Solenoid valve

1. A solenoid valve, comprising:

a housing;

a bobbin received at least partially within the housing and having a body about which a coil is provided;

a fluid flow path including an inlet and an outlet and a valve seat defined by the bobbin; and

an armature moveable relative to the valve seat to control flow through the fluid flow path wherein the housing has an open end and an inwardly extending wall spaced from the open end to retain the bobbin, and wherein the bobbin defines at least one outlet downstream of the valve seat and through which fluid flows, and wherein the inwardly extending wall includes a portion received within said at least one outlet of the bobbin.

2. The valve of claim 1 wherein the bobbin includes an internal passage that is open at one end, and the valve seat is defined by a reduced diameter portion that is smaller than and faces the internal passage.

3. The valve of claim 2 wherein the reduced diameter portion is formed from the same piece of material as the portion of the bobbin that defines the internal passage.

4. The valve of claim 2 wherein the bobbin or the housing includes an outlet downstream of the valve seat, and wherein the armature is movable relative to the valve seat between a closed position wherein fluid flow through the valve seat is inhibited or prevented and an open position wherein fluid flow through the valve seat is permitted.

5. The valve of claim 2 wherein the armature is larger than the valve seat and is received in the internal passage through the open end of the internal passage.

6. The valve of claim 4 which also includes an armature stop received at least in part in the internal passage and adapted to be engaged by the armature to limit movement of the armature away from the valve seat.

7. The valve of claim 6 which also includes a biasing member located at least partially between the armature and the armature stop.

8. The valve of claim 2 wherein the valve seat is located closer to the inwardly extending wall than the open end of the housing and the open end of the internal passage is located closer to the open end of the housing than the valve seat.

9. The valve of claim 6 which also includes at least one terminal, and the bobbin, armature, armature stop and terminal are moved into their final assembled position in the same direction.

10. The valve of claim 1 wherein the housing includes a portion received in close proximity to the armature so that the housing forms part of the magnetic flux path for the armature.

11. The valve of claim 10 wherein part of the housing extends into the fluid flow path and adjacent to the valve seat.

12. The valve of claim 2 which also includes a valve member located between the armature and the valve seat.

13. The valve of claim 4 which also includes a valve member located between the armature and the valve seat and movable independently of the armature so that the valve member inhibits or prevents the flow of fluid from the outlet through the valve seat even when the armature is in the open position.

14. The valve of claim 9 which also includes a wire connected to the terminal and defining a coil around the bobbin, and wherein the wire includes slack and is not taut between the terminal and the coil.

15. The valve of claim 1 wherein the inwardly extending wall includes an opening through which the armature extends at least when the armature is in its closed position.

16. The valve of claim 1 wherein the inwardly extending wall includes at least one tab received within said at least one outlet of the bobbin.

17. The valve of claim 1 wherein the bobbin is engaged with the inwardly extending wall, and wherein the inwardly extending wall includes an opening through which the armature extends without anything between the inwardly extending wall and the armature.

18. The valve of claim 1 wherein the inwardly extending wall includes an opening through which the armature extends without a portion of the bobbin received radially between the opening in the inwardly extending wall and the armature.