Seal assemblies for use with fluid valves
AssigneeFisher Controls International LLC
InventorsJ. Adin Mann, III, Shawn William Anderson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Seal assemblies for use with fluid valves are described. An example apparatus includes a cage; a plug including a seal gland; and means for sealingly engaging an inner surface of the cage at least partially positioned in the seal gland and including a first portion and a second portion, in response to a fluid acting on the first portion in a first direction, the first portion to engage, outwardly urge, and splay the second portion to sealingly engage the cage, in response to the fluid acting in a second direction, the second portion to deter the fluid from acting on the first portion, the first direction opposite the second direction.
Claims21
An apparatus, comprising:
- a cage;
- a plug including a seal gland, wherein the plug is configured to move relative to the cage;
- a retainer coupled to the plug;
- a seal disposed within the seal gland, the seal including a housing and a core, the housing having a u-shaped or c-shaped cross-section defining a first aperture, the core disposed in the first aperture of the housing, the core having a second aperture, the seal confined between the retainer and a surface of the seal gland opposite the retainer;
- and
- a back-up ring disposed within the first aperture, the back-up ring including a tapered protrusion extending into the second aperture, a fluid to act on a first surface of the back-up ring to urge the tapered protrusion to move into the second aperture, an engagement between the tapered protrusion and the second aperture to outwardly urge and splay the seal into sealing engagement with an inner surface of the cage, the back-up ring being disposed within the first aperture to deter the fluid from acting on a second surface of the back-up ring, the first surface opposite the second surface.
An apparatus, comprising:
- a cage;
- a plug including a seal gland, wherein the plug is configured to move relative to the cage;
- a retainer coupled to the plug;
- a housing disposed within the seal gland, the housing having a u-shaped or c-shaped cross-section defining an opening, the retainer to engage an end of the housing defining the opening to retain the housing within the seal gland;
- a back-up ring including a tapered protrusion, the back-up ring disposed within the housing, an interaction between an exterior surface of the back-up ring and an interior surface of the housing to guide movement of the back-up ring within the housing between a first position and a second position;
- and
- a core defining a groove to receive the tapered protrusion, the core disposed within the housing, a fluid to act on the back-up ring to urge the tapered protrusion to move into the groove and to position the back-up ring in the first position, in the first position, the tapered protrusion being further within the groove than in the second position, an engagement between the tapered protrusion and the groove to outwardly urge and splay the housing, via the core, into sealing engagement with an inner surface of the cage.
An apparatus, comprising:
- a cage;
- a plug including a seal gland, wherein the plug is configured to move relative to the cage;
- and
- a seal, including:
- a male portion including a back-up ring;
- and
- a female portion, the female portion having a channel formed by an opening in a first end of the female portion, the male portion disposed entirely within the channel of the female portion to enable a fluid to act on a first end of the male portion and to deter the fluid from acting on a second end of the male portion opposite the first end, the female portion including a core defining a groove to receive a tapered protrusion of the back-up ring, in response to the fluid acting on the first end of the male portion, the male portion to outwardly urge and splay the female portion into sealing engagement with an inner surface of the cage.
An apparatus, comprising:
- a cage;
- a plug including a seal gland, wherein the plug is configured to move relative to the cage;
- and
- a seal, including:
- a male portion including a wedge-shaped protrusion of a back-up ring;
- and
- a female portion, the female portion having a channel formed by an opening in a first end of the female portion, the male portion disposed entirely within the channel of the female portion to enable a fluid to act on a first end of the male portion and to deter the fluid from acting on a second end of the male portion opposite the first end, in response to the fluid acting on the first end of the male portion, the male portion to outwardly urge and splay the female portion into sealing engagement with an inner surface of the cage.
An apparatus, comprising:
- a cage;
- a plug including a seal gland, wherein the plug is configured to move relative to the cage;
- and
- a seal, including:
- a male portion including a piston having a protrusion;
- and
- a female portion including an annular housing defining a channel and a groove in the channel, the channel formed by an opening in a first end of the female portion, the piston slidably received within the channel, the male portion disposed entirely within the channel of the female portion to enable a fluid to act on a first end of the male portion and to deter the fluid from acting on a second end of the male portion opposite the first end, the protrusion received within the groove to, in response to the fluid acting on the first end of the male portion, outwardly urge splay the female portion into sealing engagement with an inner surface of the cage.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.