Abstract:
A solenoid valve has a valve body with an inlet and an outlet and a valve seat therebetween. A valve member is selectively engageable with the valve seat for controlling the flow of fluid from the inlet to the outlet. A biasing device is engageable with the valve member for holding the valve member against the valve seat. A solenoid assembly is mounted upon the valve member for moving the valve member away from the valve seat. A mounting arrangement is interposed between and connects the valve body and the solenoid assembly in a rotary, frictional engagement.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates generally to solenoid operated, liquid dispensing valves and, more particularly, pertains to improvements in the assembly and mounting of such valves. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Solenoid valves are commonly used to control the flow of infusion water or liquid in hot beverage machines. The typical solenoid valve of this type includes a valve body that defines a valve chamber, and an inlet and an outlet that communicate with the valve chamber. A valve seat is interposed between the inlet and the outlet, and a solenoid operated valve member is adapted to engage the valve seat to permit and prevent flow to the outlet. In the conventional valve, the valve member is biased to a closed position by a spring, and operation of a solenoid will move the valve to an open position. 
     In such valves, the solenoid is typically held in a fixed position within a C-shaped frame, a mounting bracket is interposed between the bottom of the frame and the top of the valve body and a set of threaded fasteners is employed to hold the assembly together. The assembled valve in its particular configuration is installed by inserting further fasteners through holes in the mounting bracket and threading them into a mounting surface such as on a hot beverage machine. The requisite electric energy is supplied to the solenoid via terminals projecting therefrom. 
     Although such valves operate generally satisfactorily for their intended purpose, their fixed configuration is not always adaptable to the varying structures upon which they are installed. This necessitates removing the fasteners holding the mounting bracket in place, unscrewing the fasteners which hold the valve assembly together and then replacing the mounting components as required to fit into the existing environment. Such modification requires the valve manufacturer or supplier to stock a large inventory of various components. Once the valve is installed, the solenoid remains fixed relative to its frame such that the position of the terminals cannot be adjusted. This limitation can further complicate the remounting of the valve. 
     It would be desirable to provide a solenoid valve having assembly and mounting features which avoid the drawbacks of the prior art. More specifically, it would be desirable to provide a modular valve constructed with standardized parts and dimensions to improve variety of use. It would also be desirable to provide a solenoid valve which does not require assembly via tools and threaded fasteners, but can be configured and serviced simply by twisting and untwisting valve components into and out of a snap fit. Likewise, it would be further desirable to provide a solenoid valve wherein the position of the solenoid may be altered once the valve is mounted in place. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is a general object of the present invention to provide a solenoid valve having components which may be easily adjusted and assembled without the need for tools and threaded fasteners. 
     It is one object of the present invention to provide a solenoid valve having twist type mounting components. 
     It is also an object of the present invention to provide a solenoid valve having rotatable adjustment of a mounting bracket relative to a valve body. 
     It is a further object of the present invention to provide a solenoid valve having a snap fit subassembly of a frame, a solenoid and a snap plate. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a solenoid valve having the subassembled frame, solenoid and snap plate adjustably mounted relative to the mounting bracket and the valve body. 
     It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a solenoid valve having a solenoid which is adjustably mounted for rotation relative to a frame. 
     In one aspect of the invention, a solenoid valve has a valve body with an inlet and an outlet and a valve seat therebetween. A valve member is selectively engageable with the valve seat for controlling the flow of fluid from the inlet to the outlet. A biasing device is engageable with the valve member for holding the valve member against the valve seat. A solenoid assembly is mounted upon the valve member and the valve body for moving the valve member away from the valve seat. The invention is improved by means of a mounting arrangement interposed between and connecting the valve body and the solenoid assembly in a rotary, frictional engagement. The mounting arrangement includes a mounting bracket positioned upon the valve body, and a snap plate located between the solenoid assembly and a mounting bracket. The mounting arrangement is free of threaded fasteners. The solenoid assembly includes a solenoid and a frame for movably holding the solenoid, the frame being attached to the snap plate. The valve body includes attachment structure for permitting joinder of the mounting bracket, the snap plate and the solenoid assembly. The mounting bracket includes engagement structure cooperable with the attachment structure on the valve body. The snap plate includes leg and pin structure passable through the engagement structure on the mounting bracket and engageable with the attachment structure on the valve body. The frame includes notch structure for defining various rotational positions for the solenoid. The solenoid has detent structure selectively engageable with the notch structure on the frame. 
