CARTUCHO DE VEDAÇÃO CONFIGURADO PARA PROVER UMA VEDAÇÃO ENTRE UM EIXO ROTATIVO E UM ALOJAMENTO DE EIXO

Abstract

PIN LOCKING DEVICE FOR A SEALING COMPONENT OF A SEAL CARTRIDGE ASSEMBLY AND METHOD FOR ASSEMBLING THE SEAL CARTRIDGE. The present invention relates to a pin locking device (3) for mounting a first sealing component (10A) with a second sealing component (10B) of a sealing cartridge (1) and a method for mounting such a sealing cartridge, comprising said first and second sealing components (10A, 10B), the pin locking device (3) comprising: a pin body (31), comprising a longitudinal hole (310), extending along a longitudinal geometric axis (C), wherein the inner wall (311) of said hole (310) comprises a fastening means configured to cooperate with an extraction tool (4), the pin body (31) comprising two parts arranged longitudinally one after the other along said longitudinal geometric axis (C), first and second parts (31A, 31B) configured to mount in pin cavities (100A, 31B).100B) of the first and second sealing components (10A, 10B); and spring (32) configured to move the pin body (31) from a retracted position, being entirely located within a pin cavity (100A) of the first sealing component (10A), in the locked position direction in which the second part (31B) of the pin body (31) is held in the cavity (100B) of the second (10B), while the first part (31A) remains located in said cavity (100A).

Description

1 / 25 Sealing cartridge configured to provide a seal between a rotating shaft and a shaft housing.

[001] The invention relates to the technical field of mechanical seals for machines comprising rotating assemblies, such as a shaft, and relates more precisely to the assembly of mechanical seals as a cartridge.

[002] Mechanical seals are mechanical devices that are designed to help join mechanical components together by preventing leaks and / or containing pressure, and / or excluding contamination. These are notably widely used in machines comprising rotating assemblies, such as dry gas seals (i.e., a mechanical seal that uses a sealing gas to create a barrier between a process gas and the atmosphere) that equip most centrifugal gas compressors or gas turbines. Mechanical seals for rotating assemblies, and specifically dry gas seals, are available in a wide variety of configurations and are usually contained within one or more cartridges. For example, tandem dry gas seals comprise a primary seal and a secondary seal contained in a single cartridge, where the secondary seal serves as a backup in case of failure of the primary seal.

[003] The sealing cartridge could be described as an assembly of mechanical components that typically forms a hollow cylindrical body and therefore has a hollow cylindrical shape, wherein the hollow part is configured to receive a shaft or rotating member against and / or around which the sealing components of the cartridge are arranged, said hollow cylindrical body then being installed in a shaft housing — also called a sealing cavity — of the machine, configured to enclose the shaft and its cartridge. Petition 870250118054, dated 12 / 22 / 2025, page 6 / 75 2 / 25 annularly arranged, wherein the latter provides a seal between the shaft and the machine housing. One of the main advantages of using a seal cartridge to seal a shaft is its removable capability: the seal cartridge is actually mounted removablely inside the shaft housing (or seal cavity) annularly around the shaft, so that removing / installing the cartridge simultaneously removes / installs all the sealing components contained within the seal cartridge, allowing for quick assembly / disassembly of the sealing components.

[004] Typically, a sealing cartridge comprises an axial stack of ring-shaped sealing components configured to be mounted annularly around the shaft (i.e., in the longitudinal direction of the stack), thus giving rise to the said hollow cylindrical shape of the cartridge. Among said ring-shaped sealing components (or annular components), one can distinguish: - housing components that are ring-shaped sealing components identified by an outer diameter that is configured to match an internal space in the shaft housing; and - shaft sleeve components that are ring-shaped sealing components identified by an inner diameter configured to match the size, i.e., shaft diameter.

[005] According to usual cartridge constructions, the housing components are mounted or located radially on the shaft sleeves and are usually designed to hold in a predefined position within the cartridge other ring-shaped sealing components such as stationary seals or retaining rings, and / or to serve as support for such ring-shaped sealing components. During the Petition 870250118054, dated 12 / 22 / 2025, page 7 / 75 3 / 25 of the shaft rotation, the housing components are configured to remain stationary relative to said rotation. As for the shaft sleeve, it is configured to cover the shaft so as to form a sleeve around said shaft. This can remain stationary or be driven into rotation by the shaft rotation. In this case, the shaft sleeve rotates together with the shaft at the same angular velocity. The external and internal diameters of the housing component stack and shaft sleeves respectively define a substantially cylindrical external and internal surface of the sealing cartridge that mounts respectively within said internal space of the shaft housing or sealing cavity of the machine (e.g., a pump or compressor) and with the shaft geometry of said machine so that the shaft can be received within the hollow part of the cartridge when mounting the sealing cartridge within said shaft housing.The housing components are usually coupled or fixed to each other by means of screws and / or pins to form a unified body, that is, the so-called cartridge, enclosing all the sealing components. Typically, radial or axial screws are used to axially or radially couple the housing components, as well as the shaft sleeve components.

