Patent ID: 7635005
Filing Date: 2009-12-22
Classification: G01N,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A device for regulating the pressure of a gas comprising: at least two ports, one being a gas input port and one being a gas output port and a gas flow path between and in fluid communication with the at least two ports, the gas flow path comprising two or more pressure reducing gas stages each stage having two ends, one being a first end and one being a second end; wherein at least two of the at least two stages are positioned along substantially parallel axis and have their two ends oriented in substantially opposite directions; in which at least one of the pressure reducing gas stages comprises a piston assembly, the piston assembly comprising: at least two chambers having walls, one being a wider chamber and one being a narrower chamber, the wider chamber engaged to the first end and in fluid communication with the narrower chamber, the narrower chamber engaged to the second end; and a piston having a shaft narrower than the width of the narrower chamber and a wider end portion comprised of compression rings, the piston capable of being slidably moved between at least two configurations, one being an open configuration and one being a closed configuration, in the closed configuration the piston blocking any possible fluid flow between the wider chamber and the narrow chamber, when in the closed configuration, fluid in the wider chamber having an exiting pressure, the exiting pressure being lower than the pressure in the narrower chamber; further comprising a center block, the center block defining at least a portion of the walls of at least one chamber, and further comprising a transfer plate, the transfer plate defining the walls of at least a portion of at least one of the chambers and at least a portion of the walls of the fluid conduit wherein the second end of a first pressure reducing stage and the first end of another of the two or more pressure regulator stages are interconnected by the transfer plate.