Impact dampened armature and needle valve assembly

A valve comprising a housing having an inlet at which fluid enters the valve and an outlet at which fluid leaves the valve, a valve seat member that is disposed at said outlet and that comprises a valve seat circumscribing an aperture through which fluid passes as it leaves said outlet, an armature and needle valve assembly that comprises a needle valve and an armature and that is axially reciprocated by an electrically operated actuator mechanism to seat and unseat a tip end of said needle valve on and from said valve seat to thereby close and open said aperture to flow characterized in that said needle valve comprises a flange and in that an axial lost motion connection is provided between said armature and said needle valve such that when said needle valve impacts said valve seat to close said aperture to flow, said armature moves axially relative to said needle valve and after a certain amount of axial movement axially impacts said needle valve flange by direct contact therewith substantially at the incipiency of said needle valve bouncing away from said valve seat to thereby substantially snub such bounce.