     In another aspect of the invention, a modular, solenoid operated, liquid dispensing valve includes a valve body having an inlet and an outlet for respectively introducing liquid into and delivering liquid out of the solenoid valve, and a valve seat between the inlet and the outlet. A valve member is selectively engageable with the valve seat for controlling the flow of fluid from the inlet to the outlet. A biasing device is engageable with the valve member for holding the valve member against the valve seat. A solenoid assembly is mounted upon the valve body for selectively moving the valve member in a direction away from the valve seat. A mounting bracket is positioned between the valve body and the solenoid assembly for supporting the solenoid assembly thereon whereby at least the mounting bracket is removably connected to the valve body by a twist, snap fit. The solenoid assembly is also removably connected to the valve body by a twist, snap fit. The solenoid assembly includes a solenoid, a frame for holding the solenoid and a snap plate attached to the frame. The valve body includes an open upper end terminating in a neck having a radially extending crown provided with a raised surface arrangement in the form of a series of lands located on an outer perimeter of the crown, each land having a ridge at one end running along the neck, and a narrow wall at another end extending from the neck to the outer perimeter. Each ridge on the valve body includes an L-shaped, mounting bracket receiver rising above the neck. The raised surface arrangement includes a series of spaced apart cavities, each cavity being formed by surrounding surfaces of each land, ridge and narrow wall, each cavity having an expanded end and a narrowed end. A nook is provided between each ridge and each narrow wall to facilitate securement of the mounting bracket to the valve body. A flat is provided between each adjacent pair of lands outwardly of each ridge. The mounting bracket has an attachment portion and a base integrally formed therewith, the base being formed with a central void in registration with the open upper end of the valve body. The base includes a set of curved guide slots and a group of pockets for enabling attachment of the solenoid assembly. The base further includes radially innermost, neck encircling surfaces between the slots and the central void, each of the innermost surfaces being formed with a dimple frictionally engageable in a respective nook upon rotation of the mounting bracket relative to the valve body. Each of the pockets has an enlarged end and an opposite niched end movable into engagement with a respective L-shaped mounting bracket receiver on the valve body. Each L-shaped mounting bracket receiver and each ridge form a slot for receiving the niched end of each pocket upon rotation of the mounting bracket relative to the valve body. The cavities of the valve body crown are aligned with the pockets in the mounting bracket. The flats on the valve body crown are in registration with the curved guide slots in the mounting bracket. The snap plate includes a set of locating pins depending therefrom, each locating pin having a top end provided with a tang having a ramping surface. The snap plate also includes a group of attachment legs depending therefrom, each leg having a length greater than a length of the locating pins, each leg having a barbed lower end engageable with the valve body. The attachment legs on the snap plate are inserted through the enlarged ends of the mounting bracket pockets and the expanded ends of the valve body cavities which are aligned with the pockets, and the locating pins are positioned in leading ends of the mounting bracket curved guide slots for movement over the aligned valve body flats. The attachment legs on the snap plate are movable into frictional engagement with walls on the narrowed ends of the cavities upon rotation of the snap plate relative to the mounting bracket. The snap plate has a central bore aligned with the mounting bracket central void and the open upper end of valve body. The frame has a bottom end plate, a top end plate and a connector plate joining the bottom end plate and the top end plate. The bottom end plate is formed with a plurality of recesses for receiving the tang ramping surfaces of the snap plate locating pins such that the tangs will be snap fit against the wall surfaces forming the recesses. The top end plate is formed with a plurality of notches, and the solenoid is provided with a nib which is received in one of the notches. The solenoid is rotatably mounted on the bottom end plate and the top end plate of the frame. A spring washer is interposed between a bottom of the solenoid and an upper surface of the bottom end plate, the spring washer providing a force tending to hold the nib in one of the notches, the force being overcome to enable the nib to be positioned in another of the notches so as to vary the rotational position of the solenoid relative to the frame. 