[006] The cartridges of the prior art are complex devices whose assembly and disassembly require specific knowledge and skills to assemble or disassemble the different ring-shaped cartridge sealing components. For example, an inaccurate assembly of the different ring-shaped sealing components, for example, a misalignment, can greatly reduce the efficiency of the seal or can lead to a failure, for example, a screw breakage or thread damage.

[007] One objective of the present invention is to propose a device Petition 870250118054, dated 12 / 22 / 2025, page 8 / 75 4 / 25 pin locking mechanism for a sealing component of a seal cartridge assembly and a method for assembling the sealing components of a seal cartridge assembly that facilitates the assembly and disassembly of the seal cartridge, and that provides a less complex and more compact cartridge, and consequently a simpler manufacture of the cartridge components.

[008] This objective is achieved by the measures taken in accordance with the independent claims. Additional advantageous arrangements are proposed by the dependent claims.

[009] The present invention relates to a pin locking device for coupling and securing together two sealing components of a sealing cartridge. The latter is configured to provide a seal between a rotating shaft that typically equips a machine, such as a compressor, and a shaft housing of such machine. As is known in the art, the shaft housing is configured to surround and contain the annularly mounted sealing cartridge around the shaft, usually centered in its housing. The sealing cartridge notably has a substantially hollow shape, preferably a substantially cylindrical hollow shape, around a longitudinal geometric axis A that passes through the center of the sealing cartridge and corresponds to the geometric axis of rotation of the shaft when the sealing cartridge surrounds said shaft within the shaft housing or sealing cavity, that is, when it is annularly mounted around said rotating shaft in said housing / shaft cavity.The sealing cartridge, that is, its hollow shape, is typically identifiable by an external size, for example, an external diameter, configured to correspond with an internal space of the shaft housing and an internal diameter configured to correspond with the size (i.e. Petition 870250118054, dated 12 / 22 / 2025, page 9 / 75 5 / 25 is the diameter) of the rotating shaft. Of course, the hollow (cylindrical) shape could also be identified by various external sizes (diameters) and / or internal diameters to correspond with a shaft housing and / or shaft identified by different radial sizes.

[0010] The sealing cartridge comprises an assembly or stack of sealing components, preferably ring-shaped sealing components, configured to be removablely assembled with each other to form the sealing cartridge. According to the present invention, at least one of said sealing components, hereinafter referred to as the first sealing component, is configured to be coupled and secured to another sealing component – ​​hereinafter referred to as the second sealing component – ​​of the sealing cartridge by means of the pin locking device according to the invention.

[0011] More precisely, the pin locking device according to the invention is configured to lock the first sealing component together with the second sealing component, and comprises: - a pin body, preferably characterized by a substantially cylindrical shape, comprising a longitudinal hole extending along a longitudinal geometric axis C of extension, said longitudinal hole defining a cavity within the pin body, said cavity preferably being centered within the pin body, for example, centered within said cylindrical shape around said longitudinal geometric axis C of extension, (said cavity being notably cylindrical and extending along said longitudinal geometric axis C of extension) said cavity preferably being blind or extending along said longitudinal geometric axis C through the pin body. According to the Petition 870250118054, dated 12 / 22 / 2025, page 10 / 75 6 / 25 of the present invention, an inner wall of said hole comprises a fastening means, comprising, for example, a screw thread (the hole being, in other words, a threaded hole), for example formed around said inner wall, said fastening means being configured to cooperate with an extraction tool, for example, a screw characterized by said screw thread and having a diameter substantially equal to the diameter of the threaded hole, the latter being configured to receive said screw. The pin body according to the invention preferably comprises two parts arranged longitudinally one after the other along said longitudinal geometric axis C: a first part and a second part.Preferably, the cross-section of the second part is smaller than, and contained within, the cross-section of the first part when the latter is projected onto the same plane perpendicular to the longitudinal geometric axis C, both cross-sections being cross-sections, that is, being made perpendicular to said longitudinal geometric axis C. Specifically, according to the first preferred embodiment, the first part has the same and constant cross-section along its length, which is different from the cross-section of the second part, which is also constant and the same along the length of the second part, wherein said lengths are measured along the longitudinal geometric axis C. According to another embodiment, the first and second parts have the same and constant cross-section over the entire longitudinal length of the pin body.According to the present invention, the first part is configured to mount in a pin cavity of the first sealing component (i.e., the size of the pin cavity corresponds to the size of the first part of the pin body) and the second part is configured to... Petition 870250118054, dated 12 / 22 / 2025, p. 11 / 75 7 / 25 to mount in a locking cavity of the second sealing component (i.e., the size of the locking cavity corresponds to the size of the second part of the pin body), wherein the first part is prevented from entering this locking cavity either due to its larger radial size compared to the second part or due to a finite length of the cavity if the pin body has a constant and even cross-section along its entire length. In the case where the cross-section of the second part is smaller than the cross-section of the first part (see, for example, Figures 3 and 4), then the first part, specifically an edge of the latter, is configured to contact a contact surface S3 – hereafter referred to as the third contact surface – of the second sealing component over which the locking cavity opens when the second part is mounted within said locking cavity.According to the present invention, the first sealing component and the second sealing component are complementary sealing components configured to be fixed to each other and / or to interlock with each other. For example, the pin body has a cylindrical shape extending according to its length L along the longitudinal geometric axis C with a nominal radius R1 and comprises, at one of its ends, a flange characterized by a radius R2 < R1 and a length L2 measured along the longitudinal geometric axis C, such that the first part is the cylindrical shape of length L-L2 and radius R1, and the second part is the cylindrical shape comprising said flange and therefore of length L2 and radius R2, the first part and the second part being aligned with each other, the longitudinal geometric axis C passing through their centers. - a spring, for example, a helical spring or a wave spring, configured to extend and contract (negative extension, Petition 870250118054, dated 12 / 22 / 2025, page 12 / 75 8 / 25 (i.e., compression) along said longitudinal geometric axis C when installed within the pin cavity. The spring is further configured to exert a spring force along said longitudinal geometric axis C against the pin body, such that the spring force tends to move the pin body away from the end of the pin cavity.Specifically, the spring is configured to rest on a first contact surface of the pin cavity of the first sealing component on one side (said first contact surface corresponding to an end of the pin cavity longitudinally opposite to its opening, both the opening and end being aligned, notably with respect to the longitudinal geometric axis C when the pin body is contained within said pin cavity) and to have its other side contacting a second contact surface, wherein said second contact surface is a surface, for example, an external surface, of the pin body on which said hole opens. The spring, or more precisely its spring force, is configured to move or push the pin body from a retracted position towards a locked position and to maintain the pin body in said locked position.According to the present invention, in the retracted position, the pin body is entirely located within the pin cavity: this corresponds to a compressed state of the spring. In the locked position, the second part of the pin body is received or located within the locking cavity and held by the spring force within the latter, while the first part remains located within said pin cavity, and the pin body thus passing through the first sealing component and the second sealing component.

