Solenoid valve assembly with pilot pressure control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10508964-B2
Application number	US-201615349442-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 11, 2016
Priority date	Mar 14, 2013
Publication date	Dec 17, 2019
Grant date	Dec 17, 2019

Abstract

A valve assembly includes a valve body with an interior cavity and one or more supply ports, a control port, and an exhaust port each fluidly connected to the interior cavity. An armature assembly is movable within the interior cavity from a first position to a second position in response to the coil being energized. In some configurations, a regulator body, which is connected to the valve body, has an exhaust passage fluidly connected to the exhaust port. A regulator valve in the regulator body prevents fluid flow out of the exhaust passage when fluid pressure on the regulator valve is at or below a pilot pressure. The regulator valve permits fluid flow out of the exhaust passage when fluid pressure on the regulator valve is greater than the pilot pressure. The valve body is configured to provide fluid from the supply port/ports to the control port.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A solenoid valve assembly comprising:
a valve body defining an interior cavity and a supply port and a control port each fluidly connected to the interior cavity;
a selectively energizable coil defining an interior core;
an armature assembly configured to move within the interior cavity between a first position and a second position responsive to the coil being energized, the armature assembly and the valve body being cooperatively configured to regulate fluid flow from the supply port to the control port when the armature assembly is in the first or second position; and
a pole piece at least partially disposed within the interior core of the coil adjacent the armature assembly, the pole piece including a pole piece body with a flange projecting from the pole piece body, the flange abutting the valve body and including a chamfered portion; and
a seal establishing a fluid seal between the valve body and the pole piece,
wherein the valve body and the chamfered portion of the flange cooperatively define a fluid leak path configured to pass air therethrough responsive to an inadvertent leak in the fluid seal.

2. The solenoid valve assembly of claim 1 , wherein the pole piece body is cylindrical and includes an enlarged-diameter head segment at one end of the pole piece, the enlarged-diameter head segment defining a recessed groove within which is seated the fluid seal, and wherein the flange is toroidal, spaced from the recessed groove, and projects radially outward from the pole piece body.

3. The solenoid valve assembly of claim 1 , wherein the flange includes a first surface seated against the valve body and a second surface generally orthogonal with and adjoining the first surface.

4. The solenoid valve assembly of claim 1 , wherein the chamfered portion includes an arcuate cove chamfer.

5. The solenoid valve assembly of claim 1 , wherein the flange projects from the pole piece body to define a continuous rim, and the chamfered portion includes a plurality of discrete chamfered portions spaced apart from each other around a perimeter of the continuous rim.

6. The solenoid valve assembly of claim 1 , wherein the valve body includes a tubular portion, the flange being seated against an edge of the tubular portion, the edge including a chamfered segment that cooperates with the chamfered portion of the flange to at least partially define the fluid leak path.

7. The solenoid valve assembly of claim 6 , wherein the chamfered segment extends continuously along a perimeter of the edge of the tubular portion.

8. The solenoid valve assembly of claim 1 , wherein the seal includes a flexible seal mounted to the pole piece, and wherein the inadvertent leak includes a break in, an improper seating of, a defect in, or an absence of the flexible seal.

9. The solenoid valve assembly of claim 8 , wherein the pole piece includes an enlarged head segment at one end of the pole piece, and the flexible seal includes a polymeric O-ring extending continuously around the enlarged head segment.

10. The solenoid valve assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
a regulator body attached to the valve body and defining an exhaust passage fluidly connected to an exhaust port defined through an end of the valve body; and
a regulator valve positioned in the regulator body and configured to prevent fluid flow through of the exhaust passage when a fluid pressure on the regulator valve is not greater than a predetermined pilot pressure, and configured to permit fluid flow through the exhaust passage when the fluid pressure on the regulator valve is greater than the predetermined pilot pressure.

11. The solenoid valve assembly of claim 10 , wherein the regulator body includes a regulator valve seat, and the regulator valve includes a check ball and a spring biasing the check ball towards the regulator valve seat.

12. The solenoid valve assembly of claim 11 , further comprising a plug at least partially disposed within the exhaust passage and supporting thereon the spring, the plug having an orifice that permits fluid to pass through the plug.

13. The solenoid valve assembly of claim 1 , wherein the supply port includes a primary supply port and a secondary supply port, and wherein the valve body and armature assembly are cooperatively configured to: (1) permit fluid flow from the secondary supply port to the control port at a predetermined pilot pressure and block fluid flow from the primary supply port to the control port when the armature is in the first position; and (2) permit fluid flow from the primary supply port to the control port when a supply pressure is greater than the predetermined pilot pressure and the armature is in the second position.

14. The solenoid valve assembly of claim 13 , wherein the valve body includes a first valve seat between the primary supply port and the control port, and a second valve seat between the control port and an exhaust port, and wherein the secondary supply port is in fluid communication with the interior cavity and the control port between the first valve seat and the second valve seat.

15. A solenoid valve assembly for regulating fluid flow to a fluid actuated component, the solenoid valve assembly comprising:
a valve body defining an interior cavity and a supply port, a control port, and an exhaust port each extending through the valve body and fluidly connecting to the interior cavity, the control and supply ports being configured to fluidly connect to the fluid actuated component;
a selectively energizable annular coil attached to the valve body and defining an interior core;
an armature assembly disposed within the interior cavity of the valve body and configured to move within the interior core of the annular coil from a first position to a second position responsive to the coil being energized, the armature assembly and the valve body being cooperatively configured to regulate fluid flow from the supply port to the control port when the armature assembly is in the first position and/or the second position; and
a pole piece attached to the valve body and at least partially disposed within the interior core of the coil adjacent the armature assembly, the pole piece having a fluid seal with the valve body, the pole piece including a pole piece body with a flange projecting from the pole piece body, the flange abutting the valve body and including a chamfered portion,
wherein the chamfered portion of the pole piece and the valve body cooperatively define a fluid leak path configured to pass air therethrough responsive to an inadvertent leak of the fluid seal.

16. The solenoid valve assembly of claim 15 , wherein the flange includes a first surface seated against the valve body and a second surface generally orthogonal with and adjoining the first surface.

17. The solenoid valve assembly of claim 16 , wherein the valve body includes a tubular portion, the flange being seated against an edge of the tubular portion, the edge including a chamfered segment that cooperates with the chamfered portion of the flange to at least partially define the fluid leak path.

18. The solenoid valve assembly of claim 17 , further comprising a flexible seal mounted to the pole piece to define the fluid seal, and wherein the inadvertent leak includes a break in, an improper seating of, a defect in, or an absence of the flexible seal.

19. A method of testing a solenoid valve assembly, the solenoid valve assembly including a valve body defining a supply port and a control port each fluidly connected to an interior cavity, the sol

Assignees

• Eaton Corp
• Eaton Intelligent Power Ltd

Inventors

• Ambrose Steven L
• Bamber Daniel
• Dayton Robert A

Classifications

• Y10T137/86485

  Line condition change responsive release of valve · CPC title

• F16K31/0634

  with fixed seats positioned between movable valve members · CPC title

• G01M3/02 Primary

  by using fluid or vacuum · CPC title

• F16K17/0406 Primary

  in the form of balls · CPC title

• Y10T137/0318

  Processes · CPC title