Fuel injection valve used in fuel injection apparatus for internal combustion engine

Claim 1

A fuel injection valve for injecting a fuel into a combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine, said valve comprising: a valve housing; a nozzle portion attached to said valve housing; a fuel inlet provided in said valve housing for receiving the fuel pumped out from an operating chamber of a fuel injection pump through a communicating passage; fuel injection opening means provided in said nozzle portion for injecting th fuel into the combustion chamber; a first fuel passage provided in said valve housing for communicating said injection opening means with said fuel inlet; a first needle valve element slidably disposed in said nozzle portion for opening or closing said first fuel passage; a first spring disposed in said valve housing for coming into contact with one end portion of said first needle valve element away from said combustion chamber and for urging said first needle valve element so as to close said first fuel passage; a pin device disposed in said valve housing for providing an axial gap between said pin device and said one end portion of said first needle valve element; a second spring disposed in said valve housing for urging said pin device towards said first needle valve element; back pressure chamber means formed in said valve housing for surrounding at least said one end portion of said first needle valve element; a second fuel passage provided in said valve housing for communicating said back pressure chamber means with said fuel inlet; an ON-OFF valve means for opening or closing said second fuel passage, said ON-OFF valve means including a valve element and a third spring, which is separate from said second spring, for pressing said valve element so as to close said second fuel passage; orifice means disposed in a bypass passage bypassing said ON-OFF valve means, and communicating with said back pressure chamber, said orifice means communicating with said fuel inlet.