Pressure energized seal
US6161834A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 1, 1997 |
| Grant date | Dec 19, 2000 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 1, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC F)Mechanical Engineering; Lighting; Heating
- CPC primaryF16L17/10
- WIPO fieldMechanical elements
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A seal is provided for an offshore fluid swivel to seal a gap passage (34) leading from a transfer chamber (20) to the environment, which uses pressured fluid to apply a variable pressure that pushes the seal tightly against a sealed surface (52) on one side of the gap passage. In one arrangement, a ring-shaped seal device includes a seal body (82) of largely U-shaped cross-section, with a base (84) and a pair of legs (86, 88) extending from opposite sides of the base, with the base and at least one leg sealing against walls of the cavity that holds the seal. A hose (90) lies between the two legs and against the base of the seal body, and pressured fluid of greater than chamber fluid pressure is applied to the hose to expand it and thereby push apart the legs of the seal body. In another arrangement pressured fluid of greater than chamber pressure is used to push the entire seal body (152, 152D, 152E, 210) towards the sealed surface (52) and expand the body against upstream and downstream cavity walls (60, 70, 230, 232).
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.