[0012] The hole fixing means is configured to cooperate with said extraction tool so as to hold the pin body in the retracted position (i.e., the pin body is held by compressing the Petition 870250118054, dated 12 / 22 / 2025, page 13 / 75 9 / 25 spring against the end of the pin cavity) when mounting the first sealing component onto the second sealing component. In the locked position, the pin body prevents radial movement or displacement (radial with respect to the longitudinal geometric axis C, i.e., movement perpendicular to said longitudinal geometric axis C) of the pin cavity relative to the locking cavity, thus keeping the cavities aligned with each other according to the longitudinal geometric axis C, wherein longitudinal movement of the first sealing component relative to the second sealing component is prevented by their complementary geometry, for example, one of said first or second sealing component being a sleeve for the other at the location of said pin cavity and / or locking cavity.

[0013] According to the present invention, the fastening means allows the pin body to be kept in the retracted position when interacting with the extraction tool. Furthermore, and preferably, the interaction of the fastening means with the extraction tool is also configured to gradually compress the spring, for example, by rotating the extraction tool around the longitudinal geometric axis C and according to a first direction of rotation, and then to keep the pin body in the retracted position when assembling the first sealing component with the second sealing component, wherein a release of said interaction, for example, by removing the extraction tool or rotating the latter in a direction opposite to said first rotation, is configured to release the spring, the latter then pushing the pin body into its locked position, which results in a locking of the first sealing component with the second sealing component.For example, the extraction tool is configured to be insertable into a hole in the first sealing component to interact with. Petition 870250118054, dated 12 / 22 / 2025, page 14 / 75 10 / 25 with the pin body fastening means, said perforation passing through a wall of the first sealing component and opening onto said first contact surface. The spring preferably has a hollow shape, for example, a cylindrical hollow shape preferably around said longitudinal geometric axis C: advantageously such a shape allows the extraction tool to pass through the hollow part so as to reach the hole fastening means. In other words, the interaction of the extraction tool with the pin body fastening means is configured to maintain the latter in said retracted position (in which the spring is in a first compressed state), so as to facilitate the assembly of the first sealing component with the second sealing component, wherein the release of the interaction simultaneously releases the spring which extends from said first compressed state to a second compressed state in which this maintains the pin body in the locked position.

[0014] The present invention also relates to a sealing cartridge comprising said first sealing component and said second sealing component, wherein the first sealing component comprises said pin cavity and the second sealing component said locking cavity. Preferably, the first sealing component and the second sealing component are annularly interlocked with each other so that radial movement is prevented. The pin locking device then further prevents relative longitudinal movement of the first sealing component with respect to the second sealing component.

