Patent ID: 7066710

Claim:
A starter air valve assembly, comprising: a valve body defining a flow passage having at least an inlet port and an outlet port; a valve disposed at least partially within the flow passage and moveable between an open position and a closed position; a reference regulator having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, the fluid inlet adapted to couple to a pressurized fluid source and configured to selectively supply pressurized fluid via the fluid outlet at a substantially constant, regulated pressure; an actuation control valve housing having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, the fluid inlet coupled to receive the pressurized fluid from the reference regulator; an actuation control valve mounted within the actuation control valve housing and moveable between a first position, in which the actuation control valve housing fluid inlet is fluidly isolated from the actuation control valve housing fluid outlet, and a second position, in which the actuation control valve housing fluid inlet is fluidly coupled to the actuation control valve housing fluid outlet, to thereby discharge the pressurized fluid therefrom; a rate control servo mechanism coupled to receive the pressurized fluid discharged from the actuation control valve housing fluid outlet and configured, upon receipt thereof, to supply a controlled flow of the pressurized fluid; a valve actuator coupled to the valve and in fluid communication with the rate control servo to thereby receive the controlled flow of the pressurized fluid, the valve actuator configured, upon receipt of the controlled flow of the pressurized fluid, to move the valve between the closed position and the open position at a substantially controlled rate; a shuttle valve housing having a first fluid port in fluid communication with the reference regulator fluid outlet, a second fluid port in fluid communication with the flow passage outlet port, and a third fluid port in fluid communication with the valve actuator; and a shuttle element disposed within the shuffle valve housing and movable between at least a first position, in which the shuttle element fluidly isolates the first fluid port from the third fluid port, and a second position, in which the shuttle element fluidly isolates the second fluid port from the third fluid port.