Electromechanically operated valve

Electromechanically operated valve structure, comprising a valve body having a passage for pressure fluid flow, a movable ball-poppet valve member for controlling said flow, and actuating means for said valve member;

• said actuating means comprising magnetic-core means establishing two spaced substantially parallel gaps which are directionally polarized in opposite directions, an electrically conductive coil having a course defining two substantially parallel legs that are spaced substantially in accordance with the spacing of said gaps, compliant suspension means movably mounting and orienting said coil with respect to said core means such that each of said legs is positioned with clearance within and substantially parallel to a different one of said gaps, said mounting means constraining and guiding said coil for movement which is substantially in the plane of said legs and normal to the orientation of said legs, said valve member being connected to said mounting means substantially in the plane of and movable substantially normal to said legs, said suspension means including a valve-member suspension comprising at least three like radially extending coil springs angularly spaced about the axis of valve-member movement, the inner ends of said springs being connected to said valve member and the outer ends of said springs being fixed, and said valve member being so positioned with respect to the valve-body passage that said flow is controlled in response to excitation of said coil.

Electromechanically operated valve structure, comprising a valve body having a passage for pressure fluid flow, a movable ball-poppet valve member for controlling said flow, said valve member being compliantly suspended by a set of like radially extending coil springs angularly spaced about the motional axis of said valve member, and actuating means for said valve member;

• said actuating means comprising magnetic-core means establishing two spaced substantially parallel gaps which are directionally polarized in opposite directions, an electrically conductive coil having a course defining two substantially parallel legs that are spaced substantially in accordance with the spacing of said gaps, a compliantly suspended elongate rigid beam movably mounting and orienting said coil with respect to said core means such that each of said legs is positioned within and substantially parallel to a different one of said gaps, the suspension of said beam comprising a single relatively thin, flat and stiffly compliant element having essentially a single compliant bending mode which defines an axis of pivotal mounting, said coil being mounted to said beam at a first and relatively large radius about said axis, said beam constraining and guiding said coil for pivotal movement which is substantially in the plane of said legs and normal to the orientation of said legs, said valve member being effectively connected by abutment with said beam at a second and relatively small radius about said axis such that flow is controlled in response with mechanical advantage in response to excitation of said coil.