Means and method for separating gases from liquids

Claim 1

A GAS SEPARATOR FOR REMOVING GAS FROM LIQUIDS COMPRISING: (A) MEANS DEFINING A GAS EXTRACTION CHAMBER; (B) FLUID INLET MEANS AND GAS OUTLET MEANS IN SAID EXTRACTION CHAMBER MEANS SPATIALLY SEPARATED FROM ONE ANOTHER FOR RESPECTIVELY ADMITTING A FLUID UNDER A PREDETERMINED PRESSURE AND REMOVING SEPARATED GAS; (C) DEPRESSURIZING MEANS IN FLUID COMMUNICATION WITH SAID EXTRACTION CHAMBER FOR ESTABLISHING A SUBATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE THEREIN; (D) PASSAGE MEANS IN SAID EXTRACTION CHAMBER MEANS LEADING FROM SAID LAST-MENTIONED MEANS THROUGH SAID DEPRESSURIZING MEANS AND HAVING A LIQUID OUTLET SPATIALLY SEPARATED FROM SAID GAS OUTLET MEANS; AND (E) A SEPARATOR ELEMENT MOUNTED IN SAID EXTRACTION CHAMBER MEANS, SAID ELEMENT HAVING AN UPSTREAM SIDE IN FLUID COMMUNICATION WITH SAID FLUID INLET AND A DOWNSTREAM SIDE IN FLUID COMMUNICATION WITH SAID DEPRESSURIZING MEANS, SAID SEPARATOR ELEMENT BEING PERVIOUS TO SAID FLUID AND IMPERVIOUS TO GAS BUBBLES ENTRAINED THEREIN WHEN SAID BUBBLES ARE EXPANDED BY BEING EXPOSED TO SAID SUBATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE UPON ENTERING SAID EXTRACTION CHAMBER.