Solenoid operated valve with magnetic latch

Claim 2

A magnetically operated valve comprising a body having first and second flow passages therein and a valve seat surrounding one of the flow passages, said body including a solenoid housing, said housing having a chamber therein defined by a magnetizable shell portion of said housing provided with magnetizable first and second spaced end walls, an armature within the chamber between said end walls and movable from a first position in contact with the first end wall and out of contact with the second end wall to a second position in contact with the second end wall and out of contact with the first end wall, said armature having a valve face thereon engageable with said valve seat in one of said positions and out of contact with said seat in the other of said positions, said armature being devoid of any mechanical force acting thereupon tending to maintain the armature in a position out of contact with either end wall, an annular permanent magnet in said chamber having radially outer and inner poles respectively within said shell portion and surrounding the armature, a first solenoid coil in said chamber on one side of the magnet and a second solenoid in said chamber on the other side of the magnet, said shell portion and end walls of said housing and said armature providing first and second oppositely directed flux paths for said magnet, the first flux path being from the armature to the first end wall and the second flux path being from the armature to the second end wall, the first flux path having more flux therein than the second flux path when the armature is against the first end wall and the second flux path having more flux therein than the first flux path when the armature is against the second end wall, and said coils being energizable with current flowing therethrough in one direction when the armature is against said first end wall to create magnetic flux in said armature flowing in a direction to overcome the flux of the permanent magnet holding the armature against said first end wall, and said coils being energizable with current flowing therethrough in an opposite direction when the armature is against said second end wall to create magnetic flux in said armature flowing in a direction to overcome the flux of the permanent magnet holding the armature against said second enD wall, and said valve face contacts said seat before said armature contacts the respective end wall and is yieldable to permit contact of the armature with said respective end wall.

Claim 3

A magnetically operated valve comprising a body having first and second flow passages therein and a valve seat surrounding one of the flow passages, said body including a solenoid housing, said housing having a chamber therein defined by a magnetizable shell portion of said housing provided with magnetizable first and second spaced end walls, an armature within the chamber between said end walls and movable from a first position in contact with the first end wall and out of contact with the second end wall to a second position in contact with the second end wall and out of contact with the first end wall, said armature having a valve face thereon engageable with said valve seat in one of said positions and out of contact with said seat in the other of said positions, said armature being devoid of any mechanical force acting thereupon tending to maintain the armature in a position out of contact with either end wall, an annular permanent magnet in said chamber having radially outer and inner poles respectively within said shell portion and surrounding the armature, a first solenoid coil in said chamber on one side of the magnet and a second solenoid in said chamber on the other side of the magnet, said shell portion and end walls of said housing and said armature providing first and second oppositely directed flux paths for said magnet, the first flux path being from the armature to the first end wall and the second flux path being from the armature to the second end wall, the first flux path having more flux therein than the second flux path when the armature is against the first end wall and the second flux path having more flux therein than the first flux path when the armature is against the second end wall, and said coils being energizable with current flowing therethrough in one direction when the armature is against said first end wall to create magnetic flux in said armature flowing in a direction to overcome the flux of the permanent magnet holding the armature against said first end wall, and said coils being energizable with current flowing therethrough in an opposite direction when the armature is against said second end wall to create magnetic flux in said armature flowing in a direction to overcome the flux of the permanent magnet holding the armature against said second end wall, and said flow passages are open to one of said end walls and in which said valve face is at one end of said armature to engage said seat in said first position of said armature.

Claim 4

A magnetically operated valve comprising a body having first and second flow passages therein and a valve seat surrounding one of the flow passages, said body including a solenoid housing, said housing having a chamber therein defined by a magnetizable shell portion of said housing provided with magnetizable first and second spaced end walls, an armature within the chamber between said end walls and movable from a first position in contact with the first end wall and out of contact with the second end wall to a second position in contact with the second end wall and out of contact with the first end wall, said armature having a valve face thereon engageable with said valve seat in one of said positions and out of contact with said seat in the other of said positions, said armature being devoid of any mechanical force acting thereupon tending to maintain the armature in a position out of contact with either end wall, an annular permanent magnet in said chamber having radially outer and inner poles respectively within said shell portion and surrounding the armature, a first solenoid coil in said chamber on one side of the magnet and a second solenoid in said chamber on the other side of the magnet, said shell portion and end walls of said housing and said armature providing first and second oppositely directed flux paths for said magnet, the first flux path being from the armature to the first end wall and the second flux path being from the armature to the second end wall, the first flux path having more flux therein than the second flux path when the armature is against the first end wall and the second flux path having more flux therein than the first flux path when the armature is against the second end wall, and said coils being energizable with current flowing therethrough in one direction when the armature is against said first end wall to create magnetic flux in said armature flowing in a direction to overcome the flux of the permanent magnet holding the armature against said first end wall, and said coils being energizable with current flowing therethrough in an opposite direction when the armature is against said second end wall to create magnetic flux in said armature flowing in a direction to overcome the flux of the permanent magnet holding the armature against said second end wall, and said flow passages are open to one of said end walls and in which said valve face is at one end of said armature to engage said seat in said first position of said armature.

