Classifications

• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
  • F16J—PISTONS; CYLINDERS; SEALINGS
  • F16J9/00—Piston-rings, e.g. non-metallic piston-rings, seats therefor; Ring sealings of similar construction
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
  • F16J—PISTONS; CYLINDERS; SEALINGS
  • F16J15/00—Sealings
  • F16J15/16—Sealings between relatively-moving surfaces
  • F16J15/32—Sealings between relatively-moving surfaces with elastic sealings, e.g. O-rings
  • F16J15/3268—Mounting of sealing rings
  • F16J15/3272—Mounting of sealing rings the rings having a break or opening, e.g. to enable mounting on a shaft otherwise than from a shaft end
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60T—VEHICLE BRAKE CONTROL SYSTEMS OR PARTS THEREOF; BRAKE CONTROL SYSTEMS OR PARTS THEREOF, IN GENERAL; ARRANGEMENT OF BRAKING ELEMENTS ON VEHICLES IN GENERAL; PORTABLE DEVICES FOR PREVENTING UNWANTED MOVEMENT OF VEHICLES; VEHICLE MODIFICATIONS TO FACILITATE COOLING OF BRAKES
  • B60T11/00—Transmitting braking action from initiating means to ultimate brake actuator without power assistance or drive or where such assistance or drive is irrelevant
  • B60T11/10—Transmitting braking action from initiating means to ultimate brake actuator without power assistance or drive or where such assistance or drive is irrelevant transmitting by fluid means, e.g. hydraulic
  • B60T11/16—Master control, e.g. master cylinders
  • B60T11/236—Piston sealing arrangements
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
  • F16J—PISTONS; CYLINDERS; SEALINGS
  • F16J9/00—Piston-rings, e.g. non-metallic piston-rings, seats therefor; Ring sealings of similar construction
  • F16J9/12—Details
  • F16J9/14—Joint-closures
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
  • F16J—PISTONS; CYLINDERS; SEALINGS
  • F16J9/00—Piston-rings, e.g. non-metallic piston-rings, seats therefor; Ring sealings of similar construction
  • F16J9/12—Details
  • F16J9/14—Joint-closures
  • F16J9/16—Joint-closures obtained by stacking of rings

