Fuel Injection Shutdown System

The invention relates to a fuel injection engine and more particularly to a diesel engine with a fuel injection shutdown system, which will shut off the fuel to each cylinder within two engine revolutions.

If a diesel engine loses its lubricating oil pressure or over speeds it is desirable to shut down the engine rapidly, preferably within one cycle in order to protect the engine bearings from major damage. U.S. Pat. No. 4,565,170 describes a device for shutting off the fuel supplied to the engine by utilizing a solenoid valve to shut off the fuel being supplied to the engine and activating an aspirating pump to remove fuel from the fuel manifold to shutdown the engine quickly.

Among the objects of this invention may be noted the provision of a fuel injection shutdown system which will shut down a fuel injected engine before a malfunction can cause major damage to the engine.

In general, a fuel injection shutdown system for a fuel injected internal combustion engine having a plurality of cylinders and a mechanical fuel injector with a injector return spring for each cylinder cooperatively associated with a fuel injection cam disposed on a camshaft and lifter bodies that are reciprocated in lifter guides to inject fuel into each cylinder upon each revolution of the injection camshaft when made in accordance with this invention comprises a slot disposed in each lifter guide and a slot disposed in each lifter body. A hydraulic cartridge is disposed to fit into the slot in the lifter guide and be fastened thereto. The hydraulic cartridge extends into the slot in the lifter body. The slot in the lifter body is longer than the slot in the lifter guide and is disposed to allow the lifter body to be reciprocated by the fuel injection cam without the cartridge contacting the bottom or top of the slot in the lifter body. The hydraulic cartridge has a stop pin slidably disposed therein. A fluid passage disposed in the cartridge, when supplied with pressurized hydraulic fluid, causes the stop pin to extend from the cartridge and contact the top of the slot in the lifter body. The extended stop pin holds the lifter body off the fuel injection cam, whereby fuel injected into the engine will be discontinued within two engine revolutions and the engine will shutdown.

The invention as set forth in the claims will become more apparent by reading the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the drawings and in which:

FIG. 1 is a partial sectional view of an engine block and head with a fuel injection shutdown system, the control portion is shown schematically;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged partial sectional view of a fuel injection lifter body and lifter guide with a hydraulic cartridge having a stop pin in a normal run position; and

FIG. 3 is an enlarged partial sectional view of the fuel injection lifter body and lifter guide with the hydraulic cartridge having the stop pin in a stop position.

Referring now to the drawings in detail and in particular to FIG. 1, there is shown a portion of an engine block 1 and a cylinder head 3 of a fuel injected internal combustion engine 5 such as a diesel engine 5. In the engine block 1 is shown a portion of a cylinder 7 and piston 9. A mechanical fuel injector 11 is disposed in the head 3 and extends into the cylinder 7 to inject the fuel. The fuel injector 11 has a return spring 13 that cooperates with a rocker arm 14 to bias a lifter rod 15 to engage a lifter body 19. The lifter body 19 engages a fuel injection cam 17 on fuel injection camshaft 18. The lifter body 19 is slidably disposed in a lifter guide 21 and has a cam follower roller 23 that engages the fuel injection cam 17 on the fuel injection camshaft 18. With each rotation of the fuel injection camshaft 18, the fuel injector 11 associated with each cylinder 7 injects fuel into the associated cylinder 7 in a predetermined order to run the fuel injected engine 5.

A fuel injection shutdown system that will stop supplying fuel to the engine 5 within one engine cycle or two revolutions of a four cycle engine comprises an elongated slot 25 disposed in each lifter guide 21 and an elongated slot 27 disposed in each lifter body 19. A hydraulic cartridge 29 is disposed to fit in the slot 25 in the lifter guide 21 and be fastened thereto by bolts or other fastening means (not shown) and to extend into the slot 27 in the lifter body 19. The slot 27 in the lifter body 19 is longer than the slot 25 in the lifter guide 21 and so disposed to allow the lifter body 19 to be reciprocated in the lifter guide 21 by the fuel injection cam 17 on the fuel injection camshaft 18 without the hydraulic cartridge 29 contacting the top or bottom of the slot 27.

