Patent ID: 6932319

Claim:
A linear valve actuator, comprising: (a) a rotary electric motor; (b) a shaft extending into a rotor of said rotary electric motor and extendable into a body extension of said linear valve actuator; (c) said shaft having an externally threaded portion extending into said rotor and in engagement with a complementarily threaded internal surface of said rotor; (d) said shaft having an externally splined portion extendable into said body extension of said valve and engageable with a complementarily splined internal surface of said extension of said valve; (e) said linear valve actuator and said body extension of said valve are attachable together by means of structure permitting a slide, twist, and lock motion; (f) a pair of locking tabs formed on an external surface of said body extension of said valve; (g) a pair of latches formed on an outer surface of a collar extension of a stator of an electric motor in said linear actuator; (h) a pair of channels formed in an inner surface of said collar, inner surfaces of said latches defining part of inner surfaces of said channels; (i) a pair of openings defined through said collar extension adjacent said latches; and (j) said locking tabs, said latches, and said openings being dimensioned such that said locking tabs can be inserted into said channels, said body extension of said valve being rotated while elastically deforming said latches outwardly, and said locking tabs then entering said pair of openings and permitting said latches to snap back into place, with ends of said locking tabs and said latches in mutual abutting relationship.