Definitions

• This invention relates to a sealing ring, and more particularly to an expandable sealing ring made of a synthetic material.
• Sealing rings are used in mechanical devices for creating a seal between a shaft or rod and a bore, as for example in compressors, automatic transmissions, and power steering devices.
• a seal ring is generally of an open annular shape and is mounted on a circumferential groove of a shaft or rod that is situated within a cylindrical housing. The function of the seal ring is normally to control the leakage of fluid from one side of the ring to the other side while allowing the shaft or rod to turn or pulsate within the cylindrical housing.
• Seal rings have been made with joints that allow the rings to expand or contract with expansion or contraction of the shaft or rod on which the seal ring is mounted, as occurs for example during thermal expansion or contraction of the shaft.
• the joints of such expandable seal rings have been made with various geometrical configurations according to which the open gap between ends of the ring is minimized when operating in the housing.
• Existing joint arrangements for seal rings include butt joints, scarf joints and step joints.
• International patent publication no. WO 96/21116 discloses a plastic sealing ring with a separating cut configured as a step-shaped overlap in which the mutually overlapping ring ends lie against each other along a sliding surface. Such overlapping sealing ring ends result in rings with relatively constant gaps that, for a given temperature range, are more or less independent of the coefficients of thermal expansion of the shaft, the housing and the sealing ring.
• the present invention relates to a synthetic annular sealing ring.
• the ring has a break therein with first and second complementary ends defining opposite sides of the break.
• An internally directed annular section of the ring has a first internal tongue protruding from the first ring end and a first internal slot formed in the internally directed section at the first ring end.
• the internally directed annular section has a second internal tongue protruding from the second ring end and a second internal slot formed in the internally directed section at the second ring end.
• the first internal tongue is aligned to fit into the second internal slot
• the second internal tongue is aligned to fit into said first internal slot.
• An externally directed annular section of the ring has a first external tongue abutting the first internal tongue and protruding from the first ring end, and a first external slot formed in the externally directed annular section at the first ring end and abutting the first internal slot.
• the externally directed annular section also has a second external tongue abutting said second internal tongue and protruding from the second ring end, and a second external slot formed in the externally directed annular section at the second ring end and abutting the second internal slot.
• the first external tongue is aligned to fit into the second external slot
• the second external tongue is aligned to fit into the first external slot.
• the first and second internal tongues are each longer than both of the first and second external tongues in the annular direction of the ring.
• Figure 1 is a perspective view of the sealing ring of the invention as viewed from a point in front of and above the sealing ring;
• Figure 2 is a perspective view of the sealing ring shown in Figure 1 as viewed from a point in front of and below the sealing ring;
• Figures 3A - 3C are each a detailed perspective view of the locking portion of the sealing ring shown in Figures 1 and 2 , as viewed from the bottom of the ring.
• a sealing ring according to the present invention is illustrated in Figure 1.
• the sealing ring 10 is shown mounted on a cylinder C.
• the sealing ring 10 is preferably comprised of a synthetic material such as a polymer resin.
• Sealing ring 10 has an internally directed annular section 12 surrounded by an externally directed annular section 14.
• the sealing ring 10 has a break 16 defined by a first end 18 and a second end 20. According to the preferred embodiment of the invention, ring ends 18 and 20 are generally complementary ends that define opposite sides of the break 16.
• the internally directed annular section 12 has a first internal tongue 22 protruding from the first ring end 18 and a first internal slot 24 formed in said internally directed section at said first ring end.
• the internally directed annular section also has a second internal tongue 26 protruding from the second ring end 20 and a second internal slot 28 formed in the internally directed section at said second ring end.
• the first internal tongue 22 is aligned to fit into said second internal slot 28, and the second internal tongue 26 is aligned to fit into said first internal slot 24.
• the externally directed annular section 14 of the sealing ring 10 has a first external tongue 30 abutting said first internal tongue 22 and protruding from said first ring end 18, a first external slot 32 formed in the externally directed annular section 14 at the first ring end 18 and abutting the first internal slot 24.
• a second external tongue 34 abuts the second internal tongue 26 and protrudes from said second ring end 20.
• a second external slot 36 is formed in the externally directed annular section 14 at the second ring end 20 and abutting the second internal slot 28.
• the first external tongue 30 is aligned to fit into the second external slot 36
• the second external tongue 34 is aligned to fit into said first external slot 32.
• the first and second internal tongues are each longer than both of said first and second external tongues in the annular direction of the ring.
• the first and second internal tongues 22 and 26 are each longer than both of said first and second external tongues 30 and 34 in the annular direction of the ring 10.
• the length of a tongue is the length that the thinner portion of the tongue extends in the annular direction from where thinner portion of the tongue begins.
• the length of the first internal tongue 22 is the length "A" and the length of the second internal tongue 26 is the length n C" .
• the length of the first external tongue 30 is the length , ⁇ B" shown in Figure 3A
• the length of the second external tongue 34 is the length "D" shown in Figure 3A.
• the first internal tongue and the second internal slot are complementary, and the second internal tongue and said first internal slot are complementary.
