US 5,881,757 AGranted

Pressure regulator apparatus and method

AssigneeSenninger Irrigation, Inc.

InventorsArlene Kuster, Mark Healy, William McFadden

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A pressure regulator apparatus has a pressure regulator mechanism which includes first and second housing portions, each made of substantially rigid material, such as a PVC polymer, and each housing portion having a passageway therethrough. One of the housing portions has a plurality of niches formed therein while a second housing portion has a plurality of raised wedged members formed thereon so that the pressure regulator mechanism can be placed in the two housings which can be driven together to drive the housing wedge members of one portion of the housing into the niches of the other portion of the housing. Since both housings have a cylindrical portion, the wedge members are sized to extend above the inner lip of the other housing portion to thereby require a forced expansion of the substantially rigid housing portion to drive the wedge members into the locking niches in the other housing member which simultaneously locks the pressure regulator mechanism into position in the housing.

Claims17

Dependent claims

A pressure regulator comprising:

a pressure regulator mechanism having a regulator housing having a flange on one end thereon;
a first housing portion made of substantially rigid material and having a pair of open ends and a passageway therethrough having a ledge therein shaped to receive said regulator housing flange thereagainst and having a plurality of niches formed therein, said first housing portion having a plurality of parallel interior grooves positioned between pairs of said wall niches and having a portion of said pressure regulator mechanism positioned thereinside;
and
a second housing portion made of a substantially rigid material and having a pair of open ends and a passageway therethrough and shaped to have one open end slide into one open end of said first housing portion and having a plurality of raised wedge members formed thereon having a plurality of parallel spaced ridges thereon positioned to engage said first housing interior grooves and having a portion of said pressure regulator mechanism positioned thereinside having said regulator housing flange extending over one said second housing open end and said second housing portion raised wedge members being attached into said first housing portion niches to lock said regulator housing flange between said first housing portion ledge and said second housing portion one open end, whereby said pressure regulator mechanism is held inside a housing between open ends thereof by attached first and second housing portions.

1 more element

A method of making a pressure regulator comprising:

selecting a pressure regulator mechanism of predetermined shape to fit inside a predetermined housing and having a regulator housing having a flange thereon;
selecting a first housing portion made of substantially rigid material and having a pair of open ends and a passageway therethrough, said selected first housing portion having a plurality of niches formed therein and having a ledge formed therein, and said selected first housing portion having a plurality of parallel interior grooves positioned between pairs of said niches;
selecting a second housing portion made of a substantially rigid material and having a pair of open ends and a passageway therethrough and having a plurality of raised wedge members formed thereon and having a plurality of parallel spaced ridges therein positioned to slidably engage said first housing interior grooves;
inserting said pressure regulator mechanism into one open end of said second housing portion with the regulator housing flange extending over one end thereof and into one open end of said first housing portion with said regulator housing flange facing said first housing portion ledge;
slidably engaging said second housing portion plurality of parallel spaced ridges with said first housing portion plurality of parallel interior grooves;
and
forcing said second housing portion into said first housing portion to expand a portion of said first housing portion substantially rigid material adjacent said second housing portion plurality of raised wedge members to drive said wedge members into said niches to lock said pressure regulator housing together with said pressure regulator mechanism mounted thereinside having said regulator housing flange locked between said first housing ledge and one said second housing open end.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.