Multi-media rotary union

• US 20060273579A1
• Filed: 05/16/2006
• Published: 12/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Deublin Company
• Original Assignee: Deublin Company
• Inventors: Ford, Scott K., Sacramento, Anthony R. Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 7,815,224 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 285/93
• CPC Class Codes: B23Q 11/103 Rotary joints specially adapted for feeding the cutting liquid to the spindle
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 27/082 having axial sealing

Abstract

A rotating union communicates with a rotor member and is operable with either compressible or incompressible coolant media that enters the union through a media inlet. The union includes a housing having a counterbore and a tubular carrier member axially moveable in the housing. The union includes a primary seal assembly having a rotating seal member mounted to the rotor member and a non-rotating member mounted to the carrier member and a secondary seal member positioned about the carrier member. The range of the balance ratio of the primary seal assembly is disclosed when the primary seal assembly has imposed upon it a closing force, an opening force or no force.

Claims

1. A fluid coupling device communicating with a rotor member and operable with either compressible or incompressible coolant media includes a housing having a cylindrical counterbore extending therethrough and a media inlet, a tubular carrier member having an outer surface positioned within the counterbore and axially moveable therein and communicating with the media inlet, including in combination:

a primary seal assembly comprised of a rotating seal member mounted to the rotor member and a non-rotating seal member mounted to the carrier member and being free of opening or closing forces on said primary seal assembly;

a secondary seal member positioned about the tubular carrier member and engagable with the housing to provide a seal therebetween; and

wherein said primary seal assembly is structurally arranged to provide a predetermined gap between said rotating seal member and said non-rotating seal member when a compressible fluid coolant or no fluid coolant is directed through the media inlet and structurally arranged to provide that said rotating seal member engages said non-rotating seal member when an incompressible fluid coolant is directed through the media inlet, with said primary seal assembly having a balance ratio of between 0.5 and 0.67 when said primary seal assembly is free of external opening or closing forces on said primary seal assembly.

2. The fluid coupling device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said housing includes an annular groove having an inner surface and structurally arranged about the cylindrical counterbore and surrounding the outer surface of the tubular carrier member, with said secondary seal member positioned in said groove to engage said inner surface of said annular groove and said outer surface of the tubular carrier member to provide a seal therebetween.

3. The fluid coupling device in accordance with claim 2, wherein said secondary seal member is a U-shaped seal member having lip extension members that is positioned within the groove and wherein said extension members are in contact with the inner surface of the annular groove and the outer surface of the carrier member respectively to provide a seal between the housing and the carrier member.

4. The fluid coupling device in accordance with claim 2, wherein said secondary seal member is an O-ring positioned within the groove in contact with the inner surface of the annular groove and the outer surface of the carrier member to provide a seal between the housing and the carrier member.

5. The fluid coupling device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said secondary seal member is a diaphragm seal member to provide a seal between the housing and the carrier member.

6. The fluid coupling device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said secondary seal member is positioned about the tubular carrier member between the media inlet and said primary seal assembly.

7. The fluid coupling device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said primary seal assembly includes a rotating seal member mounted to the end of the rotor member and the non-rotating seal member is mounted to the end of the carrier member.

8. A fluid coupling device communicating with a rotor member and operable with either compressible or incompressible coolant media includes a housing having a cylindrical counterbore extending therethrough and a media inlet, a tubular carrier member having an outer surface positioned within the counterbore and axially moveable therein and communicating with the media inlet, including in combination:

a primary seal assembly comprised of a rotating seal member mounted to the rotor member and a non-rotating seal member mounted to the carrier member and being free of opening or closing forces on said primary seal assembly;

at least one operating spring member engageable with said non-rotating seal member to provide an opening force on said primary seal assembly to disengage said rotating and said non-rotating seal members from one another;

a secondary seal member positioned about the tubular carrier member and engagable with the housing to provide a seal therebetween; and

wherein said primary seal assembly is structurally arranged to provide a predetermined gap between said rotating seal member and said non-rotating seal member when a compressible fluid coolant or no fluid coolant is directed through the media inlet and structurally arranged to provide that said rotating seal member engages said non-rotating seal member when an incompressible fluid coolant is directed through the media inlet, with said primary seal assembly having a balance ratio greater than 0.67 when said opening force is imposed on said primary seal assembly.

