Patent US3789876A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3789876A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Solenoid valve with electronic position indicator
Assignee: Parker Hannifin Corp
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Filing: 1973-04-06
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Granted: 1974-02-05
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Expires: 1993-04-06
Abstract
Abstract A solenoid valve with an electronic position indicator in which the armature of the solenoid coil means is itself the movable valve member or is operatively coupled with the movable valve member characterized in that the solenoid coil means is hooked up as an inductance bridge to an AC power source, the armature being effective to vary the relative inductances of the legs of the bridge according to the position of the armature with respect to said solenoid coil means, the voltage drops at the juncture of the legs being compared with in-phase reference voltages and resolved by a phase detector having an output which indicates the position of the armature and thus indicates the position of the valve. The invention herein is further characterized in that the armature is actuated by DC energization of the solenoid coil means and in that the position indicator has condensor means to prevent the DC voltage from entering the position indicating circuitry.
Inventors
- 👤 C Kempton
- 👤 R Reinicke
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 16:26
CPC Classifications
F; F16; F16K; F16K37/00; F16K37/0025; F16K37/0033; F16K37/0041; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T137/00; Y10T137/8158; Y10T137/8225; Y10T137/8242
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 20
Claim 1
Independent Claim
120 words
A solenoid operated valve having coil means and an armature movable within said coil means, said armature being operatively associated with a movable valve member in said valve to shift the valve from one position to another; and an AC powered electronic valve position indicator connected to said coil means so that the latter constitutes an inductance bridge of which the leg having the armature therein has an increased inductance as compared with the inductance of the other leg whereby to provide different voltage drops across said legs at the juncture thereof; means providing a reference voltage of predetermined magnitude and phase; and phase detector means determining the position of the valve according to the relative inductances of said legs.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
120 words
A solenoid operated valve having coil means and an armature movable within said coil means, said armature being operatively associated with a movable valve member in said valve to shift the valve from one position to another; and an AC powered electronic valve position indicator connected to said coil means so that the latter constitutes an inductance bridge of which the leg having the armature therein has an increased inductance as compared with the inductance of the other leg whereby to provide different voltage drops across said legs at the juncture thereof; means providing a reference voltage of predetermined magnitude and phase; and phase detector means determining the position of the valve according to the relative inductances of said legs.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
49 words
The solenoid valve of claim 1 wherein said coil means is energized from a DC source and wherein said AC source for said position indicator is isolated from said DC source by capacitor means so that the reference voltage is not influenced by the presence of said DC voltage.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
19 words
The solenoid valve of claim 2 wherein said DC source is isolated from said AC source by inductor means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
42 words
The solenoid valve of claim 1 wherein a differential amplifier amplifies the difference voltages and conducts them to a phase detector which has an output voltage dependent upon the position of the armature with respect to the legs of said inductance bridge.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
23 words
The solenoid valve of claim 1 wherein permanent magnet means retains said armature in the actuated position upon deenergization of said coil means.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
34 words
The solenoid valve of claim 1 wherein said valve member and armature are shifted from said another operating position to said one position by spring means acting thereon upon deenergization of said coil means.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
38 words
The solenoid valve of claim 6 wherein said other leg of said inductance bridge has a constant inductance and is not influenced by said armature being disposed in or out of the coil means constituting said one leg.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
23 words
The solenoid valve of claim 1 wherein said means providiNg a reference voltage comprises an impedance bridge in parallel with said inductance bridge.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
161 words
A solenoid valve having a movable valve member therein which is movable selectively to either of two positions to control flow of fluid through said valve; a solenoid armature operatively connected with said valve member and movable in opposite directions in a solenoid coil by reversed polarity DC actuation of the latter; said coil being connected to an AC power source to form an inductance bridge between adjacent sections of said coil; said armature in its respective positions producing a higher inductance in one leg as compared with the inductance in the other leg and vice versa whereby the voltage drops across said legs periodically fluctuates in accordance with the different inductances of said legs, said fluctuating voltage at the junction of said legs being conducted to a phase detector powered by an AC power source which detects which leg has the higher inductance and produces an output voltage to denote the position of the armature which produces such higher inductance
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
161 words
