Propellant injector assembly

Claim 1

A liquid propellant injector assembly mounted in one end of a rocket thrust chamber for distributing a pressurized liquid propellant thereinto comprising, in combination: a first housing having an opening at a first end for receiving the liquid propellant, and an opening at a second end; a second housing closed at a first end and contained within said first housing, a second end sealingly extending through the opening in the second end of said first housing, said second housing having a plurality of inlet ports intermediate the ends thereof communicating between the interiors of said first housing and said second housing, and having an outlet port at the second end forming an outwardly flaring conical seat; a valve slidable on an axis in said second housing between the ends thereof having a conical portion registrable with said seat and an annular flange portion juxtapositioned from the second end of said second housing when said valve is fully seated with the proximal side in a plane normal to the axis, and a thermally protective material contained within the conical portion of said valve and covering the distal side of the flange portion for dissipating heat received from the thrust chamber; and force-exerting means urging said valve against said seat; whereby the conical efflux of pressUrized liquid propellant is laterally deflected to impinge upon the wall portion of the one end of the thrust chamber while maintaining thermal insulation of said valve.