Appeal No. 96-0776
Application 07/953,539
seal assembly comprises an inner conductive part 11 sized and
shaped to substantially mate with the coupled openings presented
at the joined flanges, with the inner conductive part having a
defined outer perimeter. The Bellis assembly further comprises
an outer part 13 separable from the inner part and having a
central opening that is complimentary in shape to the outer
perimeter of the inner part and larger such that when the inner
part is placed within the central opening an intermediate gap
separates the parts, and a gas sealing element 12 sized to
removably fit in the gap for providing a pressure seal at the
joint when the parts and the sealing element are clamped between
the flanges of the joint.
The Bellis seal assembly "concerns fluid seals and has a
particular application to the sealing of substantially parallel
surfaces, as for example, pipe flanges and the like" (page 1,
lines 10 through 13). Its sealing element "forms a circum-
ferential seal about the axis of the pipe and flanges" (page 1,
lines 19 through 21). The Bellis reference does not mention
waveguides. However, from our perspective, a waveguide is merely
a pipe that contains fluid under pressure (or vacuum) through
13
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Last modified: November 3, 2007