Fuel Rail End Cap Structure for High-Pressure Boundary Protection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional gasoline direct injection rails with U-shaped end caps experience excessive load concentration at the boundary between the rail body and end cap due to a large level difference, leading to potential damage under high pressure.

Innovation Solution

The design features a rail body with an inner circumference depression to accommodate the end cap's circumferential wall, eliminating the level difference and ensuring a h/T ratio of 0 < h/T ≤ 0.25, which increases the end cap breaking pressure and prevents load concentration.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If the circumferential wall of the end cap has a large thickness, then the end cap has sufficient strength, but a large level difference is formed at the boundary part between the rail body and end cap, causing excessive load concentration and potential damage under high pressure

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveend cap strengthVSAvoidboundary part reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The invention introduces a depression at the end part of the rail body where the circumferential wall is inserted. This local structural modification allows the thick circumferential wall to be accommodated without creating a large level difference at the boundary, thereby maintaining both end cap strength and boundary part reliability under high pressure conditions

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Reliability

If the circumferential wall thickness is reduced to eliminate level difference, then load concentration is reduced, but the end cap strength is compromised

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveboundary part reliabilityVSAvoidend cap strength
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of reducing the circumferential wall thickness in the radial direction, the invention creates a depression in the axial direction of the rail body. This dimensional approach allows the thick circumferential wall to be inserted into the depression, eliminating level difference at the boundary while preserving the end cap's strength

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Data Source

PatentEP3483422B1End cap
Publication Date: 2024.05.01 USUI CO LTD
  • EP3483422B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3483422B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3483422B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

To obtain a gasoline direct injection rail in which a large load is unlikely to be concentrated on a boundary part between a rail body and an end cap, and damage to the boundary part can be prevented, even when high pressure is applied to the inside of the rail body. The gasoline direct injection rail comprises an end cap 4 composed of a top plate 5 and a circumferential wall 6, and a rail body 1 having an end part 2 in which the circumferential wall 6 of the end cap 4 is inserted and placed, wherein an inner circumference of the end part 2 of the rail body 1 has a depression 3, the circumferential wall 6 is placed in the depression 3, and there is no level difference at a boundary part 12 between an inner circumferential surface 11 of the circumferential wall 6 and an inner circumferential surface 10 of the rail body 1.