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US 12,292,144 B2Granted
Rotary union
AssigneeMurzanski Engineering
InventorsMatthew Murzanski, Boguslaw Stypula
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An improved water union may include a fixed portion and a rotating portion. The fixed portion of the water union may be physically coupled to a stationary portion of a machine or other stationary object and the rotating portion may be physically coupled to a rotating portion of a machine or other rotating object. For example, a rotating table may include a stationary base to which the fixed portion of the water union may be physically attached, while the rotating portion of the water union may be physically attached to a rotating surface. In doing so, the rotating portion of the water union may be capable of freely rotating with the rotating surface, while maintaining a constant physical orientation to objects on the rotating surface within a rotating frame of reference.
Claims19
A rotary union comprising:
- a housing comprising:
- an interior cavity;
- and
- two or more fluid ports through a sidewall of the housing and providing a fluid path between an exterior surface of the housing and the interior cavity;
- a central shaft rotatably connected to the housing via a bearing assembly, wherein a first port through the exterior surface of the central shaft is fluidly connected to a first flow channel axial to the central shaft and a second port through the exterior surface of the central shaft is fluidly connected to a second flow channel axial to the central shaft and parallel to the first flow channel;
- and
- a seal assembly comprising:
- a spring;
- a first fluid seal structure between the exterior surface of the central shaft and an interior surface of the housing and forming a first flow cavity bounded by an exterior surface of the first fluid seal structure and an interior surface of the housing;
- a second fluid seal structure between the exterior surface of the central shaft and the interior surface of the housing, wherein the spring separates the first fluid seal structure and the second fluid seal structure, wherein a second flow cavity is bounded by the interior surface of the housing, the exterior surface of the central shaft, an interior surface of the first fluid seal structure, and an interior surface of the second fluid seal structure;
- and
- wherein the spring applies a sealing force to the interior surface of the first fluid seal structure and the interior surface of the second fluid seal structure;
- wherein the first fluid seal structure comprises a first stationary seal component physically contacting an interior surface of the housing adjacent to a first side of an annular ring formed on the interior surface of the housing and a first rotating seal component physically contacting the exterior surface of the central shaft and wherein the sealing force seals a first sealing face of the first rotating seal component to a second sealing face of the first stationary seal component;
- and
- wherein the second fluid seal structure comprises a second stationary seal component physically contacting the interior surface of the housing adjacent to a first side of an annular step formed in the interior surface of the housing and a second rotating seal component physically contacting an exterior face of the central shaft, and wherein the sealing force applied to the second stationary sealing structure seals a third sealing face of the second rotating seal component to a fourth sealing face of the second stationary seal component.
12 more elements
A multiple channel rotary union comprising:
- a central shaft comprising two or more fluid channels;
- a housing comprising:
- two or more fluid ports;
- an opening in a bottom face of the housing;
- an interior cavity, wherein the central shaft is partially enclosed within the interior cavity via the opening;
- and
- a first annular ring formed on an interior surface of the housing, the first annular ring having a first side facing the interior cavity of the housing and a second side facing the opening in the bottom face of the housing;
- and
- a bearing rotatably coupling the central shaft to the housing, wherein a first side of the bearing is adjacent to the opening in the bottom face of the housing and a second side of the bearing is adjacent to the second side of the first annular ring;
- and
- a seal assembly forming one or more flow channels between each of the two or more fluid channels of the central shaft to corresponding ports of the two or more fluid ports of the housing, the seal assembly comprising:
- a first stationary seal component physically contacting the interior surface of the housing adjacent to the first side of the first annular ring;
- a first rotating seal component physically contacting an exterior face of the central shaft;
- one or more springs providing a force engaging a first sealing face of the first rotating seal component to a second sealing face of the first stationary seal component;
- a second stationary seal component physically contacting the interior surface of the housing adjacent to a first side of an annular ridge formed in the interior surface of the housing;
- and
- a second rotating seal component physically contacting an exterior face of the central shaft, and wherein the one or more springs provide a force to seal a third sealing face of the second rotating seal component to a fourth sealing face of the second stationary seal component.
14 more elements
A dual flow channel rotary union comprising:
- a housing comprising:
- a first housing section having a through bore aligned to a central axis of the housing;
- and
- a second housing section having a partial bore aligned to the central axis of the housing, wherein the through bore of the first housing section and the partial bore of the second housing section form a central cavity of the housing;
- a central shaft at least partially enclosed by the central cavity of the housing, wherein the central shaft comprises a first flow channel and a second flow channel, wherein the first flow channel comprises a check valve;
- a bearing physically secured within a first cavity section of the through bore and a central opening of the bearing is physically secured to a first section of the central shaft;
- a seal assembly comprising:
- a first mechanical seal portion;
- a second mechanical seal portion;
- and
- a spring physically contacting the first mechanical seal portion and the second mechanical seal portion, wherein the first mechanical seal portion forms a first flow channel within the central cavity of the housing and between an inlet port of the second housing portion and an inlet port of the check valve and wherein the first mechanical seal portion and the second mechanical seal portion forms a second flow channel within the central cavity of the housing and between an outlet port of the central shaft and an outlet port of the second housing section.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.