Solenoid device with sensor

Abstract

A solenoid device including pressure altering means for altering an output pressure of the solenoid device; and an actuator for providing an actuating signal to said pressure altering means; wherein the solenoid device further includes a sensor arranged to sense a control value of the solenoid device, and a controller which receives a request and is arranged to control delivery of power to the actuator with feedback from the sensor until the control value meets the request.

1 .- 28 . (canceled) 
     
     
         29 . A solenoid device in the form of a module, the module including pressure altering means for altering an output pressure of the solenoid device; and an actuator for providing an actuating signal to said pressure altering means; wherein the solenoid device further includes a sensor arranged to sense a control value of the solenoid device, and a controller which receives a request and is arranged to control delivery of power to the actuator with feedback from the sensor until the control value meets the request. 
     
     
         30 . The solenoid device as claimed in  claim 29 , wherein the solenoid device is a solenoid spool valve including a spool valve having a sleeve provided with a supply port, a control port, and a spool supported in the sleeve for axial displacement within the sleeve; and an electromagnetic actuator for providing an axial drive force to said spool in a first axial direction; wherein the solenoid spool valve further includes a sensor arranged to sense a control value of the spool valve, and a controller which receives a request and is arranged to control delivery of power to the electromagnetic actuator with feedback from the sensor until the control value meets the request. 
     
     
         31 . The solenoid spool valve as claimed in  claim 30 , wherein the sensor is a pressure sensor, the supply port is a supply pressure port, the control port is a control pressure port, the control value is a control pressure, the request is in the form of a pressure request, and the controller controls delivery of power to the electromagnetic actuator with feedback from the pressure sensor until the control pressure meets the pressure request. 
     
     
         32 . The solenoid spool valve as claimed in  claim 31 , wherein the controller is in the form of a control circuit. 
     
     
         33 . The solenoid spool valve as claimed in  claim 32 , wherein the control circuit is arranged to receive the pressure request from a communications network. 
     
     
         34 . The solenoid spool valve as claimed in  claim 33 , wherein the communications network is a Controller-Area Network. 
     
     
         35 . The solenoid spool valve as claimed in  claim 31 , wherein the pressure sensor is arranged to sense the control pressure of the spool valve at a location inside the sleeve. 
     
     
         36 . The solenoid spool valve as claimed in  claim 31 , wherein the controller is arranged to adaptively learn current provided to the electromagnetic actuator in relation to pressure sensed, such that the solenoid spool valve is self-compensating. 
     
     
         37 . The solenoid spool valve as claimed in  claim 31 , wherein the controller is mounted relative to the sleeve. 
     
     
         38 . The solenoid spool valve as claimed in  claim 31 , wherein the solenoid spool valve including the pressure sensor and controller are provided as a unitary module. 
     
     
         39 . The solenoid spool valve as claimed in  claim 31 , wherein the solenoid spool valve further includes an exhaust port, the spool has a first piston with a first land for opening/closing the supply pressure port and a second piston with a second land for opening/closing the exhaust port, wherein the first piston has a larger piston face surface area in fluid communication with the control pressure port than does the second piston. 
     
     
         40 . The solenoid spool valve as claimed in  claim 39 , wherein the face (c) of the second piston in fluid communication with the control pressure port is arranged such that force of fluid against said face acts on the spool in an axial direction toward the electromagnetic actuator. 
     
     
         41 . The solenoid spool valve as claimed in  claim 39 , wherein the spool is arranged such that, the combined force on the spool from fluid against piston faces of the spool is independent of the transverse extent of the first piston, owing to equal and opposite face surface areas of the first piston. 
     
     
         42 . The solenoid spool valve as claimed in  claim 39 , wherein the first piston has one piston face (b) in fluid communication with the control pressure port arranged such that force of fluid against said one piston face acts on the spool in an axial direction away from the electromagnetic actuator, and an opposite piston face (a) in fluid communication with a feedback orifice arranged such that force of fluid against said opposite piston face acts on the spool in an axial direction toward the electromagnetic actuator, wherein the feedback orifice supplies fluid at the same control pressure as the control pressure port, wherein the feedback orifice is in fluid communication with the control pressure port, and wherein the first piston is cylindrical and the combined force on the spool from fluid against piston faces of the spool is independent of an outside diameter of the first piston. 
     
     
         43 . The solenoid spool valve as claimed in  claim 41 , wherein the spool is arranged such that, the combined force on the spool from fluid against piston faces of the spool is given by the equation:
   combined force= A+C−B,      where A, B and C are the fluid forces acting on faces a, b and c, respectively.   
     
     
         44 . The range of solenoid spool valves, each of which is as claimed in  claim 39 , wherein each of the solenoid spool valves has a different first piston diameter to second piston diameter ratio to provide different pressure capabilities, and wherein each of the solenoid spool valves has an identical electromagnetic actuator. 
     
     
         45 . The solenoid device as claimed in  claim 29 , wherein the sensor includes one or more of the following sensor types:
 a flow sensor, with the control value in the form of a control flow value and the request in the form of a flow request;   a temperature sensor, with the control value in the form of a control temperature value and the request in the form of a temperature request;   a speed sensor, with the control value in the form of a control speed value and the request in the form of a speed request;   and a position sensor, with the control value in the form of a control position value and the request in the form of a position request.   
     
     
         46 . The solenoid device as claimed in  claim 29 , wherein the controller is arranged to receive the pressure request from one or more of the following communication types: CAN, CAN-Over-Power, radio links, or Bluetooth. 
     
     
         47 . The solenoid spool valve as claimed in  claim 34 , wherein the solenoid spool valve is arranged to use other sensors already existing on the communications network. 
     
     
         48 . The solenoid spool valve as claimed in  claim 34 , wherein there are several like solenoid spool valves in the communications network, and each solenoid spool valve has a unique identifier to enable said solenoid spool valve to be operated individually.