Importance

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Abstract

Featured is a pressure control regulator including a housing, a sealing member disposed within the housing, a flexible member and a biasing mechanism. The housing includes at least one inlet aperture and at least one outlet aperture, each inlet aperture being fluidly coupled to a first pressure source and each outlet aperture being fluidly coupled to a second pressure source, the first and second pressure sources being at different pressures. The flexible member extends between the sealing member outside surface and the housing inner surface so as to form a pressure boundary therebetween and to divide the housing interior into first and second compartments. The biasing mechanism, being responsive to pressure within the second compartment, acts on the sealing member so the sealing member is in one of an open position, when the second compartment is greater than a predetermined pressure value, or a closed position, when the second compartment pressure is at or below the predetermined pressure value. A portion of the housing in fluid communication with the second pressure source, also includes a mechanism to restrict fluid flow to or from the second compartment such that the second compartment pressure changes when fluid flow in either direction occurs for a time more than a predetermined period of time and remains effectively unchanged when such fluid flow time is less than the predetermined period of time. In a more particular embodiment, the second pressure source is a suction source and the regulator is a suction pressure regulator.

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First Claim