KR20210123100A - Spring energizer seal - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an ultra-low temperature spring energizer seal, which prevents leakage due to the occurrence of a gap in a sealing part as distortion occurs due to the shrinkage of a material at an ultra-low temperature. In accordance with the present invention, the ultra-low temperature spring energizer seal comprises: a main body which is disposed on the sealing part and having a receiving part formed on one side to receive a spring; a first holding body connected to one side at an upper end of the main body to form an upper part of the receiving part, configured in an arcuate shape in accordance with the side shape of the spring, and having a first contact surface in contact with the outer surface of the spring; a second holding body connected to one side at lower end of the main body to form a lower part of the receiving part, configured in the arcuate shape in accordance with the side shape of the spring, and having a second contact surface in contact with the outer surface of the spring; and gap prevention means which is provided on the first holding body, the second holding body or both, and is caught by an inner wall surface of the sealing part when the main body rotates in accordance with the material shrinkage below a critical temperature.

Description

Spring Energizer Seal for Cryogenic Applications {SPRING ENERGIZER SEAL}

The present invention relates to a spring energizer seal for ultra-low temperature, which prevents leakage due to gaps occurring in a sealing area as distortion occurs due to shrinkage of materials at cryogenic temperatures.

In general, it is installed in hydraulic actuators applied to power generation facilities, condensate system and low pressure control valves, boilers and desulfurization ventilation facilities, water intake pumps, etc., and seals are used to prevent leakage of fluids through gaps. In particular, the Spring Energizer Seal (or Spring Energized Seal) consists of a corrosion-resistant metal spring and a PTFE (Polytetrafluoroethylene, fluororesin) or polymer jacket. It is a seal based on elasticity corresponding to the deflection force.

1 shows a general structure of such a spring energizer seal. As shown in Figure 1, the conventional seal (At) is disposed on the sealing portion (5), the main body 100 having a receiving portion 101 in which the spring (S) is accommodated on one side, and the receiving It is configured to include a pair of holding bodies 200 that are connected to one side of the main body 100 so as to be mutually symmetrical with respect to the part 101 and constitute the receiving part 101 together with the main body 100 .

As shown in Figure 1a, the conventional seal (S) is a main body (100) and an arcuate holding body (200) to form a receiving portion (101) corresponding to the outer shape of the spring (S), the receiving portion ( 101) has a built-in spring (S), and at this time, the body of the holding body 200 is configured to close the sealing portion (5) while in contact with the inner wall surface (50) of the sealing portion (5). The state shown in FIG. 1a is a room temperature state, and the maximum height of the seal is designed to be H to completely seal the sealing portion 5 .

However, as shown in Fig. 1b, when the posture of the seal is changed due to the shrinkage of the material at ultra-low temperature below the critical temperature (for example, -100 degrees), the maximum height of the seal is not H, but the height at which H2 performs sealing. In consideration of not only the shrinkage of the inner diameter but also the shrinkage of the height due to the shrinkage of the seal itself at very low temperature, the height H2 of the seal that should be in contact with the inner wall surface 50 is due to the seal shrinkage due to the temperature drop. These gaps eventually lead to leaks.

Therefore, the conventional seal has a fatal problem of oil leakage due to cryogenic shrinkage, and there is a need to solve this problem.

For reference, as a prior art related to the present invention, Patent Registration No. 10-1663531 (September 30, 2016) discloses a spring energized seal, but it is somewhat far from the present invention.

The present invention has been devised to solve the above problem, by generating an additional pressing rate in a situation where the posture of the seal is distorted through the provision of surplus material, and as the distortion occurs due to the shrinkage of the material at ultra low temperature, there is a gap in the sealing part The purpose of this is to prevent leakage from occurring.

The present invention for the purpose of solving the above problems is arranged in a sealing part, a main body having a receiving part in which a spring is accommodated on one side, and connected to one side from the upper end of the main body to constitute an upper part of the receiving part, , configured in an arcuate shape according to the side shape of the spring, a first holding body having a first contact surface in contact with the outer surface of the spring, and connected to one side from the lower end of the main body to constitute a lower part of the receiving part, A second holding body configured in an arcuate shape according to the side shape of the spring and having a second contact surface in contact with the outer surface of the spring, and provided in the first holding body, the second holding body or both, and below the critical temperature In accordance with the shrinkage of the material, it includes a play preventing means caught on the inner wall surface of the sealing portion when the main body is rotated.

In addition, the gap prevention means is provided on the upper portion of the first holding body, is provided at the end of the first holding body, protrudes upwards so that the thickness of the first holding body becomes thicker toward the end side of the first locking body It is characterized in that it may include.

