Patent ID: 7287546

Claim:
A fuel pressure regulator for an internal combustion engine comprising: a seat member having a seat opening, and a valve seat formed around the seat opening, the seat opening leading to a fuel delivery pipe through which fuel pumped out of a fuel tank is delivered to an internal combustion engine; a valve member disposed downstream of the valve seat of said seat member in a flow direction of the fuel; a plate spring working to urge said valve member into abutment with the valve seat to close the seat opening of said seat member and to permit said valve member to be moved away from the valve seat to open the seat opening of said seat member when a pressure of the fuel flowing through the flow path of said seat member that is higher than a preselected limit level acts on said valve member, thereby regulating the pressure of the fuel delivered to the internal combustion engine to below the preselected limit level, said plate spring including an outer portion retained to be stationary with respect to the seat member, an inner portion that is movable with respect to the seat member, at least one annular portion retained between the outer portion and the inner portion, and an outside and an inside joint portions, the outside joint portion connecting the outer portion and the annular portion, the inside joint portion connecting the annular portion and the inner portion, the outside and inside joint portions being opposed diametrically to each other across the center of the plate spring; and a second annular portion disposed between said annular portion and the outer portion, said second annular portion being greater in rigidity than said annular portion.