Abstract: A longitudinally compact vacuum generator having an incorporated check valve. The generator includes a valve assembly housing having top and bottom portions. An exhaust housing is coupled to the top portion of the valve assembly and a venturi inlet port is located in the bottom portion of the valve assembly. A vacuum inlet port is configured in fluid communication with a suction chamber within the valve assembly and a pneumatic valve pressure supply port is configured in fluid communication with a pneumatic pressure supply channel.

Abstract: A force multiplication mechanism utilizing one or more upwardly open slotted conical disc springs to impart a highly amplified biasing force substantially at the center of the spring upon a force receiving member when the springs are oriented in an unrelieved, but loaded configuration. Two fulcrums are positioned, one each, proximate to upper and lower surfaces of the slotted disc springs. One fulcrum, a high amplification fulcrum, engages the upper surface of the disc spring in the unrelieved configuration causing the downwardly biasing force to be a multiple of the spring's rated force, exemplarily on the order of five times that rated force. A second fulcrum, a low amplification fulcrum, engages the lower surface of the disc spring and acts as a pivot point about which the spring transitions into the relieved configuration causing the downwardly biasing force to be relieved.

Abstract: A check valve comprising of an inlet body portion, an outlet body portion, and a resilient o-ring. The o-ring being the only moveable part is slightly stretched and sealingly contacts the exterior corner edges of an annular groove. The annular groove corner edges are concentrically aligned and of distinctly different diameters. The inside diameter area of the o-ring communicates with an inlet passage through radial holes. Inlet pressure forces the o-ring to "tilt" off of the larger diameter groove edge by pivoting on the smaller diameter groove edge, thereby allowing fluid to flow from the inlet passage to an outlet passage.