FUEL INJECTOR WITH AN IMPROVED POPPET WHICH IS INCREASINGLY CONFORMABLE TO A VALVE SEAT IN RESPONSE TO USE

摘要

Poppets for fuel injectors are provided with an improved sealing surface by making the poppet from a softer material than is known in the prior art. Instead of providing a Rockwell C hardness value of 50 or greater, as is known to those skilled in the art of poppet manufacture, the improved poppet is made of a softer material that allows th e valve head of the poppet to wear in such a way that its shape conforms more accurately wit h a valve seat of the nozzle of a fuel injector. This also provides the beneficial result o f improved salt water corrosion resistance. By using a softer metal to make the poppet, the improved sealing characteristic improves fuel efficiency of the engine and reduces emissions of undesirable compounds.