In addition, the gap preventing means is provided at the lower portion of the second holding body, it is provided at the boundary with the main body, characterized in that it may include a second stopping body protruding downward.

In addition, it is characterized in that the second stopping body may be configured to have a sharply protruding pointed end at the center with respect to the longitudinal direction of the second holding body, among the portions in contact with the inner wall of the sealing portion.

The present invention having the above configuration and characteristics generates an additional pressing rate in a situation where the posture of the seal is distorted through the provision of a play preventing means caught on the inner wall surface of the sealing portion when the main body is rotated according to the material shrinkage below the critical temperature. This prevents leakage due to the occurrence of play in the sealing area as distortion occurs due to the shrinkage of the material at very low temperatures.

In addition, through the locking body, which is a protruding part provided at the end of the holding body, an additional pressing rate is generated in a situation where the posture of the seal is changed, so that it is more firmly adhered to the inner wall surface of the sealing part by the occurrence of twist.

In addition, through the stopping body, which is a protruding part provided at the boundary between the holding body and the main body, an additional pressing rate is generated in a situation where the posture of the seal is distorted, so that it adheres more firmly to the inner wall surface of the sealing part by the occurrence of distortion make it possible

Furthermore, it has the effect of improving the maintenance of the sealing effect by the combination of the locking body and the stopping body, and furthermore, the maximum pressing rate can be generated through the provision of the sharp end formed in the center of the stopping body.

1 is a view for explaining the structure and problems related to the conventional seal.
Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration and structure of the present invention.
3 is a view for explaining the structure and effect of the present invention.

The present invention is intended to be described in detail in the text of the embodiment (態樣, aspect) (or embodiments) can be applied to various changes and can have various forms. However, this is not intended to limit the present invention to the specific disclosed form, it should be understood to include all modifications, equivalents and substitutes included in the spirit and scope of the present invention.

The terminology used herein is only used to describe a specific embodiment (aspect, aspect, aspect) (or embodiment), and is not intended to limit the present invention. The singular expression includes the plural expression unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In the present application, terms such as comprises or consists of are intended to designate that the features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof described in the specification exist, but one or more other features It is to be understood that it does not preclude the possibility of the presence or addition of numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

Unless defined otherwise, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Terms such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with the meaning in the context of the related art, and should not be interpreted in an ideal or excessively formal meaning unless explicitly defined in the present application. does not

~1~, ~2~, etc. described in the present specification will be referred to only to distinguish that they are different components, and are not limited to the order of manufacture, and their names in the detailed description and claims of the invention are may not match.

Prior to the detailed description of the present invention, if an approximate direction is specified for the convenience of explanation and understanding, upper, lower, left, and right are divided based on the state shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, and there is no special mention One 'claims' follows this. This direction specification is based on the illustrated state and may be set in a completely different direction in actual use.

In addition, in the description of the present invention, the term 'spring energizer seal' is synonymous with 'spring energized seal', 'spring energized seal', etc., and the English notation is 'SPRING ENERGIZER SEAL' or 'SPRING ENERGIZED SEAL' can be marked

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings, it will be described in detail with respect to the cryogenic spring energizer seal (hereinafter this mechanism (A)) according to the present invention.

The present invention relates to a spring energizer seal for ultra-low temperature that prevents leakage due to gaps occurring in the sealing area as the distortion occurs due to the shrinkage of the material at ultra-low temperature, and as shown in Figs. Body (1), the first holding body (2) connected to the upper end of the main body (1), the second holding body (3) connected to the lower end of the main body (1), and the sealing part when the main body (1) rotates (5) includes a gap prevention means (4) caught on the inner wall surface (50).

In this mechanism (A), even when the main body (1) rotates as the main body (1) is twisted due to the contraction of the main body (1) at very low temperature, the play preventing means (4) is caught on the inner wall surface (50) and the inner wall surface ( 50) and the first and second holding bodies (2) (3) are prevented from occurring, thereby preventing deterioration of the sealing effect due to material shrinkage due to temperature change.

Specifically for each configuration, first the main body 1 is a configuration corresponding to the base of the mechanism (A), is disposed on the sealing portion (5) to seal the sealing portion (5). As shown in Figure 2, the main body (1) is provided with a receiving portion 11 in which the spring (S) is accommodated on one side, the receiving portion 11 is the main body (1) and the first holding body ( 2) and the concept of the space formed by the second holding body 3 , the spring S is accommodated in the accommodating part 11 .

