Flow regulator adaptable for use with exhaust from a process chamber

A device for regulating the flow of fluid through a passageway, the device comprising:

• a conduit having a wall defining the passageway through the device;
• a hingedly mounted piston having a bottom face, exposed to a reference pressure, and a top face, forming a portion of the conduit wall, directly over which fluid in the passageway flows;
• impedance means, including a gate attached to the piston downstream of the frontal face of the piston so that it extends upwards into the passageway, for variably impeding fluid flowing through the passageway at a construction point, so that the impedance means's impedance on the fluid flow varies as a function of the pressure differential across the piston, the piston and gate being mounted so that each moves in a direction transverse to the direction of fluid flowing through the constriction point;
• and
• restoring means, including the weight of the piston and the gate, for exerting a force on the piston so as to tend to cause the impedance to lessen the impedance on the fluid flow, and so that when there is no flow through the passageway the amount that the impedance means impedes the flow is relatively low;
• and
• variable resistance means for variably impeding the flow of fluid, wherein the variable resistance means is located upstream of the top face of the piston, and the reference pressure is the pressure of fluid upstream of the variable resistance means.

A device for regulating the flow of fluid through a passageway, the device comprising:

• a movably mounted piston having a distal face, exposed to a reference pressure, and a frontal face, directly over which fluid in the passageway flows;
• impedance means, attached to the piston downstream of the frontal face of the piston, for variably impeding fluid flowing through the passageway, so that the impedance means's impedance on the fluid flow varies as a function of the pressure differential across the piston, wherein the impedance means includes an airfoil having a movable portion and a fixed portion, such that the amount the movable portion is displaced with respect to the fixed portion varies as a function of the pressure differential across the piston;
• and
• restoring means, including the weight of the piston, for exerting a force on the piston so as to tend to cause the impedance means to lessen the impedance on the fluid flow, and so that when there is no flow through the passageway the amount that the impedance means impedes the flow is relatively low.

A device for regulating the flow of fluid through a passageway, the device comprising:

• a movably mounted piston having a distal face, exposed to a reference pressure, and a frontal face, directly over which fluid in the passageway flows;
• impedance means, attached to the piston downstream of the frontal face of the piston, for variably impeding fluid flowing through the passageway, so that the impedance means's impedance on the fluid flow varies as a function of the pressure differential across the piston, wherein the impedance means includes an airfoil that is divided into upstream and downstream segments that are displaceable with respect to each other, such that the amount the two segments are displaced with respect to each other varies as a function of the pressure differential across the piston;
• and
• restoring means, including the weight of the piston, for exerting a force on the piston so as to tend to cause the impedance means to lessen the impedance on the fluid flow, and so that when there is no flow through the passageway the amount that the impedance means impedes the flow is relatively low.

A device for regulating the flow of fluid through a passageway, the device comprising:

• a movably mounted piston having a distal face, exposed to a reference pressure, and a frontal face, directly over which fluid in the passageway flows;
• impedance means, attached to the piston downstream of the frontal face of the piston, for variably impeding fluid flowing through the passageway, so that the impedance means's impedance on the fluid flow varies as a function of the pressure differential across the piston, wherein the impedance means includes an airfoil that is divided into upstream and downstream segments, the downstream segment being fixed and the upstream segment being displaceable, such that the amount the upstream segment is displaced varies as a function of the pressure differential across the piston;
• and
• restoring means, including the weight of the piston, for exerting a force on the piston so as to tend to cause the impedance means to lessen the impedance on the fluid flow, and so that when there is no flow through the passageway the amount that the impedance means impedes the flow is relatively low.

A device for regulating the flow of fluid through a passageway, the device comprising:

• a conduit having a wall defining the passageway through the device;
• a hingedly mounted piston having a frontal face, forming a portion of the conduit wall and directly exposed to fluid in the passageway, and a distal face exposed to a reference pressure, the piston being pivotable about a pivot point;
• an airfoil having movable and fixed portions, the movable portion being hingedly attached to the piston at a point different from the pivot point, such that the amount the movable portion is displaced with respect to the fixed portion varies as a function of the pressure differential across the piston, and such that the movable portion variably impedes fluid flowing through the passageway;
• and
• restoring means for exerting a force on the piston so as to tend to lessen the impedance on the fluid flow, and so that when there is no flow through the passageway the impedance caused by the airfoil is relatively low.

A device for regulating the flow of fluid through a passageway, the device comprising:

• a conduit having a wall defining the passageway through the device;
• a movably mounted piston having a frontal face, forming a portion of the conduit wall directly exposed to fluid flowing through the passageway, and a distal face exposed to a reference pressure;
• an airfoil having first and second portion that are displaceable with respect to each other, the airfoil being connected to the piston such that the amount that the two portions are displaced with respect to each other varies as a function of the pressure differential across the piston, and such that the displacement of the two portions impedes fluid flowing through the passageway;
• and
• restoring means for exerting a force on the piston so as to tend to lessen the impedance on the fluid flow, and so that when there is no flow through the passageway the impedance caused by the airfoil is relatively low.

