Seal assemblies for extreme temperatures and related methods
AssigneeBal Seal Engineering, Inc.
InventorsFarshid Dilmaghanian, Marc Soriano, Peter J. Balsells, Shirley Zhou, Majid Ghasiri, Derek Changsrivong, Raul Magana
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Seal assembly designs for extreme temperatures that include material and structural designs to counteract sealing component shrinkage or expansion caused by thermal expansion or contraction. Provisions can be included to increase sealing stress along the outer seal lip of the seal assembly for low temperature applications where shrinkage can be an issue and to increase sealing stress along the inner seal lip of the seal assembly for high temperature applications where expansion can be an issue.
Claims13
A method of using a spring energized lip seal at extreme temperatures comprising the steps:
- placing a seal assembly in a housing to seal against a surface, wherein the seal assembly comprises:
- a seal element comprising an inside flange having a sealing lip defining a bore configured to receive a shaft and sealing against the shaft, an outside flange defining an outside diameter for sealing against a surface, and a center channel section;
- the inside flange, the outside flange, and the center channel section together define a seal cavity;
- said center channel section comprising a channel defining a receiving space;
- a locking ring comprising a first section and a second section extending from the first section, said second section having a tip extending into the receiving space of the channel of the center channel section;
- a first loading spring biasing against a first surface of the second section and against the inside flange;
- a second loading spring biasing against a second surface of the second section and against the outside flange;
- securing the seal assembly against rotation relative to the housing or the surface;
- and
- wherein the first section of the locking ring comprises a leaf spring or a contact edge, and wherein the method comprises engaging the leaf spring with the housing or engaging the contact edge with the housing.
A spring assembly for extreme temperature applications comprising:
- a seal element comprising an inside flange, an outside flange, and a center channel section, which together define a seal cavity;
- a locking ring engaging the outside flange;
- said locking ring comprising a body comprising a groove;
- a first loading spring biasing against the locking ring and the inside flange;
- a second loading spring located in the groove of the locking ring and biasing against a bottom surface of the groove of the locking ring and an outer interior surface of the outside flange.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.