If the main body 1 has a shape suitable for constituting the receiving portion 11, its shape is not particularly limited, and in particular, it is preferable to have a shape corresponding to the shape of the sealing portion 5, and the receiving portion 11 The side surface preferably has a curved shape to correspond to the contour of the spring (S).

The main body 1 and the first and second holding bodies 2 and 3 may all be integrally configured, and may be configured in a form in which powders are connected in a predetermined manner, but are integrally formed in terms of manufacturability and durability. It is preferred to be prepared. In addition, in this mechanism (A), it is preferable that each holding body, including the main body (1), is made of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE, Polytetrafluoroethylene). This is because it is suitable for the entire sealing, and the interference fit is possible due to its own elasticity when the sealing part 5 is inserted, etc., but this is also not necessarily limited to PTFE.

In the accompanying drawings, it can be seen that the main body 1 has a rectangular cross section as a whole, the corners are chamfered, and the side surface of the receiving part 11 is curved in an arcuate shape.

Next, the first holding body (2) is connected to the upper side of the main body (1) and constitutes the upper part of the receiving part (11), that is, as shown in FIG. It is connected to the side and constitutes the upper part of the receiving part (11).

Also, as shown in Figure 2, the first holding body (2) is configured in an arcuate shape according to the side shape of the spring (S). This is a form in which the first holding body 2 is optimized to wrap the outer surface of the spring (S), and it is preferable that the curvature of the first holding body (2) has a degree corresponding to the curvature of the outer surface of the spring (S). , Here, the concept that 'the curvature of the first holding body (2) corresponds to the curvature of the outer surface of the spring (S)' only means the extent to which the spring (S) is accommodated in the receiving part (11) and not separated. , it is not a concept limiting the exact number or degree.

This first holding body (2) has a first contact surface 21 in contact with the outer surface of the spring (S), as can be seen in Figure 2, the first contact surface 21 is the first holding body (2) It becomes the lower surface, and is composed of a curved surface according to the arcuate structure of the first holding body (2).

Next, the second holding body 3 is connected to the lower side of the main body 1 to constitute the lower part of the receiving part 11, that is, as shown in FIG. It is connected to the side and constitutes the lower part of the receiving part 11 .

Also, as shown in Figure 2, the second holding body (3) is also configured in an arcuate shape according to the side shape of the spring (S), like the first holding body (2), in contact with the outer surface of the spring (S). It has a second contact surface (31). Also, the second contact surface 31 is also configured as a curved surface according to the arcuate structure of the second holding body 3 . According to the curved configuration of the first contact surface 21 and the second contact surface 31 , the spring S is stably inserted and accommodated in the receiving portion 11 , and is not separated by an external force.

Next, it will be described in detail with respect to the gap prevention means (4) which is a key configuration of the present invention. The gap prevention means (4) is caught on the inner wall surface (50) of the sealing part (5) when the main body (1) is rotated according to the material shrinkage below the critical temperature, so that the sealing part ( 5) is prevented from being created, thereby preventing oil leakage due to low-temperature shrinkage.

Such a gap prevention means (4) may be provided on the first holding body (2), the second holding body (3) or both. Although the play preventing means 4 according to the embodiment shows an embodiment in which the play preventing means 4 according to the second embodiment is provided on the lower second holding body 3, it is possible to omit or replace the implementation. .

First, the gap prevention means 4 according to the first embodiment is a locking body and is provided at an end of each holding body. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2 , the gap prevention means 4 is provided on the upper portion of the first holding body 2 , is provided at the end of the first holding body 2 , and protrudes upward to the first It includes a first locking body 41 so that the thickness of the holding body (2) becomes thicker toward the end side. As mentioned above, it is also possible to provide a second locking body (not shown) on the second holding body 3 .

The first locking body 41 is provided on the outer surface of the first holding body 2 when the upper portion of the first holding body 2, that is, the receiving part 11 side is turned inside, and protrudes upward to make the first locking body 41. 1 It is configured so that the thickness of the holding body (2) becomes thicker toward the end side. Here, the starting point of the thickness increasing section is based on the initial point (the beginning of the dotted line in FIG. 2 ) at which the first engaging body 41 is provided.

In addition, as shown in Figure 2, the first locking body 41 is provided with an edged shape, it is preferable that the edge portion has a right angle or a similar angle to the right angle. This provides an effect that, when the first locking body 41 is caught on the inner wall surface 50 of the sealing portion 5, a larger area is brought into contact so that the maximum pressing rate can occur.

