Fuel Injector Connector Assembly Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
The manufacturing and assembly of fuel injectors are complicated by issues such as creating blind bores, fixing connectors, and establishing electrical connections, particularly due to fuel leakage affecting the electrical wires.
Innovation Solution
An electrical connector assembly for fuel injectors that integrates with the back leak return conduit, featuring a plastic body with metallic terminals, sealing means, and locking mechanisms, allowing fuel to wet the terminals while maintaining electrical connectivity and secure fixation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the axial bore is part of the back leak channel allowing fuel to flow through it, then the manufacturing complexity is reduced, but the electrical wires become contaminated by fuel wetting
Solution Approach 1:
The connector body is divided into a first part (recessed portion) and a second part (protruding portion), creating separate sealed zones. The first part houses the electrical wires in a fuel-exposed environment while the second part remains protected, allowing the axial bore to serve as a back leak channel without contaminating the electrical connection area.
Solution Approach 2:
A sealing element (O-ring) acts as an intermediary barrier between the fuel flow path and the electrical wire housing. This seal allows fuel to flow through the axial bore while preventing fuel from reaching and contaminating the electrical wires in the first part of the connector.
2Reliability
If the connector is fixed onto the injector body, then the electrical connection is secured, but the assembly process becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The connector integrates multiple functions into a single component: the first part provides electrical connection housing, the second part provides mechanical attachment to the injector body, and the sealing element provides fuel containment. This merged design secures the electrical connection while simplifying assembly by eliminating separate mounting steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The first part (recessed portion) is nested within or alongside the injector body structure, while the second part (protruding portion) extends outward. This nested arrangement allows the connector to be securely fixed to the injector body while maintaining accessible electrical terminals, reducing assembly complexity.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the connector has a sealed internal volume for electrical wires, then fuel contamination is prevented, but manufacturing difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The connector is segmented into a first part containing the sealed internal volume for electrical wires and a second part for mechanical attachment. This segmentation creates a dedicated fuel-proof zone while maintaining manufacturing simplicity through modular construction with standard sealing elements.
Solution Approach 2:
A flexible sealing element (O-ring) creates the sealed internal volume around the electrical wires. This thin film seal prevents fuel contamination while being easy to install and manufacture, avoiding complex welded or bonded sealing structures.
Data Source
AI summary
An electrical connector assembly of a fuel injector includes a body with external walls defining an internal volume and an internal wall dividing the connector in a first part adapted to be fixed in a complementary engagement with the body of the injector and, in a second part adapted to receive another electrical connector. The electrical connector assembly also includes at least one electrical terminal extending through the internal wall from an inner extremity protruding in the inner volume of the first part of the body, to an outer extremity protruding in the outer volume of the second part of the body. The outer extremity is shaped to receive in a complementary engagement an electrical terminal of said another electrical connector. The connector assembly is adapted to be in fluid communication with the back leak return conduit of the injector.