Dry coil

Claim 2

A solenoid comprising a tubular electromagnetic coil and an associated magnetic circuit for conducting magnetic flux issued by said coil comprising a stator, an armature, and a working gap between said stator and said armature, said stator comprising radially inner and radially outer sidewalls extending axially of said coil on its inside and outside respectively, characterized in that the longitudinal end portion of said coil that is toward said working gap is separated from said working gap by an imperforate transverse end wall that provides fluid isolation of said coil from a wet fluid zone within which said working gap is disposed, and said imperforate transverse end wall comprises a radially outer annular zone forming a portion of said stator that conducts magnetic flux between said armature and said radially outer sidewall of said stator, a radially inner annular zone forming a portion of said stator that conducts magnetic flux between said armature and said radially inner sidewall of said stator, and a radially intermediate annular zone of non-magnetic material separating said radially inner and radially outer zones in which said non-magnetic material protrudes toward said armature from said inner and outer sidewalls so that when the solenoid is energized, it, rather than said inner and outer sidewalls, will be abutted by said armature.

Claim 3

A solenoid as set forth in claim 1 in which said non-magnetic material comprises a non-magnetic stainless steel ring.

Claim 4

A solenoid as set forth in claim 1 in which said non-magnetic material comprises a plastic ring.

Claim 5

A solenoid as set forth in claim 1 in which said radially inner and radially outer sidewalls are tubular.

Claim 6

A solenoid as set forth in claim 1 in which said radially outer annular zone of said imperforate transverse end wall is provided in a part which includes at least a portion of said radially outer sidewall.

Claim 7

A solenoid as set forth in claim 1 in which said non-magnetic material comprises a sintered non-metallic ring.

Claim 8

A solenoid comprising a tubular electromagnetic coil and an associated magnetic circuit for conducting magnetic flux issued by said coil comprising a stator, an armature, and a working gap between said stator and said armature, said stator comprising radially inner and radially outer sidewalls extending axially of said coil on its inside and outside respectively, characterized in that the longitudinal end portion of said coil that is toward said working gap is separated from said working gap by an imperforate transverse end wall that provides fluid isolation of said coil from a wet fluid zone within which said working gap is disposed, and said imperforate transverse end wall comprises a radially outer annular zone forming a portion of said stator that conducts magnetic flux between said armature and said radially outer sidewall of said stator, a radially inner annular zone forming a portion of said stator that conducts magnetic flux between said armature and said radially inner sidewall of said stator, and a radially intermediate annular zone of non-magnetic material separating said radially inner and radially outer zones in which said non-magnetic material comprises a sintered non-metallic ring.

Claim 9

A solenoid comprising a tubular electromagnetic coil and an associated magnetic circuit for conducting magnetic flux issued by said coil comprising a stator, an armature, and a working gap between said stator and said armature, said stator comprising radially inner and radially outer sidewalls extending axially of said coil on its inside and outside respectively, characterized in that the longitudinal end portion of said coil that is toward said working gap is separated from said working gap by an imperforate transverse end wall that provides fluid isolation of said coil from a wet fluid zone within which said working gap is disposed, and said imperforate transverse end wall comprises a radially outer annular zone forming a portion of said stator that conducts magnetic flux between said armature and said radially outer sidewall of said stator, a radially inner annular zone forming a portion of said stator that conducts magnetic flux between said armature and said radially inner sidewall of said stator, and a radially intermediate annular zone of non-magnetic material separating said radially inner and radially outer zones in which said non-magnetic material comprises a sintered non-metallic ring.

Claim 10

A solenoid as set forth in claim 7 in which said radially inner and radially outer sidewalls comprise sintered metal rings.

Claim 11

A solenoid as set forth in claim 7 in which said radially inner and radially outer sidewalls' sintered metal rings form a unitary sintered structure with said sintered non-metallic ring.

Claim 12

A solenoid-operated fluid valve comprising a valve portion that controls fluid flow through the valve and that is operatively coupled with a solenoid comprising a tubular electromagnetic coil and an associated magnetic circuit for conducting magnetic flux issued by said coil comprising a stator, an armature, and a working gap that is disposed between said stator and said armature in the fluid flow through said valve portion, said stator comprising radially inner and radially outer sidewalls extending axially of said coil on its inside and outside respectively, characterized in that a longitudinal end portion of said coil that is toward said working gap is separated from said working gap and the fluid flow through said valve portion by an imperforate transverse end wall that provides fluid isolation of said coil from fluid flow in said valve portion, and said imperforate transverse end wall comprises a radially outer annular zone forming a portion of said stator that conducts magnetic flux between said armature and said radially outer sidewall of said stator, a radially inner annular zone forming a portion of said stator that conducts magnetic flux between said armature and said radially inner sidewall of said stator, and a radially intermediate annular zone of non-magnetic material separating said radially inner and radially outer zones in which said non-magnetic material comprises a sintered non-metallic ring.

