Patent ID: 7677229

Claim:
An oil mist separator, comprising: a line for carrying a gas from which oil droplets and/or oil mist are to be separated from a pressure-side inlet to a suction-side outlet of the line; at least one oil mist separator element located in the line; a pressure regulator valve which is located in the line in the direction of flow of the gas current downstream of the at least one oil mist separator element and has a bias; a chamber which is located next to the pressure regulator valve, whereby the pressure regulator valve opens above a specified pressure difference between the line and the chamber; a bypass line which connects a pressure side and a suction side of the at least one oil mist separator element with each other; and a bypass valve which is located in the bypass line and has a bias which closes the bypass valve below a specified pressure difference between the suction side and the pressure side of the oil separator element, wherein the pressure regulator valve and the bypass valve are connected with each other so that the pressure regulator valve, as it closes, increases the bias of the bypass valve.