Electromagnetic valve assembly

An electromagnetically actuated appliance water inlet valve having an elastomeric valve seat with molded in reinforcement stiffener to minimize distortion at assembly and upon exposure to high water line pressures. Lugs on the electromagnetic armature guide engage the periphery of the reinforcement to create a subassembly of armature, return spring, valve seat and guide for ease and economies of assembly. One embodiment of the reinforcement comprises an apertured disc. Other embodiments comprise an annular ring having "C" shaped and "U" shaped transverse sections. Tabs provided in the base of the ferromagnetic pole frame are deformed over a recess in the valve body to provide positive retention of the pole frame to the body.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to electrically energized electromagnetically 
actuated valves for service in appliances such as icemakers employed in 
household refrigerators. Valves of the aforesaid type are required to 
operate with a low wattage power consumption and to be compact and 
inexpensive to manufacture. In particular, electromagnetically actuated 
valves employed for use in refrigerator icemakers are required to provide 
long life when connected to water supplies of varying impurity and 
chemical content. Heretofore, electromagnetically actuated valves for 
refrigerator icemakers have employed a solenoid actuated poppet and a 
valving chamber formed in the plastic valve body with a plastic guide 
closing the valving chamber and functioning as a guide for the movable 
armature. 
Valves of the aforesaid type typically employ a ferromagnetic member for 
the armature with the poppet formed on one end thereof; and, a resilient 
elastomeric seat is usually provided in the valving chamber for contact by 
the poppet for performing the valving function. A valve construction of 
the aforementioned type is shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,697,608 
and commonly assigned to the Assignee of the present application. However, 
difficulties have been encountered in manufacturing such a valve 
construction in assembling the valve seat, armature and plastic armature 
guide for closing the valving chamber onto the body of the valve. In 
particular, problems have been encountered in assembling the valve seat 
into the body and providing a static seal therearound for preventing flow 
bypassing of the valve seat for the poppet and leakage to the valve outlet 
when the poppet is in the closed position and seated on the elastomeric 
valve seat. 
In addition, in providing elastomeric valve seats in valves of the 
aforementioned type, problems have been encountered with deformation of 
the valve seat under the forces of the line pressure of the water acting 
against the valve seat when the valve is in the closed position. Where 
unusually high water line pressures are encountered in a particular water 
supply line, deformation of the elastomeric valve seat has been 
experienced. In numerous instances, the deformation has been sufficient to 
either restrict or close the outlet of the valve seat so that an adequate 
flow of water cannot pass when the poppet is lifted from the valve seat 
upon energization of the solenoid. 
Furthermore, problems have been encountered in manufacturing of valves of 
the aforementioned type in assembling the valve seat, poppet/armature and 
the plastic valve guide member for closing the valving chamber onto the 
valve body. 
Thus, it has been desired to find a way or means of enabling economical and 
reliable assembly of an electromagnetically actuated solenoid operated 
appliance water valve having an elastomeric valve seat. It has been 
further desired to provide a construction for such a valve in which the 
elastomeric valve seat is not distorted so as to be rendered inoperative 
during assembly or when exposed to unusually high water line pressures in 
service. 
Additionally, in appliance water valves of the aforementioned type it has 
been desired to find a way or means of economically and rigidly retaining 
and fastening the ferromagnetic pole frame over the non-metallic armature 
guide in a manner which eliminates the need for separate fasteners and 
avoids undue strain on the armature guide. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention provides an improved version of the 
electromagnetically actuated solenoid operated appliance water valve shown 
and described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,697,608 commonly assigned to the Assignee 
of the present invention. 
The present invention provides an elastomeric valve seat for an 
electromagnetically actuated appliance water valve with a rigid insert or 
stiffening member disposed about the periphery of the elastomeric valve 
seat to provide stiffened surfaces for engagement with the armature guide 
member for providing a subassembly of the valve seat, armature, bias 
spring and armature guide for assembly into the valve body. The stiffening 
member in one embodiment is an annular member formed over the periphery of 
elastomeric valve seat member; and, in another embodiment the rigid member 
comprises a disc having portions thereof embedded in the elastomeric valve 
seat during the molding operation. The stiffening member for the valve 
seat in the present invention supports the elastomeric valve seat material 
and resists deformation thereof. The stiffening member facilitates 
assembly of the valve seat, armature, bias spring and armature guide as a 
subassembly; and, minimizes elastomeric valve seat deformation during the 
subassembly. Upon installation of the subassembly into the valve body, the 
insert acts to minimize deformation of the elastomeric valve seat and to 
provide for and prevent thereof about closing of the valving orifice due 
to line pressure forces acting on the elastomeric valve seat. An annular 
groove in face of the valve seat distal the poppet also aids in strain 
relief to prevent distortion of the valving orifice sufficiently to cause 
malfunction. 
