WO2000063552A1

WO2000063552A1 - Device and method for cleaning of internal combustion engine fuel injector

Info

Publication number: WO2000063552A1
Application number: PCT/GE1999/000004
Authority: WO
Inventors: Grigoli Kvaratskhelia
Original assignee: Grigoli Kvaratskhelia
Priority date: 1999-04-20
Filing date: 1999-05-05
Publication date: 2000-10-26
Also published as: AU3621699A

Abstract

A cleaning device (1) comprises a body (2), a cleaning liquid reservoir (3), a pump (4), a pressure pipe-line (9-10), cleaning chambers (5-6) with a place for fixing of at least one electric and mechanical injectors. Whereas, the device is provided with the fixtures for electric injector filter removing and installation and for displacing of the needle at cleaning of the mechanical injector. A method for cleaning of an internal combustion engine injector provides for removing the filter from the electric injector and cleaning it separately, and at cleaning of the mechanical injector it is initially cleaned from the side of the spray head, afterwards the cleaning liquid is fed to the injector in the direction of fuel feeding.

Description

DEVICE AND METHOD FOR CLEANING OF INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE FUEL INJECTOR

The present invention refers to engine-building, in particular, to the means for repair of internal combustion engines and for technical service, and can be used for cleaning of internal combustion engine injectors The cleaning of internal combustion engine is possible without removing of an injector from engine, by feeding thereof under pressure a cleaning liquid, for example fuel-aqueous emulsion. In this case, the quality and efficiency of cleaning is low, as the pollution removed at cleaning flows down into the engine, that effects negatively the further operation of engine. Whereas, the emulsion at occurring in the low pressure canal laminates quickly. The lamination of emulsion causes the insufficiently dozed ratio of water and fuel, that reduces the cleaning efficiency. In order to facilitate the injector cleaning, the injectors are cleaned removed from engines.

There is known a device for technical service and cleaning of internal combustion engine electric injectors. The device comprises a body, a cleaning liquid reservoir, a pump, an injector cleaning chamber at least with one place for fixing an electric injector, a pressure pipe-line for feeding under pressure of cleaning liquid from the pump to at least one electric injector, a pipe-line for returning of spent cleaning liquid to the reservoir; besides, the device has a control desk mounted on the body for feeding the alternating voltage and liquid under alternating pressure to the injector, whereas, the device comprises means for applying voltage on at least one electric injector and for operating of injector in pulse regime [1].

The deficiency of said device is, that cleaning of electric injectors is conducted without removing of the filter from injectors. The filters cleaned by means of said device remain partially clogged. Besides, it is impossible to clean mechanical injectors together with electric injectors, and proceeding from the mentioned the usage of this device in car repair centers is less efficient. The cleaning quality of injector cleaned with said device is low, as the mechanic injectors are not cleaned from the side of spray head and there is no fixture for conducting of mentioned. The purpose of present invention is increasing of injector cleaning quality with better removal of pollution from filters. In domestic conditions or service sphere, removal and installation of filter from electric injector, or displacement of needle at cleaning of mechanical injector is possible by means of many methods and various metalwork tools, which in many cases causes the damage of filter and needle and has a negative effect on further operation properties of injectors. There is known a metalwork fixture for fixing or removing of a body in a hole or hollow, comprising member with jaws gripping the inner surface of the body. Such a fixture can be used for electric injector filter removing and installation.

The deficiency of the fixture is, that the usage of such a fixture for electric injector filter removing and installation can worsen significantly the operation indices of injector as the possibility of damaging the filter inner walls is very great, and reliable accurate fixing of the filter in the injector is small [2].

There is also known a fixture for displacement of a needle at cleaning of mechanical injector, comprising a longitudinal member having a contact end with needle. Whereas, the longitudinal member is capable of cyclic displacement of needle.

The deficiency of said fixture is the construction complexity. Besides, usage of such fixtures at cleaning of mechanical injectors reduces the cleaning process efficiency, as at cyclic displacement of injector needle the injector body hollow is not cleaned completely, the carbon formed at operation of injector in the engine operation mode is not removed, that in its turn effects the further operation properties of injector [3].

There is known a method for cleaning of injector, which provides for feeding of cleaning liquid under pressure to the hollow of injector body removed from the engine [4]. The deficiency of said method is the cleaning low efficiency, as the feeding of cleaning liquid under pressure to the injector body hollow is conducted without removing the filter from injector, due to which the filter and injector are not cleaned completely, and at cleaning of mechanical injector the carbon formed on the needle head is not removed and the needle seat completely washed, that finally reduces the operation characteristics of injectors. The technical result of the invention is in widening of functional capabilities, increasing of cleaning efficiency and quality.

