Hydraulic fluid passage with particle gettering magnet field of the invention

1. A combination of a fluid passage in an engine block or cylinder head and one or more solenoid actuated control valves communicated to the fluid passage wherein a magnet resides in the fluid passage separate and upstream of the one or more solenoid actuated fluid control valves and yet leaves an adjacent portion of the fluid passage open for fluid flow to the one or more solenoid actuated fluid control valves such that the magnet magnetically captures or getters ferrous particles in fluid in the fluid passage prior to entry into the one or more solenoid actuated fluid control valves.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein the fluid passage conducts pressurized hydraulic fluid.

3. The combination of claim 1 wherein said magnet is disposed upstream of a respective supply port of said one or more solenoid actuated fluid control valves.

4. The combination of claim 1 wherein said magnet comprises a rare earth-bearing permanent magnet.

5. The combination of claim 1 wherein said magnet is attached on a fluid passage-forming wall of the engine block or cylinder head.

6. The combination of claim 5 wherein said magnet is attached by magnetic attraction to the wall.

7. The combination of claim 1 wherein said magnet is disposed on a fluid passage-forming wall of the engine block or cylinder head.

8. The combination of claim 1 wherein said magnet is suspended from a fluid passage-forming wall of an engine block or cylinder head.

9. A combination of a fluid supply passage of a hydraulic valve lifter activation/deactivation system of an internal combustion engine and one or more engine oil solenoid actuated fluid control valves communicated to the fluid supply passage wherein a magnet resides in the fluid supply passage separate and upstream of the one or more engine oil solenoid actuated fluid control valves and yet leaves an adjacent portion of the fluid passage open for fluid flow to the one or more engine oil solenoid actuated fluid control valves such that the magnet magnetically captures or getters ferrous particles in fluid in the fluid supply passage prior to entry into the one or more engine oil solenoid actuated fluid control valves.

10. The combination of claim 9 wherein the fluid passage conducts pressurized hydraulic fluid.

11. The combination of claim 9 wherein said magnet is disposed upstream of a respective supply port of said one or more engine oil solenoid actuated fluid control valves.

12. The combination of claim 9 wherein said magnet comprises a rare earth-bearing permanent magnet.

13. The combination of claim 9 wherein said magnet is attached on a fluid passage-forming wall of an engine block or cylinder head.

14. The combination of claim 13 wherein said magnet is attached by magnetic attraction to the wall.

15. The combination of claim 9 wherein said magnet is disposed on a fluid passage-forming wall of an engine block or cylinder head.

16. The combination of claim 9 wherein said magnet is suspended from a fluid passage-forming wall of an engine block or cylinder head.

17. A combination of a fluid supply manifold or module and one or more solenoid actuated fluid control valves disposed on the manifold or module so as to communicate to a fluid supply passage therein wherein a magnet resides in the fluid supply passage of the manifold or module separate and upstream of the one or more solenoid actuated fluid control valves and yet leaves an adjacent portion of the fluid supply passage open for fluid flow to the one or more solenoid actuated fluid control valves such that the magnet magnetically captures or getters ferrous particles in fluid in the fluid supply passage prior to entry into the one or more solenoid actuated fluid control valves.

18. The combination of claim 17 wherein the fluid passage conducts pressurized hydraulic fluid.

19. The combination of claim 17 wherein said magnet is disposed in a main fluid supply passage of the manifold or module upstream of one or more secondary fluid supply passages communicated to the main fluid supply passage.

20. The combination of claim 19 further including another magnet disposed in each secondary fluid supply passage separate and upstream of a respective solenoid actuated fluid control valve communicated to that respective secondary fluid supply passage.

21. The combination of claim 17 wherein said magnet comprises a rare earth-bearing permanent magnet.

22. The combination of claim 17 wherein said magnet is attached on a fluid passage-forming wall of the manifold or module.

23. The combination of claim 22 wherein said magnet is attached by magnetic attraction to the wall.

24. The combination of claim 17 wherein said magnet is disposed on a fluid passage-forming wall of the manifold or module.

25. The combination of claim 17 wherein said magnet is suspended from a fluid passage-forming wall of the manifold or module.

26. In conveying a fluid through a fluid passage of a housing communicated to one or more solenoid actuated fluid control valves, the improvement comprising providing a magnet in the fluid passage separate and upstream of the one or more solenoid actuated fluid control valves while leaving an adjacent portion of the fluid passage open for fluid flow to the one or more solenoid actuated fluid control valves so that the magnet magnetically captures or getters ferrous particles in fluid in the fluid passage prior to entry into the one or more solenoid actuated fluid control valves.

27. The method of claim 26 including flowing the fluid from an internal combustion engine passage to a respective supply port of the one or more solenoid actuated fluid control valves.

28. The method of claim 26 including flowing the fluid from a respective control port of the one or more solenoid actuated fluid control valves to a hydraulic valve lifter activation/deactivation system of an internal combustion engine.

29. The method of claim 26 including flowing the fluid from a supply passage of a fluid manifold or module to a respective supply port of the one or more solenoid actuated fluid control valves.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein the fluid manifold or module is communicated to a transmission hydraulic system.

31. The method of claim 26 including attaching or suspending the magnet on a fluid passage-forming wall of the housing.

32. The method of claim 31 including attaching the magnet by magnetic attraction to the wall.