Seals
AssigneeROLLS-ROYCE plc
InventorAlan Moore
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The invention relates to piston ring seals. In such seals, manufacturing tolerances, distortions, or wear of the ring itself, or of the sealing surface which it contacts can cause out-of-roundness which produces areas of non-contact between the two components of the seal allowing leakage. The present invention overcomes this problem by providing the piston ring (12) FIG. 3, with a plurality of resilient, tightly packed bristles (18) which are contained within the circumference of the ring where the ring circumference contacts the corresponding sealing surface (5) but which can spring out into contact with the sealing surface over areas where the ring loses contact with it. In the example shown, the bristles project both from the radially inner and outer circumferences and are angled in opposite directions to enable the seal to be rotated into position.
Claims5
A seal assembly comprising two non-relatively rotating components, a split piston ring carried on one of the components and dimensioned to contact a co-operating sealing surface of the other component around one circumference, an annular mass of tightly-packed resilient bristles sandwiched between the piston ring and a second ring, the bristles lying at an angle to the radial direction and being dimensioned to lie within said circumference of the piston ring when said circumference of the piston ring is in contact with the co-operating sealing surface, and to project from said circumference into contact with the co-operating sealing surface when the piston ring loses contact therewith.
A seal adapted for use in a seal assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims and which comprises a split ring adapted to be carried on one of the components and a circumference of which is dimensioned to contact, in use, a co-operating sealing surface provided on the other component, an annular mass of tightly-packed resilient bristles sandwiched between the ring and a second ring, the bristles lying at an angle to the radial direction and being dimensioned to project from said circumference of the ring when free, but to be within said circumference where the ring contacts the co-operating sealing surface of the other component.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.