Patent ID: 8763984

Claim:
An electromechanical valve, comprising: a housing, wherein the housing includes: a core of magnetic material having a centrally extending portion surrounded by a coil to be supplied with an excitation current; a valve seat attached to the housing with a space to the core; at least one centrally located outlet port in the valve seat and at least one inlet port communicating through the space; and a valve washer of magnetic material suspended in the space to close the outlet port in absence of the excitation current to the coil, the valve washer cooperating with the core to control the outlet port in response to the excitation current and being suspended by radially extending spring ribs separated by respective radial slits; wherein the valve washer comprises multiple layers of electromagnetic material providing a spring force when the valve washer is compressed, the multiple layers of electromagnetic material have substantially the same physical dimensions, the valve washer has a stroke less than two millimeters in the space, and the multiple layers form a blade spring, whereby the valve washer provides a required spring force by itself and is uncambered.