US 5,632,495 AGranted

Elastomer sealing ring of relatively large diameter

AssigneePaul Wurth S.A.

InventorsTheodor Speaight, Emile Lonardi, Giovanni Cimenti

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Abstract

A sealing ring of relatively large diameter made from an elastomer material, particularly for fitting into a gastight valve is presented for the purpose of preventing and/or alleviating stresses that cause tearings in and on the surface of the sealing ring. This is accomplished by modifying the cross-section of the sealing ring relative to the cross-section of a receiving channel such that the cross-section of the sealing ring forms a central foot which lies in bearing contact with a base surface of the receiving channel and is radially limited by two concave indentations. The two concave indentations are dimensioned so they form, with the corresponding boundary surfaces of the channel, a respective cavity, into which a substantial part of the elastomer material can yield whenever a surface load is applied to the exposed sealing surface without substantially altering the concave configuration of the indentations.

Claims9

Dependent claims

A sealing seat assembly of an elastomer sealing ring in an annular channel, said sealing ring being annular about an axis, and said channel being open to one side and comprising, as boundary surfaces, a flat annular base surface around and perpendicular to said axis and two mutually opposing cylindrical and coaxial side surfaces, wherein the sealing ring:

(1) has approximately the same cross-section as said channel,
(2) has an exposed sealing surface, which faces the open side of said channel and can be subjected to a surface load approximately parallel to said axis, said exposed sealing surface being generally convex and having a flat crown forming a contact surface,
(3) forms a central foot, which lies in bearing contact with said base surface of said channel and is radially limited on each side by a concave indentation, and
wherein each one of said concave indentations;
(1) extends radially from said base surface up to one of said two side surfaces of said channel so as to delimit with the corresponding boundary surfaces of said channel a lateral cavity, and
(2) is dimensioned such that, whenever said exposed sealing surface is subjected to said surface load, a substantial part of the elastomer material of the sealing ring is able to yield in both of said lateral cavities without substantially altering the concave configuration of said indentations.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.