• the first internal tongue 22 and the second internal slot 28 are complementary, and the second internal tongue 26 and said first internal slot 24 are complementary. It is further preferred that the first external tongue and the second external slot be complementary, and that the second external tongue and the first external slot be complementary.
• the first external tongue 30 and the second external slot 36 are complementary, and the second external tongue 34 and the first external slot 32 are complementary.
• the first internal tongue forms a surface of said first internal slot
• the second internal tongue forms a surface of said second internal slot .
• the first internal tongue 22 forms a surface of said first internal slot 24, and the second internal tongue 26 forms a surface of said second internal slot 28.
• the first external tongue 30 forms a surface of said first external slot 32
• the second external tongue 34 forms a surface of said second external slot 36.
• the first and second internal tongues are each at least 20% longer than both of said first and second external tongues in the annular direction of the ring.
• the first and second internal tongues may be more than 50% longer than both of said first and second external tongues in the annular direction of the ring.
• the first and second internal tongues are about three times as long as said first and second external tongues in the annular direction of the ring.
• the first and second internal tongues have substantially the same dimensions, and the first and second external tongues have substantially the same dimensions.
• the first and second internal tongues 22 and 26 are of substantially the same length, width and height, and the first and second external tongues 30 and 34 are of substantially the same length, width and height.
• the second internal slot 28 preferably has a length, width and height that are just a fraction larger than the complementary first internal tongue 22, and the first internal slot 24 preferably has a length, width and height that are just a fraction larger than the complementary second internal tongue 26.
• the second external slot 36 preferably has a length, width and height that are just a fraction larger than the complementary first external tongue 30, and the first external slot 32 preferably has a length, width and height that are just a fraction larger than the complementary second external tongue 34.
• the length of a slot is the length that the open space of the slot extends in the annular direction from where the open slot begins . As illustrated in
• the length of the first internal slot 24 is the length "A” and the length of the second internal slot 28 is the length “C” .
• the length of the first external slot 32 is the length "B” shown in Figure 3A
• the length of the second external slot 36 is the length "D” shown in Figure 3A.
• the first and second internal tongues, the first and second internal slots, the first and second external tongues, and the first and second external slots each have substantially rectangular cross sections. More preferably, the first and second internal tongues, the first and second internal slots, the first and second external tongues, and the first and second external slots each have square cross sections as shown in Figures 1-3. It is further preferred that the synthetic annular ring have an internally directed surface that is substantially concentric with an externally directed surface of the synthetic annular ring. In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figures 1 and 2, the internal surface of the internal annular section 12 is concentric with the external surface of the external annular section 14.
• the sealing ring have a substantially rectangular cross section, and still further preferred that the sealing ring have a square cross section.
• the sealing ring is comprised of a high performance polymer. It is further preferred that the sealing ring is comprised of a synthetic polymer that is resistant to high temperature, has a high melting point, has high compressive strength, and is not brittle. It is further preferred that the sealing ring be comprised of a material that has a low coefficient of thermal expansion and a low coefficient of friction.
• Preferred polymers include one or more polymers selected from the group of polyimide, Poly-ether-ether- keton (“PEEK”), Poly-amide-imide (“PAI”), poly-ether- keton-keton (“PEKK”), Poly-ether-keton (“PEK” ) , Thermoplastic-polyimide (“TPI”), fluoropolymers such as polytetrafluorethylene ( "PTFE” ) or perfluoroalkoxy (“PFA”), polyetherimide (“PEI”), polyphenylene sulfide (“PPS”) , polysulfones, polyether sulfones (“PES”), and liquid crystal polymer (“LCP”) .
• PEEK Poly-ether-ether- keton
• PAI Poly-amide-imide
• PEKK poly-ether- keton-keton
• PEK Poly-ether-keton
• TPI Thermoplastic-polyimide
• fluoropolymers such as polytetrafluor
• the sealing ring is comprised of a polyimide such as a Vespel ® thermoplastic material sold by E . I . du Pont de Nemours and Company of Wilmington, Delaware.
• a polyimide such as a Vespel ® thermoplastic material sold by E . I . du Pont de Nemours and Company of Wilmington, Delaware.
• the sealing ring of the invention is produced by injection molding, but it may alternatively be produced by other know methods .
• the sealing ring of the invention that has been described above has the advantage that the two seal ring ends lock with each other in a manner that allows the ring to maintain the preferred ideal circular shape when the two ends of the ring are locked and overlapped so as to achieve the sealing function.
• the ideal circular shape is maintained independent of radial loading.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Transportation (AREA)
• Sealing Devices (AREA)
• Gasket Seals (AREA)
• Motor Or Generator Frames (AREA)

Priority Applications (4)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=31978615

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (8)

Families Citing this family (20)

Family Cites Families (14)

• 2003
  • 2003-08-14 US US10/641,892 patent/US20040046329A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2003-09-03 KR KR1020057003746A patent/KR20050037598A/ko not_active Ceased
  • 2003-09-03 CA CA002497912A patent/CA2497912A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2003-09-03 WO PCT/US2003/027399 patent/WO2004023005A2/en not_active Ceased
  • 2003-09-03 CN CNA038210908A patent/CN1692047A/zh active Pending
  • 2003-09-03 JP JP2004534421A patent/JP2006509160A/ja not_active Ceased
  • 2003-09-03 EP EP03794563A patent/EP1546584A2/en not_active Withdrawn
  • 2003-09-03 AU AU2003265879A patent/AU2003265879A1/en not_active Abandoned

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