Proportional directional control valve with a magnetic positioning sensor

1. A proportional directional control valve comprising:

a housing having a first portion and a second portion, the first portion having an interior chamber;

an electronic controller mounted within the interior chamber;

at least one solenoid assembly electrically coupled to the electronic controller, the solenoid assembly disposed in the second portion, a drive pin of the solenoid assembly being reciprocally moveable responsive to a current provided by the electronic controller;

a valve assembly disposed in the second portion, the valve assembly comprising a linearly moveable valve element operatively connected to the solenoid assembly, a position of the valve element being responsive to a position of the drive pin;

a magnetic assembly operatively connected to the valve element, the magnetic assembly providing a magnetic field responsive to the position of the valve element, the magnetic assembly including a non-magnetic housing having a passageway extending axially through a portion of the non-magnetic housing, first and second magnets disposed in the passageway, and first and second magnetic pole pieces disposed between the first and second magnets; and

a magnetic positioning sensor assembly coupled to the electronic controller, the magnetic positioning sensor detecting a change in the magnetic field, the magnetic positioning sensor assembly generating an output voltage proportional to the change in the magnetic field.

2. The proportional directional control valve of claim 1 wherein the magnetic pole pieces comprise ferrous material.

3. The proportional directional control valve of claim 1 wherein each of the magnetic pole pieces has a conical configuration.

4. The proportional directional control valve of claim 1 wherein the magnetic assembly further comprises a non-magnetic spacer disposed in the passageway between the first and second magnets and between the first and second magnetic pole pieces.

5. The proportional directional control valve of claim 4 wherein the non-magnetic spacer has a pair of ends, each end defines an opening for receiving a corresponding one of the first and second magnetic pole pieces.

6. The proportional directional control valve of claim 5 wherein each of the magnetic pole pieces has a conical configuration.

7. The proportional directional control valve of claim 1 wherein the non-magnetic housing has a two-piece construction including a body and an end piece.

8. The proportional directional control valve of claim 7 wherein the body and end piece are secured together by an adhesive.

9. The proportional directional control valve of claim 1 , wherein the current to the solenoid assembly is adjusted by the electronic controller responsive to a comparison of the output voltage and a command electrical input signal.

10. The proportional directional control valve of claim 9 , further comprising a main connector coupled to the electronic controller, the main connector configured to receive electrical power and to provide the electrical power to the electronic controller.

11. The proportional directional control valve of claim 10 , wherein the main connecter is further configured to receive the command electrical input signal, the command signal electrical input being processed by the electronic controller to drive the solenoid assembly.

12. The proportional directional control valve of claim 1 , wherein the first portion and the second portion are substantially easily separable enabling the first portion to be replaced independently from the second portion and enabling the second portion to be replaced independently from the first portion.

13. The proportional directional control valve of claim 1 , wherein the magnetic positioning sensor assembly comprises a linear Hall-effect sensor.

14. The proportional directional control valve of claim 13 , wherein the non-magnetic housing comprises a beryllium copper housing, and wherein the first and second magnets comprise a samarium cobalt material.

15. The proportional directional control valve of claim 1 , further comprising an operator interface port coupled to the electronic controller to enable values for at least one operating parameter of the proportional directional control valve to be downloaded from a set-up device to the electronic controller.

16. The proportional directional control valve of claim 15 , wherein the operator interface port comprises a universal serial bus port.

17. The proportional directional control valve of claim 15 , further comprising a removable protective cap disposed on the operator interface port.

18. The proportional directional control valve of claim 15 , further comprising a wireless transceiver coupled to the electronic controller to enable values for the at least one operating parameter of the proportional directional control valve to be downloaded from the set-up device to the electronic controller.

19. The proportional directional control valve of claim 1 , wherein the electronic controller is mounted to an electronic board in the interior chamber, and wherein the proportional directional control valve further includes an electronic potting material disposed on the electronic board, the electronic potting material providing a protective barrier for the electronic board.

20. A proportional directional control valve comprising:

a valve operating mechanism that permits communication between a first channel and a second channel through a linear motion of a valve element of the valve operating mechanism;

a magnetic assembly operatively connected to the valve element, the magnetic assembly including a non-magnetic housing having a passageway extending axially through a portion of the non-magnetic housing, first and second magnets disposed in the passageway, and first and second magnetic pole pieces disposed between the first and second magnets;

a magnetic positioning sensor assembly that senses a magnetic field resulting from the magnetic assembly; and

a control system controlling a linear movement of the valve element in response to an electrical signal generated by the magnetic positioning sensor.

21. The proportional directional control valve of claim 20 wherein the magnetic pole pieces comprise ferrous material.

22. The proportional directional control valve of claim 20 wherein the magnetic assembly further comprises a non-magnetic spacer disposed in the passageway between the first and second magnets.

23. The proportional directional control valve of claim 20 wherein the non-magnetic housing has a two-piece construction including a body and an end piece.

24. The proportional directional control valve of claim 20 , wherein the valve operating mechanism further comprises at least one solenoid assembly electrically coupled to the control system, a drive pin of the solenoid assembly being reciprocally moveable responsive to a current provided by the control system.

25. The proportional directional control valve of claim 24 , wherein the control system comprises:

a micro-controller mounted within an interior chamber of a first portion of a housing of the proportional directional control valve;

a operator interface port coupled to the micro-controller; and

a set-up device communicatively coupled to the operator interface port.