New patent granted for: Fuel Pump and Inlet Valve Assembly Thereof

A fuel pump includes a fuel pump housing with a pumping chamber; a pumping plunger which reciprocates within a plunger bore; and an inlet valve. The inlet valve includes a valve body having a valve body bore; an inlet passage; and an outlet passage. The inlet valve also includes a check valve which moves between a seated position and an unseated position, wherein the seated position prevents flow through the outlet passage into the valve body bore and the unseated position permits flow through the outlet passage such that the valve body bore is in fluid communication with the pumping chamber. The inlet valve also includes a valve spool which moves between a first position where the valve spool maintains the check valve member in the unseated position and a second position where the check valve member is able to move to the seated position.