The technical result is achieved by, that a cleaning device of internal combustion engine comprises a body, a cleaning liquid reservoir, a chamber for cleaning the injector with a place for fixing at least one injector, a pump, a pressure pipe-line for feeding the cleaning liquid under pressure from the pump to electric injector, whereas the device comprises additionally a cleaning chamber for at least one injector, with a place for fixing at least one injector, a pressure pipe-line for feeding the cleaning liquid under pressure from the pump to at least one mechanical injector, fixtures for electric injector filter removing and installation and for displacement of a needle for cleaning of mechanical injectors.

Besides, the device can be provided with a compressed air source connected with the pressure pipe-line for feeding the air along with cleaning liquid under pressure at cleaning of the mechanical injector from the side of spray head, with means capable of cleaning the injector installed in a vehicle, with a capacity for cleaning separately the electric injector filter, with electric-control means for control of injector cleaning process, whereas the fixture for electric injector filter removing and installation is made with the capability of fixing on the body, and the cleaning chambers are made of transparent material for visual control on cleaning process.

A fixture for electric injector filter removing and installation is made of two immobile and mobile parts, the immobile part has a place for fixing the injector, and on the mobile part are disposed the members with jaws gripping the filter inner walls, whereas the fixture mobile part is capable of longitudinal displacement in respect to the immobile part, and the members having jaws gripping the filter inner walls are capable of moving apart in respect to one another. Besides, said members with gripping jaws can be made as coupled levers. A fixture for displacing of needle for cleaning the mechanical injector comprises a longitudinal member having a contact end with needle, on said contact end an axial, open shaped cut-out is formed for disposing of a needle head and body, whereas the form of said end is such that is capable of engaging the needle at disposing of fixture axis under an angle in respect to the injector axis and is capable of raising the needle and of fixing the needle in the raised position by sliding of the end engaged with needle over the body at alignment of the fixture axis with injector axis. The fixture can comprise an axial through hole, for passing the cleaning liquid for cleaning the needle head, and on the longitudinal member can be made the windows connected with the through hole. The configuration or the form of said contact end can be different, e.g. rounded.

A method for cleaning the internal combustion engine injectors provides for feeding the cleaning liquid under pressure to the body hollow of electric and/or mechanical injectors removed from the engine, in the direction of feeding the fuel, whereas before feeding the cleaning liquid to the electric injector body hollow, the filter is removed from the injector and after cleaning them separately the filter is installed in the injector body, in the mechanical injector body hollow the cleaning liquid initially is fed from the side of spray head, for which the fixture for displacement the needle is used for raising the needle and fixing it in the raised position during the liquid feeding period. The compressed air together with the cleaning liquid is fed under pressure at cleaning the mechanical injector from the side of spray head, feeding of the cleaning liquid and/or compressed air to the mechanical injector from the side of spray head is conducted through the fixture displacing the needle at cleaning of the injector. Providing of the device with electric and mechanical injector cleaning chambers, with the fixtures for electric injector filter removing and installation and for displacement of needle at cleaning the mechanical injector, with the means for cleaning the injector without removing it from the vehicle engine, increases significantly the device functional capabilities. As it provides for simultaneous cleaning of electric and mechanical injectors removed from the engine, as well as the injectors in the vehicle internal combustion engine. This increases its usage efficiency in the car repair centers, whereas usage of the fixtures for electric injector filter removing and installation and for displacement of needle at cleaning the mechanical injector increases significantly the cleaning quality of the injector, as separate cleaning of the filter removed from the electric and of the electric injector released from filter enables to achieve better results, whereas usage of the fixture enables to prevent the filter damage at removing and installation, and by means of the fixture for displacement of the needle at cleaning of the mechanical injector it is possible to clean the injector from the side of spray head. The fixture retains the needle in the raised position and provides for directing of the cleaning liquid stream not only into the injector body hollow, but on the needle head as well, for cleaning said head from carbon. The usage of these fixtures provides for prevention of filter and needle damage and for easing the operation.

The providing of the device with a compressed air source enables to clean the mechanical injector efficiently, as at its cleaning from the side of spray head by means of feeding the compressed air along with cleaning liquid the sediment from the walls of the filter placed in the mechanical injector body is removed completely.

