Patent ID: 8517333

Claim:
A valve actuator, comprising: an actuator housing having an actuator housing inner surface and an actuator housing outer surface, the actuator housing inner surface defining an actuator housing inner volume that is adapted to receive pressurized fluid; a piston movably mounted within the actuator housing inner volume, the piston comprising a piston outer surface and a piston inner surface, the piston outer surface having a magnet recess formed thereon, the piston inner surface defining a piston inner volume, the piston configured to translate in a first direction and a second direction; a linkage assembly disposed within the piston inner volume, the linkage assembly rotationally coupled to the piston and adapted to couple to a valve element, the linkage assembly configured to rotate the valve element in a first rotational direction and a second rotational direction in response to piston movement in the first direction and the second direction, respectively; a magnet disposed within the magnet recess and movable with the piston; a mount flange formed on the actuator housing outer surface, the mount flange having a slot formed therein; a metallic sensor housing adjustably mounted on the actuator housing outer surface and having a case opening and a plurality of fastener openings formed therein; a plurality of fasteners extending through the mount flange and disposed, one each in a single one of the fastener openings; a non-metallic sensor case disposed within the metallic sensor housing, the non-metallic sensor case including a barbed protrusion that is snapped into the case opening in the metallic sensor housing; and a Hall sensor disposed within the non-metallic sensor case and responsive to movement of the magnet to supply a position signal.