Bleed type fluid pressure control apparatus and diaphragm unit therefor

Claim 2

A bleed pressure control apparatus comprising a chamber means having a chamber and having a fluid pressure input means and a bleed orifice means terminating in said chamber, a diaphragm unit including a diaphragm formed of a resilient material, said diaphragm having a central seal portion aligned with said orifice means and an outer peripheral portion joined by an intermediate convoluted portion, a spring means having a center spring portion aligned with and firmly secured to said central seal portion and an outer peRipheral portion connected to said seal portion by a plurality of spring members to establish a low axial stiffness and a high radial stiffness, means to fixedly mount the peripheral portions of said diaphragm and said spring means to said chamber means, and bias means coupled to the backside of said diaphragm unit and operative to urge said diaphragm unit toward said orifice means.

Claim 3

The bleed pressure control apparatus of claim 1 wherein said spring means is a single metal member having said center portion integrally connected to said peripheral portion, said spring members including a plurality of similar shaped arms each extending circumferentially and radially between said center portion and said peripheral portion.

Claim 4

The bleed pressure control apparatus of claim 1 wherein said bias means is a coil spring coupled to the backside of said central seal portion of said diaphragm unit and inwardly of said spring members.

Claim 5

The bleed pressure control apparatus of claim 1 wherein said bias means includes a coil spring aligned with said seal portion.

Claim 6

The bleed pressure control apparatus of claim 4 wherein said diaphragm includes an enlargement projecting into said spring, and a spring guide resting on said lug and including a support flange for said spring.

Claim 7

The bleed pressure control of claim 1 wherein an adhesive bonds said center spring portion to said central seal portion.

Claim 8

The bleed pressure control apparatus of claim 1 having a supply restrictor means connected to said fluid pressure input means.

Claim 9

The bleed pressure control apparatus of claim 1 wherein said bias means is a coil spring substantially coaxial with said orifice means, said center spring portion is a continuous solid plate-like member, and a resilient sealing layer is firmly secured to the center spring portion in alignment with said orifice means.

Claim 10

The bleed pressure apparatus of claim 8 including a movable backing support for said coil spring, and means for moving said support toward said nozzle and orifice means to adjust the compression of said spring and the fluid pressure in said chamber.

Claim 11

A bleed pressure control apparatus of claim 1 wherein said center spring portion is a ring member having an inner periphery spaced radially of said orifice means and exposing said diaphragm seal portion to said orifice means.

Claim 12

The bleed pressure control apparatus of claim 10 including stop members aligned with said ring member in spaced relation about said orifice means and terminating below the working face of said orifice means.

Claim 13

The bleed pressure control apparatus of claim 1 wherein said chamber means includes a spring housing of a predetermined temperature coefficient of expansion and said housing projecting outwardly of said diaphragm unit, said bias means includes a coil spring within said housing and engaging the backside of said diaphragm unit coaxially of said bleed orifice means, means to adjust the position of the outer end of said coil spring, said central seal portion including an outwardly projecting enlargement extended into said coil spring, said center spring being a plate-like member adhesively bonded to said central seal portion, and said diaphragm having a temperature coefficient of expansion and said seal portion and enlargement being selected to compensate for temperature related movement of said coil spring.

Claim 14

The bleed pressure control apparatus of claim 1 wherein said diaphragm unit includes a rest position spaced from the bleed orifice means by a preselected distance to establish an essentially unrestricted exhausting of the input pressure means to said chamber and movable a preselected distance toward said orifice means to a working position before modulating of said fluid pressure input means, said bias means including an input signal pressure chamber and a fluid pressure input signal means for establishing a pressure signal opposing the pressure signal in said chamber, said spacing of said bleed orifice means establishing a preselected constant pressure signal.

Claim 15

The bleed pressure control apparatus of claim 13 wherein said bias means includes a relatively light spring means mounted within said chamber and operable to selectively position said diaphragm unit with respect to said orifice means between the rest position and the working position wherein the diaphragm unit effectively modulates the flow from said load chamber through said bleed orifice means.

Claim 16

The bleed pressure control apparatus of claim 14 including an adjustable means for variably compressing said light spring means to adjust said constant pressure signal.

Claim 17

The bleed pressure control apparatus of claim 14 including an adjustable means for variably compressing said light spring means and positioning said diaphragm unit from said rest position to a sealing position in engagement with said orifice means.