Referring now to FIG. 2 the hydraulic cartridge 29 has a cylindrical opening 31 extending therein with a smaller diameter short lower portion 33. The cylindrical opening 31 is generally aligned with the slot 27 in the lifter body 19. A stop pin 35 is disposed in the cylindrical opening and has an enlarged lower portion 37 that forms a close sliding fit in the cylindrical opening 31. A spring 39 encircles the stop pin 35 and biases the stop pin 35 into the hydraulic cartridge 29. The spring 39 is held in place by a retainer ring 41 adjacent the open end of the cylindrical opening 31. The retainer is held in place by interlocking threads, a pressed fit or other means. The retainer ring 41 also provides a close fitting sliding bearing for the stop pin 35. A weep hole 43 is disposed adjacent the open end of the cylindrical opening 31 to prevent any oil which leaks into the cylindrical opening 31 from becoming trapped therein and inhibiting the movement of the stop pin 35. A hydraulic fluid accumulator 45 is disposed in the hydraulic cartridge 29 to damp pressure spikes during operation of the fuel injection shutdown system. The accumulator 45 is disposed in fluid communication with the lower portion 33 of the cylindrical opening 31 by a duct or passage 47 and has a port 49. The port 49 is disposed in fluid communication with a conduit 51, which is shown to have two branches. An up stream branch 51U has a check valve 53 adjacent the port 49, a supply solenoid valve 55 up stream of the check valve 53 and a pump 57 up stream of the solenoid valve 55. A down stream branch 51D has a bleed orifice 59 down stream of the port 49 and a bleed solenoid valve 61 down stream of the bleed orifice 59. While it is preferred to have the check valve 53 and bleed orifice 59 outside the hydraulic cartridge 29 they may be disposed within the cartridge 29. There is a separate check valve 53 and bleed orifice 59 for each cartridge while it is preferred to have a single supply and bleed solenoid valve 55 and 61 and a single pump 57. The stop pin 35 is shown in its normal position disposed wholly within the cartridge 29 allowing the lifter body 19 to be moved up and down by the fuel injection cam 17 to operate the fuel injector 11, to inject fuel into the cylinders 7 and to operate the engine 5.

Referring now to FIG. 3 it is the same as FIG. 2 except the stop pin 35 is shown in its extended position contacting the top of the slot 27 in the lifter body 19 and holding the lifter body 19 off the fuel injection cam 17 thus preventing the fuel injector 11 from injecting fuel into the cylinder 7 stopping the engine 5.

Returning now to FIG. 1 and the operation of the fuel injection shutdown system, an electronic control module 63 receives signals from a plurality of engine sensors. When electronic control module 63 receives a signal from an engine sensor 65, which sends a signal indicating that there has been a loss of oil pressure or a signal from an engine sensor 67, which sends a signal indicating that the engine is over speeding or any other signal or combination of signals indicative of a engine condition which will result in major damage to the engine if it continues to run, the electronic control module 63 sends a signal to the supply solenoid 55 to open. When the supply solenoid 55 opens, the pressurized fluid from the pump 57 opens the check valve 53 supplying pressurized fluid to the hydraulic cartridge 29. The pressurized fluid biases the stop pin 35 upwardly overcoming the bias of the spring 39 encircling the stop pin 35. The stop pin 35 moves upwardly until it contacts the top of the slot 27. However, the pressure of the pressurized fluid supplied by the pump 57 is insufficient to overcome the bias of the injector return spring 13, so the stop pin 35 will only reach its full extension, if the lifter body 19 is being lifted by the injection cam 17. When the lifter body 19 begins to return under the bias of the injector return spring 13 the pressure in the hydraulic cartridge 29 builds up above the pressure supplied by the pump 57 and the check valve 53 closes. The trapped fluid in the hydraulic cartridge 29 increases in pressure to a pressure, which will equal the bias applied by the injector return spring 13 and hold the lifter body 19 at it maximum lifted position stopping the fuel injector 11 from injecting fuel into the cylinder 7. No fuel will be injected into any of the cylinders 7 after the injection camshaft 18 has made on revolution. To reset the fuel injection shutdown system a manual reset switch 69 is activated. This sends a signal to the electronic control module 63 to energize the solenoid valve 61 to open and allows the bleed orifice 59 associated with each hydraulic cartridge 29 to bleed down the fluid pressure in each hydraulic cartridge 29 at a controlled rate. A rate which will minimize the impact of the lifter body 19 reengaging the cam 17.

Lubricating oil is the preferred hydraulic fluid, it may come from and return to a separate reservoir or a crankcase (neither of which are shown). Preferably the check valves 53 open when the supply pressure is generally about 10 psi higher than the pressure within the hydraulic cartridge 29 and close when the pressure within the hydraulic cartridge 26 is generally about 15 psi above the supply pressure. The bleed orifices 59 are preferably capillary type orifices with very small diameter openings extending a relatively long distance.

While the preferred embodiments described herein set forth the best mode to practice this invention presently contemplated by the inventors, numerous modifications and adaptations of this invention will be apparent to others of ordinary skill in the art. Therefore, the embodiments are to be considered as illustrative and exemplary and it is understood that the claims are intended to cover such modifications and adaptations as they are considered to be within the spirit and scope of this invention.

A fuel injection shutdown system, when made in accordance with this invention advantageously provides a shutdown system that will shut down a loaded engine in two revolutions when the engine's electronic control module receives a signal indicating that there has been a loss of oil pressure, the engine is over heated or any other signal that is indicative of a engine condition which will result in major damage to the engine if it continues to run. Stopping the engine rapidly protects the engine from major damage and greatly reduces costs of repair and down time on the engine.