Patent ID: 7156368

Claim:
A flow control valve for controlling the flow of fuel in a fuel system, comprising: a housing including a fuel passage; a valve device including a valve guide, said valve device movable to close said fuel passage to block fuel flow through said fuel passage, and to open said fuel passage to permit fuel flow through said fuel passage; a valve plunger engaging said valve device, said valve plunger being adapted to reciprocally move between an extended position in which said valve device is moved to said closed position, and a retracted position in which said valve device is moved to said open position; an actuator means for reciprocally moving said valve plunger, said actuator means including a solenoid assembly including a coil capable of being energized to move said valve plunger into said retracted position and an armature connected to said valve plunger for movement with said valve plunger toward said extended position; a retainer that abuts said armature; an armature overtravel means for permitting continued movement of said armature relative to said valve plunger from an engaged position into a disengaged position when said valve plunger reaches said extended position, said armature overtravel means including an overtravel biasing means for returning said armature from said disengaged position to said engaged position prior to subsequent energization of said coil; and an armature stop means for stopping overtravel of said armature including a fluid film gap, positioned between said retainer and said valve guide, that fluidically resists overtravel movement of said armature.