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US 6,648,339 B2Granted
Seal assembly, its use and installation
OwnerLarry R. Russellinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and apparatus for installing seals in an interference fit with a comating sealing surface by initially stretching the seal installed in a groove to reduce its cross-sectional thickness perpendicular to a comating sealing surface. The stretched seal is mated with a comating surface and then relaxed, permitting the seal to return to an unstretched position and to passively assume a preloaded position against the comating sealing surface. The seal may be repeatedly disengaged and reengaged by selectably restretching the seal and then selectably releasing it upon completion of repositioning.
Claims66
A sealing apparatus for sealing a flow gap comprising:
- a housing positioned in a first part of a comated pair of parts having a flow gap therebetween;
- an elastomeric seal mounted in the housing;
- a static seal end, bonded to a low pressure end of the elastomeric seal on an inner side of the static seal end and anchored to the housing;
- a movable seal end, bonded to a high pressure end of the elastomeric seal, wherein when said movable seal end is displaced in a direction going away from the static seal end the elastomeric seal is tensioned thereby reducing a transverse cross-section of the elastomeric seal and when the movable end is moved back towards the static seal end the tension on the seal is eased and the transverse cross-section is increased to provide an interference fit with a second part of the flow gap to seal the flow gap against a pressure;
- reciprocable means for tensioning and untensioning the seal, said tensioning means operated by selectably moving the movable end;
- and
- actuation means for displacing the movable seal end.
4 more elements
A sealing apparatus for sealing a flow gap between two parts comprising:
- a housing;
- an elastomeric sealing element, wherein a first end of the sealing element is anchored to one end of said housing and is mounted within the housing;
- a reciprocably movable end, said movable end attached to a second end of the sealing element;
- a reciprocable piston for imparting movement to the movable end relative to said housing, said reciprocable piston connected to said movable end, wherein the movable end moves along a path defined by a first position and a second position;
- and
- actuation means for reversibly imparting movement to said reciprocable piston and the movable end;
- whereby when said movable end moves toward the first position said elastomeric sealing element is relaxed and when said movable end moves toward the second position said elastomeric gripping element is tensioned.
4 more elements
A sealing apparatus comprising:
- a tubular housing;
- a sealing assembly comprising:
- an elastomeric element,
- an anchor end, said anchor end bonded to a first end of the sealing element, and
- a reciprocably movable end, said movable end bonded to a second end of the sealing element;
- a reciprocable piston connected to said movable end, said piston movable along a path defined by a first position and a second position;
- and
- a hydraulic cylinder having a first and second hydraulic chamber, wherein when hydraulic pressure is applied to the first hydraulic chamber the piston moves to the second position thereby moving the movable end of the sealing assembly and stretching the elastomeric sealing element, and when hydraulic pressure is applied to the second hydraulic chamber the piston moves towards the first position thereby moving the movable end of the sealing assembly and easing the tension on the sealing element.
5 more elements
A sealing apparatus for sealing against pressure and flow across a gap between a first body having a first seal surface and a second body having a second seal surface, said first and second seal surfaces substantially parallel to each other, said sealing apparatus comprising:
- a groove in the first body, said groove having an anchored first side and a movable second side;
- an elastomeric seal positioned in the groove and bonded to the first and second sides of the groove;
- and
- means for displacing said movable second side of the groove wherein when said movable second side is displaced in a direction going away from the anchored first side the elastomeric seal is tensioned and when the movable second side of the groove is moved back toward the static seal end the tension on the elastomeric seal is released.
1 more element
A method of sealing a flow gap between two parts comprising:
- (a) providing a seal assembly comprising
- an elastomeric seal;
- a static seal end, bonded to the seal on a one end;
- and
- a movable seal end, bonded to the seal on a second end, wherein when said movable seal end is displaced in a direction going away from the static seal end the elastomeric seal is tensioned and when the movable end moves back towards the static seal end the tension on the seal is eased;
- means for reciprocable tensioning and untensioning the seal, said tensioning means operated by moving the movable end;
- and
- means for actuating the displacement of the movable seal;
- (b) mounting the seal assembly in an annular housing, wherein the static seal end is anchored to the housing, an internal surface of the housing being a first seal surface of an annular flow gap;
- (c) activating the tensioning means to tension the elastomeric seal and reduce a cross-sectional thickness perpendicular to a comating surface of the elastomeric seal;
- (d) inserting an object into a bore of the seal assembly while the seal is tensioned, wherein an external surface of the object is a second seal surface of the flow gap;
- and
- (e) releasing the tension on the seal to bias the seal against the second seal surface to seal the flow gap.
10 more elements
A tubular pipeline clamp comprising:
- (a) a housing;
- (b) a gripping mechanism mounted within a bore of the housing proximal to a first end of said housing;
- and
- (c) an annular seal assembly mounted within the bore of the housing adjacent to the gripping mechanism and proximal to a second end of the housing, said seal assembly comprising:
- an elastomeric seal;
- a static seal end, bonded to a one end of the elastomeric seal on an inner side of the static seal end and anchored to the housing on an outward side of the static seal end;
- and
- a movable seal end, bonded to a second end of the elastomeric seal, wherein when said movable seal end is displaced in a direction going away from the static seal end the elastomeric seal is tensioned and when the movable end is moved back toward the static seal end the tension on the seal is eased;
- reciprocable means for tensioning and untensioning the seal, said tensioning means operated by moving the movable end;
- and
- actuation means for displacing the movable seal end;
- whereby when said moveable end of the seal assembly is moved back toward the static seal end the seal is relaxed and passively biases against an exterior surface of the pipe gripped within the housing bore by the gripping mechanism.
