Subsea coupling with frustoconical metallic seal

摘要

A sub-sea coupling comprises a female coupler which accommodates a conical metal seal 32 and an adjacent striker constituted by a sliding ring 29. The female coupler also includes a U-section seal 28 outwardly of the striker. A male coupler 4 has a forward probe with an intermediate part 18 of slightly greater diameter than the extreme forward part 19. A shoulder 20 between the intermediate and extreme parts 18, 19, of the probe engages the striker to cause the conical seal 32 to flatten and thereby to provide a metal-to-metal radial seal between the female coupler and the male coupler. The U-section seal 28 provides a seal against the intermediate part of the probe before the striker is engaged and is also configured to provide no significant resistance to the ingress of seawater when the couplers are disengaged.