Patent ID: 8302622

Claim:
A flow through pressure regulator comprising: a fuel tube having an inlet end constructed and arranged to receive fuel, an outlet end, and a fuel chamber between the inlet end and the outlet end, the outlet end defining a valve seat, a valve element constructed and arranged to engage the valve seat in a closed position to prohibit flow of fuel from the inlet end to the outlet end, a valve biasing member constructed and arranged to bias the valve element towards the valve seat in opposition to pressure exerted on the valve element by the fuel in the fuel chamber, and to permit the valve element to move to an open position permitting flow of fuel past the outlet end, when pressurized fuel in the fuel chamber is sufficient to move the valve element, against the bias of the valve biasing member, from engagement with the valve seat, wherein the fuel tube includes pressure differential creating structure at the outlet end thereof constructed and arranged to create a pressure differential around the valve element and cause unbalanced fuel flow at the outlet end to promote the valve element to move towards a certain location at the outlet end when the valve element moves to the open position, and further comprising a plurality of axially-extending fuel passages circumferentially spaced around a periphery of the outlet end of the fuel tube to direct flow of fuel, the pressure differential creating structure being defined by at least one of the fuel passages having a cross sectional area that is different from a cross sectional area of each of the other fuel passages, with all of the other fuel passages being configured to have the same cross sectional area.