Patent ID: 7753072

Claim:
A valve assembly comprising: a main housing defining at least three chambers, a first chamber configured to be coupled to a high pressure supply port, a second chamber configured to be coupled to an output port, and a third chamber configured to be coupled to a low pressure exhaust port wherein the second chamber is physically oriented between the first and third chambers; a first electro-statically actuated valve between the first and second chambers wherein the first electro-statically actuated valve allows or substantially blocks fluid communication between the first chamber and the second chamber responsive to a first electrical signal; a second electro-statically actuated valve between the second and third chambers wherein the second electro-statically actuated valve allows or substantially blocks fluid communication between the second chamber and the third chamber responsive to a second electrical signal; and a controller configured to generate the electrical signals for the respective electro-statically actuated valves, the controller being further configured to apply a first electrical potential as the first electrical signal to actuate the first electro-statically actuated valve thereby substantially blocking fluid communication between the first chamber and the second chamber, removing the first electrical potential as the first electrical signal, and after removing the first electrical potential, applying a second electrical potential as the first electrical signal to actuate the first electro-statically actuated valve thereby substantially blocking fluid communication between the first chamber and the second chamber wherein the first and second electrical potentials have reversed polarities.