Non-degrading pressure regulator

Claim 1

A fluid pressure regulator comprising: a housing having at least one pressure reducing passage along a central axis; an outlet; a pressure reducing chamber having a top, a bottom, and a smooth rounded transition between said inside diameter and said top; disk-like pressure reducing member in said chamber having a thickness, a radius large relative to said thickness, an outer edge, a generally smooth lower surface, a generally smooth upper surface, a stem and a smooth rounded transition between said stem and said upper surface, said stem extending from said upper surface through each said passage, the annular clearance between the inside diameter of each said passage and the outside diameter of said stem and the axial clearance between said top and said upper surface and between said bottom and said lower surface being relatively small compared to said radius and such so as to maintain fluid flow therebetween in the laminar regime; and an inlet, said inlet being located in said chamber bottom adjacent said axis so as to define a flow path through said inlet, outwardly over said bottom surface, around said outer edge, over said top surface and through said axial pressure reducing passage, said flow path being generally unobstructed, the dimensions of said flow path being such so as to maintain flow in the laminar regime at all times.