Solenoid operated hydraulic control valve

Claim 2

A solenoid operated actuator comprising: a generally disc-shaped armature having freedom of motion along a central axis of said armature; a stator having a central stator pole piece having a central hole passing therethrough that is substantially axially aligned with said central axis and a stator body having an open end surrounding said armature to provide a circumferential nonworking gap between said stator and the outer circumferential surface of said armature having a constant interstitial surface area and gap separation throughout the travel of said armature along said armature axis; a solenoid coil wound around said central stator pole piece; and a plunger attached to said armature and passing through said central hole of said central pole piece for maintaining axial alignment between said stator and said armature and transmitting the movement of said armature within said stator body through said central pole piece and out of said stator.

Claim 3

The solenoid operated actuator recited in claim 1, wherein said armature has a cross-sectional area transverse to said central axis which is substantially larger than the surface area of said stator pole piece.

Claim 4

The solenoid operated actuator recited in claim 2, wherein said armature includes a plurality of axial holes through said armature, substantially parallel to said central axis, and radially arranged around said axis between said stator pole and said non-working gap, for permitting fluidic flow through said armature without widening said non-working gap.

Claim 5

The solenoid operated actuator recited in claim 3, wherein said axial holes are sized to minimize fluidic resistance through said armature at low temperature.

Claim 6

The solenoid operated actuator recited in claim 4, wherein said radial arrangement of said axial holes are tangentially arranged to maximize magnetic circuit efficiency.

Claim 7

The solenoid operated actuator recited in claim 2 including an armature/stator pole piece interface between an inner surface of said armature transverse to said armature axis and said stator pole piece.

Claim 8

The solenoid operated actuator recited in claim 6 wherein said armature/stator pole piece interface further comprises a means for reducing surface tension.

Claim 9

The solenoid operated actuator recited in claim 7 wherein said means for reducing surface tension comprises a spacer made of a non-magnetic material.

Claim 10

The solenoid operated actuator recited in claim 8 wherein said spacer includes a surface tension reducing surface pattern.

Claim 11

The solenoid operated actuator recited in claim 7 wherein said means for reducing surface tension comprises a pattern formed into said surface area of said stator pole piece.

Claim 12

The solenoid operated actuator recited in claim 7 wherein said means for reducing surface tension comprises a pattern formed into said inner surface area of said armature.

Claim 13

The solenoid operated actuator recited in claim 2 wherein said armature has an outer surface opposite said inner surface transverse to said armature axis.

Claim 14

The solenoid operated actuator recited in claim 12 further comprised of a cover attached to said stator to prevent said armature from excessive axial motion.

Claim 15

The solenoid operated actuator recited in claim 13 wherein said cover is disc shaped having a diameter substantially greater than its thickness.

Claim 16

The solenoid operated actuator recited in claim 14 wherein said cover has an inner surface transverse to said central axis and located adjacent to said outer surface of said armature.

Claim 17

The solenoid operated actuator recited in claim 15 wherein said inner surface of said cover has a surface contour that recedes toward said central axis.

Claim 18

The solenoid operated actuator recited in claim 12 wherein said outer surface of said armature has a surface contour that recedes towards said central axis.

Claim 19

The solenoid operated actuator recited in claim 11 wherein said pattern is tri-radial, with radiating spokes raised with respect to substantially triangular surface depressions between the radiating spokes.

Claim 20

The solenoid operated actuator recited in claim 17 wherein said surface contour that recedes towards said central axis has a constant slope.

Claim 21

A solenoid operated actuator comprising: a solenoid stator, including a central pole piece, with a linear bearing through it for slidably retaining a plunger pin passing through said central pole piece along a central axis, and an annular pole piece, axially aligned with said central pole piece, having a diameter substantially greater than said central pole piece; a solenoid armature, coupled to said plunger pin through said stator central pole piece bearing, having an axis aligned with said central axis, an inner surface substantially parallel to the surface of said central stator pole piece including an armature/stator pole piece interface to form a working gap between said armature and said stator, said armature/stator interface including a pattern formed into said inner surface of said armature, an outer armature surface transverse to said armature axis and opposite said inner surface, said outer surface including a surface contour that recedes toward said armature axis, and a plurality of axial holes through said armature, substantially parallel to said armature axis, sized and radially arranged around said armature axis to minimize low temperature resistance to fluidic flow through said armature, and tangentially arranged to maximize armature magnetic efficiency and response time; a solenoid coil, wound around said central pole piece, for operating said armature coupled plunger pin with an electric signal; and a cover attached to said stator to prevent said armature from excessive axial motion wherein said cover is disc shaped having a diameter substantially greater than its thickness with an inner surface transverse to said armature axis and located adjacent to said outer surface of said armature.