Next, the gap prevention means 4 according to the second embodiment is provided at the boundary between each holding body and the main body 1 as a stopping body. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2 , the gap prevention means 4 is provided at the lower portion of the second holding body 3 , is provided at the boundary with the main body 1 , and protrudes downward to the first holding body. A second stopping body 42 is included so that the thickness of (2) becomes thinner toward the end side. As mentioned above, it is also possible to provide a first stopping body (not shown) on the first holding body (2).

The second stopping body 42 is provided on the outer surface of the second holding body 3 when the lower portion of the second holding body 3, that is, the receiving part 11 is turned inside, and protrudes downward. Accordingly, the second holding body 3 is configured such that the thickness increases toward the end side with respect to the maximum protrusion portion of the second stopping body 42 and then becomes thinner again.

In the above, the second stopping body 42 has a sharp end protruding sharply from the center with respect to the longitudinal direction of the second holding body 3 among the portions in contact with the inner wall of the sealing portion 5. desirable. Accordingly, the thickness of the second stopping body 42 increases from the boundary portion with the main body 1 to the sharp end, and decreases in thickness toward the end from the point passing the sharp end. When the second stopping body 42 is caught on the inner wall surface 50 of the sealing portion 5, the sharp end portion provides an effect of allowing a larger area to be brought into contact so that the maximum pressing rate can occur.

The effect according to the provision of the first engaging body 41 and the second stopping body 42 will be described with reference to FIG. 3 . First, as can be seen in Fig. 3a, when this mechanism (A) is inserted into the sealing portion (5), the first and second holding bodies (2) in a state in which the main body (1) is inserted into the sealing portion (5) (3) seals the sealing part (5). 3A shows that the first and second holding bodies 2 and 3 cover the height H of the sealing portion 5 at room temperature, thereby confirming that there is no problem in room temperature sealing. This means that the conventional seal shown in FIG. 1A and the sealing effect at room temperature are the same.

However, at very low temperatures, for example, below -100 degrees, the seal is distorted because the material shrinks, and the main body 1 rotates and seals with the first and second holding bodies 2 and 3 A gap may occur between the inner wall surfaces 50 of the regions 5 . However, in this mechanism (A), even if the seal is misaligned, an additional pressing rate is generated while the first engaging body 41, the second stopping body 42, or both are caught on the inner wall surface 50. At this time, the seal The maximum height of is H2, which is the changed height instead of the existing H, and the seal is maintained without any gap.

That is, even if the material shrinks in the seal due to the ultra-low temperature, the surplus material, such as the first engaging body 41 and the second stopping body 42, is in close contact with the inner wall surface 50 of the sealing part 5 more firmly. It prevents the occurrence of gap, and as a result, the sealing effect is maintained.

In the above, any one of the first engaging body 41, the second engaging body (not shown), the first stopping body (not shown), and the second stopping body 42 is selected or two or more are combined. It may be provided, and the present invention described with reference to the accompanying drawings is capable of various modifications and changes by those skilled in the art, and such modifications and changes not limited through the claims are included in the scope of the present invention. should be interpreted

At: conventional seal S: spring
A: This mechanism (spring energizer seal)
1: Main body 11: Receptacle
2: first holding body 21: first contact surface
3: second holding body 31: second contact surface
4: Means for preventing play
41: first engaging body 42: second stopping body
5: sealing part 50: inner wall surface

Claims (4)

a main body disposed on the sealing part and having a receiving part in which a spring is accommodated on one side;
a first holding body connected to one side from the upper end of the main body to form an upper portion of the receiving portion, configured in an arcuate shape according to a side shape of the spring, and having a first contact surface in contact with an outer surface of the spring;
a second holding body connected to one side from the lower end of the main body to form a lower portion of the receiving part, configured in an arcuate shape according to a side shape of the spring, and having a second contact surface in contact with the outer surface of the spring; and
a gap preventing means provided on the first holding body, the second holding body, or both, and applied to the inner wall surface of the sealing portion when the main body rotates according to material shrinkage below a critical temperature;
A spring energizer seal with
The method according to claim 1,
The gap prevention means is provided on the upper portion of the first holding body, is provided at the end of the first holding body, protrudes upwards so that the thickness of the first holding body becomes thicker toward the end side of the first locking body A spring energizer seal comprising:
The method according to claim 1,
The play preventing means is provided at the lower portion of the second holding body, provided at the boundary with the main body, the spring energizer seal, characterized in that it comprises a second stopping body protruding downward.
4. The method according to claim 3,
The second stopping body is a spring energizer seal, characterized in that it has a pointed end protruding sharply from the center with respect to the longitudinal direction of the second holding body, among the portions in contact with the inner wall of the sealing portion.

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