Patent ID: 7347221

Claim:
A valve assembly for gas applications comprising: a first valve closing element that can be moved against a valve seat and is connected to a first armature; a second valve closing element that can be moved against a valve seat and is connected to a second armature; and a common magnetizing coil that is assigned to both armatures and encompassed by an outer yoke, wherein said yoke contains two pole pieces, one of which is assigned to the first armature and the other one of which is assigned to the second armature; wherein the first armature and the second armature define a coupling air gap; wherein the first armature and the pole piece assigned to it define a working air gap wherein the second armature and the pole piece assigned to it define a transmission air gap; wherein the first armature is connected to the valve closing element assigned to it by means of a pipe section; wherein the pipe section extends through the transmission air gap; wherein the axial length of the transmission air gap is greater than the axial travel of the second armature; wherein the pipe section consists of ferromagnetic material, wherein its wall thickness is sufficiently small and its magnetic reluctance in the axial direction is sufficiently high that the predominant portion of the magnetic flux originating from the magnetizing coil extends through the two armatures in succession; and wherein the first valve seat and the second valve seat are arranged coaxial one behind the other.