A device for regulating the flow of fluid flowing from an input, attached to an environment, where the fluid is substantially still, to an output, attached to a vacuum source, the device comprising:

• a path through which the fluid passes from the input to the output, the path being substantially straight and being bounded by a wall;
• a piston having a frontal face forming a portion of the path wall, directly across which the fluid in the path flows, and a distal face exposed to the environment's pressure, the piston being hingedly mounted at a hinge point so that the piston may move in a direction transverse to the fluid path, and so that, when the difference between the reference pressure and the pressure in the path increases, the piston tends to move so as to narrow the path at a constriction point, the constriction point being downstream of the hinge point;
• and
• restoring means for exerting a force on the piston in a direction that tends to move the piston so as to widen the path.

A device for regulating the flow of fluid from an input to an output, the device comprising:

• a path, through which the fluid passes from the input to the output, the path being defined by a wall and not being vented at any point between the input and the output, so that the mass of fluid exiting the device through the output is substantially equal to the mass of fluid entering the device from the input;
• a hingedly mounted piston, having a hinge end and a constriction end, the piston being so mounted that the constriction end may constrict the path at a constriction point, and so that the constriction end may move in a direction transverse to the flow through the path at the constriction point, the piston having a distal face exposed to a reference pressure, and a frontal face forming a portion of the path wall exposed directly to the fluid flowing through the path;
• and
• restoring means for exerting a force on the piston in a direction that tends to move the piston so as to widen the path at the constriction point.

A device for regulating the flow of fluid through a passageway, the device comprising:

• a conduit having a wall defining the passageway through the device;
• a movably mounted piston having a frontal face, forming a portion of the conduit wall directly exposed to fluid flowing through the passageway, and a distal face exposed to a reference pressure;
• an airfoil that is divided into upstream and downstream segments that are displaceable with respect to each other, the airfoil being connected to the piston such that the amount the two segments are displaced with respect to each other varies as a function of the pressure differential across the piston, and such that the airfoil variably impedes fluid flowing through the passageway;
• and
• restoring means for exerting a force on the piston so as to tend to cause the airfoil to lessen the impedance on the fluid flow, and so that when there is no flow through the passageway the impedance caused by the airfoil is relatively low.

A device for regulating the flow of fluid, the device comprising:

• a conduit through which the fluid flows;
• a first member hingedly mounted so as to rotate about a first pivot point;
• a second member having a distal face exposed to a reference pressure, the second member being hingedly mounted so as to rotate about a second pivot point;
• impedance means for variably impeding flow through the conduit, the impedance means including movable and fixed portions, the fixed portion being fixedly attached so that it does not move with respect to the conduit, the movable portion being hingedly attached to the first and second members at a points other than the first and second pivot points, so that the movable portion moves as the first and second members moved;
• and
• restoring means for exerting a force so as to tend to lessen the impedance on the fluid flow, and so that when there is no flow through the conduit the impedance caused by the impedance means is relatively low.

A device for regulating the flow of fluid, the device comprising:

• a conduit through which the fluid flows;
• a member having a frontal face, exposed to fluid in the conduit, and a distal face exposed to a reference pressure, the member being hingedly mounted so as to rotate about a pivot point, wherein the member has a frontal face that forms a portion of a wall of the conduit exposed directly to flow through the conduit;
• impedance means for variably impeding flow through the conduit, the impedance means including movable and fixed portions, the fixed portion being fixedly attached so that it does not move with respect to the conduit, the movable portion being hingedly attached to the member at a point other than the pivot point, so that the movable portion moves as the member moves;
• and
• restoring means for exerting a force so as to tend to lessen the impedance on the fluid flow, and so that when there is no flow through the conduit the impedance caused by the impedance means is relatively low.

A device for regulating the flow of fluid through a passageway, the device comprising:

• a conduit having a wall defining the passageway through the device;
• a hingedly mounted member having a distal face, exposed to a reference pressure, and a frontal face forming a portion of the conduit wall directly exposed to fluid flowing through the passageway;
• a gate, fixedly attached to the member downstream of the frontal face of the member so that it extends into the passageway, for variably impeding fluid flowing through the passageway at a constriction point, so that the gate's impedance on the fluid flow varies as a function of the pressure differential across the member's frontal and distal faces, the member and gate being mounted so that each moves in a direction transverse to the direction of the fluid through the constriction point;
• and
• restoring means for exerting a force on the member so as to tend to cause the gate to lessen the impedance on the fluid flow, and so that when there is no flow through the passageway the amount that the gate impedes the flow is relatively low.