     The invention further contemplates a method of assembling a solenoid valve comprising the steps of a) providing a valve body having an inlet and an outlet for controlling fluid through the valve body, and a valve seat between the inlet and the outlet; b) providing a valve member selectively engageable with the valve seat for controlling flow of fluid from the inlet to the outlet; c) providing a biasing device engageable with the valve member for holding the valve member against the valve seat; d) providing a solenoid assembly mounted upon the valve body for selectively moving the valve member in a direction away from the valve seat, the solenoid assembly including a solenoid and a frame for holding the solenoid therein; e) providing a mounting bracket to be positioned between the valve body and the solenoid assembly; f) connecting the mounting bracket to the valve body by means of a first twisting, snap fit; and g) connecting the solenoid assembly to the mounting bracket and the valve body by means of a second twisting snap fit, whereby rotational position of the mounting bracket relative to the valve body and rotational position of the solenoid assembly relative to the valve body and the mounting bracket are variably adjustable. The method includes the step of rotatably mounting the solenoid relative to the frame, the mounting bracket and the valve body. 
     Various other features, objects and advantages of the invention will be made apparent from the following description taken together with the drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The drawings illustrate the best mode presently contemplated at carrying out the invention. 
     In the drawings: 
     FIG. 1 is a bottom isometric view of a solenoid operated, liquid dispensing valve embodying the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a top isometric view of the liquid dispensing valve shown in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a vertically exploded view of the liquid dispensing valve shown in FIGS. 1 and 2; 
     FIGS. 4A through 4D are various plan views of different configurations of the liquid dispensing valve; 
     FIG. 5 is a plan view of the valve body employed in the liquid dispensing valve; 
     FIG. 6 is a plan view of the mounting bracket employed in the liquid dispensing valve; 
     FIGS. 7A and 7B are enlarged, partial, diagramatic views showing the manner in which the mounting bracket is attached to the valve body; 
     FIGS. 8A and 8B are partial, sectional views taken on lines  8 A— 8 A and  8 B— 8 B of FIGS. 7A and 7B, respectively; 
     FIG. 9 is a plan view of the snap plate employed in the liquid dispensing valve; 
     FIG. 10 is a plan view of a bottom end plate of a frame employed in the liquid dispensing valve; 
     FIG. 11 is an enlarged plan view of the bottom end plate of the frame snap fit with the snap plate; 
     FIG. 12 is a sectional view taken on line  12 — 12  of FIG. 11; 
     FIG. 13 is a bottom view of the snap plate; 
     FIG. 14 is a sectional view taken on line  14 — 14  of FIG. 12; 
     FIG. 15 is a plan view of the valve body and the mounting bracket assembled together; 
     FIGS. 16A and 16B are enlarged partial diagramatic views showing the manner in which the valve body and the mounting plate are assembled together with the snap plate; 
     FIGS. 17A and 17B are partial sectional view taken on lines  17 A— 17 A and  17 B— 17 B of FIGS. 16B and 16B, respectively; 
     FIG. 18 is a partial sectional view taken on line  18 — 18  of FIG. 16A; 
     FIGS. 19 and 20 are elevational views of the fully assembled liquid dispensing valve showing the manner in which the position of the solenoid may be rotationally adjusted; 
     FIG. 21 is a partial sectional view taken on line  21 — 21  of FIG. 19; and 
     FIG. 22 is a partial sectional view taken on line  22 — 22  of FIG.  20 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring now the drawings, there is shown a solenoid operated, liquid dispensing valve  10  embodying the present invention. Valve  10  has particular utility in beverage or liquid dispensing machines, such as for example, coffee making machines, soup machines, rug cleaning machines, ice making machines and the like. As will be appreciated hereafter, valve  10  is an assembly free of threaded fasteners which enables the components of the valve to assume various configurations as required by extant mounting environment by means of a twisting, snap fit. 
     As seen in FIGS. 1 through 3, valve  10  is comprised of a valve body  12 , a valve member  14 , a coil spring  16 , a mounting bracket  18 , a snap plate  20 , a solenoid frame  22 , a solenoid  24  and a spring washer  26 . 
