Conformal wear-resistant seal

摘要

A seal apparatus includes: (a) first and second machine elements defining a sealing interface between two zones subject to different fluid pressures, a boundary of which lies between the two elements; (b) a seal comprising rigid material carried by the first machine element and having an annular lip defining a first contact surface; (c) a second contact surface comprising rigid material, defined by the second machine element; (c) wherein both contact surfaces are wear resistant, and the first and second contact surfaces bear directly against each other, so as to seal against fluid leakage between the first and second zones, while allowing relative sliding motion between the first and second contact surfaces; and (d) wherein the seal is configured to allow the lip to deform elastically and permit the first contact surface to conform in a regular or irregular shape to the second contact surface.

主权项

1. A seal apparatus, comprising:
(a) first and second machine elements cooperatively defining a sealing interface between two zones which are subject in use to different fluid pressures, a boundary of which lies between the two elements; (b) a seal of monolithic rigid metal or ceramic material carried by the first machine element, the seal having a body rigidly connected to the first machine element and an annular lip extending away from the body and defining a first contact surface, the seal configured so as to permit bending deflection of the lip towards the first machine element; (c) a second contact surface comprising a rigid metal or ceramic material, defined by the second machine element; (d) wherein both contact surfaces are wear resistant, and wherein the first and second contact surfaces bear directly against each other along a continuous closed perimeter, so as to seal against fluid leakage between the first and second zones, while allowing relative sliding motion between the first and second contact surfaces; (e) wherein the seal is shaped and sized so as to allow the lip to deform elastically and permit the first contact surface to conform in an irregular shape to the second contact surface along a contact band; (f) wherein a selected one of the first and second contact surfaces has a wear-resistant coating disposed thereon; and (g) wherein the first and second contact surfaces are configured to produce an asymptotic wear characteristic in the contact band when in use.