[0015] Preferably, the pin cavity and the locking cavity are cylindrical cavities characterized by a different diameter, the pin cavity being characterized by a radius R1' that corresponds to, i.e., is substantially equal to, the radius R1 so that Petition 870250118054, dated 12 / 22 / 2025, page 15 / 75 11 / 25 that the first part of the pin body is guided by the walls of the pin cavity (contacting the latter) during the movement of the pin body from the retracted position to the locked position, said radius R1' being greater than a radius R2' which characterizes the diameter of the locking cavity configured to receive the first part, wherein the radius R2' is configured to correspond, that is, to be substantially equal, to the radius R2 so that the second part of the pin body is guided by the walls of the locking cavity (contacting the latter) during the movement of the pin body from the retracted position to the locked position.

[0016] The pin cavity of the first sealing component is further characterized in that it comprises said first contact surface against / on which the spring rests / supports. Furthermore, the first sealing component according to the invention comprises said perforation drilled through the entire width of one of its walls, said perforation going from one side of the wall to the other side of the wall where it opens onto said first contact surface, wherein said perforation, as well as the pin cavity, extends longitudinally along said longitudinal geometric axis C, so that the extraction tool can interact with the fastening means of the pin body hole by inserting said extraction tool from said one side of the wall until it reaches and interacts with said fastening means on the other side of the wall of the first sealing component.According to the present invention, the first sealing component is configured to be locked / fixed to the second sealing component by means of one or more pin locking devices according to the invention. When assembled into one another, the perforation, the pin cavity, the pin body hole and the locking cavity are preferably aligned with each other. Petition 870250118054, dated 12 / 22 / 2025, page 16 / 75 12 / 25 others, for example, the longitudinal geometric axis C passing through the center of each of the last ones.

[0017] The present invention also relates to a method for assembling a sealing cartridge, the method comprising assembling the sealing components, preferably ring-shaped sealing components, together so as to form said stack of sealing components and being characterized in that it comprises coupling and locking at least one of said sealing components - that is, said first sealing component - to another of said sealing components - that is, said second sealing component - of the sealing cartridge by means of the pin locking device previously described.Specifically, said method comprises locking each pin body of the first sealing component in the retracted position by the interaction of the extraction tool with the fixing means of the hole of each pin body, then moving and / or positioning the first sealing component relative to the second sealing component until each of the pin cavities is aligned over a corresponding locking cavity of the second sealing component and releasing each pin body by removing / stopping the interaction of the extraction tool with the fixing means, the release of each pin body resulting in a movement of the latter from the retracted position to the locked position in which said second part is mounted and received within said locking cavity of the second sealing component.

[0018] According to the present invention and preferably, the first sealing component and / or the second sealing component are each a ring-shaped sealing component configured to be clamped (or fixed) to one another. The movement of the pin body from the retracted position to the locked position can be a Petition 870250118054, dated 12 / 22 / 2025, page 17 / 75 13 / 25 radial movement with respect to the axis or a longitudinal movement. In the case of radial movement, and if the first sealing component and the second sealing component are rotating components (i.e., driven in rotation by the rotation of the shaft), the first sealing component, the second sealing component, and the pin locking device are configured to have the locked position located radially further away than the retracted position with respect to the axis, so that a rotation of the first and second paired sealing components does not result in a displacement of the pin body from the locked position to the retracted position.

[0019] Preferably, the first sealing component and / or the second sealing component are each configured to be mounted annularly around the shaft and are each characterized by an inner diameter configured to correspond to the size or one of the sizes (i.e., diameter) of the shaft. Alternatively or in addition, the first sealing component and / or the second sealing component are each configured to be mounted annularly around the shaft and are each characterized by an outer size or diameter configured to correspond to the size or one of the sizes of the shaft housing. Preferably, the first sealing component and the second sealing component are configured to remain stationary during a rotation of the rotating shaft.Specifically, the first sealing component and / or the second sealing component may comprise at least one part configured to rotate together with the rotating shaft during a rotation of the rotating shaft, and may optionally comprise another part that remains stationary. Specifically, the entire first sealing component and / or the entire second sealing component is... Petition 870250118054, dated 12 / 22 / 2025, page 18 / 75 14 / 25 configured to rotate together with said rotating shaft. Preferably, the first sealing component is a housing component and / or a shaft sleeve. Similarly, the second sealing component is a housing component and / or a shaft sleeve. It is, for example, a housing component configured to simultaneously form a sleeve around the shaft.

[0020] A further description and details of the invention will now be described based on preferred embodiments illustrated by the following figures:

[0021] Figure 1 is a side view in section of a schematic representation of a sealing cartridge according to the invention.

[0022] Figure 2 is a longitudinal cross-section of a schematic representation of a preferred pin locking device according to the invention.

[0023] Figure 3 is a three-dimensional schematic representation of a longitudinal cross-section of another preferred pin locking device according to the invention.

[0024] Figure 4 is a three-dimensional view of said other preferred pin locking device according to the invention.

