Pressure regulator

A pressure regulator control device comprising:

• a base having a wall forming a wall of a fluid pressure-sensing chamber, said base further including a fluid inlet in communication with a valve seat opening to the chamber, and a fluid outlet in communication with said chamber;
• a flexible, resilient diaphragm forming a wall of said chamber;
• a retainer clamping an annular peripheral portion of said diaphragm between the base and the retainer;
• a valve element mounted to a central section of said diaphragm cooperating with said valve seat in a manner such that increasing pressure in said chamber moves the valve element in a valve closing direction and decreasing the pressure in the chamber moves the valve element in a valve opening direction;
• and
• an adjuster threadably connected to said retainer and having a flange which engages said diaphragm so as to deflect the diaphragm towards the valve seat, said flange defining a central section of said diaphragm which is movable in response to fluid pressure within said chamber.

A method of regulating fluid pressure comprising the steps of:

• preventing the flow of a fluid through a valve seat into a fluid pressure chamber, utilizing a flexible resilient diaphragm forming a wall of said chamber, when said diaphragm is not mechanically deflected;
• deflecting a self-restoring section of said diaphragm to introduce fluid into said fluid chamber;
• flexing said self-restoring section in response to pressure changes within said chamber;
• controlling the flow of fluid through said valve seat into said chamber with a valve element mounted to move in response to the flexing of said diaphragm section in a manner such that increasing the pressure in said chamber moves said valve element towards said valve seat and decreasing the pressure in said chamber moves said valve element away from said valve seat;
• allowing fluid to flow from said chamber to an outlet in said valve body;
• and
• adjusting the pressure by adjustably deflecting said diaphragm in a manner to control the flexing of said diaphragm section to obtain a desired outlet pressure.

A method of regulating outlet pressure of a fluid passing through a valve body comprising the steps of:

• providing a pressure-sensing chamber in said valve body with a resilient self-restoring wall of said chamber that is responsive to the fluid pressure in the chamber;
• providing a valve element connected to said resilient wall in such a manner that said valve element is held in a closed position with respect to a valve seat so that the flow of fluid into said pressure responsive chamber is prevented;
• mechanically deflecting said wall to move said element into a position allowing the flow of fluid into said pressure responsive chamber;
• and
• controlling the flow of fluid into said pressure responsive chamber by way of said valve element connected to said resilient wall in a manner to increase fluid flow into said chamber when pressure in said chamber decreases and to decrease flow into said chamber when the pressure in said chamber increases, thereby controlling the pressure of fluid flowing out of said chamber.

A pressure regulator comprising:

• a valve body having a fluid inlet, a fluid outlet, a fluid pressure-sensing chamber, and a valve seat in fluid communication with the inlet and defining an opening into the chamber;
• a resilient member forming a wall of said chamber which is responsive to pressure in said chamber and which is self-restoring;
• a valve stem connected to said member and extending through said chamber towards said valve seat;
• a valve element supported on said valve stem and cooperating with said valve seat, said valve element being located between said valve seat and said fluid inlet;
• wherein said valve body, said resilient member and said valve stem are configured such that said valve element is sealed against said valve seat when said resilient member is not mechanically deflected.