Gastight piston ring arrangement

• US 8,177,237 B2
• Filed: 01/07/2009
• Issued: 05/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hoerbiger Kompressortechnik Holding GmbH (Hoerbiger-Stiftung)
• Original Assignee: Hoerbiger Kompressortechnik Holding GmbH (Hoerbiger-Stiftung)
• Inventors: Lindner-Silwester, Tino, Hold, Christian, Molnar, Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): LEE, GILBERT Y
• Application Number:
  US12/318,755
• Publication Number:
  US 20090179386A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,224 Days
• Field of Search: 277/434, 277/435, 277/487, 277/492, 277/499
• US Class Current: 277/487
• CPC Class Codes: F16J 15/442 segmented
• CPC Class Codes: F16J 15/445 with means for adjusting the clearance
• CPC Class Codes: F16J 9/14 Joint-closures
• CPC Class Codes: F16J 9/18 with separate bridge-elements

Abstract

A segmented piston ring assembly includes piston ring segments 2 having stepped ends 5, 6, at least one piston ring segment 2 including a radial step on a radially inner peripheral surface 9 over a part of the width of the piston ring segment 2, and a single-cut sealing ring 3, which bears radially against the inside of the peripheral surface 9 of the piston ring segments 2, the sealing ring 3 including an axial recess 10, 12 which cooperates with the radial step 4 of the piston ring segment 2 to prevent relative rotation therebetween.

Claims

1. A gastight piston ring assembly which comprises:

a piston ring which comprises first and second ring segments that have respective stepped peripheral ends, stepped peripheral ends of the first ring segment contacting respective stepped peripheral ends of the second ring segment to provide an axial seal, said first ring segment including a first radial step at an inner surface thereof, said radial step having an axial width that is less than an axial width of said first ring segment and a length in a peripheral direction less than a peripheral length of said first segment, and

a one-piece, single cut sealing ring positioned radially inwardly of said piston ring so as to contact inner peripheral surfaces of said first and second ring segments, said sealing ring including a first recess which extends through a radial thickness thereof and cooperates with said first radial step to prevent rotation of said sealing ring relative to said piston ring.

2. The gastight piston ring assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said second ring segment includes a second radial step at an inner surface thereof, and said sealing ring includes a second recess that cooperates with said second radial step to prevent rotation of said sealing ring relative to said piston ring.

3. The gastight piston ring assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first radial step extends away from the inner peripheral surface of the first ring segment and extends into the first recess in the sealing ring.

4. The gastight piston ring assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first radial step comprises a radial recess in the peripheral surface of the first ring segment, and the first recess of the sealing ring includes a radial projection which engages in the first radial recess.

5. The gastight piston ring assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first piston ring segment includes a plurality of recesses, which connect an end side of the first piston ring segment to an outer peripheral surface of the first piston ring segment.

6. The gastight piston ring assembly as claimed in claim 5, including a radial groove in the end side of the first piston ring segment which is located near a joint of the sealing ring.

7. The gastight piston ring assembly as claimed in claim 1, including a backup ring which bears against an end side of the first and second piston ring segments.

8. The gastight piston ring assembly as claimed in claim 7, wherein the backup ring comprises a solid ring.

9. The gastight piston ring assembly as claimed in claim 7, wherein the backup ring is a single-cut or multi-cut ring, and the backup ring segments are held together in the peripheral direction by a lock.

10. The gastight piston ring assembly as claimed in claim 9, wherein the backup ring segments are sealed in the radial direction by the lock.

11. A seal between a movable structural part and a fixed structural part, said movable structural part including a recess, and a gastight piston ring assembly as claimed in claim 7.

12. The seal as claimed in claim 11, wherein the recess in the first piston ring segment opens out on an end side facing high pressure (p₁).

13. The seal as claimed in claim 11, wherein the backup ring bears against the end side facing low pressure (p₂).

14. A compressor comprising a cylinder and a piston, said piston being arranged in the cylinder, and in a recess of the piston, a piston ring assembly as claimed in claim 1.