US 11,686,206 B2Granted

Circumferential seal assembly with adjustable seating forces

AssigneeStein Seal Company

InventorGlenn M. Garrison

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Abstract

A circumferential seal assembly for use between a higher pressure side and a lower pressure side is presented. The seal assembly includes a primary sealing ring, a second sealing ring, a third sealing ring, and an insert. The segmented primary sealing ring sealingly engages both a face sealing surface along a housing and a radial sealing surface along a rotatable element. The insert is disposed within and directly contacts the housing. The second sealing ring is adjacent to the primary sealing ring and sealingly engages both the primary sealing ring and the insert. The segmented third sealing ring contacts and sealingly engages the primary sealing ring opposite the housing. The insert, the second sealing ring, and the third sealing ring cooperate to form a first cavity adjacent to the second sealing ring and the third sealing ring. The primary sealing ring, the second sealing ring, the insert, and the housing cooperate to form a second cavity adjacent to the primary sealing ring. The insert and the second sealing ring separate the first cavity from the second cavity.

Claims49

Dependent claims

A circumferential seal assembly for use between a higher pressure side and a lower pressure side comprising:

(a) a primary sealing ring disposed between a housing and a rotatable element, said primary sealing ring sealingly engages both a face sealing surface along said housing and a radial sealing surface along said rotatable element, said primary sealing ring includes at least two seal segments;
(b) an insert disposed between said primary sealing ring and said housing so that said insert directly contacts said housing, said insert includes an outward flange configured to extend toward but not contact said primary sealing ring;
(c) a second sealing ring disposed within said primary sealing ring, said second sealing ring and said outward flange partially overlap so that said second sealing ring sealingly engages a face portion of said outward flange, said second sealing ring portion not overlapping said outward flange extends toward and sealingly engages a circumferential surface of said primary sealing ring;
and
(d) a third sealing ring which contacts and sealingly engages said primary sealing ring, said second sealing ring disposed between said outward flange and said third sealing ring, said third sealing ring includes at least two ring segments;
wherein
said insert, said second sealing ring, and said third sealing ring define a first cavity adjacent to said second sealing ring and said third sealing ring;
said primary sealing ring, said second sealing ring, said outward flange, and said housing define a second cavity adjacent to said primary sealing ring;
said outward flange and said second sealing ring cooperate to separate said first cavity from said second cavity.

6 more elements

A circumferential seal assembly for use between a higher pressure side and a lower pressure side comprising:

(a) a primary sealing ring disposed between a housing and a rotatable element, said primary sealing ring sealingly engages both a face sealing surface of said housing and a radial sealing surface of said rotatable element, said primary sealing ring includes at least two seal segments;
(b) a ring-shaped insert disposed between said primary sealing ring and said housing, said ring-shaped insert one of either contacting said housing or being integral with said housing, a portion of said ring-shaped insert forming an outward flange extending toward but not contacting said primary sealing ring;
(c) a second sealing ring positioned within said primary sealing ring, said second sealing ring sealingly engaging a portion of a face of said outward flange, said second sealing ring extending past an end of said outward flange so as to contact an inner circumferential surface of said primary sealing ring;
and
(d) a third sealing ring which contacts and sealingly engages said primary sealing ring opposite of sealing engagement with said housing, said second sealing ring being disposed between said outward flange and said third sealing ring;
wherein
said ring-shaped insert, said second sealing ring, and said third sealing ring define a first cavity adjacent to said second sealing ring and said third sealing ring;
said primary sealing ring, said second sealing ring, said outward flange, and said housing define a second cavity adjacent to said primary sealing ring;
said outward flange and said second sealing ring cooperate to separate said first cavity from said second cavity.

6 more elements

A circumferential seal assembly for use between a higher pressure side and a lower pressure side comprising:

(a) a primary sealing ring disposed within a housing along a rotatable element, said primary sealing ring sealingly engages both a face sealing surface along said housing and a radial sealing surface along said rotatable element, said primary sealing ring includes at least two seal segments;
(b) a ring-shaped insert secured within and one of either contacting said housing or being integral with said housing, a portion of said ring-shaped insert forming an inward flange extending toward but not contacting said primary sealing ring;
(c) a second sealing ring positioned about said primary sealing ring, said second sealing ring sealingly engaging a portion of a face of said inward flange, said second sealing ring extending below an end of said inward flange so as to contact an outer circumferential surface of said primary sealing ring;
and
(d) a third sealing ring which contacts and sealingly engages said primary sealing ring opposite of sealing engagement with said housing, said second sealing ring being disposed between said inward flange and said third sealing ring;
wherein
said ring-shaped insert, said second sealing ring, and said third sealing ring define a first cavity adjacent to said second sealing ring and said third sealing ring;
said primary sealing ring, said second sealing ring, said inward flange, and said housing define a second cavity adjacent to said primary sealing ring;
said inward flange and said second sealing ring cooperate to separate said first cavity from said second cavity.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 17/495,084Filed 6 Oct 2021 · continuation
Published: US 2022/0025777 A127 Jan 2022
Granted: 27 Jun 2023
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification9 codes

F01D 11/003
Preventing or minimising internal leakage of working-fluid, e.g. between stages: by packing rings; Mechanical seals
F16J 15/24
With stuffing-boxes for elastic or plastic packings: with radially or tangentially compressed packing
F16J 15/26
Between relatively-moving surfaces: with stuffing-boxes for rigid sealing rings
F16J 15/442
With floating ring: segmented

Family

PCT/US2017/030834Parent of this continuation · filed 3 May 2017
US 2022/0025777 A1Pre-grant publication · published 27 Jan 2022
Application16/491,189Parent of this continuation
US 11,168,573 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2020/0032668 A1Published application
US 11,686,206 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.