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US 10,520,096 B2Granted
Intershaft seal assembly
AssigneeROLLS-ROYCE plc
InventorJohn Munson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An intershaft seal assembly comprises an annular seal ring disposed between a pair of annular runners connected to a hollow outer rotating shaft, and a surface of a co-axial inner rotating shaft. The centrifugal force resulting from rotation of the hollow outer rotating shaft effects engagement of the annular seal ring with the surface of the co-axial inner rotating shaft. The surface may be a radially-inward-facing surface of a retaining arm connected to the co-axial inner rotating shaft.
Claims18
A seal assembly for sealing a higher pressure fluid cavity from a lower pressure fluid cavity, the seal assembly comprising:
- a hollow rotatable shaft having an outer surface;
- a co-axial rotatable shaft at least partially disposed within the hollow rotatable shaft, wherein the hollow rotatable shaft and the co-axial rotatable shaft at least partly define the higher pressure fluid cavity and the lower pressure fluid cavity;
- a pair of annular axially-spaced runners attached to the outer surface of the hollow rotatable shaft, the runners having opposed axially-facing radially-extending side surfaces;
- an annular seal ring positioned between said runners, the annular seal ring having a radially-outward facing surface;
- and
- an annular retaining arm attached to the co-axial rotatable shaft at a portion of the co-axial rotatable shaft not disposed within the hollow rotatable shaft, the annular retaining arm comprising a first portion extending radially from the co-axial rotatable shaft and a second portion extending axially from the first portion, the second portion defining a radially-inward facing surface positioned radially outward of a portion of the hollow rotatable shaft and the annular seal ring, wherein a radial height of the first portion of the retaining arm is greater than a radial height of the pair of annular axially-spaced runners;
- wherein rotation of the hollow rotatable shaft effects engagement of said radially-outward facing surface of said annular seal ring with said radially-inward facing surface of said retaining arm.
4 more elements
An intershaft seal assembly comprising:
- a hollow rotatable shaft defining an axis of rotation, the hollow rotatable shaft extending axially to a terminus and having a radially outer shaft surface and a radially inner shaft surface;
- a co-axial rotatable shaft at least partially disposed within and extending axially beyond the terminus of the hollow rotatable shaft;
- a pair of axially-spaced annular runners connected to said radially outer shaft surface of said hollow rotatable shaft;
- an annular seal ring disposed between said runners at a first axial position, said annular seal ring having a radially-outward facing seal surface;
- a retaining arm connected to said co-axial rotatable shaft, the retaining arm comprising a radially-extending portion at a second axial position displaced from the first axial position and an axially-extending portion having a radially-inward facing surface positioned radially outward of the terminus and the first axial position, wherein a radial height of the radially-extending portion of the retaining arm is greater than a radial height of the pair of axially-spaced annular runners;
- a first fluid cavity at least partly defined between the radially inner shaft surface of the hollow rotatable shaft and the co-axial rotatable shaft;
- and
- a second fluid cavity at least party defined by the radially outer shaft surface of the hollow rotatable shaft;
- wherein the rotation of said hollow rotatable shaft effects engagement of said radially-outward facing surface of said annular seal ring with said radially-inward facing surface of said retaining arm to thereby form a boundary between said first fluid cavity and said second fluid cavity.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.