Patent ID: 7887065

Claim:
A height control valve for a height control system of a vehicle, the vehicle including at least two members separated by a distance, the height control valve comprising: a valve assembly including: a valve body defining a bore in fluid communication with a supply port, an exhaust port and a suspension port, and a valve plunger movable within the bore toward at least one of a supply position in which air of the supply port is directed to the suspension port, an exhaust position in which air of the suspension port is directed to the exhaust port, and a closed position in which the suspension port is closed to prevent air from flowing therethrough; and a control unit joined with the valve assembly, the control unit including: a housing, an actuator responsive to a change in the distance between the at least two members, the actuator including a first magnetic element, the actuator movably joined with the housing, a second magnetic element positioned adjacent, but not contacting, the first magnetic element, at least one of the first magnetic element and second magnetic element adapted to generate a position signal indicative of the change in the distance between the at least two members, a servo located in the housing, the servo joined with a linkage that moves the valve plunger, the servo being energized with a servo current to move the linkage, the servo current undergoing a change when the linkage begins to move the valve plunger, and a controller that processes the position signal and actuates the servo to move the valve plunger toward the at least one of the supply position, the exhaust position and the closed position, wherein the controller senses the change in the servo current when the linkage begins to move the valve plunger and establishes a selected movement of the valve plunger so that the valve plunger is positioned at a desired position relative to the at least one of the supply position, the exhaust position and the closed position.