Flow regulator for agricultural drip emitter

A regulator for a drip irrigation emitter comprising:

• a) a cylindrical cavity having an inlet connectable to a pressurized source of a fluid and an outlet, and wherein a pathway connects said inlet to said outlet;
• b) a deformable membrane biased to block backflow out said inlet in an unstressed configuration;
• said deformable membrane also having a deformed configuration
• c) a smooth concave dome shaped surface having a shape matching said deformed configuration, and wherein said deformable membrane deforms to approach said smooth concave dome shaped surface;
• d) a channel portion of said pathway, said channel portion defining a curve on said smooth concave dome shaped surface;
• e) a plurality of baffles extending substantially transversely of and spaced along said channel portion;
• said plurality of baffles defining a flow-restricting labyrinth imposing a resistance to flow of said fluid through said channel portion, one face of said plurality of baffles and said channel portion smoothly integrated into said smooth concave dome shaped surface, and
• f) an irregularity in an interface between said concave dome shaped surface and said deformable membrane, said irregularity defining a helical bypass passageway, said helical bypass passageway being substantially parallel to said channel portion,
• and wherein said deformable membrane is configured to deform and progressively block said helical bypass passageway in response to an increasing pressure differential between said inlet and said outlet thereby preserving substantially constant discharge through said pathway under influence of said increasing pressure differential.