Spring-loaded, hollow, elliptical ring seal
AssigneesPeter J. Balsells, Joan C. Balsells
InventorPeter J. Balsells
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A canted-coil spring-loaded ring seal assembly including a plurality of coils having a major and a minor axis and canted along a center line defined by an intersection of the major and minor axes along with an elastic material, disposed around and between said plurality of coils and having a hollow cross-section, for modifying the force exerted by the spring assembly in response to deflection of the spring assembly along said loading direction and for providing a sealing surface. The plurality of coils and elastic material are noninvasively supported in an orientation for controlling the resilient characteristics of the plurality of coils and for orienting said sealing surface for sealing contact with a loading member.
Claims18
A canted-coil spring-loaded ring seal assembly comprising:
- a plurality of elliptical coils having a major and a minor axis and canted along a center line defined by an intersection of a major and minor axes;
- elastic material means for modifying the force exerted by the spring assembly in response to deflection of the spring assembly along a loading direction and for providing a sealing surface, said elastic material means being disposed around and within said plurality of coils and having a void therein disposed within said plurality of coils, said void having a maximum dimension substantially smaller than a coil diameter measured along the minor axis;
- and
- groove means for noninvasively supporting the plurality of coils and elastic material in an orientation for controlling the resilient characteristics of the plurality of coils and for orienting said sealing surface for sealing contact with a loading member.
A spring-loaded ring seal assembly comprising:
- a plurality of coil means, interconnected with one another in a spaced-apart relationship, for causing the spring assembly to exert a generally constant force in a loading direction approximately normal to a tangent to a center line of said plurality of coil means in response to deflection of the spring assembly along said loading direction;
- elastic material means for modifying the magnitude of the generally constant force exerted by the plurality of coils in response to deflection of the spring assembly along said loading direction and for providing a sealing surface, said elastic material means being disposed around and within said plurality of coils and having a void therein disposed within said plurality of coils, said void having a maximum dimension substantially smaller than a coil diameter measured along the minor axis;
- and
- groove means for noninvasively supporting the plurality of coil means and elastic material means in an orientation for controlling the resilient characteristics of the plurality of coil means and for orienting said sealing surface for sealing contact with a loading member.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.