9. The fluid coupling device in accordance with claim 8, wherein said housing includes an annular groove having an inner surface and structurally arranged about the cylindrical counterbore and surrounding the outer surface of the tubular carrier member, with said secondary seal positioned in said groove to engage said inner surface of said annular groove to provide a seal therebetween.

10. The fluid coupling device in accordance with claim 8, wherein said primary seal assembly includes a rotating seal member mounted to the end of the rotor member and the non-rotating seal member is mounted to the end of the carrier member.

11. The fluid coupling device in accordance with claim 9, wherein said secondary seal member is a U-shaped seal member having lip extension members that is positioned within the groove and wherein said extension members are in contact with the inner surface of the annular groove and the outer surface of the carrier member respectively to provide a seal between the housing and the carrier member.

12. The fluid coupling device in accordance with claim 9, wherein said secondary seal member is an O-ring positioned within the groove in contact with the inner surface of the annular groove and the outer surface of the carrier member to provide a seal between the housing and the carrier member.

13. The fluid coupling device in accordance with claim 8, wherein said secondary seal member is a diaphragm seal member to provide a seal between the housing and the carrier member.

14. The fluid coupling device in accordance with claim 8, wherein said secondary seal member is positioned about the tubular carrier member between the media inlet and said primary seal assembly.

15. A fluid coupling device communicating with a rotor member and operable with either compressible or incompressible coolant media includes a housing having a cylindrical counterbore extending therethrough and a media inlet, a tubular carrier member having an outer surface positioned within the counterbore and axially moveable therein and communicating with the media inlet, including in combination:

a primary seal assembly comprised of a rotating seal member mounted to the rotor member and a non-rotating seal member mounted to the carrier member and being free of opening or closing forces on said primary seal assembly;

a closing spring member engageable with said carrier member to provide a closing force on said non-rotating seal member to engage said rotating seal member;

a secondary seal member positioned about the tubular carrier member and engagable with the housing to provide a seal therebetween; and

wherein said primary seal assembly is structurally arranged to provide a predetermined gap between said rotating seal member and said non-rotating seal member when a compressible fluid coolant or no fluid coolant is directed through the media inlet and structurally arranged to provide that said rotating seal member engages said non-rotating seal member when an incompressible fluid coolant is directed through the media inlet, with said primary seal assembly having a balance ratio of less than 0.5 when said closing force is imposed upon said primary seal assembly.

16. The fluid coupling device in accordance with claim 15, wherein said housing includes an annular groove having an inner surface and structurally arranged about the cylindrical counterbore and surrounding the outer surface of the tubular carrier member, with said secondary seal positioned in said groove to engage said inner surface of said annular groove to provide a seal therebetween.

17. The fluid coupling device in accordance with claim 16, wherein said primary seal assembly includes a rotating seal member mounted to the end of the rotor member and the non-rotating member is mounted to the end of the carrier member.

18. The fluid coupling device in accordance with claim 16, wherein said non-rotating seal member of said primary seal assembly further includes a non-rotating seal member mounted to the outer surface of the carrier member, with said non-rotating seal member having a closing force thereon to engage said rotating seal member.

19. The fluid coupling device in accordance with claim 16, wherein said secondary seal member is a U-shaped seal member having lip extension members that is positioned within the groove and wherein said extension members are in contact with the inner surface of the annular groove and the outer surface of the carrier member respectively to provide a seal between the housing and the carrier member.

20. The fluid coupling device in accordance with claim 16, wherein said secondary seal member is an O-ring positioned within the groove in contact with the inner surface of the annular groove and the outer surface of the carrier member to provide a seal between the housing and the carrier member.

21. The fluid coupling device in accordance with claim 15, wherein said secondary seal member is a diaphragm seal member to provide a seal between the housing and the carrier member.

22. The fluid coupling device in accordance with claim 15, wherein said secondary seal member is positioned about the tubular carrier member between the media inlet and said primary seal assembly.