A combined bearing/diaphragm seal for use in a solenoid valve assembly or the like is disclosed which provides a flexible fluid seal between the solenoid sub-assembly and the valve sub-assembly. Check Valves The solenoid and valve sub-assemblies communicate mechanically via a portion of a solenoid armature which translates through the combined bearing/diaphragm seal and controls elements of the valve sub-assembly for regulating outlet fluid pressure. The bearing portion of the combined bearing/diaphragm seal comprises a flat spring-plate that is adapted to resiliently deflect in response to movement of the solenoid armature. The diaphragm portion of the combined bearing/diaphragm seal is an elastomeric seal material applied to at least one side of the spring plate.Bellow Seal Valve A solenoid valve for use in a fluid circuit to control the pressure in the fluid circuit in response to an electrical signal, comprising: a solenoid assembly having a movable armature adapted to axially translate within an electrical coil winding in response to said electrical signal being applied to said coil winding; a valve assembly including a valve body coupled to said solenoid assembly and having an inlet and an outlet connected to said fluid circuit, API CAST STEEL VALVESand a valve member that is axially movable for controlling the pressure of fluid delivered from said inlet to said outlet; coupling means for coupling said valve member to said armature for concurrent movement therewith; and a flexible bearing for guiding axial movement of said coupling means and inhibiting the flow of fluid from said valve assembly into said solenoid assembly, said flexible bearing having a disc-like spring plate fixed at its outer periphery between said valve body and said solenoid assembly and having a central bore surrounding said coupling means, and a fluid sealing material fixed to both sides of said disc-like spring plate for maintaining a fluid-tight seal with said coupling means during resilient flexure of said spring plate in response to movement of said coupling means. The present invention discloses a solenoid valve assembly having means for isolating the valve sub-assembly from the solenoid sub-assembly for preventing the migration of fluid-borne contaminants into the electromagnetic flux circuit of the solenoid sub-assembly. In particular, a unique flexible bearing is installed between a movable valve member in the valve sub-assembly and a movable armature in the solenoid sub-assembly for supporting and guiding concurrent movement therebetween while concomitantly maintaining a fluid-tight barrier seal. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the solenoid valve assembly has a pin member that couples the armature to the valve member and which passes through the flexible bearing. The flexible bearing includes a disc-like spring plate laminated between one or more layers of an elastomeric material to form a combined bearing/diaphragm seal. The combined bearing/diaphragm seal is mounted along its outer peripheral edge between a valve body of the valve sub-assembly and a tubular body of the solenoid sub-assembly. The combined bearing/diaphragm seal includes a central aperture surrounding the outer surface of the pin member in a fluid-tight manner. Thus, a fluid seal is effectuated between the working components of the valve sub-assembly and electromagnetic components of the solenoid sub-assembly in the solenoid valve assembly. In operation, the spring plate resiliently deflects in response to axial movement of the armature and pin member so as to function as a flexible bearing while the laminated layers of elastomeric material inhibit fluid within the valve sub-assembly from communicating with the electromagnetic components in the solenoid sub-assembly. This isolation prevents magnetically conductive particles entrained in the fluid from contaminating the air gap(s) and altering the reluctance of the electromagnetic flux circuit established within the solenoid sub-assembly.

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