In another aspect of the invention, integrally formed lugs or tabs are 
provided on the base of the ferromagnetic pole frame; and, upon assembly 
of the pole frame over the armature guide, the tabs are deformed over a 
cooperating retaining recess formed in the retaining ring or valve body to 
provide positive retention of the pole frame directly to the valve body.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
Referring to FIG. 1, the valve assembly of the present invention is 
indicated generally at 10 as having a body 12 formed of suitable plastic 
material and defining therein a valving cavity 14 having an inlet passage 
16 communicating with the valving cavity and an outlet passage 18 for 
providing discharge from the valving cavity. The inlet passage is supplied 
via a flow regulator 20 and screen 22 which receives flow therethrough 
from an inlet fitting passage 24 and inlet chamber 25. 
An elastomeric valve seat means 26 is disposed over the outlet passage 18 
and is contacted by a poppet 28 preferably formed on one end of a 
ferromagnetic armature 30. Armature 30 is received in and guided by an 
armature guide member 32 having a generally tubular configuration closed 
at one end with an enlarged diameter flange 33 formed at the open end and 
which forms a closure for cavity 14 and is sealed thereabout by seal ring 
34 and retained thereon by retaining ring 36 attached to the body 12 by 
suitable expedient, as for example, non-metallic weldment. 
A pair of tubular ferromagnetic pole pieces 37, 39 are received over the 
armature guide and axially spaced define an air gap therebetween. An 
electromagnetic coil assembly 38 is received over the pole pieces and a 
pole frame 40 of ferromagnetic material completes the magnetic loop about 
the coil at the ends of the pole pieces. Upon energization of the coil 38, 
the armature 30 and poppet 28 are lifted to open the valve seat and permit 
flow therethrough to the outlet 18. The construction of the valve assembly 
10 is generally similar to that shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 
4,697,608 issued to Kolze et al and assigned to the Assignee of the 
present invention. Accordingly, further detailed description of the 
overall valve construction has been omitted herein for the sake of 
brevity. 
However, an aspect or novel feature of the present invention is shown in 
FIG. 1 by reference numerals 41 and 43 which denote a plurality of 
integrally formed lugs or tabs extending from the base of pole frame 40. 
Upon assembly of the coil and pole frame 40 over the armature guide 40, 
tabs 41 and 43 are deformed over a shoulder 45 formed on the outer 
periphery of welded ring 36 for securely retaining the pole frame onto the 
body without application of clamping loads to guide 32. 
Referring to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the valve seat means 26, spring 58, armature 
30 and armature guide 32 comprise an aspect or feature of the invention as 
a subassembly indicated generally at 44. 
Another aspect or feature of the invention is illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 
and comprises a rigid reinforcement 46 having portions thereof embedded in 
the elastomeric valve seat means 26. In the presently preferred practice, 
the insert 46 has a plurality of apertures 48 provided therein 
intermediate the inner and outer periphery of the valve seat means 26. The 
apertures 48 permit elastomeric material to be molded therethrough for 
retaining the insert 46 in the valve seat means 26. In the presently 
preferred practice, the insert 46 has a generally flat disc configuration 
and is formed of a rigid material such as brass. However, it will be 
understood that other configurations and other materials may be found 
suitable within the practice of the invention. 
In the presently preferred practice, two each of the lugs 41, 43 are 
provided in spaced relationship of opposite sides of the pole frame 40. 
Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the rigid insert 46 is shown with the outer 
periphery thereof extending radially outwardly of the elastomeric 
periphery of the valve seat means 26. It will be understood however, that 
the insert 46 need not have its outer periphery extending beyond the outer 
periphery of the valve seat means 26; but, the periphery of the insert 46 
must extend generally outwardly to the outer periphery of the valve seat 
means 26. The inner periphery 50 of the insert 46 is sized such that a 
suitable amount of elastomeric material is molded thereabout to form the 
outlet flow orifice 52 in the valve seat means 26. Although the disc 
shaped insert of FIG. 2 has been illustrated with discrete apertures 48 
formed therein for molding of elastomer therethrough, it will be 
understood that other configurations of the disc shape may be employed, as 
for example, a disc having an outer ring with a plurality of radially 
inwardly extending finger-like portions. 
Referring to FIG. 3, the elastomeric valve seat means 26 has an annular 
groove 27 formed in the face thereof distal said poppet 28 which groove 27 
serves as a strain relief to minimize distortion of flow orifice 52 upon 
installation in cavity 14 and upon exposure of the valve seat to unusually 
high water line pressures. 
