Electro-hydraulic valve cover and method of use

1 . In combination with a hydraulic assembly having at least one electro-hydraulic valve disposed within a valve housing and communicatively coupled to at least one electronic port located on the valve housing and having at least one electrical connector with a wire electrically coupled thereto, the at least one electrical connector coupled to the at least one electronic port, wherein the improvement comprises:

an electro-hydraulic valve cover of a water-resistant material, with a rear wall, with a plurality of sidewalls enclosing a cover cavity defined by plurality of sidewalls and the rear wall, defining an opening with a perimeter surface defined by the plurality of sidewalls, with the at least one electronic port on the valve housing encapsulated by the electro-hydraulic valve cover, and having the perimeter surface selectively removably and directly coupled to the valve housing in a watertight configuration with the valve housing partially disposed in the opening and the cover cavity.

2 . The improvement according to claim 1 , wherein the wire channel is the sole aperture accessible to the cover cavity when the electro-hydraulic valve cover is coupled to the valve housing.

3 . The improvement according to claim 1 , wherein the electro-hydraulic valve cover further comprises:

a wire member defining a wire channel spanning from the cover cavity and conforming to the wire.

4 . The improvement according to claim 3 , wherein wire member protrudes from the hydraulic valve cover.

5 . The improvement according to claim 3 , wherein the electro-hydraulic valve cover further comprises:

a wire member protruding from the sidewall of the hydraulic valve cover and defining a wire channel spanning from the cover cavity and conforming to the wire.

6 . The improvement according to claim 1 , wherein the water-resistant material is a flexible and elastomeric polymeric material.

7 . The improvement according to claim 1 , wherein the perimeter surface is defined by a terminal edge of the electro-hydraulic valve cover.

8 . A method of protecting an electro-hydraulic valve in a hydraulic assembly comprising the steps of:

providing a hydraulic assembly having at least one electro-hydraulic valve disposed within a valve housing and communicatively coupled to at least one electronic port located on the valve housing and having at least one electrical connector with a wire electrically coupled thereto;

providing an electro-hydraulic valve cover of a water-resistant material, with a rear wall, with a plurality of sidewalls enclosing a cover cavity defined by plurality of sidewalls and the rear wall, and defining an opening with a perimeter surface defined by the plurality of sidewalls;

inserting the valve housing into the cover cavity through the opening to partially cover the valve housing and encapsulate the at least one electronic port on the valve housing;

coupling the electrical connector to the at least one electronic port; and

directly coupling the perimeter surface to the valve housing in a watertight configuration.

9 . The method according to claim 8 , wherein the electro-hydraulic valve cover is selectively removably coupled to the valve housing.

10 . The method according to claim 8 , further comprising:

providing the electro-hydraulic valve cover with a wire member defining a wire channel spanning from the cover cavity; and

inserting the wire through the wire channel.

11 . The method according to claim 10 , the wire channel is the sole aperture accessible to the cover cavity when the electro-hydraulic valve cover is coupled to the valve housing.

12 . The method according to claim 8 , wherein the water-resistant material is a flexible and elastomeric polymeric material.

13 . The improvement according to claim 1 , wherein the electro-hydraulic valve cover is of a monolithic body.

14 . The method according to claim 8 , wherein the electro-hydraulic valve cover is of a monolithic body.