PATENTS

14Sealing Technology March 2013

Each one of the pair of side surfaces and the surrounding surface are moulded.Patent number: WO/2012/157383 Inventor: T. MouriPublication date: 22 November 2012

Borehole seal back-up

Applicant: Baker Hughes Inc, USAIn down-hole drilling operations, packers or seal elements are ubiquitously used for a myriad sealing and inhibition applications. This patent provides details of a method and assembly for reducing the radial gap between (radially) proximate components. These include a setting member that has a first dimension which partially defines the radial gap. The setting member includes a circumfer-ential groove extending radially from the first dimension, and a first toroid having a second dimension. The setting member is arranged to engage with the first toroid, enabling the boundary dimension of the assembly to be extended towards the radial gap, reducing it. The circumferential groove is arranged to catch the first toroid when the setting member is fully engaged.Patent number: WO/2012/162159 Inventors: A.L. Farrar, E.T Wood, G.C. Badke, R.O. Castillo and A.P. FosterPublication date: 29 November 2012

Composite seal member for an electronic device

Applicant: Polymatech Co Ltd, JapanIn this invention, a seal member (11) is used in a battery cover (12) that is fitted into a casing (13) of an electronic device. The seal member is configured from a silicone gel moulding. The compression set (JIS K6262 (ISO 815)) – measured under the condition that the silicone gel moulding is left as it is for 22 hours at 70°C, with a compressibil-ity of 50–80% – is 5% or less. Penetration (JIS K2220 (ISO 2137)) falls within the range of 60–130. The seal member, which improves the sealing action between the bat-tery cover and the casing, prevents water from entering the battery and also pre-vents the cover and the casing from being deformed and broken.

Patent number: WO/2012/161099Inventors: K. Odagiri and Y. HattoriPublication date: 29 November 2012

Seal-application system

Applicant: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd, JapanThe seal-application system detailed by this patent is provided with a sealant-discharge device that has a discharge-punch drive unit which presses a discharge punch into a seal cartridge filled with sealant. The force with which the discharge-punch drive unit presses the discharge punch into the cartridge is varied in order to keep the sealant discharge rate con-stant. This configuration also makes it possible to keep the rate constant even when a sealant, which increases in viscosity over time, is used.Patent number: WO/2012/161169 Inventors: Y. Ikeda, T. Funato, T. Inagaki, M. Nakamura, Y. Ikeda, K. Kuroi, A. Suzuki, Y. Kondo and T. YamashitaPublication date: 29 November 2012

Vacuum seal arrangement for use in a plasma-processing chamber

Applicant: Lam Research Corp, USAThe vacuum seal arrangement described by this patent consists of a one-piece elastomeric gasket that has a set of (first and second) O-rings inter-connected by a planar web. A first part has a pla-nar sealing surface, containing a dove-tail groove to hold the first O-ring, and a square-walled groove for retaining the second O-ring. This part further includes at least one passage in the planar sealing surface surrounded by the first O-ring, or second O-ring.Patent number: WO/2012/162051 Inventor: H. SinghPublication date: 29 November 2012

Seal member

Applicant: Uchiyama Manufacturing Corp, JapanThe seal member described consists of a rubber base that includes a surface which is in elastic, sliding contact with a partner member. It contains a large number of small holes, with a depth of 3–20 μm and an opening size of not more than 70 μm. These are formed using a laser. The per-centage of the area occupied by these openings is set at 5–50%. According to the inventors, this produces a low-friction seal material. When used in automotive applications – for example, as a seal ring in a wheel bearing – it will reduce rotational torque and help to lower fuel consumption.Patent number: WO/2012/161259

Inventors: T. Yamamoto, T. Katayama, R. Yokota and C. AsanumaPublication date: 29 November 2012

Sealing lip

Applicant: Aktiebolaget SKF, SwedenThe sealing lip (170) detailed by this patent is used to seal a first space (250) from a second space (260), with respect to a liquid medium present in the first space. According to this pat-ent, a bearing surface (210) is designed to rest against the sealing surface (220) of a component (230) which can be moved relative to the seal-ing lip (170) in a specific direction (240). The patent describes a groove (270) in the bearing surface (210) that conducts the liquid medium to the first space (250) through a shift in the direction of movement when the liquid medium penetrates the groove (270). The groove runs entirely within the bearing surface (and is sur-rounded by the bearing surface). In this way, the sealing effect of the lip is optionally improved.Patent number: WO/2012/160148Inventors: H. Benedix, J. Kurth, J. Netzer, C. Passow and W. SeewaldPublication date: 29 November 2012

Turbine seals

Applicant: Siemens Energy Inc, USAThis invention relates to seals between components in a combustion turbine engine, but particularly to seals between air-cooled components along the combustion gas flow-path in the turbine section. Gas turbine engines are designed to extract energy

A composite seal member for the battery cover of an electronic device forms the subject of patent WO/2012/161099.

