Burner system, especially for a vehicle heater

Abstract

A burner system, especially for a vehicle heater, includes a fuel atomizer arrangement ( 20 ) for feeding fuel into a combustion chamber, a fuel pump arrangement ( 16 ) for feeding fuel, which is under pressure, to the fuel atomizer arrangement ( 20 ), as well as a pressure regulator arrangement ( 26 ) for setting the fuel pressure in a fuel line area ( 18 ) leading from the fuel pump arrangement ( 16 ) to the fuel atomizer arrangement ( 20 ). The pressure regulator arrangement ( 26 ) has a plurality of pressure regulator units ( 28, 30 ), and wherein at least some ( 28 ) of the pressure regulator units ( 28, 30 ) can be activated and deactivated to change the pressure regulation characteristic of the pressure regulator arrangement ( 26 ).

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A vehicle heater burner system, comprising: 
 a fuel atomizer arrangement for feeding fuel into a combustion chamber;    a fuel pump arrangement for feeding fuel under pressure to said fuel atomizer arrangement;    a fuel line area leading from said fuel pump arrangement to said fuel atomizer arrangement;    a pressure regulator arrangement for setting the fuel pressure in said fuel line area leading from said fuel pump arrangement to said fuel atomizer arrangement, said pressure regulator arrangement having a plurality of pressure regulator units, at least one of said pressure regulator units being activated and deactivated to change the pressure regulation characteristic of said pressure regulator arrangement.    
     
     
         2 . A vehicle heater burner system in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein said pressure regulator arrangement includes at least two said pressure regulator units with each of said at least two said pressure regulator units having different pressure regulation characteristics in relation to one another.  
     
     
         3 . A vehicle heater burner system in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein said pressure regulator arrangement includes at least two said pressure regulator units connected functionally in parallel to one another and an interuptable pressure connection between at least one of said pressure regulator units and said fuel line area.  
     
     
         4 . A vehicle heater burner system in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein at least one of said pressure regulator units changes a connection between said fuel line area and a fuel drain area as a function of a pressure prevailing in said fuel line area.  
     
     
         5 . A vehicle heater burner system in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein at least one of said pressure regulator units has a pressure regulator member that is displaceable against the action of a resetting arrangement corresponding to the fuel pressure in said fuel line area, wherein a fuel drain throttling action of said pressure regulator unit can be varied by displacing said pressure regulator member.  
     
     
         6 . A vehicle heater burner system in accordance with  claim 5 , wherein by displacing said pressure regulator member, an effective flow cross section of a fuel drain opening arrangement of said pressure regulator unit can be varied.  
     
     
         7 . A vehicle heater burner system in accordance with  claim 5 , wherein said pressure regulator member comprises a piston element, said resetting arrangement comprises a pretensioning spring, said piston element being displaced by admitting fuel pressure in a working space formed in a cylinder element against the action of the force of said pretensioning spring, wherein said working space is in connection or can be brought into connection with said fuel line area via a fuel inlet opening arrangement and is in connection or can be brought into connection with a fuel drain area via a fuel drain opening arrangement, which can be closed at least partially by said piston element as a function of a position of said piston element in said cylinder element.  
     
     
         8 . A vehicle heater burner system in accordance with  claim 6 , wherein said pressure regulator member comprises a piston element, said resetting arrangement comprises a pretensioning spring, said piston element being displaced by admitting fuel pressure in a working space formed in a cylinder element against the action of the force of said pretensioning spring, wherein said working space is in connection or can be brought into connection with said fuel line area via a fuel inlet opening arrangement and is in connection or can be brought into connection with a fuel drain area via a fuel drain opening arrangement, which can be closed at least partially by said piston element as a function of a position of said piston element in said cylinder element.  
     
     
         9 . A vehicle heater burner system in accordance with  claim 5 , wherein the resetting characteristic of said resetting arrangement can be changed by at least one of said pressure regulator units.  
     
     
         10 . A vehicle heater burner system in accordance with  claim 1 , further comprising a valve arrangement wherein at least one of said pressure regulator units can be activated and deactivated by actuating said valve arrangement.  
     
     
         11 . A burner system, comprising: 
 a fuel atomizer arrangement for feeding fuel into a combustion chamber;    a fuel pump arrangement for feeding fuel under pressure to said fuel atomizer arrangement;    a fuel line area leading from said fuel pump arrangement to said fuel atomizer arrangement;    a pressure regulator arrangement for setting the fuel pressure in said fuel line area leading from said fuel pump arrangement to said fuel atomizer arrangement, said pressure regulator arrangement including a plurality of pressure regulator units, each of said pressure regulator units being selectively connected to said fuel line area leading from said fuel pump arrangement to said fuel atomizer arrangement and being connected to a fuel reservoir via a fuel drain line to regulate a pressure level of said fuel line area leading from said fuel pump arrangement to said fuel atomizer arrangement.    
     
     
         12 . A burner system in accordance with  claim 11 , wherein said pressure regulator units each have different pressure regulation characteristics in relation to one another.  
     
     
         13 . A burner system in accordance with  claim 11 , wherein said pressure regulator arrangement includes an interuptable pressure connection between at least one of said pressure regulator units and said fuel line area and said pressure regulator units are connected functionally in parallel to one another.  
     
     
         14 . A burner system in accordance with  claim 11 , wherein at least one of said pressure regulator units changes a connection between said fuel line area and said fuel drain line as a function of a pressure prevailing in said fuel line area.  
     
     
         15 . A burner system in accordance with  claim 11 , wherein at least one of said pressure regulator units includes a resetting arrangement and a pressure regulator member that is displaceable against the action of said resetting arrangement corresponding to the fuel pressure in said fuel line area, wherein said fuel drain line provides variable throttling action of said pressure regulator unit by displacing said pressure regulator member.  
     
     
         16 . A burner system in accordance with  claim 15 , wherein by displacing said pressure regulator member, an effective flow cross section of a fuel drain opening arrangement of said pressure regulator unit can be varied.  
     
     
         17 . A burner system in accordance with  claim 15 , wherein said pressure regulator member comprises a piston element, said resetting arrangement comprises a pretensioning spring, said piston element being displaced by admitting fuel pressure in a working space formed in a cylinder element against the action of the force of said pretensioning spring, wherein said working space is in connection or can be brought into connection with said fuel line area via a fuel inlet opening arrangement and is in connection or can be brought into connection with a fuel drain area via a fuel drain opening arrangement, which can be closed at least partially by said piston element as a function of a position of said piston element in said cylinder element.  
     
     
         18 . A burner system in accordance with  claim 16 , wherein said pressure regulator member comprises a piston element, said resetting arrangement comprises a pretensioning spring, said piston element being displaced by admitting fuel pressure in a working space formed in a cylinder element against the action of the force of said pretensioning spring, wherein said working space is in connection or can be brought into connection with said fuel line area via a fuel inlet opening arrangement and is in connection or can be brought into connection with a fuel drain area via a fuel drain opening arrangement, which can be closed at least partially by said piston element as a function of a position of said piston element in said cylinder element.  
     
     
         19 . A burner system in accordance with  claim 15 , wherein the resetting characteristic of said resetting arrangement can be changed by at least one of said pressure regulator units.  
     
     
         20 . A burner system in accordance with  claim 11 , further comprising a valve arrangement wherein at least one of said pressure regulator units can be activated and deactivated by actuating said valve arrangement.