ROTARY UNION WITH EXPANDING RING

• US 20170219145A1
• Filed: 01/26/2017
• Published: 08/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Deublin Company, LLC
• Original Assignee: Deublin Company
• Inventors: Guliana, Sargon, Budzus, Christoph, Petrou, Anton A.
• Granted Patent: US 10,393,298 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B23Q 1/70 Stationary or movable members for carrying working-spindles for attachment of tools or work B23Q1/01 takes precedence; designed to be moved by using particular mechanisms B23Q1/44
• CPC Class Codes: B23Q 11/103 Rotary joints specially adapted for feeding the cutting liquid to the spindle
• CPC Class Codes: B23Q 17/007 for managing machine functions not concerning the tool
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 27/0804 the fluid passing axially from one joint element to another
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 27/082 having axial sealing
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 27/0828 having radial bearings connections of quick-acting couplings maintained by balls or rollers under radial pressure F16L37/22
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 27/087 Joints with radial fluid passages
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 3/183 for pipe joints or seals
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

The disclosure describes a rotary union that includes a housing, a rotating machine component supported in the housing, a rotating seal member associated with the rotating machine component, a non-rotating seal member slidably and sealably disposed within the housing adjacent the rotating seal member, an expandable seal disposed between the non-rotating seal member and the housing, and an internal clamp disposed within an end portion of the expandable seal such that the end portion of the expandable seal is compressed between the internal clamp and the bore of the housing.

Claims

1. A rotary union, comprising:

a housing having a fluid inlet;

a rotating machine component rotatably supported in the housing;

a rotating seal member associated with the rotating machine component;

a non-rotating seal member slidably and sealably disposed within the housing adjacent the rotating seal member;

an expandable seal disposed between and sealably engaging a bore in each of the non-rotating seal member and the housing, the expandable seal including two end portions, one of the two end portions engaged to the non-rotating seal member and the other of the two end portions engaged to the housing; and

an internal clamp disposed within an end portion of the expandable seal such that the end portion of the expandable seal is compressed between the internal clamp and the bore of the housing.

2. The rotary union of claim 1, further comprising a second internal clamp disposed within an end portion of the expandable seal such that the end portion of the expandable seal is compressed between the second internal camp and the bore of the non-rotating seal member.

3. The rotary union of claim 1, wherein the internal clamp is configured to compress the end portion under all operating conditions of the rotary union.

4. The rotary union of claim 1, wherein the internal clamp is configured to compress the end portion at a variable degree depending on a fluid pressure of media within the rotary union.

5. The rotary union of claim 1, wherein the internal clamp includes at least one arcuate wall segment and at least one resilient structure disposed between two adjacent ends of the at least one arcuate wall segment.

6. The rotary union of claim 1, wherein the internal clamp includes a plurality of arcuate wall segments and a plurality of resilient structures disposed, one each, between adjacent ends of two adjacent arcuate wall segments around an entire periphery of the internal clamp.

7. The rotary union of claim 6, wherein each resilient structure includes:

two leaf spring portions disposed, one each, at either axial end of the internal clamp; and

a synchronizer bar connected between the two leaf springs.

8. The rotary union of claim 7, wherein each leaf spring portion includes two legs connected to one another at one end to an apex, and connected at each respective second end to an adjacent arcuate wall segment edge, and wherein the synchronizer bar is connected between two apices.

9. The rotary union of claim 8, wherein the legs are disposed in a V-configuration that defines therewithin an angle, the angle being configured to increase as the internal clamp expands to increase its outer diameter.

10. The rotary union of claim 1, wherein the internal clamp is configured to assume an over-center locked position when displaced axially,

14. The rotary union of claim 1, wherein the expandable ring includes three arcuate wall segments and three resilient structures disposed symmetrically around a periphery of the expandable ring in alternating order.

15. The rotary union of claim 14, wherein each resilient structure includes:

two leaf spring portions disposed, one each, at either axial end of the internal clamp; and

a synchronizer bar connected between the two leaf springs.

16. The rotary union of claim 15, wherein each leaf spring portion includes two legs connected to one another at one end to an apex, and connected at each respective second end to an adjacent arcuate wall segment edge, and wherein the synchronizer bar is connected between two apices.

17. The rotary union of claim 16, wherein the legs are disposed in a V-configuration that defines therewithin an angle, the angle being configured to increase as the internal clamp expands to increase its outer diameter.

11. A rotary union, comprising:

a housing having a fluid inlet;

a rotating machine component rotatably supported in the housing;

a rotating seal member associated with the rotating machine component;

a non-rotating seal member slidably and sealably disposed within the housing adjacent the rotating seal member;

an expandable seal disposed between and sealably engaging a bore in each of the non-rotating seal member and the housing, the expandable seal including two end portions, one of the two end portions engaged to the non-rotating seal member and the other of the two end portions engaged to the housing;

an expandable ring disposed within an end portion of the expandable seal such that the end portion of the expandable seal is compressed between the expandable ring and the bore of the housing;

a second expandable ring disposed within an end portion of the expandable seal such that the end portion of the expandable seal is compressed between the second expandable ring and the bore of the non-rotating seal member.

12. The rotary union of claim 11, wherein the expandable ring is configured to compress the end portion under all operating conditions of the rotary union.

13. The rotary union of claim 11, wherein the expandable ring is configured to compress the end portion at a variable degree depending on a fluid pressure of media within the rotary union.

18. The rotary union of claim 11, wherein the internal clamp is configured to assume an over-center locked position when displaced axially.

19. A method for manufacturing a rotary union, comprising:

slidably and sealably mounting a non-rotating seal member in a housing adjacent a rotatable seal member;

mounting an expandable seal between a bore in each of the non-rotating seal member and the housing, the expandable seal including two end portions, one of the two end portions engaged to the non-rotating seal member and the other of the two end portions engaged to the housing; and

inserting an expandable ring within an end portion of the expandable seal such that the end portion of the expandable seal is compressed between the expandable ring and the bore of the housing.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising permanently locking the expandable ring in an over-center locked position by axially displacing at least a portion of the expandable ring.