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US 10,316,837 B2Granted
Piston seal assembly with controlled leakage
AssigneeWestport Power Inc.
InventorsTimothy S. Coleman, Kamal Hatami Aghdam
Life of this patent
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AssigneeWestport Power Inc.
InventorsTimothy S. Coleman, Kamal Hatami Aghdam
Estimating the term…
A piston seal assembly is disclosed comprising a seal and a seal energizer which supports the seal. The piston seal assembly comprises one component that is designed to position the seal energizer in a fixed axial position within the piston groove. In one embodiment, the seal energizer has the shape of a split ring with at least one of its lateral surfaces shaped to position the energizer in a fixed position within a piston groove. In other embodiments the piston seal assembly comprises a spacer that is positioned next to the seal energizer within the piston groove and is designed to position the seal energizer in a fixed axial position. The piston seal assembly can comprise a seal that has a portion which protrudes between the seal energizer and the piston groove wall such that it positions the seal energizer in a fixed axial position within the piston groove.
A piston seal assembly for sealing between a piston and a cylinder bore, said piston seal assembly being disposed in a circumferential piston groove and comprising a seal and a radial seal energizer, said radial seal energizer comprising an outer circumferential surface of substantially constant radius and an inner circumferential surface of substantially constant radius, each circumferential surface defined in part by an upper edge and a lower edge respectively, said outer and inner circumferential surfaces being joined at their upper edges by a first lateral surface and joined at their lower edges by a second lateral surface, wherein said outer circumferential surface of said seal energizer provides substantially radial support to said seal in said circumferential piston groove and wherein at least one of said first lateral surface and said second lateral surface of said seal energizer is shaped to position said seal energizer in a fixed axial position within said circumferential piston groove and to provide a controlled leak path.
A radial seal energizer for supporting a seal in a circumferential piston groove of a piston that is reciprocable in a cylinder, said seal energizer comprising an outer circumferential surface of substantially constant radius and an inner circumferential surface of substantially constant radius, each circumferential surface defined in part by an upper edge and a lower edge respectively, said outer and inner circumferential surfaces being joined at their upper edges by a first lateral surface and joined at their lower edges by a second lateral surface, wherein said outer circumferential surface is adapted to provide substantially radial support to said seal and at least one of said first lateral surface and said second lateral surface is shaped to position said seal energizer in a fixed axial position within said circumferential piston groove and to provide a controlled leak path.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.