Claim 13

A solenoid-operated fluid valve comprising a valve portion that controls fluid flow through the valve and that is operatively coupled with a solenoid comprising a tubular electromagnetic coil and an associated magnetic circuit for conducting magnetic flux issued by said coil comprising a stator, an armature, and a working gap that is disposed between said stator and said armature in the fluid flow through said valve portion, said stator comprising radially inner and radially outer sidewalls extending axially of said coil on its inside and outside respectively, characterized in that a longitudinal end portion of said coil that is toward said working gap is separated from said working gap and the fluid flow through said valve portion by an imperforate transverse end wall that provides fluid isolation of said coil from fluid flow in said valve portion, and said imperforate transverse end wall comprises a radially outer annular zone forming a portion of said stator that conducts magnetic flux between said armature and said radially outer sidewall of said stator, a radially inner annular zone forming a portion of said stator that conducts magnetic flux between said armature and said radially inner sidewall of said stator, and a radially intermediate annular zone of non-magnetic material separating said radially inner and radially outer zones in which said non-magnetic material comprises a sintered non-metallic ring.

Claim 14

A solenoid-operated fluid valve as set forth in claim 10 in which said radially inner and radially outer sidewalls comprise sintered metal rings.

Claim 15

A solenoid-operated fluid valve as set forth in claim 11 in which said radially inner and radially outer sidewalls' sintered metal rings form a unitary sintered structure with said sintered non-metallic ring.

Claim 16

A solenoid-operated fluid valve comprising a valve portion that controls fluid flow through the valve and that is operatively coupled with a solenoid comprising a tubular electromagnetic coil and an associated magnetic circuit for conducting magnetic flux issued by said coil comprising a stator, an armature, and a working gap that is disposed between said stator and said armature in the fluid flow through said valve portion, said stator comprising radially inner and radially outer sidewalls extending axially of said coil on its inside and outside respectively, characterized in that a longitudinal end portion of said coil that is toward said working gap is separated from said working gap and the fluid flow through said valve portion by an imperforate transverse end wall that provides fluid isolation of said coil from fluid flow in said valve portion, and said imperforate transverse end wall comprises a radially outer annular zone forming a portion of said stator that conducts magnetic flux between said armature and said radially outer sidewall of said stator, a radially inner annular zone forming a portion of said stator that conducts magnetic flux between said armature and said radially inner sidewall of said stator, and a radially intermediate annular zone of non-magnetic material separating said radially inner and radially outer zones in which said non-magnetic material protrudes toward said armature from said inner and outer sidewalls so that when the solenoid is energized, it, rather than said inner and outer sidewalls, will be abutted by said armature.

Claim 17

A solenoid-operated fluid valve comprising a valve portion that controls fluid flow through the valve and that is operatively coupled with a solenoid comprising a tubular electromagnetic coil and an associated magnetic circuit for conducting magnetic flux issued by said coil comprising a stator, an armature, and a working gap that is disposed between said stator and said armature in the fluid flow through said valve portion, said stator comprising radially inner and radially outer sidewalls extending axially of said coil on its inside and outside respectively, characterized in that a longitudinal end portion of said coil that is toward said working gap is separated from said working gap and the fluid flow through said valve portion by an imperforate transverse end wall that provides fluid isolation of said coil from fluid flow in said valve portion, and said imperforate transverse end wall comprises a radially outer annular zone forming a portion of said stator that conducts magnetic flux between said armature and said radially outer sidewall of said stator, a radially inner annular zone forming a portion of said stator that conducts magnetic flux between said armature and said radially inner sidewall of said stator, and a radially intermediate annular zone of non-magnetic material separating said radially inner and radially outer zones in which said non-magnetic material protrudes toward said armature from said inner and outer sidewalls so that when the solenoid is energized, it, rather than said inner and outer sidewalls, will be abutted by said armature.

Claim 18

A solenoid-operated fluid valve as set forth in claim 13 in which said non-magnetic material comprises a non-magnetic stainless steel ring.

Claim 19

A solenoid-operated fluid valve as set forth in claim 13 in which said non-magnetic material comprises a plastic ring.

Claim 20

A solenoid-operated fluid valve as set forth in claim 13 in which said radially inner and radially outer sidewalls are tubular.

Claim 21

A solenoid-operated fluid valve as set forth in claim 13 in which said radially outer annular zone of said imperforate transverse end wall is provided in a part which includes at least a portion of said radially outer sidewall.

Claim 22

A solenoid-operated fluid valve as set forth in claim 13 in which said non-magnetic material comprises a sintered non-metallic ring.