US 5,947,479 AGranted

Mechanical seal with flexible metal diaphragm

AssigneeJohn Crane Inc.

InventorMichael H. Ostrowski

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Abstract

A mechanical end face seal for sealing between a housing and a relatively rotating shaft which includes a pair of relatively rotating annular rings having seal faces in sealing contact with each other to define a seal interface. A generally annular flexible metal diaphragm is secured between an axially movable ring and either the housing or shaft in a configuration such that it is placed in tension to achieve a preload or initial closing force upon the seal faces. In one form the seal components are unitized into a single assembly. A retainer is adapted to be disposed in a bore of the housing in surrounding relation to the shaft. The seal rings are disposed intermediate the axial ends of the retainer with the generally annular flexible metal diaphragm secured to one end of the retainer to define one closure wall of the assembly and to capture the ring components within the retainer.

Claims68

Dependent claims

A mechanical end face seal assembly to provide a fluid tight seal between a housing defining a bore and a rotatable shaft extending through the bore, said seal assembly comprising:

an annular seal ring and a generally annular sleeve secured to said seal ring adapted to be connected to the shaft;
said sleeve defining a shaft engaging tubular elongate portion for rotational engagement with the shaft and a receptacle portion spaced from said shaft engaging portion, said annular seal ring connected to said sleeve is further connected to said receptacle portion in fluid tight relation;
another annular seal ring and a generally annular retainer adapted to connect said another annular seal ring to said housing, said retainer including an inboard end and an outboard end;
said rings each having an annular, generally radially directed seal face in facing relation to the seal face of the other ring to define a sealing interface therebetween, said seal interface being disposed intermediate said inboard end and outboard ends of said retainer;
a generally annular, resilient, flexible metal diaphragm having a circumferential end portion for connection to one of said shaft and housing and a circumferential end portion connected to one of said seal rings wherein said generally circumferential end portion of said diaphragm adapted to connect said associated seal ring to said one of said shaft and housing is connected to one of said retainer and said sleeve, and said diaphragm being resiliently deformable to apply an axial biasing force upon said ring connected thereto to urge said seal face thereof toward the seal face of the other of said rings, wherein said resilient deformation places said diaphragm in tension between said circumferential end portions.

2 more elements

A method of making a mechanical end face seal for providing a fluid-tight seal between a bore in a housing and a relatively rotatable shaft extending therethrough comprising:

(a) providing a pair of relatively rotatable seal rings having radial sealing faces defining a sealing interface therebetween,
(b) providing a sleeve defining a shaft engaging tubular elongate portion adapted to be secured to said shaft for rotating therewith and a receptacle portion having a radially extending flange for securing one of said rings thereto,
(c) providing a retainer adapted to be disposed in the bore of the housing in surrounding relation to the shaft, which retainer includes a generally cylindrical body portion having an inboard end and an outboard end, a radially directed rim, and a radially directed flange adjacent the outboard end defining a central aperture having a diameter smaller than the outer diameter of the ring secured to said sleeve,
(d) providing a generally annular radially directed flexible metal diaphragm and securing said diaphragm to the other of said relatively rotatable rings,
(e) disposing said sleeve and said ring connected thereto within the body of said retainer,
(f) positioning said ring connected to said diaphragm so as to define a sealing interface with the ring connected to said sleeve, and
(g) connecting said diaphragm to said retainer at said radially directed rim with the radially extending annular portion disposed at said inboard end of said retainer and with said sealing interface disposed intermediate said diaphragm and said radial wall of said retainer.

4 more elements

A mechanical end face seal assembly to provide a fluid tight seal between a housing defining a bore and a rotatable shaft extending through the bore, said seal assembly comprising:

an annular seal ring adapted to be connected to one of the housing and shaft;
an annular seal ring adapted to be connected to the other of said housing and shaft;
said seal rings each having an annular, generally radially directed seal face in facing relation to the seal face of the other ring to define a sealing interface therebetween;
a generally annular, resilient, flexible diaphragm having a circumferential end portion for connection to one of said shaft and housing and a circumferential end portion connected to one of said seal rings, said diaphragm being resiliently deformable to apply an axial biasing force upon said ring connected thereto to urge said seal face thereof toward the seal face of the other of said rings, and said diaphragm including a generally radial disc-like central portion having a plurality of convolutions defined by oppositely directed protrusions;
a generally annular retainer connected to said circumferential end portion of said diaphragm for connection thereof to said one of said shaft and housing,
wherein said retainer includes a radially directed rim and said circumferential end portion of said diaphragm connected to said retainer includes a peripheral rim secured to said radially directed rim of said retainer.

3 more elements

A mechanical end face seal assembly to provide a fluid tight seal between a housing defining a bore and a rotatable shaft extending through the bore, said seal assembly comprising:

an annular seal ring adapted to be connected to one of the housing and shaft;
an annular seal ring adapted to be connected to the other of said housing and shaft, said rings each having an annular, generally radially directed seal face in facing relation to the seal face of the other ring to define a sealing interface therebetween;
a generally annular, resilient, flexible metal diaphragm having a circumferential end portion for connection to one of said shaft and housing and a circumferential end portion connected to one of said seal rings, said diaphragm being resiliently deformable to apply an axial biasing force upon said ring connected thereto to urge said seal face thereof toward the seal face of the other of said rings, and said diaphragm including a generally radial disc-like central portion having a plurality of convolutions defined by oppositely directed protrusions;
and
a generally annular retainer connected to said circumferential end portion of said diaphragm for connection thereof to said one of said shaft and housing, said retainer having an end inboard relative to the fluid to be sealed, and said outer circumferential end portion of said diaphragm is connected to said inboard end of said retainer, wherein said retainer defines an axially extending central body portion between said inboard end and said outboard end adapted for disposition in the bore of the housing in fluid tight relation, and said seal interface between said seal ring faces is disposed intermediate said inboard end and outboard ends of said retainer.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.