Solenoid actuated valve

Claim 1

A solenoid actuated valve comprising: A. a valve body enclosing a fluid flow conduit having inlet and outlet ports in said body and said valve body including: i. a valving seat communicant with said conduit; B. said conduit extending laterally from said inlet, vertically towards and away from said valve seat and laterally through said outlet and said valving seat including: i. an annular shoulder for supporting the periphery of said diaphragm as a top seal above a valving chamber; ii. an axial hub extending upwardly from the bottom of said valve chamber; iii. a fluid-flow entry passage extending vertically from said conduit into said valving chamber ; and iv. a fluid-flow exit passage extending vertically through said axial hub from said valve chamber to said conduit; C. a resilient diaphragm supported in said valving seat, so as to intersect said conduit, so as to be sealed upon said annular shoulder and contacting said exit passage in said hub, said diaphragm being resiliently responsive to the pressure of fluid flowing in said conduit so as to open said conduit; D. a solenoid assembly supported upon said body adjacent said diaphragm and including: i. a reciprocable plunger assembly engaging said diaphragm on the opposite side of said conduit, said plunger assembly urging said diaphragm to close said conduit and permitting said diaphragm to open said conduit responsive to gas pressure, as said plunger is released; ii. a rigid backup plate having a vertically disposed core defining an axial aperture aligned with said exit passage; iii. a resilient reinforcing plate secured coextensively between said diaphragm and said backup plate and having a vent hole; iv. a pin supported in said aperture so as to extend through said backup plate aperture to engage said resilient plate at its lower end and engage said plunger at its upper end; and E. a compression medium supported in said valve body intermediate said backup plate and said solenoid assembly, including a spring encircling said plunger and said hub and seated upon the periphery of said backup plate above said diaphragm, so as to urge the periphery of said diaphragm onto said annular shoulder.