     Valve body  12  is preferably formed of a plastic or nylon material and includes a horizontally extending inlet  28  and a vertically extending outlet  30  disposed at generally 90 degrees with respect to inlet  28 . Valve body  12  also defines a generally cylindrical valve chamber  32  which is located between inlet  28  and outlet  30 . A proximal end of inlet  28  is formed with a circular valve seat  34  (FIG. 5) which opens into the center of valve chamber  32 . Liquid introduced through the inlet  28  flows through the valve seat  34  and exits through the outlet  30 . The valve chamber  32  is closed at a bottom end and open at the top which terminates in a neck  36 . Extending radially outwardly from the neck  36  is a circular crown  38  provided with attachment structure for permitting joinder of the remaining valve components to the valve body  12  as will be detailed below. 
     Valve member  14  includes an elongated, cylindrical plunger  40  having a lower end which is attached to a flexible diaphram  42 , and an upper end formed with an inset shoulder  44  for supporting the lower end of spring  16 . Diaphram  42  has an upper peripheral edge with a flange  46  adapted to engage an inwardly extending rim  48  running around the interior of the neck  36 . In addition, the diaphram  42  has a plug-like bottom  50  engageable with the valve seat  34  to provide a seal. The plunger  40  and coil spring  16  extend upwardly through the mounting bracket  18 , snap plate  20  and frame  22  into the interior of the solenoid  24 . The plunger  40  is designed to move up and down in response to energization and deenergization of solenoid  24 . 
     Mounting bracket  18  has a vertically extending attachment portion  52  integrally formed with a horizontally extending base  54  having a central void  56  formed therein. The attachment portion  52  is provided with a pair of holes  58  for receiving suitable fasteners which are threaded into a mounting surface for supporting the assembled valve. The base  54  is formed with engagement structure which facilitates a quick adjustable connection with the valve body  12 , the snap plate  20 , the frame  22  and the solenoid  24  as will be discussed below. 
     Snap plate  20  is disposed on top of mounting bracket  18  and includes leg and pin structure which is adjustably received in the engagement structure of the mounting bracket base  54 . Snap plate  20  is also provided with a central bore  60  which is aligned with the central void  56  in the mounting bracket  18  and the open top of valve body  12 . 
     Frame  22  is generally C-shaped and includes a bottom end plate  62  and a top end plate  64  joined by a connector plate  66 . Bottom end plate  62  has a U-shaped slot  68  aligned with the snap plate bore  60 , the mounting bracket central void  56  and the open top of valve body  12 . Bottom end plate has a set of four rectangular recesses  70  formed in its comers which are adapted to be engaged with the snap plate  20  as will also be described. Bottom end plate  62  also has an array of three relief cutouts  72  removed from its periphery. The top end plate  64  has a hole  74  to facilitate mounting of the solenoid  24  and has notch structure to allow limited rotational adjustment of the solenoid  24 . 
     Solenoid  24  includes a coil assembly  76  provided with an interior passageway having a button-like backstop  78  at its top end and an annular extension  80  at its lower end. The backstop  78  is retained in the hole  74  of top end plate  64  and is formed with a small aperture  81  to release air from the passageway during plunger movement. The aperture  81  also aids in preventing corrosion of the plunger  40 . The annular extension  80  projects into the central bore  60  in snap plate  20 . The annular extension  80  is surrounded by the spring washer  26  which is placed between the bottom of the solenoid  24  and the upper surface of the bottom end plate  62  in frame  22 . The top end of the spring  16  extends into passageway and is adapted to engage the backstop  78 . Suitable terminals for connection of electrical leads project outwardly from the upper end of solenoid  24 . The upper end of the solenoid  24  carries detent structure cooperable with the notch structure on the top end plate  64  of frame  22  for a purpose to be understood later. 
     As is well known, the force of coil spring  16  will normally urge the valve member  14  to a closed position such that the diaphram  42  seals off the valve seat  34  preventing flow from the inlet  28  to the outlet  30 . Energization of the solenoid  24 , however, will cause the plunger  40  and diaphram  42  to be pulled upwardly to an open position so that flow between the inlet  28  and the outlet  30  may occur. With deenergization of the solenoid  24 , the coil spring  16  will again force the diaphram  42  back into the closed position. 
