Annular Seal Segmented Arms Stacked Redundancy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional metallic C, V, or U seals face challenges in achieving precise tolerances and dimensional stability due to stress and flexibility issues during manufacturing and installation, especially when used in extreme conditions, and stacking or nesting these seals can result in unpredictable performance.
Innovation Solution
An annular metallic seal design with axially extending body portions and radially opposed arcuate sealing arms, allowing for consistent machining and forming from hardened materials, with axial grooves for reduced installation force and improved sealing performance, enabling stacked or nested configurations for redundancy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional metallic C, V or U seals are formed from sheet metal to achieve sealing function, then the seal can be manufactured with simple processes, but the tolerances required to control installation forces are difficult to achieve and dimensional stability is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The seal cross-section is divided into distinct functional segments: a body portion and spaced-apart sealing arms. This segmentation allows each portion to be optimized independently - the body portion for dimensional stability and the sealing arms for sealing function - thereby achieving tight tolerances while maintaining ease of manufacture through modular design
Solution Approach 2:
The seal transitions from conventional 2D sheet metal forms to a 3D cross-sectional geometry with axially extending body portion and radially extending sealing arms. This dimensional change enables the seal to be machined from pre-hardened block material rather than formed from sheet metal, achieving both tight tolerances and dimensional stability
2Ease of manufacture
If sheet metal seals are annealed to facilitate forming process, then the forming process becomes easier, but additional heat treatment processing is required to achieve optimum material strength
Solution Approach 1:
The seal is machined from pre-hardened material before final assembly, eliminating the need for post-forming heat treatment. The cross-sectional geometry is designed to be machinable from hardened block material, allowing the seal to achieve optimum material strength without additional processing time
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the material state parameter from annealed to pre-hardened condition. This parameter change allows the seal to be manufactured with tight tolerances directly from hardened material without requiring subsequent heat treatment, reducing total manufacturing time while maintaining ease of manufacture
3Strength
If heat treatment is applied to achieve optimum material strength, then material strength is improved, but dimensional changes occur that are difficult to predict
Solution Approach 1:
The seal is machined to final dimensions from pre-hardened material before assembly, eliminating subsequent heat treatment that would cause unpredictable dimensional changes. The cross-sectional geometry is specifically designed to maintain dimensional stability when machined from hardened block material
4Reliability
If traditional C, V or U shaped seals are stacked or nested for redundant sealing, then sealing redundancy is achieved, but the cross section distorts and performance becomes unpredictable
Solution Approach 1:
The seal cross-section is segmented into a body portion and spaced-apart sealing arms, creating a structurally stable configuration that resists distortion when stacked or nested. This segmented geometry maintains cross-sectional integrity while providing sealing redundancy through multiple seals
Solution Approach 2:
The annular seal design enables nested arrangement where seals are positioned concentrically within each other. The spaced-apart sealing arms and body portion geometry allow nested seals to maintain their cross-sectional shape without distortion, achieving reliable sealing redundancy
Data Source
AI summary
An annular seal comprising a metallic ring having a cross section. The cross section includes an axially extending body portion having a radial width and an axial height. A spaced apart pair of sealing arms extend axially from the body portion, wherein each sealing arm includes a radially opposed arcuate sealing surface. The arcuate sealing surface may be convex, for example. The spaced apart pair of sealing arms are spaced apart a radial distance greater than the radial width of the body portion. A sealing system comprises a plurality of interconnected metallic rings wherein the body portion engages the sealing arms of an adjacent metallic ring.