Inline solenoid operated valve

Claim 1

An electrically operated fluid flow valve, comprising: a hollow cylindrical valve sleeve; a pair of fittings mounted one on each end of said valve sleeve for coupling the valve into a fluid flow line; an electrical coil surrounding said valve sleeve between said fittings; a magnetic pole piece fixedly secured within said valve sleeve inside the region defined by said coil, said pole piece having an axially aligned bore extending part way into said pole piece from one end thereof and a longitudinal exterior channel extending from the other end of said pole piece along only a portion of the length thereof and intersecting said bore; a valve seat member press fit within said pole piece bore, said valve seat member having an axial bore therethrough open at both ends thereof, a valve seat at one end thereof, and an opening through its wall to provide communication between said valve seat member axial bore and said pole piece exterior channel; a magnetic plunger housing slidable within said valve sleeve member into and out of contact with said one end of said pole piece, said plunger housing having an axial bore therethrough aligned with said pole piece bore and an exterior longitudinal channel; a magnetic plunger slidable within said plunger housing bore, the end of said plunger which faces said valve seat member being configured as a valve member to cooperate with said valve seat; first spring means for yieldably biasing said plunger housing away from said pole piece; second spring means for yieldably biasing said plunger outward from said plunger housing bore toward said valve seat member; and means for limiting the outward extension of said plunger from said plunger housing bore so that said valve member is out of contact with said valve seat when said coil is not energized.