     The present invention provides a valve  10  having unique mounting and assembly features which permit the components of the valve to be assembled in various configurations without the use of any tools or threaded fasteners. The structure which provides for these mounting and assembly features will now be addressed. 
     Referring now to FIG. 5, the attachment structure on the top of valve body crown  38  is comprised of a continuous, raised surface arrangement having a series of four spaced apart lands  84  located on the outer perimeter of crown  38 . Each land  84  has a ridge  86  at one end running along neck  36 , and a narrow wall  88  at another end extending from the neck  36  to the outer perimeter. Rising from the junction between each land  84  and each ridge  86  is an L-shaped mounting bracket receiver  90  which extends above the neck  36 . A cavity  92  for receiving leg structure on the snap plate  20  is formed by the surrounding surfaces of each land  84 , ridge  86  and narrow wall  88 . Each cavity  92  is expanded on one end  92   a  and narrowed on another end  92   b  to receive and secure leg structure on the snap plate  20 . A nook  94  is provided between each ridge  86  and each narrow wall  88  to facilitate securement of the mounting bracket  18  which overlies the crown  38 . Between each adjacent pair of lands  84  outwardly of each ridge  86  is a flat  96  which includes the nook  94 . 
     Turning to FIG. 6, the engagement structure on the base  54  of mounting bracket  18  includes a set of four guide slots  97  and a group of four pockets  98  for enabling the attachment of superposed snap plate  20 . Each of the pockets  98  has an enlarged end  98   a  for accepting the leg structure on the snap plate  20 , and an opposite niched end  98   b  adapted to be moved into engagement with an L-shaped receiver  90  on valve body  12 . Radially innermost surface areas  100  on the base  54  are stamped with four depressions  102  so as to form downwardly depending dimples  104  (FIGS. 8A and 8B) employed to snap fit the mounting bracket  18  in place on the valve body  12 . 
     As seen in FIGS. 7A and 8A, the mounting bracket base  54  is positioned upon the raised surface arrangement on the crown  38  of valve body  12  such that the radially innermost surface areas  100  encircle the valve body neck  36  and the L-shaped receivers  90  on the valve body  12  are disposed in the pockets  98 . The mounting bracket  18  is then twisted or rotated counterclockwise in the direction of arrow in FIGS. 7B and 8B enabling the radially innermost surface areas  100  and the niched ends  98   b  to be received in slots  106  formed by the ridges  86  and the receivers  90 . At the same time, rotational movement of the base  54  will cause the dimples  104  to ride over the narrow walls  88  and snap into the nooks  94  on the valve body  12  so as to hold the mounting bracket  18  in the desired position thereon. As a result of this twist, snap fit construction, it can be appreciated that the mounting bracket  18  can be quickly positioned at 90 degree increments relative to the valve body  12  so that the attachment portion can be utilized to secure the valve body  12  according to the prevailing mounting structure on the particular dispensing machine. Previously, this would have required a manufacturer to stock at least four different valve body-mounting bracket subassemblies. This construction also allows the mounting bracket  18  to be used with differently fabricated valve bodies. With the mounting bracket  18  secured to the valve body  12  (FIGS.  7 B and  15 ), the cavities  92  on valve body crown  38  are in alignment with the pockets  98  on mounting bracket  18 , and the flats  96  formed on the valve body crown  38  are in registration with the curved guide slots  97  in mounting bracket  18 . 
     Snap plate  20  illustrated in FIGS. 9,  13  and  14  is formed at its four corners with pin structure in the form of locating pins  108 , the top end of each being provided with a spring-like, tang  110 . Each tang  110  has a ramping surface  112 . (FIG. 12) which is passed through one of the recesses  70  on the frame bottom end plate  62  (FIG. 10) until the underside of the tang  110  springs outwardly into engagement with the outermost walls forming the recesses  70  on the upper surface of the bottom end plate  62 . The locating pins  108  have a length which extends slightly beneath a circular boss  112  depending from the snap plate  20 . Depending from the snap plate between each pair of locating pins  108  at each cut out  72  is a leg structure in the form of an attachment leg  114  which extends below the length of each locating pin  108 . Each leg  114  has a barbed, lower end  116  which is engageable with the valve body crown  38 . 
