The present invention relates to techniques for manufacturing and assembling an electrically actuated valve assembly and particularly to such a valve assembly utilizing a solenoid operator. In particular, the invention relates to solenoid actuated valve of the type having a relatively small low-current solenoid actuator for moving a pilot operator to effect opening of the valve. Solenoid actuated pilot operated valves of the aforesaid type are commonly employed as water inlet valves for programmable appliances such as automatic clothes washing machines, and automatic dishwashing machines.
Electrically operated water inlet valves for automatic dishwashers and washing machines typically are attached to the appliance cabinet or housing and have provisions provided thereon for attachment of a water supply hose to the inlet from the exterior of the appliance cabinet; and, the valve outlet is connected to a hose or tube interiorly of the appliance cabinet or housing and the solenoid electrical terminals are connected to a wiring harness within the appliance cabinet. In the manufacture of the aforesaid appliances, it is necessary to properly orient the solenoid coil connecting terminals in order that there will be sufficient clearance between the terminals and the cabinet to permit the connection of the wiring harness to the solenoid connector terminals.
Where it is desired to provide a common valve for different models or configurations of appliances having different cabinet configuration and requiring different arrangements of the valve inlet and the electrical connector terminals, it has been found difficult to provide for variations in the orientation of the solenoid connector terminals with respect to the valve ports without requiring retooling of the valve for each orientation desired for the coil terminals with respect to the valve ports. This is particularly a problem where the valve body is mass produced in high quantities by injection molding of thermoplastic material with the solenoid coil assembly attached to the valve body in a permanently fixed orientation of the solenoid connector terminals with respect to the body. Alterations in the orientation of the solenoid with respect to the valve body have proven to be costly and have required different tooling for manufacturing the body and the solenoid components. It has thus been desired to find a way or means of providing for varying the orientation of the solenoid coil assembly onto the valve body of an appliance water inlet valve in a manner which may be varied after the assembly of the valve is complete and which does not require changes in tooling for the manufacture of the component parts of the valve.