At cleaning of the mechanical injector, its initial cleaning from the side of spray head provides for increase of cleaning quality and efficiency. As we have already mentioned, feeding of the air along with the cleaning liquid under pressure provides for maximum removing of the pollution from the outer walls of the filter disposed in the mechanical body hollow, and the sediment on the inner walls of the filter is removed at feeding the cleaning liquid to the injector in the direction of feeding the fuel.

The present invention is described by means of the drawings. Fig. 1 shows the common view of the device;

Fig. 2 - the fixture for electric injector filter removing and installation; Fig. 3 - the fixture for displacement of the needle for cleaning of the mechanical injector.

A device 1 for cleaning an internal combustion engine injector (fig. 1) comprises a body 2, a cleaning liquid reservoir 3, a pump 4, chambers 5-6 for cleaning the injector, respectively with a place for fixing of at least one electric injector 7 and a place for fixing of at least one mechanical injector 8, a pressure pipe-line 9-10, for feeding of the cleaning liquid under pressure from the pump respectively to electric and mechanical injectors, a pipe-line 11-12 for returning of the spent liquid to the reservoir from the cleaning chambers, a compressed air source 13, which by pipe-line is connected with a pipe-line 14 for feeding the cleaning liquid at cleaning of the mechanical injector from the side of spray head; cocks 15, 16, 17 for feeding and turning off the cleaning liquid in the preferable direction, whereas the device is provided with fixtures 18, 19 for electric injector filter removing and installation and for displacement of needle at cleaning the mechanical injector. Besides, the device has a capacity 20 for cleaning separately of the filter removed from the electric injector, means 21, 22 for applying the voltage on electric injector, for its operation in pulse regime and for cleaning the injectors installed in the vehicle, an electric-control means 23 are mounted on the body, made as the devices for control 24 of the electric injector operation and indicating 25 the pressure in the system.

The cleaning chambers in the device can be made of transparent material for visual control of injector cleaning and operation, and the compressed air source - as a compressor and air cylinder connected with it, as it is shown on fig. 1. The means for cleaning the injector without removing it from the internal combustion engine is made as a pipe-line for feeding the cleaning liquid under pressure, and as a fixed thereof head for connecting with the engine supply source and a pipe-line for returning the spent cleaning liquid to the reservoir.

Along with the mentioned the device is provided with filters and check valves for its efficient operation. The cleaning liquid reservoir can be made of two parts, where one part is connected with the other by the filter, whereas the pump is installed in one part, and with the other the pipe-line for returning the spent cleaning liquid from the cleaning chamber is connected.

The device operates in the following way: after work of the pump 4 the cleaning liquid by pressure pipe-line 9-10 is fed under pressure to the electric and mechanical injectors cleaning chambers. At this time the cocks 15, 16, 17 are turned off. From electric injector removed from the internal combustion engine by means of the fixture 18 the filter is removed and placed in the capacity 20 for separate cleaning. Electric injector is fixed in the cleaning chamber 5. Further after applying the voltage on at least one injector and turning on the cock 14 the cleaning liquid is supplied. The visual control on spraying process and on injector operation is conducted in the chamber, and the operation of the injector is controlled by means of the control device 24. Whereas, it is made so, that on the scale has the number of points corresponding to the number of places for fixing the electric injectors in the chamber. When the arrow shows the points less than the number of electric injectors in the cleaning chamber, this indicates the damage of injectors. The damaged injector is revealed by applying and relieving the voltage thereof. After cleaning the injectors are replaced from the cleaning chamber and by said fixture 18 the filter is installed therein. At cleaning of the mechanical injector fixed in the mechanical injector cleaning chamber the cock 16 is turned on, the cleaning liquid is fed under pressure to the injectors. As it was conducted in the case of electric injectors, the visual control is carried out in the chamber due to its transparent material.

It must be marked, that the cleaning process of electric and mechanical injectors can be conducted simultaneously by turning on the cocks 15, 16.

Besides, the mechanical injectors can be cleaned on the device from the side of the spray head. With this purpose the mechanical injector 8 is not fixed in the cleaning chamber, but on the chamber wall, as it is shown on fig. 1. The injector is fixed so, that the cleaning liquid is discharged in the cleaning chamber. After fixing the mechanical injector by means of the fixture 8 the injector needle is raised so, that the fixture 8 engaged with the needle head remains fixed on the injector, provided by the special construction of the fixture. Further the pipe-line 14 is set on said injectors so, that the fixture is disposed in said pipe-line 14. Then the cock 17 is turned on and the cleaning liquid is fed under pressure to the injector. The air is supplied under pressure from the compressed air source, e.g. cylinder, by turning on the cock mounted on the cylinder. By feeding the compressed air together with the cleaning liquid the mechanical injector head, seat and the filter installed in the mechanical injector are cleaned. After ending the cleaning process the cock 17 is turned off, the feeding of the cleaning liquid is stopped.

