Water valve guide tube with integrated weld ring and water valve incorporating same
AssigneeRobertshaw Controls Company
InventorsShane Duncan Bartow, Paul Charles Berkley, James E. Pearson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A water valve, guide tube for a water valve, and associated method are provided. The water valve includes a housing and the guide tube is installed on the housing via laser welding. The guide tube and housing each provide axially facing mating surfaces which abut one another in a pre-bonded configuration. In a post-bonded configuration, a laser weld joint is formed at the interface between the mating surfaces. The joint forms a portion of an outer periphery of the housing.
Claims23
A water valve, the water valve comprising:
- a housing having an inlet and an outlet and a flow path extending through the housing between the inlet and the outlet;
- a valve member assembly situated within the flow path and operable to selective open and close the flow path;
- a guide tube, the guide tube mounted to the housing;
- a solenoid actuator mounted to the guide tube;
- wherein the guide tube includes an axially facing first mating surface arranged perpendicularly relative to a longitudinal axis of the guide tube and wherein the housing includes an axially facing second mating surface arranged perpendicularly to a longitudinal axis of the housing;
- wherein the first and second axially facing mating surfaces abut one another in a pre-bonded configuration of the water valve;
- and
- wherein the guide tube and housing form a joint at the outer periphery of the water valve in a post-bonded configuration.
A water valve, the water valve comprising:
- a housing having an inlet and an outlet and a flow path extending through the housing between the inlet and the outlet;
- a valve member assembly situated within the flow path and operable to selectively open and close the flow path;
- a guide tube, the guide tube mounted to the housing;
- a solenoid actuator mounted to the guide tube;
- wherein the guide tube includes an axially facing first mating surface arranged perpendicularly relative to a longitudinal axis of the guide tube and wherein the housing includes an axially facing second mating surface arranged perpendicularly to a longitudinal axis of the housing;
- wherein the first and second axially facing mating surfaces abut one another in a pre-bonded configuration of the water valve;
- wherein the guide tube and housing form a joint at the outer periphery of the water valve in a post-bonded configuration;
- wherein the guide tube includes a base and an extension extending from the base, the base extending between an upper and a lower surface, wherein the first mating surface is provided by the lower surface;
- and
- wherein a plurality of reinforcing ribs extend from the upper surface of the base and reinforce the extension.
A water valve, the water valve comprising:
- a housing having an inlet and an outlet and a flow path extending through the housing between the inlet and the outlet;
- a valve member assembly situated within the flow path and operable to selective open and close the flow path;
- a guide tube, the guide tube mounted to the housing;
- a solenoid actuator mounted to the guide tube;
- and
- wherein the guide tube is laser welded directly to the housing to form a joint between the guide tube and the housing at an outer periphery of the housing.
A guide tube for a water valve, the water valve having a housing with an inlet, and outlet, and a flow path extending between the inlet and the outlet, the water valve also including a solenoid actuator arranged to act upon an armature carried by the guide tube, the armature acting upon a valve member assembly of the water valve carried by the housing, the guide tube comprising:
- a base having an upper surface and a lower surface;
- an extension extending away from the upper surface, the extension having an internal bore therein;
- an annular ring extending from the lower surface of the base, radially interior of an outer peripheral edge of the base;
- and
- wherein the lower surface defines an axially facing mating surface, an abutment surface arranged radially outward from the annular ring to the outer peripheral edge of the base, the abutment surface configured to axially abut the housing to provide a laser weld joint.
A guide tube for a water valve, the water valve having a housing with an inlet, and outlet, and a flow path extending between the inlet and the outlet, the water valve also including a solenoid actuator arranged to act upon an armature carried by the guide tube, the armature acting upon a valve member assembly of the water valve carried by the housing, the guide tube comprising:
- a base having an upper surface and a lower surface;
- an extension extending away from the upper surface, the extension having an internal bore therein;
- an annular ring extending from the lower surface of the base, radially interior of an outer peripheral edge of the base;
- wherein the lower surface defines an axially facing mating surface, an abutment surface arranged radially outward from the annular ring to the outer peripheral edge of the base, the abutment surface configured to axially abut the housing to provide a laser weld joint;
- and
- wherein a plurality of reinforcing ribs extend from the upper surface of the base and reinforce the extension.
A method for manufacturing a water valve, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a housing having an inlet and an outlet and a flow path extending through the housing between the inlet and the outlet;
- situating a valve member assembly within the flow path;
- installing a guide tube to the housing by laser welding the guide tube directly to the housing;
- and
- mounting a solenoid actuator to the guide tube.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.