Method for mounting a valve, and a valve
A method for mounting a valve having a valve housing within which a valve spool is slidably received such that it can move to and fro. The position of the valve spool is detected by a sensor, in particular a Hall sensor, which interacts with at least one permanent magnet element or at least one magnetic flux element that is attached to the valve spool. Before the valve is put into operation, the valve spool is moved into at least one valve spool position that includes tolerances, and the spool position is detected and is accurately stored in a programmable sensor, and/or is programmed into the sensor.
1 . A method for mounting a valve having a valve housing within which a valve spool is slidably received such that it can move to and fro, said method comprising the steps of: mounting a programmable Hall effect sensor on the valve housing adjacent to the valve spool; mounting at least one magnetic flux element on the valve spool; prior to placing the valve in service moving the valve spool into at least one valve spool position that is subject to tolerances; detecting the valve spool position exactly with the programmable sensor; and storing the detected valve spool position in the programmable sensor.
2 . A valve comprising: a valve housing including a bore; a valve spool slidably received within the bore such that it can move to and fro; a Hall effect sensor mounted on the valve housing adjacent to the valve spool; at least one magnetic flux element carried by the valve spool, wherein at least one valve spool position that is subject to tolerances is exactly detected by the sensor and is stored in the sensor.
3 . A valve in accordance with claim 2 , wherein the valve spool is made of a magnetically impermeable material.
4 . A valve in accordance with claim 2 , wherein at least a part of the valve housing in which the valve spool is received is made of a magnetically impermeable material.
5 . A valve in accordance with claim 2 , wherein the magnetic flux element is attached directly to the valve spool.
6 . A valve in accordance with claim 5 , wherein the magnetic flux element is retained within the valve spool by a flanged connection.
7 . A valve in accordance with claim 2 , wherein the valve spool has a central blind bore on one end, within which the magnetic flux element is at least partially received.
8 . A valve in accordance with claim 7 , wherein a retaining flange is formed on the one end of the valve spool with the blind bore for engagement with the magnetic flux element.
9 . A valve in accordance with claim 7 , wherein the magnetic flux element includes an attachment portion that is received in the blind bore and is bounded by an annular groove.
10 . A valve in accordance with claim 2 , wherein the magnetic flux element is a ring that is slidably received on the one end of the valve spool and is retained on the valve spool by a flanged connection
11 . A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein the magnetic flux element is a permanent magnet.
12 . A valve in accordance with claim 2 , wherein the magnetic flux element is a permanent magnet.