At cleaning of the injectors installed in the vehicle internal combustion engine the head 27 is connected with the engine feeding system so, that during the cleaning process the fuel is not fed to the engine. Further, by turning on the cock

(not shown) the cleaning liquid is fed, which after cleaning is returned to one of the cleaning chambers, and from the chamber to the reservoir 3.

The fixture 7 for electric injector filter removing and installation consists of mobile 28 and immobile 29 parts, the mobile part is capable of longitudinal displacement in respect to the immobile part by a handle 30. The fixture immobile part has a place 31 for fixing the electric injector, and on the mobile part the members with jaws gripping the electric injector filter inner walls are placed, said members can be made as coupled levers (fig. 3). Said levers are capable of moving apart in respect to one another. By means of said fixture the filter from the electric injector is removed and installed as follows: the electric injector is fixed on the electric injector fixing place 31 made on the immobile part. Further, the mobile par by rotation of the handle 30 is moved in the direction of the immobile part, at this time the couple of levers 32 are abutting against one another. After entering injector filter the lever jaws griping with the filter walls, rotation of the handle 30 is stopped, due to which the movement of the mobile part stops. By rotating the handle 33 the levers move apart till the lever jaws abut tightly against the filter inner walls. Then the rotation of the handle 33 is stopped and the handle 30 is rotated in the opposite direction, in result the filter gripped by the lever jaws is removed from the electric injector body. The installation of the filter in the injector is the return process with the difference, that the installation of the filter in the body by moving of the fixture mobile part and by rotating the handle 33 in reverse direction moving apart the levers, after placing the filter in the injector body the handle 30 is turned slightly for tight fixing of the filter in the injector body. The fixture 8 for displacement of the needle at mechanical injector cleaning process the longitudinal member 34 having the contact end 36 with the needle 35. On said contact end the axial, open shaped cut-out 37 is made for disposing of the needle head 38 and body, it has through axial hole 40 and windows 41 connected thereof. Said contact end is rounded.

By means of said fixture the mechanical injector needle is displaced in the following way: to provide the engagement of open shaped cut-out 37 with the needle head the fixture axis is inclined in respect to the injector axis, in the cut-out 37 the part of the needle head is placed, the needle shall lift partially from the injector, further the fixture is affected so, that the contact end shall slide over the injector surface. At this moment the longitudinal member is forced in the direction of reducing the angle between the fixture axis and injector axis till their axes are aligned. In result the needle head 37 and part of the body are placed in the shaped cut-out. After releasing the fixture it retains the position and remains fixed on the injector. The fixation is provided by the contact end 36 form and the spring placed in the injector, which resists to the needle raising up. The replacing of the fixture mounted on the mechanical injector is the return process to the described above.

The fixture for displacing the mechanical injector needle operates as follows: after mounting the fixture 8 on the injector the cleaning liquid pipe-line is set on the injector so, that said fixture remains in the pipe-line (fig. 3), at feeding of the cleaning liquid under pressure the liquid by the through hole falls down the mechanical injector head 38, in result the carbon formed during the injector operation process is cleaned. Besides, the cleaning liquid is fed to the fixture hollow by means of windows 41. Whereas, the fixture construction is such, that the liquid stream fed under pressure reaches not only the fixture 8 hollow, but flows out of it (see the directions indicated by the arrow on the fig. 3) and by means of the liquid stream the injector hollow and the filter disposed therein are cleaned.

A method for cleaning the injector provides for the following: at cleaning of the electric injector removed form the internal combustion engine the filter is removed from the injector. The filter removed by the fixture for filter removing and installation and the electric injector released of the filter are cleaned separately. After cleaning the filter is fixed in the injector by using the same fixture. At cleaning of mechanical injector removed from the internal combustion engine initially its cleaning is conducted from the side of the spray head, for which the fixture for displacement of mechanical injector needle is used. Due to the special construction of fixture, as it was described above, the needle is raised from the mechanical injector and fixed in the raised position, then the cleaning liquid is fed to the injector body hollow, whereas the air is fed under pressure from the compressed air source together with the cleaning liquid.

