Springs and methods of forming same

• US 9,121,507 B2
• Filed: 07/16/2014
• Issued: 09/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics Corporation (Compagnie De Saint-Gobain)
• Original Assignee: Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics Corporation (Compagnie De Saint-Gobain)
• Inventors: Ghalambor, Hamid Reza, Vaideeswaran, Karthik
• Primary Examiner(s): SCHWARTZ, CHRISTOPHER P
• Application Number:
  US14/333,141
• Publication Number:
  US 20140360020A1
• Time in Patent Office: 412 Days
• Field of Search: 267/1.5, 267/158, 267/160, 267/167, 277/467, 277/555, 277/558, 277/644
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/0093 combined with mechanical machining or metal-working covered by other subclasses than B23K combined welding or cutting procedures or apparatus B23K28/02
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 1/02 made of steel or other material having low internal friction characterised by their special construction from fibre-reinforced plastics F16F1/366; spring units consisting of several springs F16F3/02; making springs from wire B21F35/00; Wound, torsion, leaf, cup, ring or the like springs, the material of the spring not being relevant
• CPC Class Codes: F16J 15/3212 with metal springs
• CPC Class Codes: F16J 15/3236 with at least one lip for each surface, e.g. U-cup packings
• CPC Class Codes: F16J 15/3452 the pressing force resulting from the action of a spring
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49609 Spring making

Abstract

A seal includes a polymeric jacket defining a seal surface and an inner cavity extending within the polymeric jacket along a length of the polymeric jacket. The seal further includes a spring extending within the inner cavity and including a plurality of laser cut spring elements. The seal can be disposed between a static component and a rotatable component.

Claims

1. A method of forming a seal, the method comprising:

providing a ribbon of sheet material having a thickness of not greater than 10 mils;

cutting with a fiber laser device a plurality of spring elements distributed

longitudinally along the ribbon to form a spring work piece, the fiber laser device

comprises a fiber laser including an optical fiber active gain medium; and

folding the spring work piece to form a spring.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the sheet material comprises a metal alloy selected from the group consisting a stainless steel, a copper alloy, a nickel alloy, or any combination thereof.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein cutting includes cutting the plurality of spring elements to extend latitudinally across the ribbon.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of spring elements extend to have a ratio of the width of a spring work piece formed from the ribbon to the width of the ribbon of at least 0.9.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the ratio is at least 0.95.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the ratio is approximately 1.0.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the sheet metal has a thickness of not greater than 8 mils.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the spring work piece is a continuous piece and wherein folding the spring work piece includes continuously folding the spring work piece.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising cutting the ribbon to form separate spring work pieces with the fiber laser device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein folding the spring work piece includes positioning the spring work piece and folding the positioned spring work piece.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising inserting the spring into a seal jacket.

12. A method of forming a seal, the method comprising:

dispensing a ribbon of sheet metal having a thickness of not greater than 8 mils;

forming with a fiber laser device a plurality of spring elements distributed along a length

of the ribbon and extending latitudinally across the ribbon, wherein the fiber laser

device comprises a fiber laser including an optical fiber active gain medium;

cutting the ribbon with the fiber laser device to form a spring work piece; and

folding the spring work piece along a longitudinal length of the ribbon.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the plurality of spring elements extend to have a ratio of the width of a spring work piece formed from the ribbon to the width of the ribbon of at least 0.9.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein folding the spring work piece includes positioning the spring work piece and folding the positioned spring work piece.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising inserting the spring into a seal jacket.

16. A method of forming a seal, the method comprising:

dispensing a tube having a thickness of not greater than 10 mils;

cutting the tube with a fiber laser device to form a pattern of spring elements

distributed longitudinally along the length of the tube, wherein the fiber laser

device comprises a fiber laser including an optical fiber active gain medium.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein cutting the tube includes cutting a spiral.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein cutting the tube includes cutting the tube having the pattern of the spring elements to form a spring work piece.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising rotating the tube while cutting.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the tube includes a metal or metal alloy.