Anti-rotational cap seal
AssigneeA.W. Chesterton Company
InventorPierre Aouni Alfons Al-Darra
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A seal having a gland having a gland grove and a sealing assembly for seating in the gland groove. The sealing assembly includes an energizer element and a cap element. The energizer element has outwardly extending first surface features formed on each side portion that are sized and configured for contacting the side walls of the gland groove when the energizer element is seated therein. The top portion of the energizer element has a second surface feature forming a first connection component. The cap element has a bottom portion that has associated therewith a surface feature forming a second connection component. The coupling together of the first connection component and the second connection component inhibits rotation of the cap element relative to the energizer element.
Claims16
A seal assembly, comprising:
- a gland having an inner surface having a gland groove formed in the inner surface, wherein the gland groove includes opposed flat first and second side walls and a floor portion, and
- a sealing assembly sized and configured for mounting at least partly within the gland groove, wherein the sealing assembly includes:
- an energizer element having a main body having first and second opposed side portions, a bottom portion, and a top portion, wherein each of the first and second side portions has an outwardly extending first surface feature formed thereon that is sized and configured for contacting the flat side walls of the gland groove when the energizer element is seated within the gland groove, and wherein the top portion has associated therewith a second surface feature outwardly extending therefrom forming a first connection component, and
- a cap element having a main body having first and second opposed side portions, a bottom portion and an opposed top portion, wherein the bottom portion has associated therewith an inwardly extending surface feature forming a second connection component,
- wherein the first connection component and the second connection component are coupled together via a press-fit to form a connection assembly that inhibits rotation of the cap element relative to the energizer element, and wherein a width of the energizer element at an outermost portion of the first surface features is greater that a width of the gland groove, such that the energizer element is seated within the gland groove and contacts both the first and second sidewalls to form a press-fit so as to be self-retained in the groove.
A sealing element assembly suitable for mounting in a gland groove formed in a gland of a mechanical seal, comprising:
- an energizer element having a main body having first and second opposed side portions, a bottom portion, and a top portion, wherein each of the first and second side portions has an outwardly extending first surface feature formed thereon that is sized and configured for contacting side walls of the gland groove when the energizer element is seated therein upon initial mounting, and wherein the top portion has associated therewith a second surface feature forming a first connection component, and
- a cap element having a main body having first and second opposed side portions, a bottom portion and an opposed top portion, wherein the bottom portion has associated therewith a surface feature forming a second connection component,
- wherein the first connection component and the second connection component are coupled together by a press-fit to form a connection assembly that inhibits rotation of the cap element relative to the energizer element, and wherein a width of the energizer element at an outermost portion of the surface features is greater that a width of the gland groove, such that the energizer element is seated within the gland groove by a press fit so as to be self-retained in the groove.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.