Abstract: A solenoid valve moves an armature back and forth between valve open and valve closed positions without the armature having any sliding engagement with any fixed valve part. This is accomplished by supporting the armature with a spring having one periphery engaging a fixed valve surface and another periphery engaging the armature so that armature movement causes flexure of the spring, but no sliding contact. This helps prevent generation of dirt within the valve and ensures accurate armature movement to make the valve durable and reliable. Springs in both washer and cylindrical helical shapes can accomplish this.

Abstract: A solenoid valve moves an armature back and forth translationally between valve open and valve closed positions without the armature having any sliding engagement with any fixed valve part. This is accomplished by supporting the armature with a spring having one periphery engaging a fixed valve surface and another periphery engaging the armature so that armature movement causes flexure of the spring, but no sliding contact. This helps prevent generation of dirt within the valve and ensures accurate armature movement to make the valve durable and reliable. Springs in both washer and cylindrical helical shapes can accomplish this, and the armatures supported by such springs can accommodate valve closing seals of different materials and shapes.

Abstract: A valve seat arrangement that uses a TEFLON valve seat. The seat is held in place and kept from cold flowing in undesired ways by an outlet guide and a retainer. The valve seat arrangement is assembled using interference fits to avoid damage to the TEFLON seat. To overcome technical difficulties associated with the interference fit, a particular method of assembly is used. Specifically, the seat is heated and mounted on the outlet guide. Once the guide/seat assembly returns to ambient temperature, it is immersed in liquid nitrogen to force it to shrink. After removing the guide/seat assembly from the liquid nitrogen, the retainer is mounted thereon and the assembly is allowed to return to ambient temperature, thereby achieving another interference fit. If the retainer were heated to force it to expand, its temperature upon mounting on the seat would damage or destroy the seat, causing leakage through the seat.

Abstract: An indicating or activating system has a follower arranged to follow the movement of a valve body. The follower swings about a pivot and moves between two positions. In one of the positions, the follower activates a switch. The switch can be connected to an indicator to indicate a state of the valve body or can be connected to another component whose state is dependent on the valve state. In essence, the device itself is an indicator of the valve state.