Fluid-cushion sealing device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10428954-B2
Application number	US-201615010437-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 29, 2016
Priority date	Jan 30, 2015
Publication date	Oct 1, 2019
Grant date	Oct 1, 2019

Abstract

The fluid-cushion sealing device (100) for a piston (101) moving in a cylinder (102) and defining with the latter a chamber to be sealed (104) includes: a continuous perforated ring (105) through the radial thickness of which passes a calibrated opening (111) and which is sealingly accommodated in a ring groove (109) provided in the piston (101) so as to define, with the groove (109), a pressure distribution chamber (119) connected to a pressurized fluid source (112), while an axially blind counter-pressure recess (115) is provided recessed on an external cylindrical ring surface (107) which faces the cylinder (102) and which the continuous perforated ring (105) includes, the calibrated opening (111) leading into the recess (115).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A fluid-cushion sealing device for a piston, wherein:
said sealing device is configured to move in longitudinal translation in a cylinder, along an axis of the cylinder, said piston and said cylinder defining, with at least one cylinder head, a chamber to be sealed, wherein the sealing device includes:
at least one continuous perforated ring which comprises an internal cylindrical ring surface, an external cylindrical ring surface, and two axial ring surfaces, said ring being configured to be accommodated in at least one ring groove provided in the piston or in the cylinder, while said ring is capable of moving radially in the ring groove without being able to leave the ring groove, wherein a diameter of the continuous perforated ring is variable and said diameter increases or decreases relative to said groove under pressure of a ring fluid;
a ring seal that produces a seal between each axial ring surface and the ring groove, so that the ring groove defines, with the continuous perforated ring, a pressure distribution chamber connected by a transfer circuit to a pressurized fluid source;
at least one calibrated opening which passes right through the continuous perforated ring in its radial thickness;
at least one fluid-cushion carrying surface which the continuous perforated ring comprises, said carrying surface being arranged on the opposite side from the pressure distribution chamber.

2. The fluid-cushion sealing device according to claim 1 , wherein the ring groove is provided in the piston, further comprising an axially blind counter-pressure recess provided recessed on the external cylindrical ring surface, so that the surface that is not occupied by the counter-pressure recess of the external cylindrical ring surface which receives said recess constitutes the fluid-cushion carrying surface.

3. The fluid-cushion sealing device according to claim 1 , further comprising a counter-pressure recess that consists of a counter-pressure groove of small depth that is approximately centered on the axial length of the external cylindrical ring surface or of the internal cylindrical ring surface which receives said recess, said counter-pressure groove being produced over the entire circumference of said external cylindrical ring surface or of said internal cylindrical ring surface.

4. The fluid-cushion sealing device according to claim 1 , wherein, if the ring groove is provided in the piston, the pressure transfer circuit consists of a pressure intake tube parallel to the cylinder and secured to the piston, a first end of said tube leading into the interior of said piston, while the second end of said tube opens, via a pressure chamber borehole in which it can move by translation longitudinally and sealingly, into a pressure chamber connected to the pressurized fluid source.

5. The fluid-cushion sealing device according to claim 4 , wherein the pressure intake tube is connected to the pressure distribution chamber by at least one radial pressure intake duct.

6. The fluid-cushion sealing device according to claim 4 , wherein the pressure chamber is connected to the pressurized fluid source by a proportional pressure non-return valve which allows the ring fluid to go from said source to said chamber, but not from said chamber to said source.

Assignees

• Rabhi Vianney

Inventors

• Rabhi Vianney

Classifications

• F16J15/40 Primary

  by means of fluid · CPC title

• F16J15/441

  with floating ring · CPC title

• F16J9/12

  Details · CPC title

• F04B53/143

  Sealing provided on the piston · CPC title

• F16J15/406

  by at least one pump · CPC title