Electromagnetic fuel injector having continuous flow path

Claim 1

A fuel injector for use in a predetermined spatial orientation with an internal combustion engine, said injector comprising; substantially tubular housing means having a fuel inlet opening, a fuel discharge opening and a fuel return opening, a continuous liquid path within said housing from said inlet opening to said return opening and a valved liquid path from said inlet opening to said discharge opening; electromagnetic motor means supported within the housing means and including an armature, a coil, an electromagnetic frame and a tubular bobbin, said frame including at least a substantially vertically extending tubualr core portion and an upper flange extending radially outward therefrom, said coil being concentrically disposed about said bobbin and said bobbin being concentric with the axis of said housing and coaxially disposed about said frame core portion below said upper flange, at least the upper flange of said electromagnetic frame including an opening extending upwardly therethrough, said continuous liquid path extending upwardly through the core of said bobbin via said electromagnetic frame tubular core portion and in parallel through said frame upper flange; a valve seat operatively positioned in said valved path; a valve member movable between a fuel-passing open position and a fuel-blocking closed position relative to said valve seat; said armature being operatively connected to said valve member and responsive to energization of said electromagnetic motor means for moving said valve member between said closed and said open positions for controlling the flow of fuel to said discharge opening; and the location of said fuel return opening being elevationally higher than substantially the entire remainder of said continuous liquid path and said valved liquid path when said injector is in said predetermined orientation with said engine thereby to facilitate the removal from the injector of vapors appearing therewithin and wherein the slope of said continuous liquid path is, for substantially its full length and in the direction of flow toward said return opening, 0 or positive relative to a horizontal axis or plane.