Flow control

Claim 1

A FLOW CONTROL UNIT COMPRISING A HOLLOW BODY HAVING AN INLET AND AN OUTLET, A PERIPHERAL SHOULDER IN SAID HOLLOW BODY, SAID SHOULDER BEING IN THE FORM OF AN ORIFICE PLATE, SAID ORIFICE PLATE HAVING A FACE WITHIN SAID BODY, SAID FACE HAVING AN OPENING THERETHROUGH, A RADIALLY DISPOSED SLOT IN SAID FACE, A CONTROL MEMBER MADE OF FLEXIBLE MATERIAL SUPPORTED ON SAID FACE AND OVERLYING SAID SLOT, SAID CONTROL MEMBER BEING OF SUCH THICKNESS RELATIVE TO ITS WIDTH THAT SUBSTANTIALLY NO BENDING OF SAID CONTROL MEMBER WILL OCCUR WHEN IN NORMAL USE FLUID PRESSURE IS EXERTED ON SAID CONTROL MEMBER, SAID CONTROL MEMBER BEING DEFORMABLE BY LONGITUDINAL FLUID PRESSURE EXERTED AGAINST SAID CONTROL MEMBER, THEREBY FORCING SAID CONTROL MEMBER AGAINST SAID FACE AND INTO SAID SLOT, THEREBY RESTRICTING THE FLOW PASSAGE UNDER SAID CONTROL MEMBER AND THROUGH SAID SLOT IN PROPORTION TO THE PRESSURE ON SAID CONTROL MEMBER WHEREBY FLUID FLOW UNDER SAID CONTROL MEMBER AND THROUGH SAID SLOT IS CONTROLLED, SAID FACE EXTENDING FROM SAID SLOT OUTWARDLY NORMAL TO THE RADIAL DIRECTION OF SAID SLOT THROUGHOUT THE WIDTH OF SAID FACE IN SAID RADIAL DIRECTION AND SLOPING TOWARD SAID INLET.