Seal with integrated fluid regulating device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10767772-B2
Application number	US-201715655244-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 20, 2017
Priority date	Jul 20, 2017
Publication date	Sep 8, 2020
Grant date	Sep 8, 2020

Abstract

A seal housing with fluid regulating capability is provided for use with an outlet. The seal housing includes a seal element, a fitting and a valve. The seal element includes an angled flange that is fittable to the outlet and a seal element body from which the angled flange extends. The seal element body defines a bore extending between opposite open ends of the body and receptive of fluid from the outlet. The fitting is configured to tightly engage with the outlet and to urge the angled flange against the outlet with increasing pressure as fitting-outlet engagement proceeds. A valve is constrained within the bore and configured to regulate a flow of the fluid, which is received from the outlet, through the bore.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A seal housing with fluid regulating capability for use with an outlet, the seal housing comprising:
a seal element comprising an angled flange that is fittable to the outlet and a seal element body from which the angled flange extends,
the seal element body defining a bore extending between opposite open ends of the body and receptive of fluid from the outlet;
a fitting configured to tightly engage with the outlet and to urge the angled flange against the outlet with increasing pressure as fitting-outlet engagement proceeds; and
a valve constrained within the bore and configured to regulate a flow of the fluid, which is received from the outlet, through the bore,
wherein:
the bore extends through a portion of the outlet and beyond an end of the outlet and has a longitudinal axis,
the seal element body comprises an exterior surface defining a recess from which the angled flange extends at an angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the bore,
the angled flange is conical, tapering along the longitudinal axis of the bore from wide to narrow with decreasing distance from the bore, and comprises a first side to register with the outlet and a second side parallel with and opposite the first side, and
the valve is disposed at an axial location defined along the bore, which is downstream relative to the flow of the fluid from a forward-most portion of the angled flange.

2. The seal housing according to claim 1 , wherein the seal element body comprises:
an aft end which is insertible into the outlet;
a forward end; and
a central portion interposed between the aft and forward ends and from which the angled flange extends about the aft end.

3. The seal housing according to claim 1 , wherein the fitting comprises internal threading which is engageable with external threading of the outlet.

4. The seal housing according to claim 1 , wherein the fitting comprises an annular body which is freely rotatable about the seal element body and comprises a surface which is abuttable with the angled flange.

5. The seal housing according to claim 1 , wherein the valve comprises a check valve.

6. A method of providing a seal for a male outlet having a predefined fluid regulating capability, the method of providing the seal comprising:
forming a seal body such that the seal body comprises:
a seal feature comprising a radially inward portion and a radially outward portion, the radially outward portion comprising a conical flange extending from the recess and including first and second conical surfaces, the first surface being abuttable with a conical surface of an end of the male outlet and the second surface being parallel with and opposite the first surface;
a tubular feature comprising an exterior surface defining a recess from which a shoulder protrudes and an interior surface defining a bore having a fluid regulating capability reduced as compared to the predefined fluid regulating capability of the male outlet, the bore extending through a portion of the male outlet and beyond an end of the male outlet and having a longitudinal axis and the flange extending from the recess at an angle relative to the longitudinal axis whereby the first and second conical surfaces taper from wide to narrow along the longitudinal axis with decreasing distance from the bore; and
a retention feature configured to trap the radially inward portion of the seal feature against the shoulder of the tubular feature;

forming a female fitting such that the female fitting comprises:
an aft end configured for engagement with the male outlet; and
a forward end disposable about the seal body; and

forming an intermediate body to be interposable between the female fitting and the seal body and movable about the seal body with the female fitting, the intermediate body comprising a surface configured to abut with the second surface and to force the first surface against the male outlet as the aft end of the female fitting engages with the male outlet.

7. The method of providing the seal according to claim 6 , further comprising constraining a check valve in the bore.

Assignees

• Hamilton Sundstrand Corp
• Hamilton Sunstrand Corp

Inventors

• Elder James S

Classifications

• F16L19/0225 Primary

  without sealing rings · CPC title

• F16L37/148

  the securing element being flexible (F16L37/144 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F16K15/026

  the valve member being a movable body around which the medium flows when the valve is open · CPC title

• F16K27/0209

  Check valves or pivoted valves · CPC title

• F16L19/025

  the pipe ends having integral collars or flanges · CPC title