Patent ID: 8714199

Claim:
A valve ( 100 ), comprising: a body ( 102 ) including a plurality of ports ( 204 , 205 , 206 ); a cover ( 101 ) coupled to the body ( 102 ); a biasing member ( 111 ) positioned between the cover ( 101 ) and a slider ( 110 ); a valve actuator ( 150 ) positioned within the body ( 102 ), including: the slider ( 110 ) pressed into the body ( 102 ) by the biasing member ( 111 ), wherein a frictional force between the slider ( 110 ) and the body ( 102 ) increases as the slider ( 110 ) is pressed further into the body ( 102 ); and one or more shape memory alloy elements ( 112 a , 112 b ) coupled to at least one side ( 113 , 114 ) of the slider ( 110 ), wherein energizing at least one of the shape memory alloy elements ( 112 a , 112 b ) of the one or more shape memory alloy elements ( 112 a , 112 b ) provides a threshold actuation force that overcomes the frictional force between the slider ( 110 ) and the body ( 102 ) in order to actuate the valve ( 100 ) to an actuated state; wherein the frictional force between the slider ( 110 ) and the body ( 102 ) prevents the slider ( 110 ) from moving with respect to the body ( 102 ) from the actuated state when the one or more shape memory alloy elements ( 112 a , 112 b ) are de-energized.