Solenoid operated valve assembly for variable bleed pressure proportional control

• US 6,386,218 B1
• Filed: 08/17/2000
• Issued: 05/14/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Eaton Intelligent Power Limited (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Original Assignee: Eaton Corp. (Wisconsin) (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Inventors: Gluf, Carl G. Jr., Ness, John A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Michalsky, Gerald A.
• Application Number:
  US09/641,423
• Time in Patent Office: 635 Days
• Field of Search: 137/14, 137/596.17, 137/625.26
• US Class Current: 137/14
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 31/0613 with cylindrical slides
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 31/0624 Lift valves
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 16/2024 the throttling means being a multiple-way valve
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0396 Involving pressure control
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/86678 Combined disk or plug and gate or piston
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/87217 Motor

Abstract

A solenoid operated exhaust bleed type pressure control valve assembly providing a proportional pressure control signal over the full range of solenoid operating current. A poppet valve member is connected to the solenoid armature and closes against a valve seat in the control signal port pressure chamber to prevent flow through the valve seat to the exhaust (bleed) ports. This results in very low or reduced leakage at minimum pressures. The poppet valve contacts a projection on a spool valve for effecting concurrent movement therewith for valving a supply pressure port in the control signal pressure chamber. In the normally closed version of the valve assembly, the poppet delays the spool opening of the inlet or supply port until solenoid current has reached about Five to Twenty Percent (5-20%) of maximum. In the normally open version, the spool is delayed in closing the supply inlet port until solenoid current reaches about Eighty to One Hundred Percent (80-100%) of maximum.

Claims

1. A solenoid operated valve assembly for variable pressure bleed proportional control comprising:

(a) a valve body having a valving bore with a valving spool moveably disposed therein and an inlet port communicating with said bore and a control pressure outlet port communicating with said bore and axially spaced from said inlet port, said bore having an end wall with an aperture therethrough and a valve seat formed about said aperture on the side of said wail opposite said bore;

(b) an exhaust port communicating with said valve seat;

(c) a solenoid coil attached to said body and having an armature moveably disposed therewith and operable for movement in response to electrical energization of said coil and including a valve member operable for contacting and sealing on said valve seat and blocking flow thereacross, wherein upon de-energization of said coil said valve member is biased to a position contacting and sealing said valve seat and upon energization of said coil progressively from Zero to One Hundred Percent (0-100%) of maximum current, said valve member is proportionately moved away from said valve seat and said spool is moved to a position blocking said inlet when said coil is energized in the range of about Eighty to One Hundred Percent (80-100%) of maximum coil energization.

2. The valve assembly defined in claim 1, wherein said valve body includes a valving chamber communicating with said aperture and said exhaust port.

3. A solenoid operated valve assembly for variable pressure bleed proportional control comprising:

(a) a valve body having a valving bore with valving spool moveably disposed therein and an inlet port communicating with said bore and a control pressure outlet port communicating with said bore and axially spaced from said inlet port said bore having an end wall with an aperture therethrough and a valve seat formed about said aperture on the side of said wall opposite said bore;

(b) an exhaust port communicating with said valve seat; and

,

(c) a solenoid coil attached to said body and having an armature moveably disposed therewith and operable for movement in response to electrical energization of said coil and including a valve member operable for contacting and sealing on said valve seat and blocking flow thereacross, wherein upon de-energization said valve member is biased to a position opening said valve seat and said spool is biased to a position blocking said inlet and upon energization of said coil progressively from Zero to One Hundred Percent (0-100%) of maximum current wherein said valve member is moved proportionately and said spool remains in said position blocking said inlet until a coil current in the range of about Five to Twenty Percent (5-20%) of maximum is reached, whereupon said spool is moved proportionately to open said inlet.

4. The valve assembly defined in claim 3, wherein said spool includes an extension extending through said valve seat and operatively contacting said valve member.

5. The valve assembly defined in claim 3, wherein said spool includes an extension extending through said valve seat and contacting said valve member.

6. The valve assembly defined in claim 3, wherein said valve member comprises an elongated member, and said armature comprises an annular member received on said elongated member.

7. A method of bleeding pressure for proportional control in a solenoid operated valve comprising:

(a) disposing a spool in a valve body bore and moving said spool and controlling flow from a pressure supply inlet port to a control signal chamber having a control pressure outlet port;

(b) forming a ported exhaust valving chamber in the valve body and forming an aperture communicating the exhaust valving chamber with the signal chamber;

(c) disposing a moveable valve member in said signal chamber and moving said valve member for closing and opening said aperture and extending a portion of said spool through said exhaust chamber aperture and contacting said valve member;

(d) attaching a solenoid to said valve body and operatively connecting the solenoid armature for effecting said moving of said valve member;

(e) biasing said valve member to close said exhaust chamber aperture and said spool to open the supply inlet to the control signal chamber with the solenoid de-energized; and

,

(f) energizing the solenoid with progressively from Zero to One Hundred Percent (0-100%) of maximum current and moving said armature and valve member proportionately to open said exhaust chamber aperture and moving said spool progressively to close said supply inlet.

8. The method defined in claim 7, wherein said step of operatively connecting the solenoid armature includes disposing an annular armature on an elongated valve member.

9. The method defined in claim 7, wherein said step of moving said spool includes delaying said moving said spool to a position blocking said inlet until said coil energization is in the range of Eighty to One Hundred Percent (80-100%) of maximum current.

10. A method of bleeding pressure for proportional control in a solenoid operated valve comprising:

(a) disposing a spool in a valve body bore and moving said spool and controlling flow from a pressure supply inlet port to a control pressure signal chamber having a control pressure outlet port;

(b) forming a ported exhaust valving chamber in the valve body and forming an aperture communicating the exhaust valving chamber with the signal chamber;

(c) disposing a moveable valve member in said signal chamber and moving said valve member for closing and opening said aperture and extending a portion of said spool through said exhaust chamber aperture and contacting said valve member;

contacting said valve member;

(d) attaching a solenoid to said valve body and operatively connecting the solenoid armature for effecting said moving of said valve member;

(e) biasing said valve member to open said exhaust chamber aperture and said spool to close the supply inlet to the control signal chamber with the solenoid de-energized; and

,

(f) energizing the solenoid with progressively from Zero to One Hundred Percent (0-100%) of maximum current and moving said armature and valve member proportionately to close said exhaust chamber aperture and moving said spool proportionately to close said supply inlet.

11. The method defined in claim 10, wherein said step of moving said spool proportionately includes delaying inlet opening until said current in the range of about Five to Twenty Percent (6-20%) of maximum current is reached.