Dry running ball joint mechanical seal

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11053973-B2
Application number	US-201916678296-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 8, 2019
Priority date	Nov 8, 2019
Publication date	Jul 6, 2021
Grant date	Jul 6, 2021

Abstract

A dry running mechanical ball joint seal includes a spherical element penetrated by a central passage and suspended between support rings that are pressed by springs against the spherical element and form a sliding dry seal therewith. A lip seal is located between the support rings and includes wipers pressed radially inward by a lip seal spring to form an additional seal with the spherical element. In embodiments directed to piping systems, a fluid is able to flow through the central passage. Other embodiments include a sliding rod directed through the central passage and sealed to the spherical element by a rod support within the central passage and also by at least one rod lip seal having a wiper pressed by a spring against the rod. The rod support can include a compressible packing material and/or a linear ball bearing sealed to the spherical element within the central passage.

First claim

We claim:

1. A ball joint seal comprising:
a spherical element having an exterior surface, a portion of said exterior surface being a spherical portion, in that it is shaped as a portion of a sphere surrounding a spherical center, the spherical element being penetrated by a central passage having a longitudinal axis that passes through said spherical center;
a housing surrounding the spherical element;
a pair of support rings axially pressed against opposing sides of the spherical portion of the spherical element, the support rings being radially fixed to and sealed to the housing, at least one of the support rings being axially slidable relative to the housing;
at least one support spring configured to compress the support rings against the spherical element; and
a substantially annular ball lip seal encircling the spherical portion of the spherical element and surrounding the spherical center of the spherical element, the ball lip seal being located between the pair of support rings and being fixed to and sealed to the housing, the ball lip seal comprising a ball wiper blade that is pressed radially inward by a ball spring against the spherical portion of the spherical element to form a sliding seal therewith.

2. The ball joint seal of claim 1 , wherein the lip seal includes a pair of ball wiper blades and corresponding ball springs.

3. The ball joint seal of claim 1 , wherein both of the support rings are axially slidable relative to the housing, and the at least one support spring comprises a plurality of support springs configured to press both of the support rings toward the spherical element.

4. The ball joint seal of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first fluid port providing fluid access to a proximal end of the central passage; and
a second fluid port providing fluid access to the distal end of the central passage;
the ball joint seal being thereby configured for implementation in a piping system.

5. The ball joint seal of claim 1 , further comprising:
a sliding rod extending axially through the central passage and being axially slidable therethrough;
a rod support surrounding and radially supporting the sliding rod within the central passage, the rod support being fixed to and sealed to the spherical element; and
a rod lip seal fixed and sealed to the spherical element at an end of the central passage, the rod lip seal comprising a rod wiper blade that is pressed radially inward against the sliding rod by a rod spring to form a sliding seal with the sliding rod.

6. The ball joint seal of claim 5 , wherein the rod support is formed by a compressible packing, and wherein the ball joint seal further comprises:
an inner sleeve surrounding the sliding rod within the central passage axially adjacent to the rod support; and
a compression mechanism configured to apply an axial force to the inner sleeve, thereby axially compressing the rod support and causing a radially inward expansion of the rod support against the sliding rod.

7. The ball joint seal of claim 5 , wherein the rod support is formed by a linear ball bearing.

8. The ball joint seal of claim 7 , wherein the ball joint seal comprises a pair of rod lip seals having corresponding rod wiper blades and rod springs, the pair of rod lip seals being fixed and sealed to the spherical element at opposing ends of the central passage.

9. The ball joint seal of claim 1 , wherein the spherical element can be rotated about the longitudinal axis of the central passage over any desired angle.

10. The ball joint seal of claim 1 , wherein the spherical element can be rotated about an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the central passage over a range of at least 30 degrees total angular variability.

Assignees

• Flowserve Man Co

Inventors

• Gilbert Lee M
• Leyrer Joshua J
• Ropp Christopher J

Classifications

• F16C29/0683

  the bearing body encircles a rail or rod of circular cross-section, i.e. the linear bearing is not suited to transmit torque · CPC title

• F16C29/084

  fixed to the carriage or bearing body movable along the guide rail or track · CPC title

• F16C11/0676 Primary

  allowing operational relative movement of joint parts due to sliding between parts of the sealing means · CPC title

• F16C11/0614 Primary

  the female part of the joint being open on two sides · CPC title

• F16C11/0623

  Construction or details of the socket member · CPC title