US 12,037,967 B2
Fuel injector having nozzle spray holes with grooves
Ross A. Phillips, Columbus, IN (US); Jordan P. Steele, Franklin, IN (US); Frank Husmeier, Columbus, IN (US); and Bryan D. Rollin, Mooresville, IN (US)
Assigned to Cummins Inc., Columbus, IN (US)
Filed by Cummins Inc., Columbus, IN (US)
Filed on Jul. 21, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/381,251.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/067,527, filed on Aug. 19, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0056874 A1, Feb. 24, 2022
Int. Cl. F02M 61/16 (2006.01); B05B 1/34 (2006.01); F02M 53/04 (2006.01); F02M 61/18 (2006.01)
CPC F02M 53/04 (2013.01) [B05B 1/3405 (2013.01); F02M 61/163 (2013.01); F02M 61/18 (2013.01); F02M 61/1846 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of forming a portion of a nozzle for an injector, comprising:
forming at least one spray hole within the nozzle, the at least one spray hole having a length extending from an inlet end located within the nozzle to an outlet end located on an outer surface of the nozzle, and the at least one spray hole having an inner surface forming a channel extending along the length from the inlet end to the outlet end; and
forming a plurality of grooves in the inner surface of the at least one spray hole so that each of the plurality of grooves defines a recessed portion of the channel that extends in a helical configuration, each of the plurality of grooves being formed in the inner surface to extend in the helical configuration from a first end to a second end thereof so that each of the plurality of grooves extends along only a portion of the length of the at least one spray hole and less than a full rotation about the at least one spray hole, and the plurality of grooves are separated from one another by a plurality of lands that form non-recessed portions of the channel, each of the plurality of lands extending in a helical configuration from a first end thereof at the first ends of adjacent ones of the plurality of grooves to a second end thereof at the second ends of the adjacent ones of the plurality of grooves, wherein the helical configuration of each of the plurality of grooves is configured to induce a rotational flow to fluid flowing through the at least one spray hole.