Biased seal assembly for high pressure fluid pump

A seal assembly for a high pressure pump, comprising:

• a cylinder having a cylinder wall with at least one opening;
• an elongated plunger extending through the opening of the cylinder wall;
• a spring disposed around the plunger and having an inner surface facing toward the plunger and an outer surface opposite the inner surface;
• a seal having a sealing surface adjacent the plunger, the seal having an engaging surface at least proximate to at least one of the inner and outer surfaces of the spring to restrict lateral motion of the spring relative to the plunger;
• and
• a retaining member disposed about the plunger and engaging the spring to bias the spring toward the seal, the retaining member being spaced apart from the plunger and being in contact with an outer surface of the seal.

A high pressure fluid seal assembly comprising:

• a seal carrier having a bore through which a reciprocating plunger may pass, the seal carrier having a first annular groove concentric with the bore and a second annular groove that is concentric with the bore and that is axially spaced from the first annular groove;
• an annular seal positioned in the first annular groove, the annular seal having a first end region and a second end region opposite the first end region, the first end region being supported by the seal carrier, the second end region having a flange extending away therefrom concentric with the bore;
• a spring having a first end and a second end opposite the first end, the first end being biased against the annular seal, the spring further having an inner surface facing toward the plunger and an outer surface facing away from the inner surface, one of the inner surface and the outer surface of the spring toward the first end of the spring engaging the flange of the seal;
• a retaining member annularly disposed about the plunger and biased against the second end of the spring the retaining member being spaced apart from the plunger and being in contact with an outer surface of the seal;
• and
• an annular guidance bearing positioned in the second annular groove of the seal carrier, an inner diameter of the annular guidance bearing being smaller than an inner diameter of the bore of the seal carrier in a region between the first annular groove and the second annular groove.

A method for restricting motion of a spring disposed about a plunger of a high pressure fluid pump, the method comprising:

• sealably engaging a seal with the plunger;
• engaging the seal with an inner surface and an outer surface of the spring toward a first end of the spring, the inner surface facing toward the plunger, the outer surface facing diametrically opposite the inner surface;
• and
• restricting lateral motion of the spring relative the plunger.