Patent ID: 6843232

Claim:
A fuel pressure regulator for use with an internal combustion engine, the fuel pressure regulator comprising: a housing including: an inner surface; an inlet; an outlet including a seat; and a longitudinal axis; a valve assembly in the housing intermediate the inlet and the outlet and electively opening fluid communication between the inlet and the outlet when a fuel pressure at the inlet is at least equal to an over-pressure amount, the valve assembly including: a support member including a recess and a bore extending from the recess; a closure member movably mounted in the recess; and a first spring mounted in the bore and contacting the bore and the closure member; an elastic diaphragm connecting the valve assembly to the housing, the diaphragm being in fluid communication with the inlet and elastically displaceable along the longitudinal axis up to a maximum distance; the valve assembly being displaceable along the longitudinal axis by an opening distance when a fuel pressure at least equal to the over-pressure amount acts on the diaphragm so that the diaphragm does not exceed its yield strength; a stop extending from the valve assembly and having an end face, spaced from the inner surface of the housing along the longitudinal axis by a traveling distance when the valve assembly closes the fluid communication between the inlet and the outlet; the traveling distance being at most equal to the maximum distance and substantially greater than the opening distance; and a second spring having a first end contacting the inner surface of the housing and a second end contacting the valve assembly, the second spring biasing the valve assembly to close the fluid communication between the inlet and the outlet when the fuel pressure at the inlet is less than the over-pressure amount.