3/3 way solenoid valve

A solenoid valve for controlling air between a pressure source and an external pressure receiver, said solenoid valve comprising:

• a housing having a housing interior enclosed by axially spaced, first and second housing end walls that define opposite first and second housing ends;
• an inlet port in said first housing end wall and opening into said housing interior, which is configured for receiving a supply of pressurized fluid from a pressure supply;
• a communication port in said first housing end wall and opening into said housing interior, which is configured to be selectively pressurized and depressurized for communicating a reversible flow of the pressurized fluid through said communication port;
• an outlet port in said second housing end wall and opening into said housing interior for exhausting the pressurized fluid from said housing interior through said outlet port;
• an armature movably disposed in said housing interior, which is reciprocatable toward said first and second housing ends, said armature comprising axially spaced, first and second poppets projecting from opposite armature ends and a spring member biasing said poppets axially away from each other while permitting said poppets and said spring member to float axially relative to said armature, said armature being reversibly movable along an axial stroke between opposite first and second armature positions and an intermediate third armature position therebetween;
• said first and second poppets configured to simultaneously close said inlet port and said outlet port with said armature in said third armature position to define a valve closed condition, open said inlet and close said outlet port with said armature in said first armature position to supply pressurized fluid to said communication port and define a first valve open condition wherein said communication port is pressurized, and close said inlet port and open said outlet port with said armature in said second armature position to exhaust pressurized fluid from said communication port and define a second valve open condition wherein said communication port is depressurized;
• and
• first and second solenoid coils disposed in said housing, which are axially adjacent to each other and are selectively energizable to generate respective first and second magnetic fields in said housing interior proximate said first and second housing ends, said armature being in said third armature position when said first and second solenoid coils are deenergized to define said closed valve condition, and said first and second coils being energizable to displace said armature from said third armature position to said first and second armature positions depending upon which of the first and second solenoid valves is energized to define said first and second valve open conditions.