Patent ID: 7246787

Claim:
A device comprised of: a valve portion comprised of a valve base, said valve base defining a fluid inlet port, a fluid exit port, and a first fixed portion, said first fixed portion having a generally radial aperture connecting said fluid inlet port to said fluid exit port; and a solenoid portion functionally engaging said valve portion and comprised of: a coil having a coil bore therethrough, and being operative to produce a magnetic field when subject to an electric signal; a magnetic pole piece disposed substantially within said coil bore and having a distal end and a proximate end; an axially translatable armature, said armature positioned substantially on said first fixed portion of said valve base and comprised of a generally disc-shaped portion, an armature aperture disposed on said disc-shaped portion, and an annular ring portion fitting substantially around said first fixed portion, wherein said armature aperture and said first fixed portion of said valve base form a fluid cavity therebetween, and wherein said armature aperture allows a fluid to pass through said armature aperture into said fluid cavity and substantially equilibrate an axial force on said armature created by said fluid, said armature forming an axial air gap between said distal end of said magnetic pole piece and said disc-shaped portion of said armature and a fluid seal junction with said valve base; wherein said distal end of said magnetic pole piece includes a ferrule-shaped portion, said ferrule shaped portion having an inner diameter slightly larger than a diameter of said distal end of said magnetic pole piece such that the magnetic pole piece fits within said ferrule-shaped portion of said magnetic pole piece upon axial translation of said armature, forming a radial gap therebetween, said ferrule-shaped portion shunting a portion of a magnetic flux between said magnetic pole piece and said armature; a solenoid base, said solenoid base disposed substantially within said coil bore and extending into said valve portion, wherein said solenoid base forms a fluid chamber substantially around said armature; a biasing mechanism functionally engaging said magnetic pole piece and said armature and adapted to exert a biasing force on said armature in a direction away from said magnetic pole piece; wherein said armature axially translates in response to said electric signal to establish fluid flow from said fluid inlet port to said fluid exit port across said fluid seal junction and through said radial aperture of said first fixed portion.