Fuel injection nozzle for an internal combustion engine

Claim 1

A fuel injection nozzle for an internal combustion engine comprising: (a) a hollow nozzle body having an orifice extending between inner and outer surfaces thereof; and (b) a valve member liftable within the nozzle body to open and close an inner end of the orifice, enabling fuel to flow through the orifice for injection into the engine when the valve member opens the inner end; said nozzle body having first and second surfaces contiguous with each other, the nozzle body first surface extending obliquely with respect to the direction of lift of the valve member, the nozzle body second surface extending parallel to the direction of lift of the valve member; said valve member having first and second surfaces contiguous with each other, the valve member first surface engaging the nozzle body first surface in flush contact when the valve member is in the unlifted position and separating from the nozzle body first surface as the valve member is lifted, the valve member second surface engaging the nozzle body second surface in flush contact when the valve member is in the unlifted position; the inner end of said orifice being located at a position including the border between the nozzle body first and second surfaces so that part of the inner end of the orifice overlies the nozzle body first surface and another part of the inner end of the orifice overlies the nozzle body second surface; the inner end of the orifice at the nozzle body first surface being closed by the valve member first surface when the valve member is in the unlifted position and being opened as the valve member is lifted so that fuel can enter the orifice through the inner end thereof at the nozzle body first surface from a gap formed between the nozzle body and valve first surfaces as the valve member lifts, the inner end of the orifice at the nozzle body second surface remaining closed by the valve member second surface as the valve member lifts to a predetermined position and being opened as the valve member lifts above the predetermined position so that fuel enters the orifice via the inner end thereof overlying the nozzle body second surface above the predetermined position, wherein the effective cross-sectional area of the resulting gap between the valve and nozzle body first surfaces is greater than the effective cross-sectional area of the inner end of the orifice overlying the nozzle body first surface as the valve member lifts to the predetermined position so that the rate of fuel injection is determined initially by the effective cross-sectional area of the resulting gap and then by the effective cross-sectional area of the inner end of the orifice overlying the nozzle body first surface, and is subsequently influenced by the opened inner end of the orifice at the nozzle body second surface in relation to lift of the valve member above the predetermined position.