Liquid-fuel vaporizer

Claim 1

A fuel vaporizing apparatus adapted to work in conjunction with an internal combustion engine or the like to vaporize fuel and mix the same with a system of air passing therethrough to form an air-fuel mixture, said fuel vaporizing apparatus comprising: a. a housing means adapted to receive and channel a system of air therethrough; b. spray nozzle means projecting interiorly of said housing means for spraying fuel in an atomized state interiorly of said housing means wherein the fuel vapor resulting from the atomized fuel mixes with air of the system of air passing through said housing means to form an air-fuel mixture; c. a fuel supply system including pump means operatively connected between a source of fuel and said nozzle means for supplying fuel to said nozzle means; d. control means operatively connected and associated with said nozzle means for selectively controlling the quantity of fuel expelled from said nozzle means; e. baffle means disposed below said nozzle means and in the path of the air-fuel mixture for intercepting droplets of fuel not substantially vaporized and for urging said fuel droplets from the passing air-fuel mixture; f. means for capturing said fuel droplets not substantially vaporized and intercepted by said baffle means and for returning the fuel of said fuel droplets back to said fuel supply system where the same can be rerouted through said nozzle means; g. heating means disposed interiorly of said housing means for assisting in the vaporization of fuel passing through said housing means; and wherein said control means is operatively connected to a throttle plate that effectively controls the volumetric rate of air passing through said fuel vaporizing apparatus, and wherein said control means is responsive to the angular positioning of said throttle plate for controlling the quantity of fuel expelled from said nozzle means, and wherein said nozzle means includes a plurality of separate nozzles operatively connected to said fuel supply system and projecting interiorly of said housing means; and wherein said control means comprises a series of solenoid switches wherein each solenoid switch is operatively connected to one respective nozzle and operative to open and close the same, and a step switching mechanism operatively connected to each of said solenoid switches and responsive to the angular position of said throttle plate for activating certain solenoid switches as said throttle plate is rotated from a closed position to a completely opened position such that as the angular position of said throttle plate is changed respective solenoid switches are particularly actuated to open or close respective nozzles and to consequently vary the quantity of fuel being expelled into said housing means relative to the angular position of said throttle plate.