Claim 18

A diaphragm unit for pressure regulating means comprising a diaphragm having a central seal portion and an outer mounting portion joined by a convolute portion to establish a low stiffness in movement of said central seal portion relative to said mounting portion in a direction normal to said seal and mounting portions, and an essentially flat spring having a center spring portion and an outer mounting portion connected by a plurality of circumferentially spaced spring members, and attachment means affixing said center spring portion to said central seal portion to provide radial rigidity to said diaphragm and to maintain low stiffness of the central seal portion in said normal direction.

Claim 19

A diaphragm unit for pressure regulating means comprising a diaphragm having a central seal portion and an outer mounting portion joined by a convolute portion to establish a low stiffness in movement of said central seal portion relative to said mounting portion in a direction normal to said seal and mounting portions, and an essentially flat spring having a center spring portion and an outer mounting portion connected by a plurality of circumferentially spaced spring members, and attachment means affixing said center spring portion to said central seal portion to provide radial rigidity to said diaphragm and to maintain low stiffness of the central seal portion in said normal direction.

Claim 20

The diaphragm unit of claim 17 wherein said diaphragm is a molded rubber-like member with coplanar seal and outer mounting portions and said convolute portion is a single convolution.

Claim 21

The diaphragm unit of claim 17 wherein said spring is a single metal member having coplanar center spring and outer mounting portions, said spring members being coplanar with said center spring and mounting portions and extending circumferentially of said portions.

Claim 22

The diaphragm unit of claim 17 wherein said diaphragm includes an integral enlargement extending from said central seal portion opposite said center spring portion.

Claim 23

The diaphragm unit of claim 17 wherein said attachment means is an adhesive covering the attached surfaces of said center spring portion and said central seal portion.

Claim 24

The diaphragm unit of claim 17 wherein said central seal portion includes a planar seal surface, said center spring portion is a planar plate member, said attachment means is an interfacing adhesive between said center spring portion and said central seal portion, and a thin seal layer is secured to the opposite face of said plate member, said layer being formed of a resilient material.

Claim 25

The diaphragm unit of claim 17 wherein said center spring portion is a ring member exposing the center of said central seal portion of said diaphragm.

Claim 26

The diaphragm unit of claim 17 wherein said diaphragm is a single piece molded member having the surfaces of said central seal portion and said outer mounting portion coplanar with said convolute portion being a single convolute extending outwardly from said coplanar surfaces, said flat spring is a single piece metal spring having said spring members extending circumferentially of said spring and mounting portions, and said attachment means being an adhesive interposed between said center spring portion and said central seal portion coextensively of said spring portion.

Claim 27

The diaphragm unit of claim 24 having a central frusto conical lug extending outwardly of said seal portion in inwardly spaced relation to said convolute portion and having an outer planar surface.

Claim 28

The diaphragm unit of claim 24 wherein said center spring portion is a continuous ring exposing the center of said diaphragm.

Claim 29

The diaphragm unit of claim 24 wherein said center spring portion is a continuous plate coextensive with said central seal portion and a thin layer of a resilient sealing material covErs the outer surface of said plate.

Claim 30

A bleed pressure regulating apparatus for supplying a varying fluid flow to a load, comprising a first stage pressure regulator including a control chamber having a fluid input restrictor and having a bleed orifice means for exhausting said chamber, said pressure regulator including a diaphragm unit defining a wall of the control chamber and a compression spring urging said diaphragm unit toward said bleed orifice means to adjust the fluid pressure in said chamber, a fluid repeater including a diaphragm unit forming a common wall between an input reference pressure and an output load chamber, conduit means connected to said input reference pressure chamber and to said control chamber, a supply restrictor connected to said load chamber, and a variable flow load connected to said load chamber.

Claim 31

A bleed pressure regulating apparatus for supplying a varying fluid flow to a load, comprising a first stage pressure regulator including a control chamber having a fluid input restrictor and having a bleed orifice means for exhausting said chamber, said pressure regulator including a diaphragm unit defining a wall of the control chamber and a compression spring urging said diaphragm unit toward said bleed orifice means to adjust the fluid pressure in said chamber, a fluid repeater including a diaphragm unit forming a common wall between an input reference pressure and an output load chamber, conduit means connected to said input reference pressure chamber and to said control chamber, a supply restrictor connected to said load chamber, and a variable flow load connected to said load chamber.

