Patent Application
20170138478
The present invention is for sealing gaskets applicable to pipes, valves and boiler equipment.
Sealing gaskets in flanges are essential components in piping systems, ensuring integrity against leaks.
Some types of sealing gaskets perform well in certain applications, but may, however, not be suitable for other applications. Solid-core grooved sealing gaskets with a graphite coating are known by the trade name CAMPROFILE or KAMMPROFILE, and perform well for sealing equipment such as heat exchangers, for example.
Generally, solid-core grooved sealing gaskets with a graphite coating are shaped from a bar with an approximately rectangular cross-section, typically 13 mm wide. However, for sealing between the body and the valve bonnet in piping systems, where the diameter is very small (around 150 mm), shaping from a 13-mm bar to manufacture the sealing gasket becomes troublesome, and the appearance of defects on the sealing surfaces due to high stress in the material is very common.
Meanwhile, spiral wound sealing gaskets are formed by winding a metal strip with a cross-section in an approximate “V” shape, as shown in
Even when using sealing gaskets that do not include an external reinforcement ring, as revealed by documents U.S. Pat. No. 5,308,090A and U.S. Pat. No. 2,357,257A, note that this type of sealing gasket does not perform well for sealing between the body and the valve bonnet, either because of its construction or because of the absence of a reinforcement ring.
In addition, it is known that sealing gaskets in gate valve bonnets are oval rather than circular. Thus, it becomes even more difficult to use solid-core or spiral wound sealing gaskets in the prior art since, due to the presence of its external rigid rings, it is difficult to form such sealing gaskets into an oval shape.
As will be shown in detail below, the present invention aims to solve the problems of the prior art described above, in a practical, efficient and low-cost manner.
The first objective of the present invention is to provide a flange sealing gasket between valve, pipe and equipment parts that does not require an external rigid ring, and yet offers good sealing performance.
The second objective of the present invention is to provide a flange sealing gasket between valve, pipe and equipment parts that is easy to conform for sealing gaskets with a reduced diameter and/or that are different from the conventional circular shape (oval, for example).
In order to achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a sealing gasket for piping systems comprising (i) a core formed by a plurality of concentric metal rings, each ring comprising a substantially rectangular cross-section, wherein the height of the rectangular cross-section is the same for all the rings, and (ii) surface coating of flexible material applied on the upper and lower surfaces of the core.
Furthermore, the present invention provides a process of manufacturing a sealing gasket for piping systems, said process comprising steps to (i) provide a core formed by a plurality of concentric metal rings, each ring comprising a substantially rectangular cross-section, wherein the height of the rectangular cross-section is the same for all the rings, and (ii) apply a surface coating of flexible material applied to the upper and lower surfaces of the core.
The detailed description set forth below refers to the accompanying figures and the respective reference numbers, representing the preferred embodiment of the present invention.
First, it should be emphasized here that the description below will be based on preferred embodiments of the invention. As will be apparent to one skilled in the art, however, the invention is not limited to these particular embodiments.
Preferably, the core 10 of the sealing gasket of the present invention is formed by at least four concentric metal rings 10a.
Preferably, each concentric metal ring 10a comprises a square cross-section. Thus, all the rings 10a comprise the same height and width, so that the core of the sealing gasket has substantially flat upper and lower surfaces. More preferably, the height and width of the cross-section of the rings is 2 to 5 mm. Even more preferably, the height and width of the cross-section of the rings is 3 mm.
Thus, since the rings 10a have a relatively small width compared to other sealing gaskets of the prior art, it is extremely easy to mold them into the desired shape, be it circular, oval or any other. Also, it reduces the risk of structural failure as occurred in the prior art when attempting to conform, for example, a relatively thick metal bar (13 mm) to manufacture small-diameter sealing gaskets (150 mm).
Preferably, each concentric metal ring 10a is shaped from at least one metal bar of a rectangular section. More preferably, there is at least one metal bar that gives rise to the rings 10a comprising a square cross-section.
Optionally, there is at least one metal bar of a rectangular section comprising at least two opposite faces with grooves. Thus, the concentric metal rings will comprise at least one lower face and one upper face with grooves, which contribute to adhering a surface coating 12 of flexible material applied to the upper and lower surfaces of the core 10. Preferably, the flexible material used as a surface coating 12 is TEFLON or a flexible graphite.
Preferably, the gap between the rings 10a is the smallest gap possible that is feasible to manufacture. However, it is emphasized that this is not a critical factor, because the rings are concentric and there is no possibility of forming a preferred leakage channel of the fluid in the radial direction.
The present invention further provides a process of manufacturing the sealing gasket described above. The process of the present invention comprises the following steps:
a) providing the core 10 formed by a plurality of concentric metal rings 10a, each ring comprising a substantially rectangular cross-section, wherein the height of the rectangular cross-section is the same for all the rings 10a; and
b) applying a surface coating 12 of flexible material applied to the upper and lower surfaces of the core.
As mentioned above, prior to the step of providing the core 10, each concentric metal ring 10a can be formed from at least one metal bar of a rectangular section, preferably square.
Preferably, the step of forming the rings 10a is done so as to form them into a circular shape, as illustrated in
Optionally, an additional step of forming the core 10 is provided, in which it is formed in a shape that is different from the original circular shape. Preferably, when used in a sealing gasket between the body and the gate valve bonnet, the core 10 is formed into an oval shape, as illustrated in
In the same manner as in the circular sealing gasket, as described above, a surface coating 12 of flexible material is applied to the upper and lower surfaces of the core 10, in an oval, so that the end embodiment of the oval sealing gasket is obtained (
Thus, based on the description above, the present invention provides a sealing gasket that eliminates the need for an external rigid ring, still offering good sealing performance.
In addition, the sealing gasket of the present invention easily conforms to reduced-diameter sealing gaskets. Also, the sealing gasket of the present invention can be easily formed into different shapes, such as an oval shape. As mentioned above, the oval-shaped sealing gasket is particularly useful for sealing between the body and the gate valve bonnet.
Furthermore, the present invention provides a process of manufacturing the sealing gasket mentioned above, from forming each metal ring to applying a flexible-material coating that will fill the empty spaces and ensure the gasket seal.
Numerous variations of this scope of protection of the present parent application are allowed. Thus, it is emphasized that the present invention is not limited to the particular configurations/embodiments described above.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-2015-028821-2 | Nov 2015 | BR | national |
