Spring controlled valve

A flow restrictor, including:

• a housing having a lower portion and an upper portion, the lower portion being coupled to a first conduit to receive supply gas and a second conduit to provide the supply gas to an application, the upper portion being coupled to a third conduit which is coupled as a tap to the first conduit;
• a spring disposed in the lower portion having a first end in contact with a wall of the housing and a second end;
• and
• an actuator including a piston disposed in the upper portion, a plate disposed in the lower portion in contact with the second end of the spring, and a rod connecting the piston to the plate;
• wherein the spring is movable between a normally expanded state, wherein supply gas can flow from the first conduit to the second conduit through gaps in a plurality of coils of the spring, and a compressed state wherein the coils are in contact with one another thereby substantially preventing supply gas from flowing from the first conduit to the second conduit;
• and
• wherein as pressure of the supply gas at the first conduit increases, flow of the supply gas at the second conduit is permitted, but regulated as a function of a constant of the spring in that gas flowing through the first conduit also flows through the third conduit into the upper portion and applies pressure against the piston, causing the plate to move the spring, against the spring constant, toward the compressed state, thereby moving the coils closer together and increasing resistance to gas flow.

A back-pressure regulator, including:

• a housing having a lower portion and an upper portion, the lower portion being coupled to a first conduit to receive supply gas and a second conduit to provide the supply gas to an application, the upper portion being coupled to a third conduit which is coupled as a tap to the first conduit;
• a spring disposed in the lower portion having a first end attached to a wall of the housing and a second end;
• and
• an actuator including a piston disposed in the upper portion, a plate disposed in the lower portion attached to the second end of the spring, and a rod connecting the piston to the plate;
• wherein the spring is movable between a normally compressed state, wherein coils of the spring are in contact with one another thereby substantially preventing supply gas from flowing from the first conduit to the second conduit, and an expanded state wherein the coils are moved apart from one another thereby permitting supply gas to flow from the first conduit to the second conduit through gaps between the coils;
• wherein the spring substantially prevents supply gas flow through the lower portion of the housing until a pressure of the supply gas at the first conduit, which is applied to the piston through the third conduit, is sufficient to move the actuator away from the spring, thereby overcoming a constant of the spring and moving the spring out of the normally compressed state;
• and
• wherein a central opening of the spring is closed at the first end by the wall of the housing and closed at the second end by the actuator plate.

A back-pressure regulator, including:

• a housing having a lower portion and an upper portion, the lower portion having a first opening in flow communication with gas exterior to the housing and a second opening in flow communication with the gas, the upper portion having a first opening in flow communication with a conduit coupled to the first opening of the lower portion;
• a spring disposed in the lower portion;
• and
• an actuator including a piston disposed in the upper portion, a plate disposed in the lower portion attached to the spring, and a rod connecting the piston to the plate;
• wherein the spring is movable between a normally compressed state, wherein coils of the spring are in contact with one another thereby substantially preventing gas flow between the first and second openings of the lower portion, and an expanded state wherein the coils are moved apart from one another thereby permitting gas flow between the first and second openings of the lower portion through gaps between the coils;
• and
• wherein the spring substantially prevents gas flow through the lower portion of the housing until a pressure of the gas at the first opening of the lower portion, which is applied to the piston through the conduit, is sufficient to move the actuator away from the spring, thereby overcoming a constant of the spring and moving the spring out of the normally compressed state;
• wherein the spring includes a central opening which is in flow communication with the first opening of the lower portion at a first end and closed at a second end by the actuator plate;
• and
• wherein when the spring is in the expanded state, the gas flows from the first opening of the lower portion, into the central opening of the spring through the first end of the spring, out of the central opening through the gaps between the coils, and out of the lower portion through the second opening.