Cartridge valves have long been commonly used and in connection with a wide variety of applications for example the control of industrial tools. Cartridge valves are generally cylindrical in shape, are often solenoid actuated and are connected to a valve manifold. The valve manifold may contain many cartridge valves to independently control multiple functions of tools.
The cartridge valve has an overall cylindrical shape due to the solenoid coil with a plunger slideably positioned within the coil. The valve often has a central valve passage through a centrally located nose and a second valve opening radially spaced outward of the first valve passage. The valve seat is located about the central first valve passage to seat the plunger that is actuated by energizing the solenoid coil. Cartridge valves may be normally open valves that are closed when actuated or normally closed valves that are opened when actuated.
Known connections between the cartridge valve and the manifold have been often a threaded connection. The threaded connection can be about the nose of the cartridge valve that threadably engages complementary threads in the valve manifold. The flow capacity of the valve of a predetermined outer diameter is often dictated by the maximum diameter of the central valve passage commonly called the valve orifice that can be placed through the central nose. In turn, the maximum diameter of the central valve passage is constrained by the dimensions of the outer threads and the thickness of the nose wall for adequate structural strength.
What is needed is an improved cartridge valve with improved flow capacity that easily connects to and disconnects from the valve manifold.