Internal lower fuel injector filter

摘要

An internal lower filter for a fuel injector includes a self-supporting guide guiding a reciprocably activated valve of an internal valve assembly of a fuel injector and a plurality of filter holes formed in said guide filtering fuel flowing through the fuel injector and preventing contaminants contained in the fuel from entering a sealing area of the internal valve assembly. Incorporating the guide filter in accordance with the invention in a fuel injector enables capturing particles or contaminants, generated within the fuel injector during assembly or during operation, before entering the sealing area of an internal valve assembly. Accordingly, failure modes of the injector, such as a stuck open condition that may lead to a hydraulic lock of the engine, can be reduced. By forming the filter holes in a typically used ball guide, no changes are required to the currently used assembly line equipment or the current assembly process.