Cam driven fluid valve assembly

A cam-driven valve assembly, comprising:

• fluid valves;
• an assembly housing, the assembly housing including
• a first manifold that defines a plurality of first valve ports,
• a second manifold that defines a plurality of second valve ports, each second valve port being aligned with a corresponding one of the first valve ports in parallel with a first axis to form a port pair, and
• a valve chamber that receives the fluid valves and is disposed between the first manifold and the second manifold, the valve chamber being in fluid communication with the first manifold via the first valve ports and being in fluid communication with the second manifold via the second valve ports,
• a cam shaft that extends into the valve chamber, the cam shaft supported for rotation by the assembly housing, the cam shaft being configured to be driven by an actuator to rotate about a shaft rotational axis, and
• cams supported on the cam shaft, the cams rotating in concert with the cam shaft, the cams being arranged on the cam shaft so that each cam is aligned with a unique one of the fluid valves, the cams being shaped and dimensioned to engage the corresponding fluid valve in certain rotational orientations of the cam shaft relative to the assembly housing,
• wherein
• each fluid valve is disposed in the valve chamber in alignment with a port pair such that for certain rotational orientations of the cam shaft relative to the assembly housing, at least one cam engages a corresponding one of the fluid valves in such a way that the one of the fluid valves is moved between a first position in which fluid is permitted to flow between the first valve port and the second valve port of the port pair, and a second position in which fluid is prevented from flowing between the first valve port and the second valve port of the port pair,
• the valve chamber is segregated into a first region in which first wall portions are configured to support the fluid valves and a second region in which second wall portions enclose the cam shaft and cams, and
• the valve assembly includes a first manifold port in one of the second wall portions that permits fluid communication between the first manifold and the second region, and a second manifold port in another one of the second wall portions that communicates between the second manifold and the second region, whereby the second region provides a fluid passage that extends between the first manifold chamber and the second manifold chamber.