Pressure equilibrator for gases

Abstract

A pressure equilibrator has a slider received slidably in a pressure accumulation chamber and partitioning the chamber into two opposing sections, and a relief port formed in the inner side surface of the chamber. The slider is inserted into the pressure accumulation chamber with a minute gap left around the slider. Two gases are respectively introduced into the sections of the pressure accumulation chamber to be equilibrated in pressure. The gap provides passageways for connecting the respective sections of the pressure accumulation chamber with the relief port so as to discharge parts of the gases. When the pressures of the two gases are unbalanced, the slider moves in accordance with a difference in the urging forces applied thereto by the gases, causing changes in the flow resistance of the passageways between the respective sections of the pressure accumulation chamber and the relief port, whereby the amounts of the parts of the gases discharged are adjusted so that the urging forces applied to the slider become equal to each other, thereby recovering equilibrium between the pressures of the gases. The pressure equilibrator may be incorporated in a gas mixing apparatus having flow rate resistors, for ensuring the stability of a ratio at which the gases are mixed to form a mixture.