Method and device for continuous measuring of dynamic fluid consumption, including pressure regulator

A pressure regulator comprising a housing which includes an upper housing part and a lower housing part, said upper and lower housing parts defining an internal chamber therebetween, said lower housing part furthermore defining an inlet channel, an outlet channel and a valve channel therebetween, a flexible diaphragm mounted inside said housing for dividing said internal chamber into a variable volume upper chamber an a variable volume lower chamber, said flexible diaphragm biasing a movable valve element to open said valve channel when said flexible diaphragm moves downwardly to enlarge said upper chamber and shrink said lower chamber, and to close said valve channel when the flexible diaphragm moves upwardly to shrink said upper chamber and to enlarge said lower chamber, first biasing means for biasing said valve element to close said valve channel when said flexible diaphragm moves upwardly and second biasing means for biasing said valve element to open said valve channel when said flexible diaphragm moves downwardly, and a bore in said lower housing part to connect said outlet channel with said lower chamber, such that a back flow of pressurized fluid medium into said outlet channel will flow through said bore into said lower chamber to move said flexible diaphragm upwardly to close said valve channel, said flexible diaphragm being upwardly flexible after the valve element closes the valve channel to provide a compensating volume for storage of back flowing pressurized fluid medium, wherein said second biasing means is constituted by at least an elastic element acting upon said flexible diaphragm, and wherein said upper housing part is free of stop structures and said flexible diaphragm can be deflected into the upper housing part for being able to compress said elastic element more than necessary to close the valve channel by means of the valve element, thereby enlargening said lower chamber to define a catch volume for the pressurized fluid medium that flows back into the pressure regulator.

An apparatus for continuously measuring dynamic fluid consumption, comprising a tank, a continuously-operating flow sensor for fluid, and a pressure regulator between the fluid flow sensor and a fluid consumer, said pressure regulator comprising a housing which includes an upper housing part and a lower housing part, said upper and lower housing parts defining an internal chamber therebetween, said lower housing part furthermore defining an inlet channel, an outlet channel and a valve channel therebetween, a flexible diaphragm mounted inside said housing for dividing said internal chamber into a variable volume upper chamber an a variable volume lower chamber, said flexible diaphragm biasing a movable valve element to open said valve channel when said flexible diaphragm moves downwardly to enlarge said upper chamber and shrink said lower chamber, and to close said valve channel when the flexible diaphragm moves upwardly to shrink said upper chamber and to enlarge said lower chamber, first biasing means for biasing said valve element to close said valve channel when said flexible diaphragm moves upwardly and second biasing means for biasing the valve element to open said valve channel when said flexible diaphragm moves downwardly, and a bore in said lower housing part to connect said outlet channel with said lower chamber, such that a back flow of pressurized fluid medium into said outlet channel will flow through said bore into said lower chamber to move said flexible diaphragm upwardly to close said valve channel, said flexible diaphragm being upwardly flexible after the valve element closes the valve channel to provide a compensating volume for storage of back flowing pressurized fluid medium, wherein said second biasing means is constituted by at least an elastic element acting upon said flexible diaphragm, and wherein said upper housing part is free of stop structures and said flexible diaphragm can be deflected into the upper housing part for being able to compress said elastic element more than necessary to close the valve channel by means of the valve element and to enlargen said lower chamber, thereby defining catch volume for the pressurized fluid medium that flows back into the pressure regulator.