Claim 32

The bleed pressure regulating apparatus of claim 28 having a second variable load spaced from said first load and from said pressure regulator, a second fluid repeater correspondingly connected between said second load and said pressure regulator, and said repeaters being mounted closely adjacent the corresponding loads and connected by said conduit means to said common pressure regulator.

Claim 33

The bleed pressure regulating apparatus of claim 28 wherein each of said diaphragm units includes a diaphragm having a central seal portion and an outer mounting portion connected by a convolute portion and a flat spring having a central portion firmly affixed to said seal portion and an outer mounting portion connected to said center portion by circumferentially spaced spring members.

Claim 34

The bleed pressure regulating apparatus of claim 28 wherein each of said diaphragm units includes a central seal portion and an outer mounting ring joined by a convolute portion to establish a low stiffness in movement of said central seal portion relative to said mounting portion in a direction normal to said seal and mounting portions, and an essentially flat spring having a center spring portion and an outer mounting portion connected by a plurality of circumferentially spaced spring members, and means affixing said center spring portion to said central seal portion to provide radial rigidity to said diaphragm and to maintain low stiffness of the central seal portion in said normal direction.

Claim 35

The bleed pressure regulating apparatus of claim 31 wherein the central seal portion of said pressure regulator includes an enlargement defining a planar back wall, a spring guide disposed upon said enlargement and having a radial planar flange, a coil spring compressed upon said flange to establish the output pressure to said fluid repeater.

Claim 36

The bleed pressure regulating apparatus of claim 28 wherein said diaphragm unit of said fluid repeater includes a rest position spaced from the bleed orifice means permitting essentially unrestricted exhaust flow from the load chamber through said orifice means and movable a preselected distance to a working position modulating said exhaust flow, said diaphragm unit moving to the working position in response to a corresponding input signal in said load chamber and reference pressure chamber and thereafter modulating the output pressure in accordance with and corresponding to the variation of the input pressure signal from said control chamber of said pressure regulator.

Claim 37

The bleed pressure regulating apparatus of claim 33 wherein said fluid repeater includes a light coil spring positioning said diaphragm unit with respect to the working position and thereby varying the response to the input pressure signal.

Claim 38

A bleed pressure fluid repeater comprising a chamber means having a load chamber and having a fluid pressure input means and a bleed orifice means terminating in said chamber, a diaphragm unit including a diaphragm formed of a resilient material, said diaphragm having a central seal portion aligned with said orifice means and an outer peripheral portion joined by an intermediate convoluted portion, a flat spring having a center spring portion aligned with and firmly secured to said central seal portion and an outer peripheral portion connected to said seal portion by a plurality of spring members to establish a selected axial stiffness and a high radial stiffness, means to fixedly mount the peripheral portions of said diaphragm and said spring means to said chamber means with said seal portion spaced from said orifice means to permit unrestricted flow through said orifice means, an input chamber coupled to the backside of said diaphragm unit and having an input pressure signal means to urge said diaphragm unit toward said orifice means, and a bias coil spring in said input chamber holding said seal portion in sealing engagement with said orifice means with a selected minimum pressure in said load chamber, said selected axial stiffness of said spring being selected to establish said selected minimum pressure.

Claim 39

A bleed pressure fluid repeater comprising a chamber means having a load chamber and having a fluid pressure input means and a bleed orifice means terminating in said chamber, a diaphragm unit including a diaphragm formed of a resilient material, said diaphragm having a central seal portion aligned with said orifice means and an outer peripheral portion joined by an intermediate convoluted portion, a flat spring having a center spring portion aligned with and firmly secured to said central seal portion and an outer peripheral portion connected to said seal portion by a plurality of spring members to establish a selected axial stiffness and a high radial stiffness, means to fixedly mount the peripheral portions of said diaphragm and said spring means to said chamber means with said seal portion spaced from said orifice means to permit unrestricted flow through said orifice means, an input chamber coupled to the backside of said diaphragm unit and having an input pressure signal means to urge said diaphragm unit toward said orifice means, and a bias coil spring in said input chamber holding said seal portion in sealing engagement with said orifice means with a selected minimum pressure in said load chamber, said selected axial stiffness of said spring being selected to establish said selected minimum pressure.

Claim 40

The bleed pressure fluid repeater of claim 35 having means to variably compress said coil spring to vary the force of said coil spring and permit movement of said seal portion from said orifice means.