Fuel supply system for gaseous fuel operated vehicle and regulator therefor

Claim 1

A regulator for a gaseous fuel operated vehicle engine, comprising: a high pressure housing defining therein a high pressure gas passage and a valve chamber, said passage having one end thereof connectible to a high pressure conduit for introducing high pressure gaseous fuel thereinto and the other end thereof opening to said valve chamber; a low pressure housing fixedly mounted to said high pressure housing, said low pressure housing defining therein a decompression chamber; valve means mounted in said valve chamber for selectively opening and closing said other end of said high pressure gas passage in response to the gas pressure in said decompression chamber; means for moving said valve means in response to the gas pressure in said decompression chamber, said moving means including a diaphragm disposed parallel with the flow of gaseous fuel through said decompression chamber; fuel cutoff valve means mounted in said high pressure gas passage for cutting off the supply of high pressure fuel gas when the engine is at rest or at a time of emergency; and PTC heater means located around said valve means and adjacent to said fuel cutoff valve means for heating both, said PTC heater means having an electric resistance with a positive temperature coefficient.