Fuel pressure regulator

Claim 1

A pressure regulator including a housing, a diaphragm in said housing forming a chamber at one side thereof, an inlet port and a relief port communicating with said chamber, a valve seat associated with said relief port, a valve assembly engageable with said seat to prevent communication between said ports, said valve assembly including a socket member movable with said diaphragm, a closure element in the form of a segmented sphere having a flat valve seat engaging surface disposed to one side of the center of said sphere a distance less than the sphere radius, said sphere being disposed in said socket for movement about the center of said sphere upon engagement of said flat surface with said seat, and a spring biasing said diaphragm and valve assembly toward said seat in opposition to pressure at said inlet port, a retainer member engaging said sphere, biasing means acting between said housing and said retainer to hold said sphere in said socket member and to urge said seat engaging surface out of engagement with said valve seat, said retainer member having fingers engageable with an interior portion of said housing to limit movement of and to maintain said biasing means confined relative to said housing during assembly of said pressure regulator.