Assembly for sealing a sliding interface

• US 9,206,900 B2
• Filed: 12/06/2011
• Issued: 12/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cool Energy, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Cool Energy, Inc.
• Inventors: Smith, Lee S., Nuel, Brian Phillip
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Vishal
• Assistant Examiner(s): Warren, Stacy
• Application Number:
  US13/312,837
• Publication Number:
  US 20120211942A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,463 Days
• Field of Search: 277/447, 277/448, 277/422
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F16J 9/12 Details
• CPC Class Codes: F16J 9/22 Rings for preventing wear of grooves or like seatings
• CPC Class Codes: F16J 9/26 characterised by the use of particular materials

Abstract

An assembly is disclosed for sealing the sliding interface between two objects capable of sliding or moving with respect to one another, but where the sliding interface must provide a substantial seal against pressure loss therethrough, such as where an assembly seals the sliding interface between a piston and a cylinder or between a rod and a bushing. The sliding interface includes a seal located in a seal groove, wherein the seal ring height is less than the height of the seal groove and the inner diameter of the seal is greater than the base of the groove. In one aspect, the difference in height is set by a shim and a piece of material of the same height as that of the seal ring.

Claims

1. A sealing assembly configured for sealing of a sliding interface of a first member and a second member wherein said first member and said second member reciprocatingly move with respect to one another, said first member having an outer circumference of a first diameter and said second member having an inner circumference of a second diameter, said sealing assembly including:

a seal ring groove received on one of said first or second members, said seal ring groove including opposed first and second lands comprised of a material different from that of said first or second member within which it is located, said seal ring groove defining a circumferential base and a span of a distance L between said lands;

a seal ring received in said seal ring groove, said seal ring having a span smaller than L, a free outer diameter greater than said outer diameter of said first member and an inner diameter greater than the diameter of said base of said seal ring groove where said seal ring groove is received within said first member, or a free inner diameter smaller than said outer diameter of said first member and an outer diameter smaller than said diameter of said base of said seal ring groove where said seal ring groove is received within said second member, such that a gap may be maintained between said seal ring and said base of said seal ring groove within which said seal ring is located;

wherein said seal ring is free to move between said first land and said second land in response to changes in the pressure on opposed sides of said seal ring; and

a shim disposed on a spacer, said shim and said spacer disposed between and defining the distance between said first and second lands, wherein said seal ring and said spacer each have opposed parallel flat surfaces; and

the distances between the opposed parallel flat surfaces of said spacer and said seal ring are the same.

2. The sealing assembly of claim 1, wherein said sealing assembly components are self lubricating.

3. The sealing assembly of claim 1, wherein said first member is a piston and said second member is a cylinder, and said piston reciprocates within said cylinder.

4. The sealing assembly of claim 1, wherein said first member is a rod and said second member is a bushing.

5. The sealing assembly of claim 1, further including a clamp ring and one of said first and second lands in contact with one another, wherein said clamp ring provides support to maintain the position of said one of said first and second lands in said seal ring groove.

6. The sealing assembly of claim 1, wherein said first member and said seal ring are made of the same materials.

7. The sealing assembly of claim 1, wherein said shim and said spacer together form said circumferential base of said seal ring groove and fluid at the higher of the pressures acting upon opposed sides of said first member is present in the gap formed between said seal ring and said shim and spacer.

8. The sealing assembly of claim 1, wherein said seal ring is comprised of a first material, and said lands are comprised of a second material.

9. The sealing assembly of claim 8, wherein said first member and said second member are comprised of different materials, and said seal ring and said first or second member having said seal ring groove extending therein are comprised of the same material.

10. A method of sealing a sliding interface between a first member and a second member, wherein said first member includes a seal ring groove therein on a surface abutting a surface of said second member, said seal ring groove having a base and having opposed lands comprised of a material different from that of said first member therein, said opposed lands separated by a span L, and a seal ring having a surface received within said seal ring groove, facing and spaced from said base of said seal ring groove and having a span smaller than L, including the steps of:

providing a shim disposed on a spacer, said shim and said spacer disposed between and defining the span L between said opposed lands, and said seal ring and said spacer each having opposed parallel flat surfaces;

wherein

the distances between the opposed parallel flat surfaces of said spacer and said seal ring are the same;

applying a pressure on a first side of said first member that is greater than the pressure on a second side of said first member, the pressure causing said seal ring to move within said seal ring groove into engagement with the land of said seal ring groove closest to said second side of said first member;

experiencing a change in the relative fluid pressure on said first and second sides of said first member, such that the pressure on said second side of said first member becomes greater than that on said first side of said first member, and causing said seal ring to move within said seal ring groove into engagement with the land of said seal ring groove closest to said first side of said first member;

and, wherein the seal ring may expand and contract radially, and whenever there is a difference in pressure between said first and second sides of said first member, establishing a fluid passage from the side of said first member having the higher pressure, through a gap established when said seal ring moves between said lands away from the side of said first member having the higher pressure to the region in said seal ring groove between said seal ring and said base of said seal ring groove, such that, as the pressure increases on the side of said first member having the higher pressure, an increased force is exerted by said seal ring against an adjacent surface of said second member.

11. The method of claim 10, further including the step of providing the seal ring into said seal ring groove, wherein said seal ring is a split ring style seal having a diameter in a free state such that said seal ring will be spaced from said base of said seal ring groove and naturally contact the adjacent surface of said second member.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said first member is a piston and said second member is a cylinder.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein said first member is a bushing and said second member is a rod.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein said seal ring groove further includes a clamp ring and one of said lands in contact with each other, wherein said clamp ring provides support to said one of said lands.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein said seal ring and said lands are made of different materials.