[0025] Figure 1 shows a longitudinal cross-section of a schematic representation of a sealing cartridge 1 according to the invention. As is known in the art, the sealing cartridge 1 may comprise a stack of various sealing components 11-19, preferably ring-shaped sealing components, constructed according to different configurations and geometries. By stack, it is understood an axially centered assembly (axially centered with respect to the longitudinal geometric axis of the sealing cartridge) of sealing components, wherein the sealing components are preferably Petition 870250118054, dated 12 / 22 / 2025, page 19 / 75 15 / 25 mounted one after the other axially on top (when considering the longitudinal geometric axis of the cartridge as vertical) and / or radially around (or over) a previously mounted sealing component, thus forming a type of stack or stacking of sealing components which results in said cartridge. The purpose of Figure 1 is simply to present the concept of the invention without focusing on any specific type, configuration, geometry, or construction of a sealing cartridge.

[0026] According to Figure 1, the sealing cartridge 1 is mounted annularly around a rotating shaft 2 which is configured to rotate around a longitudinal geometric axis A' of rotation according to an angular velocity ω. The sealing cartridge 1 is configured to be removablely installed in a shaft housing 21 which surrounds and encloses the shaft 2 and its seals provided by the sealing cartridge 1. The sealing cartridge 1 typically provides a seal between the rotating shaft 2 and the shaft housing 21, preventing, for example, any leakage of a process gas or contamination of the process gas. Preferably, the sealing cartridge according to the invention is a dry gas sealing cartridge.The sealing cartridge typically has a cylindrical shape centered around a longitudinal geometric axis A that coincides with the longitudinal geometric axis A' when the sealing cartridge is mounted inside the shaft housing 21 annularly around shaft 2.

[0027] According to the present invention, at least one, or a part, or each sealing component 11-19 of the sealing cartridge is configured to be coupled or fastened to at least one other sealing component by means of a pin locking device 3 according to the invention. As already explained, the sealing components coupled by means of the device of Petition 870250118054, dated 12 / 22 / 2025, page 20 / 75 16 / 25 pin locking device 3 are respectively referred to as the first sealing component and the second sealing component. Although in the present illustration of the invention the first and second sealing components are ring-shaped sealing components, other hollow forms configured for mounting within a shaft housing 21 may be considered. The coupling according to the claimed pin locking device 3 is advantageously free of any screw and / or pin that would secure the first and second sealing components together.

[0028] As schematically shown in Figure 1, a first ring-shaped sealing component 11 is, for example, a shaft sleeve coupled by means of the claimed pin locking device 3 to a second ring-shaped sealing component 12, wherein the second ring-shaped sealing component 12 is a housing component configured to house one or more sealing elements and located radially above the first ring-shaped sealing component 11. Or a third ring-shaped sealing component 13 is a housing component coupled to a fourth ring-shaped sealing component 14 by means of one or more pin locking devices 3, wherein the fourth ring-shaped sealing component 14 is also a housing component configured to house one or more sealing elements.A fifth ring-shaped sealing component 15 is, for example, a shaft sleeve that is coupled by means of said pin locking device 3 to one or more ring-shaped sealing components, for example, to the third ring-shaped sealing component 13 on a radial side of the fifth ring-shaped sealing component 15 and / or to a sixth ring-shaped sealing component 16 on an axial side of the fifth ring-shaped sealing component 15, in. Petition 870250118054, dated 12 / 22 / 2025, page 21 / 75 17 / 25 that the sixth ring-shaped sealing component 16 is also a shaft sleeve. For example, a seventh ring-shaped sealing component 17 is a housing component coupled by means of said pin locking device 3 to an eighth ring-shaped sealing component 18 which is a shaft sleeve.

[0029] The first and second sealing components according to the invention can be any ring-shaped sealing component, i.e., annular sealing cartridge, such as a housing or a shaft sleeve or a ring etc. Preferably, the first sealing component is a housing component of the sealing cartridge and is coupled by means of the pin locking device 3 to another component which is: - a labyrinth seal of the sealing cartridge; or - another housing component for the sealing cartridge; or - a barrier seal for the sealing cartridge; or - a stationary sleeve for the sealing cartridge; or - a stationary sealing ring of the sealing cartridge.

[0030] The first sealing component may also be a rotating sealing cartridge shaft sleeve, for example a shaft sleeve affixed to the shaft and enclosing a coupling ring, the shaft sleeve and the coupling ring rotating at the rotational speed of the shaft, wherein the shaft sleeve is coupled by means of the pin locking device 3 to another component which is: - another shaft sleeve for the cartridge seal; or - a cartridge sealing ring, such as a coupling ring; or - another component of the sealing cartridge that is configured for rotation along with the shaft sleeve.

[0031] Figure 2 shows in more detail a device of Petition 870250118054, dated 12 / 22 / 2025, page 22 / 75 18 / 25 pin locking device 3 according to the invention. Said pin locking device 3 comprises a pin body 31 and a spring 32. The pin body 31 is configured to interact with an extraction tool 4 to compress the spring 32 against the end of a pin cavity 100A until the pin body 31 reaches a retracted position where the entire pin body 31 is located within the pin cavity 100A. Of course, the size of the pin cavity 100A is configured to receive the spring 32 and the pin body 31, for example the length of the pin cavity being equal to or greater than the length of the spring in its compressed form added to the length of the pin body 31, wherein said lengths are measured along a longitudinal geometric axis C (see Figure 2).

