Solenoid valve assembly with pilot pressure control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9523438-B2
Application number	US-201514808455-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 24, 2015
Priority date	Mar 14, 2013
Publication date	Dec 20, 2016
Grant date	Dec 20, 2016

Abstract

A valve assembly includes a valve body with an interior cavity and a primary supply port, a secondary supply port, a control port, and an exhaust port each extending to the interior cavity. An armature assembly is configured to move within the interior cavity from a first position to a second position when the coil is energized. A regulator body is operatively connected to the valve body and has an exhaust passage positioned at the exhaust port. A regulator valve in the regulator body is configured to prevent flow out of the exhaust passage when fluid pressure on the regulator valve is at or below a pilot pressure and permit 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 secondary supply port to the control port.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A valve assembly comprising:
a selectively energizable coil;
a valve body that defines an interior cavity and has a primary supply port, a secondary supply port, a control port, and an exhaust port each extending to the interior cavity;
an armature assembly configured to move within the interior cavity from a first position to a second position when the coil is energized;
a regulator body operatively connected to the valve body and having an exhaust passage positioned at the exhaust port;
a regulator valve positioned in the regulator body and configured to prevent fluid flow out of the exhaust passage when fluid pressure on the regulator valve is not greater than a predetermined pilot pressure, and configured to permit fluid flow out of the exhaust passage when fluid pressure on the regulator valve is greater than the predetermined pilot pressure;
a first seal on an external surface of the valve body;
a second seal on the external surface of the valve body;
a third seal on an external surface of the regulator body;
wherein the primary supply port and the secondary supply port are between the first seal and the second seal; and wherein the control port is between the second seal and the third seal;
wherein the valve body and the armature assembly are configured to permit fluid flow from the secondary supply port to the control port at the predetermined pilot pressure and block fluid flow from the primary supply port to the control port when the armature is in one of the first position and the second position; and wherein the valve body and the armature assembly are configured to permit fluid flow from the primary supply port to the control port at a supply pressure greater than the predetermined pilot pressure when the armature is in the other of the first position and the second position.

2. The valve assembly of claim 1 , wherein the regulator body includes a regulator valve seat; and wherein the regulator valve includes a check ball and a spring biasing the check ball against the regulator valve seat.

3. The valve assembly of claim 2 , further comprising:
a plug configured to seat in the exhaust passage; wherein the plug has an orifice that permits fluid to pass through the plug; and
wherein the plug is configured to support the spring.

4. The valve assembly of claim 1 , wherein the exhaust port is further from the coil than the primary supply port.

5. The valve assembly of claim 1 , wherein the valve body defines a first valve seat between the primary supply port and the control port, and a second valve seat between the control port and the exhaust port; 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;
wherein the armature assembly has a first poppet and a second poppet; wherein the first poppet is configured to seat at the first valve seat and the second poppet is configured to be spaced from the second valve seat when the armature is in the first position; and wherein the first poppet is configured to be spaced from the first valve seat and the second poppet is configured to be seated at the second valve seat when the armature is in the second position.

6. The valve assembly of claim 5 , wherein the first seat is closer to the coil than the second seat, and the second seat is closer to the exhaust port than the first seat.

7. A valve assembly comprising:
a selectively energizable coil;
a valve body defining an interior cavity and having a primary supply port, a secondary supply port, a control port, and an exhaust port, each of the ports extending through the valve body to the interior cavity; wherein the valve body defines a first valve seat between the primary supply port and the control port, and defines a second valve seat between the control port and the exhaust port; wherein the secondary supply port is in fluid communication with the interior cavity and with the control port between the first valve seat and the second valve seat;
an armature assembly configured to move within the interior cavity due to magnetic flux when the coil is energized; wherein the armature assembly has a first poppet and a second poppet; wherein the first poppet is configured to seat at the first valve seat and the second poppet is configured to be spaced from the second valve seat when the coil is not energized; wherein the first poppet is configured to be spaced from the first valve seat and the second poppet is configured to be seated at the second valve seat when the coil is energized;
a regulator body operatively connected to the valve body and having an exhaust passage in fluid communication with the exhaust port; and
a regulator valve positioned in the regulator body and configured to block the exhaust passage when fluid pressure on the regulator valve is not greater than a predetermined pilot pressure, and configured to unblock the exhaust passage when fluid pressure on the regulator valve is greater than the predetermined pilot pressure; fluid thereby being permitted to the enter control port only through the secondary supply port at the predetermined pilot pressure when the coil is not energized, and being permitted to enter the control port through the primary supply port at a supply pressure greater than the predetermined pilot pressure when the coil is energized.

8. The valve assembly of claim 7 , wherein the regulator body includes a regulator valve seat; and wherein the regulator valve includes a check ball and a spring biasing the check ball against the regulator valve seat.

9. The valve assembly of claim 7 , further comprising:
a plug configured to seat in the exhaust passage; wherein the plug has an orifice that permits fluid to pass through the plug; and
wherein the plug is configured to support the spring.

10. The valve assembly of claim 7 , wherein the exhaust port is further from the coil than the primary supply port.

11. The valve assembly of claim 7 , further comprising:
a first seal on an external surface of the valve body;
a second seal on the external surface of the valve body;
a third seal on the external surface of the regulator body;
wherein the primary and secondary supply ports are between the first seal and the second seal; and wherein the control port is between the second seal and the third seal.

12. The valve assembly of claim 11 in combination with a cylinder block having a bore; wherein the cylinder block has a supply passage, a control passage, and a sump passage each of which is in communication with the bore;
wherein the valve body and the regulator body are configured to fit within the bore with the first seal, the second seal, and the third seal sealing to the cylinder block so that the primary supply port and the secondary supply port are in communication with the supply passage, the control port is in communication with the control passage, and the exhaust port is in communication with the sump passage; the secondary supply port thus providing fluid to the control passage; and
wherein the secondary supply port is configured to be more restrictive than the primary supply port.

13. The valve assembly of claim 12 , wherein the secondary supply port is configured to permit supply fluid to the control passage substantially at a rate of leakage of fluid from the control passage.

14. The valve assembly of claim 7 , wherein the valve body has a first annular groove and a second annular groove; wherein the regulator body has a third annular groove;
wherein the first seal is a first O-ring in the first annular groove;
wherein the second seal is a

Assignees

• Eaton Corp

Inventors

• Bamber Daniel
• Dayton Robert A

Classifications

• F16K17/0406

  in the form of balls · CPC title

• F16K15/183

  Mechanical Engineering · mapped topic

• F16K11/048

  with valve seats positioned between movable valve members · CPC title

• F16K11/04

  comprising only lift valves · CPC title

• F16K31/12

  actuated by fluid ({fluid-actuated lift valves F16K1/126} ; fluid-actuated check valves F16K15/00; fluid-actuated safety valves F16K17/00) · CPC title