Fluid flow regulator

Abstract

A flow regulator for water or other fluids has a housing with an internal shoulder between its inlet and outlet. The shoulder faces the inlet and slidably supports an elastically deformable annular flow restrictor which cooperates with a centrally located stud to define an annular passage extending from the inlet to the shoulder and followed by an annular portion of the channel between a conically diverging stepped or roughened internal surface of the housing and a stepped or roughened conical external surfaces of a guide member which carries the stud. Deformation, and hence the flow restricting action, of the flow restrictor depends upon the pressure differential which is established by the conveyed fluid. The flow restrictor has a conical internal surface which tapers in a direction from the inlet of the channel toward the shoulder, and the radially outermost portion of the flow restrictor has axially parallel slots or holes which weaken the adjacent portion of the flow restrictor so that the latter is more readily deformable and can properly control the flow of fluid which is conveyed at a relatively low pressure.