Ring gap seal

Abstract

A ring gap seal for use on the top compression ring of a piston in an internal combustion engine, an air compressor, a fluid pump, a refrigeration pump, or a rotating shaft seal. In one embodiment, the ring gap seal comprises a lip portion adapted to be seated in a slot formed in the upper face of a compression ring and overlying the ring gap in the ring. The seal lip portion is carried by a supporting wall portion disposed at a right angle to the lip portion. A pair of integral spring arms are integral with the wall portion and they engage the inner wall of the ring groove of a piston in which the compression ring and gap seal are mounted so as to urge the seal lip portion outwardly. The explosive gas pressure created in the operation of the engine exerts a downward and outward pressure on the gap seal to seal the top and inner ends of the compression ring gap. In a modified embodiment, the spring arms are provided with elongated flanges at their outer ends which are seated in index slots in the piston ring groove wall. In another embodiment, a circumferential type ring gap seal has a sealing flange and a sealing wall portion. In the last mentioned embodiment, the compression ring is provided with an index slot for the reception of an index tab on the circumferential gap ring seal to prevent relative rotation between the compression ring and the circumferential gap seal.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.