Referring to FIG. 3, the spring-guide-armature-valve seat subassembly 44 
incorporates a plurality of extensions or lugs 54 extending axially from 
the open end of the armature guide in circumferentially preferably equally 
spaced arrangement. Each of the lugs has a registration surface 56 which 
engages the outer periphery of the valve seat insert 46 in a manner to 
retain the valve seat in position against the force of the spring 58 which 
is received in the armature guide and acts against the closed end thereof 
to bias the poppet surface 28 against the valve seat means 26. In the 
presently preferred practice, the registration surfaces 56 provide a 
frictional or detent engagement with the outer periphery of the insert 46. 
The seal ring 34 is received over a cylindrical portion 60 provided at the 
base of the lugs 54 for providing sealing about the periphery thereof upon 
installation of the subassembly 44 into the valve cavity 14. The 
subassembly 44 thus provides a convenient and economical means of assembly 
the valve seat means 26, armature 30, spring 58 and armature guide 32 into 
the valve body 12. 
Referring to FIG. 4, an alternate embodiment of the valve seat means 26 is 
illustrated wherein the elastomeric valve seat 126 has the rigid 
reinforcement provided in the form of an annular member 146 having a 
generally rectangular C-shaped configuration in transverse section with a 
circumferential rib 147 provided thereon for engagement with the 
registration surfaces 56 in the lugs 54 armature guide. The embodiment of 
FIG. 4 is preferably constructed by molding the elastomeric material for 
the valve seat 126 into the interior region of the reinforcement 146. 
The lower surface of the valve seat means 126 of FIG. 4 has an annular 
groove 127 formed therein which serves as a localized strain relief upon 
assembly of the valve seat means into the valving cavity 14. The groove 
127 serves to minimize local deformation of the flow orifice 152 upon 
installation of the valve seat means into the valving cavity 14 and upon 
exposure of the valve seat to unusually high line pressures. 
Referring to FIG. 5, another embodiment of the valve seat means is 
illustrated wherein the elastomeric valve seat member 226 has the rigid 
reinforcement provided thereon in the form of an annular member 246 having 
a generally C-shaped configuration in transverse section with the outer 
periphery thereof forming a smooth curved surface for engaging the 
shouldered portions 56 of the armature guide. 
The lower face of the valve seat means 226 in the FIG. 5 embodiment has an 
annular groove 227 formed therein for providing strain relief and 
minimizing deformation of the flow aperture 252 upon installation of the 
subassembly into the valving cavity 14 and exposure of the valve seat to 
unusually high water line pressures. 
Referring to FIG. 6, still another embodiment of the valve seat means is 
illustrated wherein the elastomeric valve seat member 326 has the insert 
provided in the form of an annular member having a generally inverted 
U-shaped configuration in transverse section with the outer flange thereof 
extending over and adjacent the outer periphery of the elastomeric member 
326. The inner periphery of member 346 is retained in a recess in the 
elastomeric material of the seat 326. An annular relief groove 327 is 
provided in the lower face of the valve seat member 326 for relieving the 
localized strain of installation of the valve seat means in the valving 
cavity 14; and, the groove 327 minimizes deformation of the valve seat 326 
in the region of the flow orifice 352 upon exposure to unusually high 
water line pressures. 
Referring to FIG. 7, another embodiment of the invention is illustrated 
wherein the elastomeric valve seat denoted by the reference numeral 426 
has an insert 446 recessed or embedded in the elastomeric valve seat and 
extending from the upper surface thereof. In the embodiment of FIG. 7, the 
armature guide 432 has the portion 454 consisting of a plurality of 
discrete lugs extending from the flange 433. The lug portion 454 of the 
armature guide 432 has formed therein a shoulder or counterbore 456, which 
has received therein in frictional engagement the upper axial end of the 
insert 446 for retention of the elastomeric seat onto the armature guide. 
The embodiment of FIG. 7 thus provides a subassembly of the armature 
guide, valve seat, armature and spring in a manner similar to the 
embodiment of FIG. 3; however, it will be understood that the armature and 
spring have been omitted in FIG. 7 for simplicity. 
The present invention thus provides a unique and novel electromagnetic 
valve assembly wherein the valve seat, armature/poppet and armature guide 
and armature return spring may be prepared as a subassembly and in 
installed as a unit into the valve body for ease and economy of 
manufacturing assembly. The valve seat of the present invention employs an 
elastomeric member having a rigid reinforcement or insert enabling 
frictional or detent engagement of the valve seat with engagement surfaces 
provided on the armature guide to form the above-described subassembly. 
The rigid reinforcement in the elastomeric valve seat and a groove in the 
elastomer aid in minimizing local deformation of the flow orifice upon 
assembly of the valve seat into the valving cavity and upon exposure to 
elevated waterline pressures. 
The present invention also provides for unique integrally formed tabs for 
securing the ferromagnetic pole frame directly to the valve body. 
Although the invention has been described above 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 scope of 
the following claims.