Reversed, double-helical bellows seal
AssigneeNikon Corporation
InventorsAlton Hugh Phillips, Hiroshi Sugimoto
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A double bellows seal including a plurality of rings having first and second end rings, a middle ring, a first bellows, and a second bellows. The first bellows is formed from a flexible material that is sealingly connected between the first end ring and the middle ring, and it has a twist bias in a first rotational direction relative to an axis of the rings. The second bellows is formed from a flexible material that is sealingly connected between the second end ring and the middle ring. The second bellows has a twist bias in a second rotational direction relative to an axis of the rings that is opposite that of the first rotational direction.
Claims13
A flexible double bellows seal comprising:
- a plurality of rings including first and second end rings and a middle ring;
- a first bellows formed from a flexible material, the first bellows being sealingly connected between the first end ring and the middle ring, the first bellows having a twist bias in a first rotational direction relative to an axis of the rings;
- and
- a second bellows formed from a flexible material, the second bellows being sealingly connected between the second end ring and the middle ring, the second bellows having a twist bias in a second rotational direction relative to an axis of the rings that is opposite that of the first rotational direction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.