Flexible duct joint having a low leakage, pressure-balanced bellows seal

摘要

Disclosed is a flexible joint for sealing two conduits. One half of the joint includes an annular seal gland with an outer surface defining a static seal face. The other half of the joint includes an inner race member having inner and outer bearing surfaces, the inner surface spaced apart from and generally opposing the outer surface of the seal gland and having a region defining a dynamic seal face. An annular bellows constructed of a plurality of convolutions having varying convolution heights is disposed between the first and second seal faces to form a low leakage seal. The heights of the convolutions decrease in the direction of the first to the second seal faces.