     In FIG. 16A, it is assumed that snap plate  20  has been connected to the bottom end plate  62  and the remainder of frame  22  which holds solenoid  24  as described above. That is, the snap plate  20 , the frame  22  and the solenoid  24  generally define a subassembly which is attached at various positions relative to the valve body  12  and the mounting bracket  18 . To install the subassembly upon the valve body  12  and the mounting bracket  18 , the attachment legs  114  on the snap plate  20  are inserted through the enlarged and expanded ends  98   a ,  92   a  of the aligned mounting bracket pockets  98  and the valve body cavities  92 . Simultaneously, the locating pins  108  on the snap plate  20  are positioned in leading ends of the mounting bracket curved slots  97  for movement over the aligned valve body flats  96 , and the circular boss  112  on the bottom of snap plate  20  is received within the valve body neck  38 . FIGS. 17A and 18 show the various disposition of the frame  22 , snap plate  20 , mounting bracket  18  on the valve body  12  with the pins  108  and the legs  114  in place. As seen in FIG. 16B, the snap plate  20  and the connected frame  22  and solenoid  24  are then twisted or rotated clockwise in the direction of the arrow so that the attachment legs  114  move from the ends  98   a ,  92   a  of the aligned mounting bracket pockets  98  and the valve body cavities  92  to the niched and narrowed ends  98   b ,  92   b  of the pockets  98  and the cavities  92  where they are frictionally snapped into place with the walls of the narrowed cavities  92 . FIG. 17B illustrates that once the attachment legs  114  have snapped into position, their barbed lower ends  116  tightly engage the underside of valve body crown  38 . The finished assembled valve  10  is best shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. 
     The present invention also contemplates a limited rotational adjustment of the solenoid  24  relative to the frame  22 . As previously mentioned, the top end plate  64  of frame  22  has notch structure in the form of a set of preferably five notches  118  (FIGS. 2 and 3) spaced apart at generally 36 degree increments on the front curved end of the top end plates  64 . These notches  118  are selectively engageable with detent structure in the form of a projecting nib  120  on the upper end of solenoid  24 . FIG. 19 shows the spring washer  26  interposed between the bottom end of the solenoid  24  and the upper surface of the bottom end plate  62 . The spring washer mounting permits the solenoid  24  to be temporarily pressed down against the force of the spring washer  26  so that the nib  120  can disengage from its current notch  118  (FIG. 21) and the solenoid  24  can be rotated about the backstop  78 .to any of the other notches  118  as depicted in FIG.  22 . As a result of this feature, the position of the solenoid terminals  82  may be rotated in the frame  22  as desired to fit the particular application. 
     According to the construction set forth above, the valve  10  may be assembled faster without threaded fasteners or tools into a variety of configurations. For example, FIG. 4A portrays a plan view of one variation wherein the attachment portion  52  of mounting bracket  18  is 180 degrees spaced from the forward position of the solenoid terminals  82  overlying the inlet  28 . FIG. 4B shows a mounting bracket  18  rotated 90 degrees clockwise from the assembly in FIG.  4 A. FIG. 4C illustrates the valve  10  with the mounting bracket  18  in position like FIG. 4B but with the subassembly of the snap plate  20 , frame  22  and solenoid  24  rotated clockwise relative to the subassembly in FIG.  4 B. FIG. 4D depicts a valve similar to FIG. 4C but shows solenoid  24  rotated 36 degrees clockwise relative to the frame  22 . 
     Because of the interengageable attachment structure, engagement structure, notch structure, detent structure and leg and pin structure on the valve body  12 , the mounting bracket  18  and the snap plate subassembly, the valve  10  is able to present a modular construction which is easily assembled and disassembled by registering the various valve components together and twisting them together one way or another into and out of the snap fit. Inspection, repair and replacement of valve components is markedly simplified. 
     While the invention has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment, those skilled in the art will appreciate that certain substitutions, alternations and omissions may be made without departing from the spirit thereof. Accordingly, the foregoing description is meant to be exemplary only, and should not be deemed limitative on the scope of the invention set forth with the following claims.