Delphi Technologies, Inc.

Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Keith B Fong

Jeffrey Heinrichs

Omar Rocha

Javier Gomez

Veronica Morales

David Fredrick Reuter, Ii

Viswanath Seetharaman

Dale Lee Baldauf

A uniformly preset spring force pre-load among a number of identical solenoid actuated valve assemblies ( ) by uniquely adjusting the spring pocket length (L) of each respective plunger ( ) to accommodate a respective spring ( ) which is uniquely mated thereto. This adjustment is accomplished using a two-component plunger ( ) consisting of a plunger body ( ) having a central bore ( ) and a rod ( ) slidably located within the central bore. The rod ( ) is press-fit into the central bore ( ), and the spring pocket includes a portion of the central bore unoccupied by the rod. By pressing the rod ( ) a selected distance into the central bore ( ), a precisely set spring pocket is obtained which is uniquely correct for a selected spring ( ), in that the selected spring is compressed to a precisely preset spring force pre-load. The adjusted plunger ( ) and spring ( ) are uniquely assigned to each other to collectively form a customized plunger assembly ( ) having a preset spring force pre-load, whereupon a valve assembly ( ) is manufacturable therewith having the precisely preset spring force pre-load. In carrying-out the adjustment of the plunger ( ) with respect to a specific spring ( ), the rod is pressed into the bore by a controllable source of force, such as for example provided by a stepper motor ( ), and the spring force pre-load is monitored by a load cell ( ) to ascertain when the desired spring force pre-load is achieved. Monitoring and force control is preferably automatic via a micro-controller ( ), but may be manual.

Plunger assembly having a preset spring force pre-load

A two-position, three-way solenoid-actuated valve includes a valve assembly having an axial opening and a valve member fixed in the axial opening with a first valve seat and a second valve seat disposed in the axial opening. The valve assembly including a ball disposed in the axial opening and moveable between the first valve seat and the second valve seat. The two-position, three-way solenoid-actuated valve also includes an electromagnetic coil assembly engaging the valve assembly to move the ball between the first valve seat and the second valve seat to open and close a fluid path through the valve assembly to provide directional flow control.

Two-position, three-way solenoid-actuated valve

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El Paso, TX, United States of America

Keith B Fong