Resilient strip seal arrangement

A seal as claimed in any preceding claim in which the gap between adjacent strips is less than 20% the thickness of the individual strips.

A seal for effecting a seal between two components, the seal having a upstream side, a downstream side and a sealing direction defined as from said upstream side to said downstream side, the downstream side arranged in use to be at a lower pressure then said upstream side of said seal, in use a flow of a fluid in said sealing direction being inhibited by the seal, the seal comprising a carrier adapted for mounting from one of said components, and a plurality of densely packed resilient strips, the strips arranged substantially parallel to the sealing direction and being mounted on said carrier and extending therefrom, each strip having a tip portion which is bendable and resiliently flexible to maintain wiping contact with the other component to effect in a sealing direction a seal there against, wherein a gap is provided at least at the tip portion between adjacent strips, said gap arranged to allow the tip portion of the strips to move relative to each other and in operation still maintain a flexible seal, along the length of each strip, toward its tip, there being provided a step change reduction in the thickness of the strip.

A seal for effecting a seal between two components, the seal having a upstream side, a downstream side and a sealing direction defined as from said upstream side to said downstream side, the downstream side arranged in use to be at a lower pressure then said upstream side of said seal, in use a flow of a fluid in said sealing direction being inhibited by the seal, the seal comprising a carrier adapted for mounting from one of said components, and a plurality of densely packed resilient strips, the strips arranged substantially parallel to the sealing direction and being mounted on said carrier and extending therefrom, each strip having a tip portion which is bendable and resiliently flexible to maintain wiping contact with the other component to effect in a sealing direction a seal there against, wherein a gap is provided at least at the tip portion between adjacent strips, said gap arranged to allow the tip portion of the strips to move relative to each other and in operation still maintain a flexible seal and a spacer strip being interposed between adjacent strips, the spacer strip extending from the carrier and being of shorter length than the strips thereby providing a gap between the tips of the strips.