Seal assembly for sealing relatively movable components

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10215281-B2
Application number	US-201615146449-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 4, 2016
Priority date	May 4, 2016
Publication date	Feb 26, 2019
Grant date	Feb 26, 2019

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a seal assembly for sealing a gap between a first component and a second component is disclosed. The second component is movable relative to the first component. The seal assembly includes a rub strip and a seal strip. The rub strip includes a seal strip engagement surface having a convex shape. Additionally, the rub strip includes a first component engagement surface that is opposite the seal strip engagement surface and has a concave shape. The seal strip includes a rub strip engagement surface having a convex shape. Furthermore, the seal strip includes a second component engagement surface that is opposite the rub strip engagement surface and has a concave shape. The seal strip engagement surface is harder than the rub strip engagement surface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A seal assembly for sealing a gap between a first component and a second component, wherein the second component is movable relative to the first component, the seal assembly comprising:
a rub strip comprising:
a seal strip engagement surface having a convex shape; and
a first component engagement surface, opposite the seal strip engagement surface and having a concave shape, wherein the first component engagement surface is resiliently flexible; and

a seal strip comprising:
a rub strip engagement surface having a convex shape;
a second component engagement surface, opposite the rub strip engagement surface and having a concave shape, wherein the second component engagement surface is resiliently flexible;

wherein the seal strip engagement surface is harder than the rub strip engagement surface.

2. The seal assembly of claim 1 , wherein the seal strip is hollow.

3. The seal assembly of claim 1 , wherein the seal strip is more compressible than the rub strip.

4. The seal assembly of claim 1 , wherein the concave shape of the first component engagement surface of the rub strip, the convex shape of the seal strip engagement surface of the rub strip, the convex shape of the rub strip engagement surface of the seal strip, and the concave shape of the second component engagement surface of the seal strip are curved.

5. The seal assembly of claim 1 , wherein:
the seal strip further comprises an internal stiffener interposed between the rub strip engagement surface and the second component engagement surface of the seal strip; and
the internal stiffener is stiffer than the second component engagement surface.

6. The seal assembly of claim 5 , wherein the internal stiffener is made of a material different than that of the second component engagement surface.

7. The seal assembly of claim 6 , wherein the internal stiffener is curved to complement a curvature of the second component engagement surface of the seal strip.

8. The seal assembly of claim 1 , wherein a radius of curvature of the rub strip engagement surface of the seal strip is less than that of the second component engagement surface of the seal strip.

9. The seal assembly of claim 1 , wherein a radius of curvature of the seal strip engagement surface of the rub strip is less than that of the first component engagement surface of the rub strip.

10. The seal assembly of claim 1 , wherein:
the rub strip further comprises a first retainment element extending from the first component engagement surface in a direction away from the seal strip engagement surface; and
the seal strip further comprises a second retainment element extending from the second component engagement surface in a direction away from the rub strip engagement surface.

11. The seal assembly of claim 10 , further comprising:
a first retainment plate comprising a first channel for receiving and retaining the first retainment element of the rub strip; and
a second retainment plate comprising a second channel for receiving and retaining the second retainment element of the seal strip, wherein the second retainment plate is harder than the second retainment element of the seal strip.

12. The seal assembly of claim 11 , wherein:
the first retainment element of the rub strip has a first bulbous-shaped cross-section;
the second retainment element of the seal strip has a second bulbous-shaped cross-section;
the first channel of the first retainment plate has a cross-sectional shape complementing the first bulbous-shaped cross-section of the first retainment element; and
the second channel of the second retainment plate has a cross-sectional shape complementing the second bulbous-shaped cross-section of the second retainment element.

13. The seal assembly of claim 11 , further comprising a rod passing through the second retainment element of the seal strip, wherein the rod is harder than the second retainment element.

14. A seal assembly for sealing a gap between a first component and a second component, wherein the second component is movable relative to the first component, the seal assembly comprising:
a rub strip comprising:
a seal strip engagement surface having a convex shape; and
a first component engagement surface, opposite the seal strip engagement surface and having a concave shape; and

a seal strip comprising:
a rub strip engagement surface having a convex shape;
a second component engagement surface, opposite the rub strip engagement surface and having a concave shape;

wherein:
the seal strip engagement surface is harder than the rub strip engagement surface;
a radius of curvature of the rub strip engagement surface of the seal strip is less than that of the second component engagement surface of the seal strip; and
a radius of curvature of the seal strip engagement surface of the rub strip is less than that of the first component engagement surface of the rub strip.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Soman Charuhas M
• Townsend Keith
• Blohm Eric D
• Tanner Richard B
• Herzberg Mark J
• Hardin Ralph E

Classifications

• F16J15/027 Primary

  and with a hollow profile · CPC title

• B64C3/56

  Folding or collapsing to reduce overall dimensions of aircraft · CPC title

• F16J15/122

  generally parallel to the surfaces · CPC title

• F16J15/061

  with positioning means (F16J15/0831 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F16J15/22

  shaped as strands, ropes, threads, ribbons, or the like · CPC title