FUEL PUMP

A GDi fuel pump comprising an inlet valve assembly arranged in an inlet passage of the pump housing. The inlet valve assembly comprises a check valve comprising a seat member cooperating with a valve member; and an actuator assembly having a needle assembly reciprocally moveable by means of a magnetic field to actuated the valve member. The needle assembly includes an actuating needle, an armature, a washer with a plurality of through holes and an obturating member. The obturating member comprises a plurality of flexible blades, each blade comprising an obturating pad configured to be moveable between a rest position, wherein the obturating pad rests on the washer and closes a respective through hole thereof, and a raised position, raised from the washer when the needle moves away from the check valve. Each obturating pad comprises a plurality of openings, the cumulative cross-sections of the openings in a respective pad representing a fraction of the flow cross-section through the respective hole in the washer.