Appeal No. 1999-0644 Page 4
Application No. 08/459,460
said other of said seal ring surfaces having one extremity thereof exposed
to said pressure chamber and the other extremity exposed to a relatively low
pressure region in said housing,
at least one of said confronting surfaces being shaped to provide radial
convergence of said seal gap in the radial direction from said one extremity
toward said other extremity and forming only a single sealing dam therein
adjacent said other extremity,
said last mentioned surface being shaped to provide said convergence of
said at least 1 milli-inch in height toward the other of said confronting surfaces
with the widest portion of said seal gap being adjacent said one extremity to
deliberately create turbulent flow of fluid in said seal gap,
and, when said chamber is pressurized, the spacing at the narrowest
height of said seal gap is deliberately greater than the spacing that would exist
for laminar flow along said seal gap,
and additional sealing means interacting between said seal ring and said
housing to prevent flow from said pressure chamber to said low pressure region
except along said seal gap.
12. A hydrostatic face seal assembly used to restrict the flow of fluid from a
relatively higher pressure region in a housing to a relatively lower pressure
region in the housing at a juncture of a stationary housing member and a rotating
shaft member rotating about its axis,
said shaft having a radially extending annular seal runner having a
radially extending sealing surface thereon,
said runner mounted for rotation therewith,
said assembly comprising:
(a) a face seal ring member mounted around said shaft and having a
radially extending primary annular sealing face surface positioned for movement
axially relative to said shaft and toward and away from said seal runner surface
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Last modified: November 3, 2007