Solenoid valve

Abstract

A solenoid valve includes a plunger that includes a conical plunger tip and an outlet tube that is formed with an outlet passage. The outlet passage includes a first frusto-conical portion into which the plunger tip fits. The plunger is movable between a closed configuration wherein the plunger engages the outlet tube to block fluid flow through the outlet passage and an open configuration wherein the plunger is distanced from the outlet tube to permit fluid flow through the outlet passage. As the plunger moves, there is only one restriction of flow between the plunger and the outlet tube for each position of the plunger. As such, the flow through the valve is linear with respect to the motion of the plunger and the solenoid valve can be used to easily and accurately control the flow rate of fluid therethrough.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.