Automatic pressure regulator

• US 4,092,998 A
• Filed: 07/12/1977
• Issued: 06/06/1978
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/1976
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bellofram Corp.
• Original Assignee: John F. Taplin
• Inventors: Taplin, John F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nilson, Robert G.
• Application Number:
  US05/815,042
• Time in Patent Office: 329 Days
• Field of Search: 137/494, 137/503, 137/505.13, 137/505.18, 137/508, 137/510, 137/DIG. 8, 137/471, 137/501, 137/469, 251/61.1, 251/DIG. 2
• US Class Current: 137/471
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 16/0608 the controller being mounted within the flow path and having slidable elements
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 16/0641 the obturator is a membrane
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 251/901 Curtain type valves
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/774 Pop pressure reactor in inflow to valve
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7788 Pressures across fixed choke
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7834 Valve seat or external sleeve moves to open valve

Abstract

An automatic pressure regulator of the rolling diaphragm type requiring but one single rolling diaphragm. The diaphragm is of the deep convolution type. The rolling wall of the diaphragm controls the effective cross-sectional area of an orifice means which, in turn, effects the regulation of pressure. The force created by the high pressure acts against a spring tending to move the rolling wall of the rolling diaphragm to the orifice closing position thereof. The effective area of the rolling wall of the rolling diaphragm is variable to compensate for variations of the force of the spring resulting from changes of its length.

Claims

1. An automatic pressure regulator including in combination

(a) housing means defining an inlet passageway and an outlet passageway and an inlet area adjacent said inlet passageway and an outlet area adjacent said outlet passageway;

(b) a piston body arranged and movable inside said housing means, said piston body defining an additional passageway through said piston body allowing the flow of fluid from said inlet area to said outlet area of said housing means;

(c) a deep convolution rolling diaphragm having a radially outer portion affixed to said housing means, a radially inner portion affixed to said piston body and a rolling wall interposed between said housing means and said piston body, one side of said rolling wall being acted upon by the pressure prevailing in said inlet area and the other side of said rolling wall being acted upon by the pressure prevailing in said outlet area, and said rolling wall being arranged to control the effective cross-sectional area of said additional passageway so as to control the flow of fluid from said inlet area through said piston body to said outlet area;

(d) spring means interposed between said housing means and said piston body biasing said piston body to move in a direction tending to cause said rolling wall of said rolling diaphragm to reduce said effective cross-sectional area of said additional passageway; and

(e) means for increasing the effective area of said rolling wall of said rolling diaphragm as said piston body moves against the action of said spring means.

2. An automatic pressure regulator as specified in claim 1 wherein said spring means is a tension spring, and wherein said housing means and said piston body are shaped in such a way that the effective area of said rolling wall of said rolling diaphragm increases progressively as the stroke of said piston body against the bias of said tension spring increases progressively.

3. An automatic pressure regulator as specified in claim 1 wherein said piston body is provided with a passageway means at one end surface thereof for the admission of fluid under pressure from said inlet area into said piston body, wherein said piston body is further provided with orifice means at a lateral surface thereof for the admission of fluid under pressure from said piston body to said outlet area, and wherein the effective cross-sectional area of said orifice means is under the control of said rolling wall of said rolling diaphragm.

4. An automatic pressure regulator as specified in claim 3 wherein said orifice means has an extent of 360°

.

5. An automatic pressure regulator as specified in claim 1 wherein said piston body is provided with passageway means at one end surface thereof for the admission of fluid under pressure from said inlet area into said piston body, wherein said piston body is further provided with a plurality of discrete orifice means at the lateral surface thereof for the admission of fluid under pressure from the inside of said piston body to said outlet area, wherein each of said plurality of orifice means has a width that varies in the direction of the longitudinal axis of said piston body, and wherein the effective cross-sectional area of said plurality of discrete orifice means is under the control of said rolling wall of said rolling diaphragm.

6. An automatic pressure regulator as specified in claim 1 wherein said piston body is provided with a cylindrical skirt forming a damping cylinder jointly movable with said piston body, and wherein said housing means support a fixed piston arranged inside said damping cylinder.

7. An automatic pressure regulator including

(a) a housing defining an inlet passageway and an outlet passageway;

(b) a piston body movably arranged inside said housing and having aperture means defining an additional passageway through said piston body from said inlet passageway to said outlet passageway;

(c) a rolling diaphragm having a radially outer portion affixed to said housing, a radially inner portion affixed to said piston body and a rolling wall arranged inside a toroidal gap left between said housing and said piston body and controlling the effective cross-sectional area of said additional passageway;

(d) a spring interposed between said housing and said piston body biasing said piston body to move in one direction against the pressure of fluid admitted to said inlet passageway upon said rolling wall of said rolling diaphragm; and

(e) means biasing said piston body to move in opposite direction against the action of said spring, said means including said rolling wall of said rolling diaphragm and means causing the effective area of said rolling wall of said rolling diaphragm to increase as said piston body means against the bias of said spring.

8. An automatic pressure regulator as specified in claim 7 wherein said spring is a tension spring affixed at one of the ends thereof by means of a spring-tension-regulating screw to said housing and supporting said piston body on the other end thereof.

9. An automatic pressure regulator as specified in claim 7 wherein said means biasing said piston body to move against the action of said spring cause a higher rate of increase of force than the rate of increase of force of said spring acting in opposite direction so that said piston body is bistable having but two stable limit positions but no stable intermediate positions.

10. An automatic pressure regulator as specified in claim 9 wherein said bistable condition of said piston body is achieved by an inclination of the lateral walls of said piston body cooperating with said rolling wall of said rolling diaphragm and by an inclination of the lateral wall of said housing cooperating with said rolling wall of said rolling diaphragm in opposite directions.

11. An automatic pressure regulator as specified in claim 7 wherein the lateral wall of said piston body is inclined relative to the longitudinal axis of said piston body to increase the rate of change of the effective area of said rolling wall of said rolling diaphragm as said piston body changes positions relative to said housing.

12. An automatic pressure regulator as specified in claim 7 wherein the lateral wall of said housing is inclined relative to the longitudinal axis of said housing to increase the rate of change of the effective area of said rolling wall of said rolling diaphragm as said piston body changes positions relative to said housing.

13. An automatic pressure regulator as specified in claim 7 wherein the lateral wall of said piston body and the lateral wall of said housing are inclined in opposite directions relative to the joint longitudinal axis of said piston body and of said housing tending to maximize the rate of change of the effective area of said rolling wall of said rolling diaphragm as said piston body is moved relative to said housing.

14. A regulator as specified in claim 7 wherein two serial passageways are arranged between said inlet passageway and said outlet passageway, one of said passageways being of invariant effective cross-sectional area and connecting the space above and the space below the end surface of said piston body and the other of said passageways connecting the space below said end surface of said piston body and said outlet passageway and having an effective cross-sectional area which is controlled by said rolling wall of said rolling diaphragm.