Piston cooling jet for an internal combustion engine

Abstract

A piston cooling jet for an internal combustion engine includes a body having a coolant duct extending between a coolant duct inlet and a coolant duct outlet fluidly connected to a coolant nozzle. The piston cooling jet includes a plunger having a plunger stem and a plunger head. The plunger is movable within the coolant duct of the body between a closing position that closes the coolant duct inlet and an opening position that opens the coolant duct inlet. The piston cooling jet further includes a biasing spring coupled to the plunger to bias it towards the closing position. A plunger coolant channel has an inlet at the plunger head and an outlet at the plunger stem, channeling coolant downstream of the plunger head when the plunger is in the opening position.

1 - 11 . (canceled) 
     
     
         12 . A piston cooling jet for an internal combustion engine comprising:
 a body having a coolant duct extending between a coolant duct inlet and a coolant duct outlet and fluidly connected to a coolant nozzle;   a plunger including a plunger stem, a plunger head and at least one plunger coolant channel having a channel inlet at the plunger head and a channel outlet at the plunger stem; and   a biasing spring arranged within the coolant duct and biasing the plunger towards the closing position;   wherein the plunger is configured to move within the coolant duct between a closing position wherein the plunger head closes the coolant duct inlet and an opening position wherein the plunger head spaced from the coolant duct inlet to open the coolant duct for channeling coolant downstream of the plunger head.   
     
     
         13 . The piston cooling jet according to  claim 12 , wherein at least part of the plunger coolant channel comprises a recess provided in at least one of the plunger stem or the plunger head. 
     
     
         14 . The piston cooling jet according to  claim 13 , wherein at least one of the plunger stem or the plunger head comprising a cross-shaped cross section with respect to a plunger longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         15 . The piston cooling jet according to  claim 12 , wherein at least part of the plunger coolant channel comprises a duct provided within at least one of said plunger stem or said plunger head. 
     
     
         16 . The piston cooling jet according to  claim 12 , wherein said biasing spring comprising a coil spring coupled to at least a portion of a lateral surface of the plunger steam, wherein at least part of the plunger coolant channel extends within an inner hollow space of the coil spring. 
     
     
         17 . The piston cooling jet according to  claim 12 , wherein the plunger comprising a plurality of plunger coolant channels. 
     
     
         18 . The piston cooling jet according to  claim 12 , wherein a portion of the plunger coolant channel at the plunger head is arranged substantially perpendicular with respect to a plunger longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         19 . The piston cooling jet according to  claim 12 , wherein a portion of the plunger coolant channel at the plunger head is inclined with respect to a plunger longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         20 . The piston cooling jet according to  claim 12 , wherein a portion of the plunger coolant channel at the plunger steam is arranged substantially parallel with respect to a plunger longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         21 . The piston cooling jet according to  claim 12 , wherein the plunger head is dimensioned so that, in the opening position, the plunger is distanced from the coolant duct inlet by a distance that is less than a height of the plunger head. 
     
     
         22 . The piston cooling jet according to  claim 12 , wherein the coolant duct comprises a plunger abutting portion, the plunger head contacting said plunger abutting portion in said opening position. 
     
     
         23 . An internal combustion engine comprising:
 an engine block defining a cylinder;   a reciprocating piston disposed in the cylinder and coupled to a crankshaft;   a cylinder head closing the cylinder to define a combustion chamber; and   a piston cooling jet including a body having a coolant duct extending between a coolant duct inlet and a coolant duct outlet and fluidly connected to a coolant nozzle, a plunger including a plunger stem, a plunger head and at least one plunger coolant channel having a channel inlet at the plunger head and a channel outlet at the plunger stem, and a biasing spring arranged within the coolant duct and biasing the plunger towards the closing position;   wherein the plunger is configured to move within the coolant duct between a closing position wherein the plunger head closes the coolant duct inlet and an opening position wherein the plunger head spaced from the coolant duct inlet to open the coolant duct for channeling coolant downstream of the plunger head, through the coolant nozzle towards an underside of the pistons in the cylinder of the engine block.