[0032] To enable said interaction with the extraction tool 4, the pin body 31 comprises a longitudinal hole 310 extending along said longitudinal geometric axis C. Said hole 310 may be a blind hole as shown in Figure 2 or a through hole passing through the pin body 31 as shown in the preferred embodiments of Figures 3 and 4. This hole 310 comprises a fastening means for interacting with the extraction tool 4. The fastening means is configured to fix or secure the pin body 31 to a fastening part of the extraction tool 4, wherein said fastening part is configured to be inserted into the hole 310 so as to interact with the fastening means.

[0033] For example, the fastening means is a screw thread disposed within said hole 310, for example, on an inner wall 311 of said hole 310, and the extraction tool 4 has the form of a screw comprising a head 4A and a cylindrical shank 4B fixed at one end to said head 4A and comprising at its other end said fastening part. From Petition 870250118054, dated 12 / 22 / 2025, page 23 / 75 Preferably, the extraction tool 4 is configured to be inserted into a bore 101 of the first sealing component 100A, wherein said bore 101 extends longitudinally from a side S' that is accessible to an operator during cartridge assembly to another side S of a wall 102 of the first sealing component, along a longitudinal geometric axis that is aligned with the longitudinal geometric axis of the pin cavity 100A and the pin body 31 when the latter is installed within the pin cavity 100A. Said bore 101 opens into the pin cavity 100A, thus passing through the wall 102 that separates the end of the pin cavity 100A from the extraction tool head when said cylindrical rod 4B is inserted into the bore 101. The fastening part is configured to interact with the fastening means of the hole 310.Specifically, said fastening part comprises a supplementary screw thread which is a screw thread complementary to the screw thread of hole 310. Indeed, in order to compress the spring 32 against the first contact surface S1 which corresponds to the end of the pin cavity 100A and to said other side S of said wall 102, the head 4A can be rotated around the longitudinal geometric axis C by an operator.Due to said rotation, the supplementary screw thread of the fastening part engages with the screw thread of hole 310, screwing in other words the fastening part onto the pin body 31 and as the head 4A of the extraction tool 4 is configured to support against side S', said screwing results in a displacement of the pin body in the direction of the end of the cavity (i.e., in the direction of the first contact surface S1 or S), said displacement compressing the spring 4 between the end of the cavity and the second contact surface S2 of the pin body 31.

[0034] The said spring 32 is preferably characterized by a Petition 870250118054, dated 12 / 22 / 2025, page 24 / 75 20 / 25 hollow shape, wherein its hollow part is configured to provide a free passage for the extraction tool 4, for example, for its second part 4B, from the drilling 101 towards the hole 310, so that it can interact with the pin body 31 free from contact with the spring 32. Said spring 32 is, for example, a helical or cylindrical wave spring configured to extend and be compressed along its length, as shown in Figures 3 and 4. Preferably, the pin cavity 100A and consequently at least the first part 31A of the pin body 31 have a cylindrical shape. In such a case, the pin cavity 100A and the pin body 31 preferably comprise complementary means to prevent rotation of the pin body 31 within the pin cavity 100A during screwing / unscrewing of the extraction tool 4 into / from the hole 311.The said complementary means may be, for example, a groove extending along a direction parallel to the longitudinal geometric axis C on an inner cylindrical wall of the pin cavity or, respectively, on the outer cylindrical surface of the pin body, and a projection member extending radially on the outer cylindrical surface of the pin body, or respectively on the inner cylindrical wall of the pin cavity, wherein the groove is configured to receive said projection member and serve as a guide for the latter during a longitudinal displacement (i.e., along said longitudinal geometric axis C) of the pin body 31 within the pin cavity that would result from screwing or unscrewing, thus preventing a rotation of the pin body within said pin cavity.For example, the pin body may comprise one or more grooves and / or one or more projection members, wherein said pin cavity comprises, for each groove, respectively each projection member of the pin body, a projection member. Petition 870250118054, dated 12 / 22 / 2025, page 25 / 75 21 / 25 complementary, respectively groove. Of course, a person skilled in the art can foresee other solutions to prevent rotation of the pin body 31 during screwing / unscrewing: for example, the first part and the pin cavity may have a non-circular cross-section that would prevent any rotation around the longitudinal geometric axis C during screwing / unscrewing. In such a case, the second part 31B is preferably cylindrical. Also, the fastening means may take another form / type, such as a hook and a complementary projection member, or a tenon and mortise system, etc.The purpose of the extraction tool's clamping part 4 is to cooperate / interact with the pin body clamping means so that the pin body 31 is then fixed in the extraction tool, so that the latter can displace the pin body 31 longitudinally within the pin cavity 100A or to compress the spring 32 or release the latter in order to unlock, respectively lock, the first and second sealing components.

