Patent ID: 7284570

Claim:
A valve assembly comprising: a valve housing having: a conduit section through which an inlet pipe section and an outlet pipe section are connected in alignment with each other; a primary chamber; and a secondary chamber, wherein the primary chamber and the secondary chamber are separated by an elongated chamber wall, the elongated chamber wall having an opening at a lower end; an electrically powered actuator having a magnetic actuator and an actuator drive coil; a valve element seated within the housing in the conduit section between the pipe sections; a valve stem connected to the valve element, the valve stem disposed in the primary chamber of the housing and elongated in a direction substantially parallel to the direction of elongation of the elongated chamber wall, the actuator drive coil of the electrically powered actuator connected to the valve stem, the electrically powered actuator controlling the displacement of the valve element between a fully opened position and a fully closed position blocking fluid outflow from the outlet pipe section; a displacement sensing arm protruding from the valve stem and extending from the primary chamber into the secondary chamber through the opening at the lower end of the elongated chamber wall, the displacement sensing arm disposed entirely within the housing, wherein the displacement sensing arm translates within both the primary chamber and the secondary chamber of the valve housing in accordance with the displacement of the valve stem, the valve assembly further including: a sensor with a sensor opening both positioned within the secondary chamber of the valve housing, wherein the displacement sensing arm protrudes from the valve stem and extends into the sensor opening.