Patent ID: 6851447

Claim:
A direct acting pressure regulator for controlling the flow of a gas from a high pressure source to a low pressure device, the gas being delivered from the regulator at a predetermined outlet pressure, comprising: a body having a high pressure inlet and defining a seat, the body having a guide sleeve formed therein; a bonnet engageable with the body to define a piston chamber within the body and the bonnet, the bonnet having a regulated gas outlet and defining a stop surface therein, the body guide sleeve extending into the piston chamber; a piston disposed within the piston chamber and in part in the guide sleeve, the piston defining a gap between the piston and a wall defining the piston chamber, the piston movable between an open regulator condition and a closed regulator condition, the piston including a support having a sealing element with a sealing surface engageable with the seat and movable toward the seat to the closed regulator condition to close a flow path through the regulator and away from the seat to the open regulator condition to open the flow path through the regulator, the seal element being formed from a resilient material, the support having axially disposed openings therein for communicating gas from around the support to a central longitudinal bore in the piston, the piston having an impingement surface in flow communication with the central bore such that gas pressure on the impingement surface exerts a force on the piston to move the piston to the closed regulator condition, the piston including a shoulder for engaging the bonnet stop surface at the open regulator condition; a spring disposed in the piston chamber for urging the piston to the open regulator condition; a first seal disposed between the sealing element and the piston chamber at about the guide sleeve; a second seal disposed between the impingement surface and the piston chamber; and a pin valve disposed in the central longitudinal bore of the piston.