Fuel systems for compression ignition engines

Claim 1

A fuel system for supplying fuel to a compression ignition engine, the system comprising a fuel injection nozzle through which liquid fuel can be supplied to a combustion space of the engine, the nozzle including a fuel pressure operated valve member which is lifted from a seating against the action of resilient means to allow fuel flow through an outlet, the system including a reciprocable plunger slidable within a bore and defining with the bore a pumping chamber, said chamber communicating with an inlet of the nozzle, a passage extending from said chamber to a drain, an electro-magnetically operable valve means in said passage operable to reduce the pressure of fuel in said chamber, a restriction in said passage downstream of said valve means, and passage means connected at one end to said passage intermediate the valve means and said restriction, the other end of the passage means being connected to a chamber into which extends the end of the valve member of the nozzle remote from the seating, whereby the pressure wave generated in said passage downstream of the valve means when said valve means is opened, is applied to the valve member of the nozzle to assist the movement of the valve member into contact with the seating.