A solenoid valve having a movable valve member therein which is movable selectively to either of two positions to control flow of fluid through said valve; a solenoid armature operatively connected with said valve member and movable in opposite directions in a solenoid coil by reversed polarity DC actuation of the latter; said coil being connected to an AC power source to form an inductance bridge between adjacent sections of said coil; said armature in its respective positions producing a higher inductance in one leg as compared with the inductance in the other leg and vice versa whereby the voltage drops across said legs periodically fluctuates in accordance with the different inductances of said legs, said fluctuating voltage at the junction of said legs being conducted to a phase detector powered by an AC power source which detects which leg has the higher inductance and produces an output voltage to denote the position of the armature which produces such higher inductance
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
76 words
The solenoid valve of claim 9 wherein said valve has permanent magnet latch means to retain the armature and, hence the valve member, in either one of its selected positions when said coil is deenergized, said coil when subsequently energized overcoming the holding effect of said permanent magnet to effect movement of the armature from one latched position to the other latched position at which other latched position the armature remains when the coil is deenergized.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
49 words
The solenoid valve of claim 9 wherein said valve has an intermediate third position at which the inductances in said legs are equal and in which condition the output voltage of the phase detector is such as to indicate that said armature and valve are in said neutral position.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
130 words
A solenoid operated valve comprising coil means connected to an AC source in the manner of an inductance bridge; an armature operatively associated with a movable valve member in said valve and moved from one position to another in relation to at least one of the legs of said inductance bridge upon DC energization of said coil means to change the inductance of said one leg with respect to the inductance of the other leg; an impedance bridge connected to said AC source to provide a reference voltage at the junction of its legs; and a phase detector means comparing the voltage drops at the junction of the legs of said inductance bridge with said reference voltage thereby determining the position of said armature and thus of said valve member.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
130 words
A solenoid operated valve comprising coil means connected to an AC source in the manner of an inductance bridge; an armature operatively associated with a movable valve member in said valve and moved from one position to another in relation to at least one of the legs of said inductance bridge upon DC energization of said coil means to change the inductance of said one leg with respect to the inductance of the other leg; an impedance bridge connected to said AC source to provide a reference voltage at the junction of its legs; and a phase detector means comparing the voltage drops at the junction of the legs of said inductance bridge with said reference voltage thereby determining the position of said armature and thus of said valve member.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
32 words
The solenoid valve of claim 12 wherein capacitor means isolates said AC source from said DC source so that the reference voltage is not influenced by the presence of said DC voltage.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
17 words
The solenoid valve of claim 13 wherein inductor means isolates said DC source from said AC source.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
53 words
The solenoid valve of claim 12 wherein a differential amplifier amplifies the difference voltages at the junctions of said inductance and impedance bridges and conducts them to said phase detector means which has an output voltage dependent upon the position of the armature with respect to said one leg of said inductance bridge.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
192 words
A solenoid valve having a movable valve member therein which is movable selectively to either of two positions to control flow of fluid through said valve; a solenoid armature operatively connected with said valve member and movable in opposite directions in a solenoid coil by reversed polarity DC actuation of the latter; said coil being connected to an AC power source to form an inductance bridge between adjacent sections of said coil; said armature in its respective positions effecting a change in the inductance in one leg as compared with the inductance in the other leg and vice versa whereby the voltage drops across said legs at the junction thereof periodically fluctuates in accordance with the different inductances of said legs; an impedance bridge connected To said AC power source to provide a reference voltage at the junction of its legs; said voltage at the junction of said legs of said inductance bridge and said reference voltage being conducted to a phase detector which detects which leg of said inductance bridge has the changed inductance, and produces an output voltage to denote the position of the armature which produces the changed inductance.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
192 words
A solenoid valve having a movable valve member therein which is movable selectively to either of two positions to control flow of fluid through said valve; a solenoid armature operatively connected with said valve member and movable in opposite directions in a solenoid coil by reversed polarity DC actuation of the latter; said coil being connected to an AC power source to form an inductance bridge between adjacent sections of said coil; said armature in its respective positions effecting a change in the inductance in one leg as compared with the inductance in the other leg and vice versa whereby the voltage drops across said legs at the junction thereof periodically fluctuates in accordance with the different inductances of said legs; an impedance bridge connected To said AC power source to provide a reference voltage at the junction of its legs; said voltage at the junction of said legs of said inductance bridge and said reference voltage being conducted to a phase detector which detects which leg of said inductance bridge has the changed inductance, and produces an output voltage to denote the position of the armature which produces the changed inductance.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1977-02-04 | 1977-08-06 | 1978-02-05 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-02-04 | 1981-08-06 | 1982-02-05 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-02-04 | 1985-08-06 | 1986-02-05 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |