through paths adjacent to the first protruding region and the second protruding region 51, 52, so that there is a bridging of the receiving portion 6 for the channel seal 4. Therefore, fluid can reach the environment 23 from the injector channel 21 through the through paths thus achieved. Here, the height of the first protruding region and the second protruding region 51, 52 does not have to be very large to ensure the interruption of the abutment of the channel seal 4 on the bottom 9 of the receiving portion. Therefore, although the first protruding region and the second protruding region 51, 52 are provided, it is still ensured that the channel seal 4 is reliably held on the injector 3 by means of the receiving portion 6.

Claims

1. An injector for injecting a liquid, comprising: A housing (32); a receiving portion (6) arranged on the housing (32), the receiving portion being configured to receive an annular channel seal (4), wherein the receiving portion (6) divides the outer side of the injector (3) into a first outer region (33) and a second outer region (34); a bridging connection portion (5) that connects the first outer region (33) and the second outer region (34) to provide a through-path for liquid to bridge the channel seal (4), wherein the bridging connection portion (5) is a groove (50) formed in the housing (32) that connects the first outer region (33) and the second outer region (34).

2. The injector according to claim 1, wherein, The receiving portion (6) includes a first annular edge (7) protruding outward and a second annular edge (8) protruding outward, wherein the first annular edge (7) and the second annular edge (8) are configured to receive the channel seal (4) therebetween.

3. The injector according to claim 2, wherein, The first annular edge (7) and / or the second annular edge (8) is interrupted along the axial direction (X-X) of the injector.

4. The injector according to claim 1, wherein, The bridging connection portion (5) on the housing (32) has at least one protruding region (51, 52) in the region of the receiving portion (6), the at least one protruding region being configured to prevent the installed channel seal (4) from fully abutting against the housing (32) to provide a through-path between the first outer region (33) and the second outer region (34).

5. The injector according to claim 1, wherein, The bridging connection portion (5) has a labyrinth portion (53) that defines a non-linear through-path connecting the first outer region and the second outer region.

6. The injector according to claim 1, wherein The bridging connection portion (5) has a through-opening in the housing (32) that passes through the housing (32) and at least partially bridges the receiving portion (6) for the channel seal (4).

7. The injector according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein, The housing (32) is an injection-molded housing made of plastic.

8. The injector according to claim 6, wherein, The through-opening completely bridges the receiving portion (6).

9. The injector according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein The channel seal (4) is made of an elastomer.

10. An internal combustion engine, comprising an injector according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. The internal combustion engine according to claim 10, wherein, The injector is a fuel injector.

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