Patent ID: 8261773

Claim:
A micro-fluidic valve actuator assembly operably mounted between a drive motor and a multi-position micro-fluidic valve device, said valve device having a valve shaft rotating about a valve axis thereof between a plurality of discrete fluid distribution positions, said actuator assembly comprising: an actuator housing having an exterior wall and an interior wall, said interior wall defining an interior through-chamber having a proximal portion, a distal portion and a chamber axis; a drive assembly rotatably positioned within said chamber proximate to said proximal portion, said drive assembly having a drive axis of rotation positioned substantially co-axial with said chamber axis, said drive axis having a proximal portion rotatably coupled to said drive motor; and a stand alone encoder assembly including a support structure, an encoder shaft rotatably mounted to said support structure for rotation about an encoder shaft axis, an encoder wheel mounted to said encoder shaft for rotation about the encoder shaft axis, and an encoder module mounted to said support structure, said encoder module cooperating with the encoder wheel, as a preset unit, to determine the rotational position of the encoder shaft about the encoder shaft axis, said support structure being configured for positioning within said housing at a mounting position, enabling rotational coupling of a proximal portion of the encoder shaft to a distal portion of the drive assembly, and enabling rotational coupling of a distal portion of the encoder shaft to a proximal portion of the valve shaft when the multi-position fluid valve device is mounted to the distal portion of the actuator housing; wherein said support structure is free of rigid coupling directly to said actuator housing.