FUEL DISTRIBUTOR RAIL AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING SAME

Abstract

A fuel distributor rail for a fuel injection system for an internal combustion engine in motor vehicles, in particular for gasoline engines. The fuel distributor rail comprises a main tube, wherein the main tube has a fuel channel extending in the longitudinal direction of the main tube. The main tube comprises at least two outlet openings, wherein the outlet openings branch off the fuel channel. A connecting element is arranged on the main tube, wherein the connecting element has an attachment wall that rests against the main tube. The connecting element is connected to the main tube in a material bonded manner and comprises at least two connecting pieces. The connecting pieces have a connecting channel each for the fluidic connection of an outlet opening to each injection nozzle.

Claims

1. A fuel distributor rail for injecting fuel into internal combustion engines in motor vehicles, comprising a main tube, wherein the main tube comprises a fuel channel extending in the longitudinal direction of the main tube, wherein the main tube comprises at least two outlet openings, wherein the outlet openings branch off the fuel channel, wherein a connecting element is arranged on the main tube, wherein the connecting element has an attachment wall resting against the main tube, wherein the connecting element is connected to the main tube in a material bonded manner, wherein the connecting element has at least two connecting pieces, wherein the connecting pieces respectively have a connecting channel for the fluidic connection of an outlet opening to an injection nozzle.

2. A fuel distributor rail according to claim 1, wherein the connecting element comprises steel.

3. A fuel distributor rail according to claim 1, wherein the main tube comprises steel.

4. A fuel distributor rail according to claim 1, wherein the connecting element is attached to the main tube by brazing.

5. A fuel distributor rail according to claim 1, wherein the connecting element only in part encompasses the main tube at least sectionwise longitudinally.

6. A fuel distributor rail according to claim 1, wherein a longitudinal axis of at least one connecting piece is in one plane with the longitudinal axis of fuel channel.

7. A fuel distributor rail according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the connecting pieces has an inner wall, which inner wall forms the connecting channel, wherein the inner wall is integrally configured with the at least one connecting piece and wherein the inner wall is the innermost wall.

8. A fuel distributor rail according to claim 1, wherein at least one connecting socket is allocated to the connecting piece, which connecting socket is at least sectionwise parallel to the at least one connecting piece.

9. A fuel distributor rail according to claim 1, wherein the main tube has a wall thickness of at least 1.0 mm, preferably 1.5 mm, and especially preferably 2.0 mm.

10. A fuel distributor rail according to claim 1, wherein the connecting element comprises a forged part.

11. A fuel distributor rail according to claim 1, wherein the attachment wall comprises at least one window-like opening.

12. A fuel distributor rail according to claim 1, wherein the inner diameter of one of the connecting channels is at least larger than the diameter of the allocated outlet opening by at least a factor of 1.2.

13. A fuel distributor rail according to claim 1, wherein the connecting pieces and/or connecting channels only have one longitudinal axis each.

14. A fuel distributor rail according to claim 1, wherein the fuel distributor rail is configured such that a maximum pressure of 1,500 bar can be applied thereto.

15. A method for manufacturing a fuel distributor rail, in particular a fuel distributor rail according to claim 1, wherein a main tube having a fuel channel extending in the longitudinal direction of the main tube is provided, wherein at least two outlet openings are drilled into the main tube, so that the outlet openings branch off the fuel channel, wherein a connecting element is arranged on the main tube, so that an attachment wall of the connecting element rests against the main tube, wherein the connecting element is connected to the main tube in a material bonded manner, wherein the connecting element has at least two connecting pieces, wherein the connecting pieces respectively have a connecting channel for the fluidic connection of an outlet opening to an injection nozzle.

16. A method for manufacturing a fuel distributor rail comprising: providing a main tube having a fuel channel extending in the longitudinal direction of the main tube; drilling at least two outlet openings into the main tube so that the outlet openings branch off the fuel channel; arranging a connecting element on the main tube so that an attachment wall of the connecting element rests against the main tube; and connecting the connecting element to the main tube in a material bonded manner, wherein the connecting element has at least two connecting pieces, wherein the connecting pieces respectively have a connecting channel for the fluidic connection of an outlet opening to an injection nozzle.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a main tube of a fuel distributor rail according to the present invention;

[0025] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a connecting element of the fuel distributor rail, and;

[0026] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the assembled fuel distributor rail, comprising the main tube from FIG. 1 and the connecting element from FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] FIG. 1 shows a main tube 1 of a fuel distributor rail according to the present disclosure. The main tube 1 has a fuel channel 2 extending in the longitudinal direction of the main tube. Four outlet openings 3 having a diameter of, for example, 4 mm branch off this fuel channel 2. Owing to the perspective view, it is not evident that there is still another inlet opening on the back side of the main tube 1. The main tube 1 is made of austenitic steel, has a wall thickness of, for example, 3 mm, and an exemplary inner diameter of 20 mm.

[0028] FIG. 2 shows a connecting element 4 which is placed on the main tube 1 from FIG. 1. In this context, one connecting piece 6 is allocated to each outlet opening 3 of the main tube 1. The connecting pieces 6 fluidically connect the outlet openings 3 and thus the fuel channel 2 to the respective injection nozzles (not shown) via connecting channels 7. A connecting socket 8 is respectively allocated to the connecting pieces 6, wherein the longitudinal axes of the connecting sockets 8 are parallel to the longitudinal axes of the connecting pieces 6. Each connecting socket 8 contacts the connecting piece 6 allocated thereto, so that they share a common wall. An inner diameter of the connecting pieces 6, or a diameter of the connecting channels 7, is for example, 12 mm.

[0029] The connecting element 4 is configured such that it can rest against the main tube 1, for which it has an attachment wall 5. In this embodiment, the attachment wall 5 has an intermediate area 12 between each of the four connecting pieces 6, which intermediate area 12 is relatively thin. The thickness of the attachment wall 5 in the intermediate areas 12 is, for example, 3 mm. Furthermore, each of the three intermediate areas 12 has windows 9 which are each separated from one another by a web 13. The connecting element 4 ideally is entirely made of austenitic steel. Thus, the connecting pieces 6 and the connecting sockets 8 are, in particular, also integrally connected to the attachment wall 5. The connecting element of this exemplary embodiment was made by die forging. In a subsequent step, the connecting channels 7 are made by drilling or deep drilling.

[0030] The main tube 1 and the connecting element 4 are joined by brazing. A fuel distributor rail of this kind is shown in FIG. 3. The main tube 1 has been sealed at its ends by means of plugs 10. Moreover, the inlet piece 11 has been brazed onto the main tube 1, such that a fluidic connection of the inlet opening to a fuel line (not shown) is possible.