[0035] Indeed, when assembling the sealing components of the sealing cartridge, the first sealing component 10A needs to be coupled / locked onto the second sealing component 10B. In order to perform said coupling / locking, the method according to the invention comprises: - to lock the pin body 31 in the retracted position within the pin cavity 100A. For this purpose, the extraction tool 4 is inserted by an operator into the perforation 101 of the first sealing component, so that its fastening part can interact with the fastening means of the pin body 31. According to the preferred embodiments described in Figures 2-4, the fastening part is screwed into the hole 310, thus locking the fastening part in the pin body, wherein a rotation of the head 4A in Petition 870250118054, dated 12 / 22 / 2025, page 26 / 75 22 / 25 One direction (the screwing direction, which can be clockwise or counterclockwise) is set to compress the spring, while rotation in the other direction (the unscrewing direction) is set to release the spring. - Once the pin body 31 has reached its retracted position at the end of the pin cavity 100A, the first sealing component can be positioned relative to the second sealing component 10B until the pin cavity 100A is aligned over a corresponding locking cavity 100B of the second sealing component 10B. Depending on the shape of the pin body 31, the pin cavity and the locking cavity may have different shapes. For example, the pin cavity 100A and the locking cavity 100B may be characterized by an identical cross-section if the locking cavity 100B is a blind cavity comprising an end capable of stopping the longitudinal movement of the pin body 31 when the spring 32 is released (see Figure 2).In such a case, the pin body 31 may be cylindrical, as may the pin cavity and the locking cavity, the pin cavity having the same diameter as the locking cavity and the pin body being evidenced by a diameter close to the diameter of the pin and locking cavities so as to allow the pin body to slide within said cavities where the walls of said cavities serve as a guide. According to another embodiment, the pin cavity 100A and the locking cavity 100B may be characterized by a different cross-section if the locking cavity 100B is a hollow cavity free at one end capable of stopping the longitudinal movement of the pin body 31 when the spring 32 is released (see Figures 3 and 4). In such a case, the pin body 31 may be cylindrical, as may the pin cavity and the locking cavity. Petition 870250118054, dated 12 / 22 / 2025, page 27 / 75 23 / 25 the pin cavity having a larger diameter than the locking cavity, the pin body 31 being characterized by two cylindrical parts, a first cylindrical part 31A and a second cylindrical part 31B, wherein the first cylindrical part has a diameter close to the diameter of the pin cavity so that it allows the first cylindrical part to slide within said pin cavity while preventing said first cylindrical part from entering the locking cavity, the second cylindrical part having a diameter close to the diameter of the locking cavity so that it allows the second cylindrical part to slide within said locking cavity wherein the walls of said locking cavity serve as a guide.According to said configuration, the longitudinal movement of the pin body 31 when pushed away from the end of the pin cavity 100A is stopped by a surface S3 of the second sealing component 10B, the second part remaining inside the pin cavity and the first part being received inside the locking cavity. - After aligning the pin cavity with the locking cavity, the spring 32 is released by removing the extraction tool 4 from the pin body 31, for example, by unscrewing the last part of said pin body 31, said release resulting in a movement of the pin body 31 from the retracted position to the locked position in which the first part 31A of the pin body 31 remains inside the pin cavity 100A while the second part 31B of the pin body 31 is assembled and received inside said locking cavity 100B. At this stage, the first sealing component and the second sealing component are locked together.

[0036] According to the present invention, proper dimensioning is required to allow the first sealing component to lock onto the second sealing component. Petition 870250118054, dated 12 / 22 / 2025, page 28 / 75 24 / 25 Based on the present description, a person skilled in the art will be able to determine a suitable dimensioning for the pin body, pin cavity, and locking cavity. As previously explained, the longitudinal dimension of the pin body, pin cavity, locking cavity, and compressed spring must comply with the following rules: - The longitudinal dimension of the compressed spring added to the longitudinal dimension of the pin body must be entirely contained within the longitudinal dimension of the pin cavity when the pin body is in the retracted position; - In the locked position, the longitudinal size of the pin body must allow the first part 31A to rest inside the pin cavity while the second part rests inside the locking cavity 100B.

[0037] Finally, spring 32 and pin body 31 may be held fastened or fixed to each other by suitable means, such as a screw or welding, or they may be two separate or independent components which need to be inserted one after the other by an operator into each pin cavity of the first sealing component and held in the retracted position before starting the assembly of the first sealing component with the second sealing component.

[0038] To summarize, the present invention proposes a pin locking device 3 that facilitates the assembly of a sealing cartridge 1 comprising one or more sealing components, preferably ring-shaped sealing components, configured to be mounted annularly around a rotating shaft, wherein at least two of said sealing components are coupled / fixed to each other by means of one or more pin locking devices according to the invention. The Petition 870250118054, dated 12 / 22 / 2025, page 29 / 75 The 25 / 25 design makes the cartridge less complex and more compact, allowing for quick and easy attachment / fixation of the sealing components without the need for any screws. Petition 870250118054, dated 12 / 22 / 2025, page 30 / 75

