Patent ID: 7681588

Claim:
An apparatus for regulating the pressure of fluid supplied to a dispenser, comprising: a housing having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, a first partial volume communicating with said fluid inlet, a valve seat defining at least a portion of said first partial volume, a second partial volume communicating with said fluid outlet, and a channel extending through said valve seat and communicating with said first and second partial volumes; a valve positioned in said housing and defining at least a portion of said first and second partial volumes, said valve being responsive to pressures within said second partial volume so as to move between an open and closed position within said first partial volume, wherein said valve includes a sealing surface adapted to contact said valve seat in said closed position so as to seal off said channel from said first partial volume; a piston having a piston disc defining at least a portion of said second partial volume and a piston rod extending through said channel and being axially movable relative to said valve, said piston rod adapted to engage said sealing surface of said valve so as to move therewith, said piston disc being coupled to said piston rod such that said second partial volume expands when said valve moves from said open position to said closed position; and a pneumatic actuator operatively coupled to said piston and being selectively movable from a first position wherein said piston rod engages said valve such that said valve is in said open position, to a second position wherein said piston rod is not engaged with said valve.