The cleaning liquid to the mechanical injector hollow is fed via the fixture as well, with the purpose of feeding the cleaning liquid to the injector body hollow and of cleaning by the cleaning liquid stream of the body hollow. After cleaning the injector from the side of mechanical injector spray head the cleaning liquid is fed to the injector body hollow in the direction of the fuel flow in the injector.

One of the concrete examples of the method is the operation principle of above described device with the difference, that initially the mechanical injector is cleaned from the side of the injector spray head.

Said method enables to increase the cleaning efficiency and reduce the injector pollution.

REFERENCE

1. PCT WO/90/01623, 22.02.90, F 02 B 77/04, F 02 M 65/00

2. "Tvoij Rabocij Instrument" E. Muspin. M., 1967, p. 64 (Rus.)

3. SU Cert. N 1038531, 30.08.83, publ. Bull. N 32, F 02 M 65/00

4. SU Cert. N 1038531, 30.08.83, publ. Bull. N 32, F 02 M 65/00

Claims

C L A I M S

1. A device for cleaning of an internal combustion engine injector comprising a body, a cleaning liquid reservoir, an injector cleaning chamber with a place for fixing at least one electric injector, a pump, a pressure pipe-line for feeding the cleaning liquid under pressure from the pump to electric injector, wherein it additionally comprises at least one mechanical injector cleaning chamber with a place for fixing at least one mechanical injector, a pressure pipe-line for feeding the cleaning liquid under pressure from the pump to at least one mechanical injector, whereas the device is provided with fixtures for electric injector filter removing and installation and for displacement of a needle at cleaning of mechanical injector.

2. The device according to claim 1 wherein to the pressure pipe-line is connected additionally a compressed air source, for feeding the air together with the cleaning liquid at cleaning the mechanical injector from the side of a spray head.

3. The device according to claims 1-2 wherein it is provided with means capable of cleaning the injector mounted on a vehicle.

4. The device according to claims 1, 2, 3 wherein it is provided with a capacity for separate cleaning of the filter removed from the electric injector.

5. The device according to claims 1-4 wherein the fixture for electric injector filter removing and installation is made capable of fixation on the body.

6. The device according to claims 1-5 wherein it is provided with electric control means for supervision-control over the injector cleaning process.

7. The device according to claims 1-6 wherein the injector cleaning chambers are made of transparent material for visual control over the cleaning process.

8. A fixture for electric injector filter for removing and installation comprising members with jaws gripping the electric filter inner walls wherein the fixture is made of two mobile and immobile parts, the immobile part has an injector fixing place, and the members with the gripping jaws are disposed on the mobile part, whereas the fixture mobile part is capable of longitudinal displacement in respect to the immobile part, and the members with the jaws gripping the filter inner walls are capable of moving apart in respect to one another.

9. The fixture according to claim 8 wherein the members with the jaws for gripping the electric injector filter inner walls are made as coupled levers.

10. A fixture for displacement of a needle at cleaning of the mechanical injector comprising a longitudinal element with the needle, wherein on the contact end with the needle is made an axial, open shaped cut-out for disposing of the needle head and body, whereas the form of said end is such, that is capable of engagement with the needle at placing the fixture axis under the angle to the injector axis and capable of raising the needle and fixing of the needle in the raised position by sliding the end engaged with the needle over the injector body at alignment of the fixture axis with the injector axis.

11. The fixture according to claim 10 wherein it has a through axial hole for passing the cleaning liquid of the needle head.

12. The fixture according to claims 10-11 wherein on the longitudinal member are made the windows connected with the through hole.

13. The fixture according to claims 10-11 wherein the contact end with the needle is rounded.

14. A method for cleaning of internal combustion engine injector, which provides for feeding the cleaning liquid under pressure to the hollow of the electric and/or mechanical injector body removed from the engine in the direction of fuel feeding, wherein before feeding the cleaning liquid to the electric injector body hollow, the filter is removed from the injector and is cleaned separately, and initially the feeding of the cleaning liquid under pressure to the mechanical injector body is conducted from the side of the spray head, for the purpose the needle displacing fixture is used for fixing it in the raised position during raising of the needle and feeding the liquid.

15. The method according to claim 14 wherein the fixture for electric injector filter removing and installation is used.

16. The method according to claims 14-15 wherein the compressed air is fed together with the cleaning liquid at cleaning of the mechanical injector from the side of the spray head.

17. The method according to claims 14-16 wherein the feeding of cleaning liquid and/or compressed air to the mechanical injector from the side of the spray head is conducted via the fixture displacing needle.