| 摘要 |
A flexible joint designed to flexibly connect a pair of conduits (12, 14) and thereby enable gas, under pressure, to travel between the conduits. The joint includes a hollow, annular inner member (16) that is connected to one of the conduits and defines a spherically shaped, convex seal receiving surface (28). The joint includes a hollow annular outer member (18) that is connected to the other of the conduits and defines a spherically shaped, concave seal receiving surface (32). The outer member is mounted over the inner member such that the convex and concave surfaces are spaced apart and movable relative to one another about a common center point. Both the inner and outer members are open on opposite sides of their respective spherically shaped surfaces. The outer member may include an outer part and an intermediate part which is removably connected to the outer part. One of the members contains a single seal ring assembly retainer groove (34) which opens toward an opposing one of the surfaces and which is centered on the center point and contains a seal ring assembly (36). The other of the members contains a pair of spaced apart and registered seal ring retainer grooves having a common center line which intersects the center point and that contain seal ring assemblies (37, 58). Each seal ring assembly includes at least one seal ring that conforms to and engages an opposing one of the seal receiving surfaces. |