9 more elements
The clamp of claim of 32, wherein the elastomeric seal has at least one antiextrusion device embedded in and bonded to an elastomeric matrix of the seal, said antiextrusion device comprising a corrugated annular ring of rigid material.
The clamp of claim of 32, wherein at least one antiextrusion device is embedded on a low pressure side of the seal.
A sealing apparatus for sealing a flow gap comprising:
- a housing;
- an elastomeric seal;
- a static seal end, bonded to a one end of the elastomeric seal on an inner side of the static seal end and anchored to the housing;
- and
- a movable seal end, bonded to a second end of the elastomeric seal, wherein when said movable seal end is displaced in a direction going away from the static seal end the elastomeric seal is tensioned and when the movable end is moved back towards the static seal end the tension on the seal is eased;
- a reciprocable piston for tensioning and untensioning the seal, said reciprocable piston is operated by selectably moving the movable end;
- and
- actuation means for displacing the movable seal end.
5 more elements
A sealing apparatus for sealing a flow gap comprising:
- a housing;
- an elastomeric seal;
- a static seal end, bonded to a one end of the elastomeric seal on an inner side of the static seal end and anchored to the housing;
- and
- a movable seal end, bonded to a second end of the elastomeric seal, wherein when said movable seal end is displaced in a direction going away from the static seal end the elastomeric seal is tensioned and when the movable end is moved back towards the static seal end the tension on the seal is eased;
- a rotatable cam for tensioning and untensioning the seal, said tensioning means operated by selectably moving the movable end;
- and
- actuation means for displacing the movable seal end.
5 more elements
A sealing apparatus for sealing a flow gap comprising:
- a housing positioned in a first part of a comated pair of parts having a flow gap therebetween;
- an elastomeric seal mounted in the housing;
- a static seal end, bonded to a one low pressure end of the elastomeric seal on an inner side of the static seal end and anchored to the housing on an outward side of the static seal end;
- and
- a movable seal end, bonded to a second high pressure end of the elastomeric seal, wherein when said movable seal end is displaced in a direction going away from the static seal end the elastomeric seal is tensioned thereby reducing a transverse cross-section of the elastomeric seal and when the movable end is moved back towards the static seal end the tension on the seal is eased and the transverse cross-section is increased to provide an interference fit with a second part of the flow gap to seal the flow gap against a pressure;
- a reciprocable piston for tensioning and untensioning the seal, said tensioning means operated by selectably moving the movable end;
- and
- actuation means for displacing the movable seal end.
5 more elements
A sealing apparatus comprising:
- a housing;
- a sealing assembly contained in the housing, said seal assembly comprising:
- an elastomeric element,
- an anchor end, said anchor end bonded to a first end of the sealing element and anchored to the housing, and
- a reciprocably movable end, said movable end bonded to a second end of the sealing element;
- a reciprocable piston connected to said movable end, said piston movable along a path defined by a first position and a second position;
- and
- a hydraulic cylinder having a first and second hydraulic chamber, wherein when hydraulic pressure is applied to the first hydraulic chamber the piston moves to the second position thereby moving the movable end of the sealing assembly and stretching the elastomeric sealing element, and when hydraulic pressure is applied to the second hydraulic chamber the piston moves towards the first position thereby moving the movable end of the sealing assembly and easing the tension on the sealing element.
5 more elements
An annular sealing apparatus for sealing against pressure and flow across an annular gap between a first body having a first seal surface and a second body having a second seal surface, wherein said first and second seal surfaces are substantially concentric, said sealing apparatus comprising:
- a groove in the first body, said groove having an anchoring first transverse side and a movable second transverse side;
- an annular elastomeric seal positioned in the groove and bonded to the first and second transverse sides of the groove;
- and
- means for displacing said movable second side of the groove wherein when said movable second side is displaced in a direction going away from the anchored first side the elastomeric seal is tensioned and when the movable second side of the groove is moved back toward the static seal end the tension on the elastomeric seal is released.
1 more element
A method of sealing an annular flow gap between two parts comprising:
- (a) providing a seal assembly comprising:
- an annular elastomeric seal that has a cross section having an interference fit with a comating first surface of a first part when the seal is relaxed;
- a static seal end, bonded to the seal on a one end;
- a movable seal end, bonded to the seal on a second end, wherein when said movable seal end is displaced in a direction going away from the static seal end the elastomeric seal is tensioned so that a cross-sectional area of the elastomeric seal is reduced and when the movable end moves back towards the static seal end the tension on the seal is eased;
- means for reciprocably tensioning and untensioning the seal, said tensioning means selectably operated by axially moving the movable end;
- and
- means for actuating the displacement of the movable seal;
- (b) mounting the seal assembly in a groove in a second part that provides a housing for the seal assembly, wherein the static seal end is anchored to the second part, and an internal cylindrical surface of the second part provides a second seal surface;
- (c) activating the tensioning means to tension the elastomeric seal and thereby reduce the cross-sectional area so that the elastomeric seal does not interfere with the comating first surface of the first part;
- (d) assembling the said first and second parts together while the elastomeric seal is tensioned;
- and
- (e) releasing the tension on the elastomeric seal to thereby bias the seal against the comating first surface of the first part and seal the flow gap.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.