Vacuum regulator and pneumatically operated fuel control system utilizing the same

Claim 2

A vacuum regulator comprising a housing means, a flexible diaphragm carried by said housing means and cooperating therewith to define a chamber, said housing means having valve seat means for fluid interconnection with said chamber, said diaphragm having a portion for opening and closing said valve seat to maintain a selected vacuum condition in said chamber and having a threaded stem means, a leaf spring movably engaging said housing means and being threaded to said threaded stem means of said diaphragm whereby rotational movement of said leaf spring relative to said stem means varies the threaded relation therebetween to vary the bowed condition of said leaf spring, and selector means movably carried by said housing means and being operatively interconnected to said leaf spring to rotate said leaf spring relative to said stem means and thereby change the force setting of said leaf spring acting on said diaphragm.

Claim 3

A vacuum regulator as set forth in claim 1 wherein said leaf spring has opposed ends respectively and movably engaging said housing means.

Claim 4

A vacuum regulator as set forth in claim 2 wherein said housing means has an annular shoulder means that is engaged by said opposed ends of said leaf spring.

Claim 5

A vacuum regulator as set forth in claim 2 wherein said selector means is operatively interconnected to said opposed ends of said leaf spring.

Claim 6

A vacuum regulator as set forth in claim 2 wherein said leaf spring has its medial portion threaded to said stem means.

Claim 7

A vacuum regulator as set forth in claim 1 wherein said housing means has detent means for controlling the rotational positioN of said selector means relative to said housing means.

Claim 8

A vacuum regulator as set forth in claim 6 wherein said detent means comprises two spring blades carried by said housing means.

Claim 9

A vacuum regulator as set forth in claim 7 wherein said selector means has cam means disposed between said spring blades and being in engagement therewith.

Claim 10

A vacuum regulator as set forth in claim 1 wherein said housing means comprises a plurality of housing parts one of which is cup-shaped and receives the other housing parts therein in stacked relation.

Claim 11

A vacuum regulator as set forth in claim 9 wherein said cup-shaped housing part and one of the other housing parts are snap fitted together to hold said housing parts together.

Claim 12

In a control system having a multiposition pneumatically operated device and a vacuum source, the improvement comprising a vacuum regulator having a housing means, a flexible diaphragm carried by said housing means and cooperating therewith to define a chamber, said housing means having valve seat means for fluidly interconnecting said vacuum source with said chamber, said housing means having means fluidly interconnecting said chamber to said device, said diaphragm having a portion for opening and closing said valve seat to maintain a selected vacuum condition in said chamber and having a threaded stem means, a leaf spring movably engaging said housing means and being threaded to said threaded stem means of said diaphragm whereby rotational movement of said leaf spring relative to said stem means varies the threaded relation therebetween to vary the bowed condition of said leaf spring, and selector means movably carried by said housing means and being operatively interconnected to said leaf spring to rotate said leaf spring relative to said stem means and thereby change the force setting of said leaf spring acting on said diaphragm whereby said regulator is adapted to maintain different vacuum levels for said multiposition device.

Claim 13

In a control system having a multiposition pneumatically operated device and a vacuum source, the improvement comprising a vacuum regulator having a housing means, a flexible diaphragm carried by said housing means and cooperating therewith to define a chamber, said housing means having valve seat means for fluidly interconnecting said vacuum source with said chamber, said housing means having means fluidly interconnecting said chamber to said device, said diaphragm having a portion for opening and closing said valve seat to maintain a selected vacuum condition in said chamber and having a threaded stem means, a leaf spring movably engaging said housing means and being threaded to said threaded stem means of said diaphragm whereby rotational movement of said leaf spring relative to said stem means varies the threaded relation therebetween to vary the bowed condition of said leaf spring, and selector means movably carried by said housing means and being operatively interconnected to said leaf spring to rotate said leaf spring relative to said stem means and thereby change the force setting of said leaf spring acting on said diaphragm whereby said regulator is adapted to maintain different vacuum levels for said multiposition device.

Claim 14

In a control system as set forth in claim 11, the further improvement wherein said leaf spring has opposed ends respectively and movably engaging said housing means.

Claim 15

In a control system as set forth in claim 12, the further improvement wherein said housing means has an annular shoulder means that is engaged by said opposed ends of said leaf spring.

Claim 16

In a control system as set forth in claim 12, the further improvement wherein said selector means is operatively interconnected to said opposed ends of said leaf spring.

Claim 17

In a control system as set forth in claim 12, the further improvement wherein said leaf spring has its medial portion threaded to said stem means.

Claim 18

In a control system as set forth in claim 11, the further improvement wherein said housing means has detent means for controlling the rotational position of said selector means relative to said housing means.

Claim 19

In a control system as set forth in claim 16, the further improvement wherein said detent means comprises two spring blades carried by said housing means.

Claim 20

In a control system as set forth in claim 17, the further improvement wherein said selector means has cam means disposed between said spring blades and being in engagement therewith.

Claim 21

In a control system as set forth in claim 11, the further improvement wherein said housing means comprises a plurality of housing parts one of which is cup-shaped and receives the other housing parts therein in stacked relation.

Claim 22

In a control system as set forth in claim 19, the further improvement wherein said cup-shaped housing part and one of the other housing parts are snap fitted together to hold said housing parts together.