Claims
- 1. A seal assembly for sealing a first article of a fluid processing machine with respect to a second article of the fluid processing machine, wherein said first article is movable with respect to the second article, said seal assembly comprising:
a groove formed in a first article, said groove having a bottom; a seal received in said groove; and biasing means located between said bottom and said seal for biasing said seal outwardly with respect to said groove; wherein said seal biasably abuts a second article located adjacent the first article.
- 2. The seal assembly of claim 1, wherein said biasing means comprises a wavy spring located between said bottom of said groove and said seal.
- 3. The seal assembly of claim 2, wherein said seal is coated with a low friction, high endurance coating.
- 4. A minimum crevice volume seal assembly for a piston with respect to a cylinder, comprising:
a cylinder having a cylinder wall; a piston reciprocable within said cylinder, said piston having an upper face and an annular piston wall, a crevice being formed between said annular piston wall and said cylinder wall adjacent said upper face; a groove formed in said annular piston wall adjacent said upper face, said groove having a bottom; a seal received by said groove, said seal being comprised of at least two seal segments; and biasing means for biasing said seal outwardly from said bottom; wherein said groove has a non-perpendicular angle with respect to said cylinder wall such that said seal substantially fills said crevice and such that gas pressure applied to said upper face of said piston causes said seal to seal tightly against said cylinder wall.
- 5. The minimum crevice volume seal of claim 4, wherein said seal is coated with a low friction, high endurance coating.
- 6. The minimum crevice volume seal of claim 4, wherein said biasing means comprises a wavy spring located between said bottom of said groove and said seal.
- 7. The minimum crevice volume seal of claim 6, wherein said groove angle is between about 30 degrees and about 60 degrees with respect to said cylinder wall.
- 8. The minimum crevice volume seal of claim 6, wherein said seal has an exposed portion having a curved cross-section wherein an upper edge thereof is substantially parallel to said upper face of said piston.
- 9. The minimum crevice volume seal of claim 6, wherein said groove and said seal each have a respectively curved cross-section.
- 10. In a variable orbital aperture valve system of a fluid processing machine, comprising: an orbiter having at least one primary aperture therein; a lower head having at least one lower head port; an upper head having at least one upper head port; means for mounting said orbiter rotatably with respect to said upper and lower heads; at least one floater having a secondary aperture therein; and means for mounting said at least one floater adjacent said orbiter in movable relation to said orbiter; wherein the improvement thereto comprises a plurality of seal assemblies comprising:
a plurality of grooves formed in at least one of said orbiter, said upper head, said lower head, and said at least one floater, each groove being located opposite another of said orbiter, said upper head, said lower head and said at least one floater; a plurality of seals, a seal respectively being received in each groove; and biasing means located in each groove for biasing the seal received respectively therein outwardly with respect thereto such that said seal sealingly abuts the opposing other of said orbiter, said upper head, said lower head and said at least one floater.
- 11. The improvement of claim 10, wherein said biasing means comprises a plurality of wavy springs, one wavy spring respectively in each groove.
- 12. The improvement of claim 11, wherein each seal of said plurality of seals has an inclined contact surface terminating at a contact edge; wherein gas pressure applied in a predetermined direction to said plurality of seals adjacent the contact edge thereof causes said plurality of seals to tightly seal with respect to its respective groove and the opposing other of said orbiter, said upper head, said lower head and said at least one floater.
- 13. The improvement of claim 12, wherein each seal of said plurality of seals is coated with a low friction, high endurance coating.
- 14. The improvement of claim 13, wherein said plurality of seal assemblies comprises orbiter seal assembly means for sealing said orbiter with respect to at least one of said upper head, said lower head and said at least one floater, said orbiter seal assembly means comprising:
at least one first annular groove and at least one first annular seal respectively received therein for sealing an outer periphery of said orbiter with respect to at least one of said upper head, said lower head and said at least one floater.
- 15. The improvement of claim 14, wherein at least one first annular seal has an L-shaped cross-section and at least one said first annular seal has a similar L-shaped cross-section respectively received therein.
- 16. The improvement of claim 14, wherein said orbiter seal assembly means further comprises:
at least one second annular groove and at least one second annular seal respectively received therein for sealing an inner periphery of said orbiter with respect to one of said upper head, said lower head and said at least one floater.
- 17. The improvement of claim 16, wherein said orbiter seal assembly means further comprises:
a plurality of first radial grooves extending between said at least one first and second annular grooves; and a plurality of first radial seals, one first radial seal for each first radial groove; wherein said plurality of first radial seals seals said at least one primary aperture with respect to at least one of said at least one upper head ports, said at least one lower head ports and said secondary aperture of said at least one floater.
- 18. The improvement of claim 17, wherein said plurality of seal assemblies comprises floater seal assembly means for sealing said at least one floater with respect to at least one of said upper head, said lower head and said orbiter, said floater seal assembly means comprising:
at least one third annular groove and at least one third annular seal respectively received therein for sealing an outer periphery of said at least one floater with respect to at least one of said upper head, said lower head and said orbiter.
- 19. The improvement of claim 18, wherein said floater seal assembly means further comprises:
at least one fourth annular groove and at least one fourth annular seal respectively received therein for sealing an inner periphery of said at least one floater with respect to one of said upper head, said lower head and said orbiter.
- 20. The improvement of claim 19, wherein said radial seal assembly means further comprises:
a plurality of second radial grooves extending between said at least one first and second annular grooves; and a plurality of second radial seals, one second radial seal for each second radial groove; wherein said plurality of second radial seals seals said at least one primary aperture with respect to at least one of said at least one upper head ports, said at least one lower head ports and said primary aperture of said orbiter.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present application is a regular patent application continuation of provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/191,624, filed on Mar. 23, 2000, which application is presently pending.
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60191624 |
Mar 2000 |
US |