Pressure regulator and disk assembly for a pressure regulator

A pressure regulator, comprising:

• a valve body having an inlet and an outlet;
• a valve port disposed between the inlet and the outlet;
• and
• a disk assembly that is movable along a longitudinal axis between a closed position in which the disk assembly sealingly engages the valve port and an open position in which the disk assembly is spaced apart from the valve port;
• wherein the disk assembly comprises:
• a disk holder including a back wall and retaining ledge spaced apart from the back wall and extending generally parallel to the back wall;
• a disk disposed within a cavity of the disk holder, the disk having a back surface configured to a least partially engage an inner surface of the back wall and a front surface configured to at least partially engage an inner surface of the retaining ledge;
• and
• a retaining screw having a head configured to engage the front surface of the disk, and
• wherein an annular ring of the front surface of the disk is configured to engage with the valve port when the disk assembly is in the closed position,
• wherein the retaining ledge and the head of the retaining screw together cover more than 50% of the front surface of the disk, and
• wherein:
• the retaining screw is threadably coupled to an actuator stem of an actuator coupled to the valve body, the actuator being responsive to fluid pressure to move the actuator stem along the longitudinal axis;
• the retaining screw comprises a bore extending longitudinally through the retaining screw;
• and the bore in the retaining screw is in fluid communication with a bore in the actuator stem to provide fluid communication between the actuator and the valve body.

A disk assembly for a pressure regulator having a valve body and an actuator with an actuator stem, the disk assembly comprising:

• a disk holder including a generally cylindrical side wall, a back wall at a first end of the side wall and extending radially inward from the side wall, and a retaining ledge at a second end of the side wall, opposite the first end, and extending radially inward from the side wall and generally parallel to the back wall, the generally cylindrical side wall, the back wall, and the retaining ledge defining a cavity;
• a disk disposed within the cavity of the disk holder, the disk having a back surface configured to a least partially engage an inner surface of the back wall and a front surface configured to at least partially engage an inner surface of the retaining ledge, wherein a first portion of the disk is compressed between the back wall and the retaining ledge;
• and
• a retaining screw extending through an aperture in the disk and an aperture in the disk holder, the retaining screw having a head configured to engage the front surface of the disk,
• wherein the retaining screw comprises a bore extending longitudinally through the retaining screw, and wherein the bore in the retaining screw is configured to be in fluid communication with a bore in the actuator stem to provide fluid communication between the actuator and the valve body.