Claim 5

A magnetically operated valve comprising a body having first and second flow passages therein and a valve seat surrounding one of the flow passages, said body including a solenoid housing, said housing having a chamber therein defined by a magnetizable shell portion of said housing provided with magnetizable first and second spaced end walls, an armature within the chamber between said end walls and movable from a first position in contact with the first end wall and out of contact with the second end wall to a second position in contact with the second end wall and out of contact with the first end wall, said armature having a valve face thereon engageable with said valve seat in one of said positions and out of contact with said seat in the other of said positions, said armature being devoid of any mechanical force acting thereupon tending to maintain the armature in a position out of contact with either end wall, an annular permanent magnet in said chamber having radially outer and inner poles respectively within said shell portion and surrounding the armature, a first solenoid coil in said chamber on one side of the magnet and a second solenoid in said chamber on the other side of the magnet, said shell portion and end walls of said housing and said armature providing first and second oppositely directed flux paths foR said magnet, the first flux path being from the armature to the first end wall and the second flux path being from the armature to the second end wall, the first flux path having more flux therein than the second flux path when the armature is against the first end wall and the second flux path having more flux therein than the first flux path when the armature is against the second end wall, and said coils being energizable with current flowing therethrough in one direction when the armature is against said first end wall to create magnetic flux in said armature flowing in a direction to overcome the flux of the permanent magnet holding the armature against said first end wall, and said coils being energizable with current flowing therethrough in an opposite direction when the armature is against said second end wall to create magnetic flux in said armature flowing in a direction to overcome the flux of the permanent magnet holding the armature against said second end wall, and said housing includes an inner shell portion within said magnet and coils, said armature being movable in a bore in said inner shell portion, and said bore being closed by said end walls except for said passages.

Claim 6

A magnetically operated valve comprising a body having first and second flow passages therein and a valve seat surrounding one of the flow passages, said body including a solenoid housing, said housing having a chamber therein defined by a magnetizable shell portion of said housing provided with magnetizable first and second spaced end walls, an armature within the chamber between said end walls and movable from a first position in contact with the first end wall and out of contact with the second end wall to a second position in contact with the second end wall and out of contact with the first end wall, said armature having a valve face thereon engageable with said valve seat in one of said positions and out of contact with said seat in the other of said positions, said armature being devoid of any mechanical force acting thereupon tending to maintain the armature in a position out of contact with either end wall, an annular permanent magnet in said chamber having radially outer and inner poles respectively within said shell portion and surrounding the armature, a first solenoid coil in said chamber on one side of the magnet and a second solenoid in said chamber on the other side of the magnet, said shell portion and end walls of said housing and said armature providing first and second oppositely directed flux paths foR said magnet, the first flux path being from the armature to the first end wall and the second flux path being from the armature to the second end wall, the first flux path having more flux therein than the second flux path when the armature is against the first end wall and the second flux path having more flux therein than the first flux path when the armature is against the second end wall, and said coils being energizable with current flowing therethrough in one direction when the armature is against said first end wall to create magnetic flux in said armature flowing in a direction to overcome the flux of the permanent magnet holding the armature against said first end wall, and said coils being energizable with current flowing therethrough in an opposite direction when the armature is against said second end wall to create magnetic flux in said armature flowing in a direction to overcome the flux of the permanent magnet holding the armature against said second end wall, and said housing includes an inner shell portion within said magnet and coils, said armature being movable in a bore in said inner shell portion, and said bore being closed by said end walls except for said passages.