Method of attaching supply conduit to a solenoid operated valve

A method of non-releasably quick-connecting a tubular metal conduit to the inlet of a non-metallic valve body. A closure having a tube-receiving bore is then pre-assembled with a frictionally engaging spring washer and seal rings therein and is then secured to the valve inlet preferably by non-metallic weldment. The tubular conduit is then inserted into the bore and radially compresses the seal rings and is frictionally engages the spring washer to prevent subsequent removal of the conduit.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
Not Applicable 
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
Not Applicable 
MICROFICHE APPENDIX 
Not Applicable 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to the attachment of a supply conduit to the 
inlet of a valve and particularly relates to solenoid operated valves 
employed for controlling the flow of water where the body or main 
structure of the valve is formed of non-metallic material to provide 
electrical isolation of the solenoid from the conduit to protect the user 
from the hazards of electrical shock. 
Solenoid operated valves are commonly employed in household appliances such 
as, for example, clothes washing machines, dishwashers and ice makers for 
refrigerators. Appliance water valves of this type are therefore typically 
connected to a household power supply either 240 Volt or 117 Volts AC 
which is a high enough voltage to create a hazardous condition for the 
appliance user in the event of contact occurs with the electrical solenoid 
operator and the water supply. In order to reduce the hazards of 
electrical shock, typical appliance water inlet valves have the body 
thereof molded from plastic material and the coil typically encapsulated 
with plastic material for reducing the likelihood of occurrence of 
electrical shock. 
Appliance water inlet valves are, in many installations, connected to a 
flexible conduit by either a threaded hose-type connection or by 
compression type tubing connection in the case of small diameter bendable 
or deformable metal tubing as the supply conduit. 
In certain applications, as for example in refrigerator ice makers located 
in the refrigerator freezer compartment, it is desired to provide for 
assembly of a portion of the supply conduit internal to the refrigerator 
during the manufacture of the refrigerator in order that the user may make 
the waterline connection to the icemaker externally of the refrigerator 
cabinet. Such an arrangement must necessarily be accomplished in a manner 
which is simple and easy to install and which is relatively low in 
manufacturing costs to be competitive in high volume mass production of 
such household appliances. 
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is an object of the present invention to provide for a non-releasable 
quick-connect of a tubular metal conduit to the inlet of a non-metallic 
valve body without fittings, fasteners or tools. 
The present invention provides a technique for connecting a flexible metal 
conduit to the inlet of a solenoid operated water valve of the type having 
a non-metallic body in a manner which permits the conduit to be inserted 
in the inlet and secured and sealed therein without the aid of separate 
fittings, fasteners or tools. The water valve conduit connection of the 
present invention is characterized as a non-removable quick-connect. The 
conduit connection of the present invention is particularly suitable for 
connecting bendable or deformable metal conduit to the inlet of a solenoid 
operated water valve employed in a refrigerator ice maker where it is 
desired to connect a supply conduit to the water valve at installation of 
the ice maker during manufacture of the refrigerator with the portion of 
the conduit extending externally of the refrigerator cabinet and adapted 
for user connection thereto externally of the refrigerator. 
The quick-connect method of the present invention permits the connection of 
a tubular flexible metal conduit to the water valve inlet without the need 
of compression fittings, threaded connections or any tools. During 
installation of the icemaker in the freezer compartment, the installer 
need only manually insert the end of the tubing into the valve aperture in 
the valve inlet and push the tubing sufficiently inward to engage a pair 
of seal rings and subsequentially frictionally engage a spring member to 
retain the conduit sealed into the valve inlet in a non-removable manner.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
Referring to FIG. 1, a valve assembly indicated generally at 10 has a 
molded plastic valve body 12 having an inlet end portion 14 and an outlet 
16 with an outlet passage 18 having a valve seat 20 formed therein and an 
inlet passage 22 communicating with a valving chamber 24. 
Valving chamber 24 is closed by a guide member 26 secired to body 12 and 
which has slidably received therein a ferromagnetic armature 28. The guide 
member 26 is surrounded by axially spaced tubular pole pieces 30, 32 which 
are surrounded by a coil 34 encapsulated with suitable plastic material 36 
and having at least one electrical connector terminal 38 extending 
therefrom. 
The armature 28 has a valving surface 40 thereon for contacting valve seat 
20 to block flow from inlet passage 22 to the outlet passage 18. Upon 
energization of the coil 34 by flow of electrical current through the at 
least one terminal 38, the electromagnetic field created by current flow 
in coil 34 effects lifting of the armature 28 and valving surface 40 from 
valve seat 20 thereby permitting flow from inlet passage 22 to the outlet 
passage 18. 
The inlet end portion 14 of the body 12 includes a chamber 42 which 
communicates with inlet passage 22 and which chamber has received therein 
a flow control washer 44 and retaining capsule 46 therefor. The chamber 42 
also includes a generally cup-shaped filter screen 48. 
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, chamber 42 in the inlet portion 14 of the valve 
body 12 is closed by a cap member 50 which has an annular groove 52 formed 
therein which is received over a tapered annular rib 54 formed on the rim 
of the inlet portion 14 of the valve body and secured thereto by weldment, 
as for example friction welding by spinning or by ultrasonic welding. 
The closure cap 50 has a bore 56 received therethrough which is sized and 
configured to have slidably received therein one end of a flexible tubular 
metal supply conduit 58. The interior face of closure 50 has formed 
therein a counterbore 60 which has received therein a pair of resilient 
seals in the form of O-rings 62, 64 which are radially compressed upon 
insertion of the tube 58 in bore 56. 
A second counterbore of a larger diameter and denoted by reference numeral 
66 is formed in the face of closure 50 and has received therein a 
deflectable metal spring member 68 which may have an annular configuration 
and may have a plurality of radially inwardly extending fingers formed 
thereon. Spring member 68 is retained in the counterbore 66 by a backing 
member or washer 70 which is secured by deformation of the material of 
closure 50 as, for example, the annular rib 72 formed about counterbore 
66. Rib 72 is deformed from the position shown in dashed outline to the 
position shown in solid outline in FIG. 2. 
Upon insertion of the end of the tube 58 into the bore 56, the end of the 
tube initially contacts and compresses the seal rings 62, 64; and, upon 
continued further insertion engages the inner periphery of the spring 
member 68 in frictional engagement. Conduit or tube 58 is thus secured in 
the bore 56 by the frictional engagement of the inner periphery of member 
68 with the periphery of the tube 58 and prevents withdrawal of the tube 
thereafter. 
The present invention thus provides a unique method for quick-connecting a 
tubular metal conduit to the inlet of a valve and particularly an 
electrically operated valve having a non-metallic body without the aid of 
separate fittings, fasteners or tools in a manner which is simple and low 
in cost. The quick-connect of the present invention is intended for 
installations where the conduit is not removable after connection to the 
valve inlet. The non-removable quick-connect of the present invention is 
particularly suitable for electrically operated appliance water inlet 
valves such as those employed in a refrigerator ice maker application. 
Although the invention has hereinabove been described with respect to the 
illustrated embodiments, it will be understood that the invention is 
capable of modification and variation and is limited only by the following 
claims.