Claims
- 1. A housing for an integrated pressure management apparatus, the housing comprising:
an integral homogenous primary body partially defining an interior chamber; first and second ports communicating with the interior chamber; a component opening facilitating installation of a pressure operable device into the interior chamber, the pressure operable device separating the interior chamber into a first portion and a second portion, the first portion communicating with the first port, the second portion communicating with the second port, the pressure operable device permitting fluid communication between the first and second ports in a first configuration and preventing fluid communication between the first and second ports in a second configuration; and a secondary body attachable to the primary body and occluding the component installation opening.
- 2. The housing according to claim 1, wherein the primary body and the secondary body exclusively enclose the interior chamber having the first and second ports.
- 3. The housing according to claim 1, further comprising:
a seal member interposed between the primary body and the secondary body, the seal member preventing leakage with respect to the interior chamber.
- 4. The housing according to claim 1, wherein the pressure operable device includes a diaphragm sealingly interposed between the primary body and the secondary body, the diaphragm separating a signal chamber in fluid communication with the first portion of the interior chamber from the second portion of the interior chamber.
- 5. The housing according to claim 4, further comprising:
a passageway providing the fluid communication between the first portion of the interior chamber and the signal chamber.
- 6. The integrated pressure management apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the passageway includes an opening generally confronting the first port.
- 7. The housing according to claim 1, wherein a volume occupied by the attached primary and secondary bodies is minimized.
- 8. The housing according to claim 1, further comprising:
a plurality of electrical connections interconnected with a switch disposed in the interior chamber, the switch signaling displacement of the pressure operable device in response to negative pressure at a first pressure level in the first portion of the interior chamber.
- 9. The housing according to claim 1, wherein the primary body includes a first set of connection features and the secondary body includes a second set of connection features, the first and second set of connection features being interengaged to retain the secondary body with respect to the primary body.
- 10. The housing according to claim 9, wherein the first and second sets of connection features include unidirectional snap fixtures
- 11. The housing according to claim 1, further comprising:
an aperture through which the first and second ports communicate in the first configuration, and the pressure operable device includes a poppet occluding the aperture in the second configuration.
- 12. The housing according to claim 1, wherein the component opening also facilitates installation of a solenoid into the interior chamber, the solenoid displacing the device from the first configuration to the second configuration.
- 13. The housing according to claim 12, wherein the solenoid includes a stator extending transversely with respect to a displacement direction of the pressure operable device between the first and second configurations.
- 14. The housing according to claim 12, further comprising:
a passageway providing fluid communication between the first portion of the interior chamber and a signal chamber, the signal chamber is separated from the second portion of the interior chamber by the pressure operable device, and the passageway is defined at least in part by a void between the housing and the solenoid.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit of the earlier filing date of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/166,404, filed Nov. 19, 1999, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
Provisional Applications (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60166404 |
Nov 1999 |
US |
Continuations (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09566137 |
May 2000 |
US |
Child |
10209637 |
Aug 2002 |
US |