Claim 22

A solenoid operated actuator comprising: a solenoid stator, including a central pole piece, with a linear bearing through it for slidably retaining a plunger pin passing through said central pole piece along a central axis, and an annular pole piece, axially aligned with said central pole piece, having a diameter substantially greater than said central pole piece; a solenoid armature, coupled to said plunger pin through said stator central pole piece bearing, having an axis aligned with said central axis, an inner surface substantially parallel to the surface of said central stator pole piece including an armature/stator pole piece interface to form a working gap between said armature and said stator, said armature/stator interface including a pattern formed into said inner surface of said armature, an outer armature surface transverse to said armature axis and opposite said inner surface, said outer surface including a surface contour that recedes toward said armature axis, and a plurality of axial holes through said armature, substantially parallel to said armature axis, sized and radially arranged around said armature axis to minimize low temperature resistance to fluidic flow through said armature, and tangentially arranged to maximize armature magnetic efficiency and response time; a solenoid coil, wound around said central pole piece, for operating said armature coupled plunger pin with an electric signal; and a cover attached to said stator to prevent said armature from excessive axial motion wherein said cover is disc shaped having a diameter substantially greater than its thickness with an inner surface transverse to said armature axis and located adjacent to said outer surface of said armature.

Claim 23

A solenoid operated actuator comprising: a solenoid stator, including a central pole piece, with a linear bearing through it for slidably retaining a plunger ping passing through said central pole piece along a central axis, and an annular pole piece, axially aligned with said central pole piece, having a diameter substantially greater than said central pole piece; a solenoid armature, coupled to said plunger pin through said stator central pole piece bearing, having an axis aligned with said central axis, an inner surface substantially parallel to the surface of said central stator pole piece including an armature/stator pole piece interface to form a working gap between said armature and said stator, said armature/stator interface including a tri-radial pattern, with radiating spokes raised with respect to substantially triangular surface depressions between the radiating spokes formed into said inner surface of said armature, an outer armature surface transverse to said armature axis and opposite said inner surface, said outer surface including a surface contour that recedes toward said armature axis, and a plurality of axial holes through said armature, substantially parallel to said armature axis, sized and radially arranged around said armature axis to minimize low temperature resistance to fluidic flow through said armature, and tangentially arranged to maximize armature magnetic efficiency and response time; a solenoid coil, wound around said central pole piece, for operating said armature coupled plunger pin with an electric signal; and a cover attached to said stator to prevent said armature from excessive axial motion wherein said cover is disc shaped having a diameter substantially greater than its thickness with an inner surface transverse to said armature axis and located adjacent to said outer surface of said armature.

Claim 24

A solenoid operated actuator comprising: a solenoid stator, including a central pole piece, with a linear bearing through it for slidably retaining a plunger ping passing through said central pole piece along a central axis, and an annular pole piece, axially aligned with said central pole piece, having a diameter substantially greater than said central pole piece; a solenoid armature, coupled to said plunger pin through said stator central pole piece bearing, having an axis aligned with said central axis, an inner surface substantially parallel to the surface of said central stator pole piece including an armature/stator pole piece interface to form a working gap between said armature and said stator, said armature/stator interface including a tri-radial pattern, with radiating spokes raised with respect to substantially triangular surface depressions between the radiating spokes formed into said inner surface of said armature, an outer armature surface transverse to said armature axis and opposite said inner surface, said outer surface including a surface contour that recedes toward said armature axis, and a plurality of axial holes through said armature, substantially parallel to said armature axis, sized and radially arranged around said armature axis to minimize low temperature resistance to fluidic flow through said armature, and tangentially arranged to maximize armature magnetic efficiency and response time; a solenoid coil, wound around said central pole piece, for operating said armature coupled plunger pin with an electric signal; and a cover attached to said stator to prevent said armature from excessive axial motion wherein said cover is disc shaped having a diameter substantially greater than its thickness with an inner surface transverse to said armature axis and located adjacent to said outer surface of said armature.

Claim 25

The solenoid operated actuator recited in claim 21 wherein said surface contour that recedes towards the axis of said armature has a constant slope.