Claims

1 / 5 CLAIMS 1. A sealing cartridge (1) configured to provide a seal between a rotating shaft (2) and a shaft housing (21), the sealing cartridge (1) having a hollow shape around a longitudinal geometric axis (A), the sealing cartridge (1) comprising: - an assembly of sealing components configured to be mounted removablely to each other so as to form the sealing cartridge (1), wherein each of said sealing components is configured to be mounted annularly around the rotating shaft (2); the sealing cartridge (1) wherein at least one of said sealing components, hereinafter referred to as the first sealing component (10A), is configured to be fastened (or fixed) to another of said sealing components, hereinafter referred to as the second sealing component (10B), by means of the pin locking device (3),wherein the pin locking device (3) is designed to lock a first sealing component (10A) of a sealing cartridge (1) together with a second sealing component (10B) of said sealing cartridge (1), the pin locking device (3) comprising: - a pin body (31) comprising two parts arranged longitudinally one after the other along said longitudinal geometric axis (C), namely, a first part (31A) configured to mount in a pin cavity (100A) of the first sealing component (10A) and a second part (31B) configured to mount in a locking cavity (100B) of the second sealing component (10B); - a spring (32) configured to exert a force of Petition 870250118054, of 12 / 22 / 2025, page. 31 / 75 2 / 5 spring against the pin body (31) along said longitudinal geometric axis (C), wherein said spring (32) is configured to support, on one side,on a first contact surface (S1) of the pin cavity (100A) and to have its other side contacting a second contact surface (S2), wherein the spring force is configured to move the pin body (31) from a retracted position, where the pin body (31) is entirely located within the pin cavity (100A), towards a locked position where said second part (31B) is located and held within the locking cavity (100B) while the first part (31A) remains located within said pin cavity (100A), wherein the first sealing component (10A) comprises said pin cavity (100A) and the second sealing component (10B) comprises said locking cavity (100B), characterized in that the pin body (31) comprises a longitudinal hole (310) extending along a longitudinal geometric axis (C),wherein an inner wall (311) of said hole (310) comprises a fastening means configured to cooperate with an extraction tool (4), and wherein said second contact surface (S2) is a surface of the pin body (31) over which said hole (310) opens.

2. Sealing cartridge (1), according to claim 1, characterized in that the fastening means is configured to interact with the extraction tool (4) to compress the spring (32) and hold the pin body (31) in the retracted position, notably when assembling the first sealing component (10A) with the second sealing component (10B), and the spring (32) is configured to move the pin body (31) from the retracted position to the locked position when releasing said interaction.

3. Sealing cartridge (1), according to either of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that a cross-section of the second part (31B) is smaller than, and contained within, a cross-section of the first part (31A) when the latter is projected onto the same plane perpendicular to the longitudinal geometric axis (C).

4. Sealing cartridge (1), according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that said fastening means is a screw thread formed around said inner wall (311).

5. Sealing cartridge (1), according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the first part (31A) and the second part (31B) are cylindrical.

6. Sealing cartridge (1), according to claim 1, characterized in that the first sealing component (10A) comprises a perforation (101) through a wall (102) of said first sealing component (10A), said perforation (101) going from one side (S') of the wall (102) to the other side (S) of the wall (102), wherein said perforation (101), the pin cavity (100A), the hole (310) of the pin body (31) and the locking cavity (100B) are configured to be aligned with each other when the first sealing component (10A) is assembled with the second sealing component (10B).

7. Sealing cartridge (1), according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that said hollow form is a substantially cylindrical hollow form around the longitudinal geometric axis (A) and the sealing components of said assembly are ring-shaped sealing components.

8. Sealing cartridge (1), according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the first sealing component (10A) is defined by an internal diameter configured to correspond to the size of the shaft (2), said first sealing component (10A) preferably being a shaft sleeve (11).

9. Sealing cartridge (1), according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the first sealing component (10A) is defined by an outer size or diameter configured to match the size of the shaft housing (21), said first sealing component (10A) preferably being a housing component (12).

10. Sealing cartridge (1), according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the first sealing component (10A) is configured to remain stationary during one rotation of the rotating shaft (2).

11. Sealing cartridge (1), according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the first sealing component (10A) comprises at least one part configured to rotate together with the rotating shaft (2) during one rotation of the rotating shaft (2).

12. Sealing cartridge (1), according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the first sealing component (10A) is a housing component of the sealing cartridge (1) and said second sealing component (10B) is: a. a labyrinth seal of the sealing cartridge; or b. another housing component of the sealing cartridge; or c. a barrier seal of the sealing cartridge; or d. a stationary sleeve of the sealing cartridge; or e. a stationary sealing ring of the sealing cartridge. Petition 870250118054, dated 12 / 22 / 2025, page 34 / 75 5 / 5 13. Sealing cartridge (1), according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the first sealing component (10A) is a rotating shaft sleeve of the sealing cartridge (1) and said second sealing component (10B) is: a. another shaft sleeve of the sealing cartridge; or b. a rotating sealing ring of the sealing cartridge; or c. another component of the sealing cartridge configured to rotate together with the rotating shaft sleeve. Petition 870250118054, dated 12 / 22 / 2025, p. 35 / 75

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