The lip structure that provides enhanced sealing, which is detailed by patent WO/2012/160148.

PATENTS

March 2013 Sealing Technology15

from a flow stream of combustion gas. The effi-ciency of a turbine is directly proportional to the energy losses within the entire system. The turbine section of the engine provides both the stationary boundary of the flow stream and rotational ele-ments that convert the flow stream energy into mechanical energy for work. Turbine efficiency requires the flow path to be sealed in order to pre-vent the combustion gas (and, therefore, energy) from escaping. Seals between adjacent turbine components are designed to accomplish this task and may provide for precise control of component cooling. Adjacent turbine components can move relative to each other through thermal growth and dynamic responses to external and internal envi-ronments. These relative displacements can wear the seals between the components. The various embodiments of this patent detail ways of maximis-ing sealing by ensuring that seals fit snugly into the seal slots. Also discussed are features for increased flexibility to minimise load transfer between com-ponents through the seals and that enable seal stiffness to be customised for each application and location.Patent number: WO/2012/161920Inventors: F. Moehrle, A.R. Narcus, J. Carella and J.-M. Millon Sainte-ClairePublication date: 29 November 2012

Gasket removal and venting tool

Applicant: Strato Inc, USADetails are given of a tool, method and system for removing a gasket from a glad-hand fitting, and also to vent pressurised air from between two coupled, glad-hand fittings. The tool described has an angled head, adapted to be received by a glad-hand fitting and positioned against a surface of the guard arm of the fitting. The tip of the head is positioned against the gasket and the tool is pivoted against the glad-hand to bias the gasket out of the recess.Patent number: WO/2012/148625Inventors: M.J. Foxx and E. JimenezPublication date: 29 November 2012

Metal gasket

Applicant: Nippon Leakless Industry Co Ltd, JapanThis patent provides details of an inexpensive metal gasket which, according to its inventors,

has a high sealing performance. This gasket (1) is equipped with one or more metal base plates (2) that have an annular bead (14) along the perimeter of the cylinder holes (6). This bead has a first portion (20), comprising a pair of slanted walls (20a, 20b) which rise from the gasket base plate, and tip portions that are sepa-rated from one another. It also has a second, valley-shaped portion (21), which protrudes from the tip portions of the slanted walls in the direction opposite to that in which the slanted walls rise. When the height of the first bead portion (20) is Fh1, the height of the second bead portion (21) is Fh2, the half-width of the annular bead (14) is W1, and the width of the second bead portion (21) is W2, the expressions Fh1 > Fh2 and W1 > W2 are satisfied.Patent number: WO/2012/160751Inventors: S. Hirayama, A. Sueyoshi, Y. Matsumoto and A. ItoPublication date: 29 November 2012

Sealing inner wall surfaces of a well-bore

Applicant: Baker Hughes Inc, USASealing devices for use in a well-bore – to seal a leak path through an inner wall surface – form the subject of this patent. They comprise a man-drel, an expandable element and a shape deform-ing sealing element. Inflation of the expandable element moves the shape deforming sealing element from its run-in shape to its set shape. A stimulus, such as a change in temperature, acts on the shape-deforming sealing element to cause

it to change shape. Removal of this stimulus causes the shape-deforming sealing element to remain in the set shape. Thereafter, the mandrel and expandable element can be removed to leave only the shape-deforming sealing element within the well-bore to seal the leak path.Patent number: WO/2012/167240Inventor: E.J. O’MalleyPublication date: 6 December 2012

Seal ring

Applicant: NOK Corp, JapanDetails are given of a seal ring that is capable of inhibiting the generation of heat while reducing contact pressure. It is configured in such a way that a side surface, facing the side-wall surface of an annular groove (21), has a stepped structure, recessed so that the bottom of the annular groove (21) is set at a distance from the side-wall surface. A plurality of projections (13) protruding towards the side-wall surface are each independently dis-posed on the recessed surface (12). The surface on the housing (30) side of the side surface is in close contact (but able to slide) with the side-wall surface of the annular groove (21), whereby a seal surface is formed, and the distal end surfaces of the plurality of projections are in close contact with the side-wall surface of the annular groove (21).Patent number: WO/2012/165083Inventors: K. Seki and H. WatanabePublication date: 6 December 2012

An inexpensive metal gasket which is claimed to have a high sealing performance has been developed. Patent WO/2012/160751 contains further details.

Patent WO/2012/165083 provides details of a seal ring that is capable of inhibiting the gen-eration of heat while reducing contact pressure.