EP0004696A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Ultra high vacuum seal arrangement
Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp
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Filing: 1979-01-15
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Granted: —
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Expires: 1999-01-15
Abstract
Abstract Arrangement for demountably sealing two concentric metallic tubes in an ultra high vacuum system which facilitates remote actuation. A tubular seal includes integral spaced lips which circumferentially engage the metallic tubes. The lips plastically deform the metallic tubes by mechanical forces resulting from a martensite to austenite transformation of the tubular seal upon application of a predetermined temperature. The sealing force is released upon application of another temperature which causes a transformation from the stronger austenite to the weaker martensite. Use of a dual acting sealing ring and driving ring circumferentially contacting the sealing ring is particularly applicable to sealing larger diameter concentric metallic members.
Inventors
- 👤 Robert Flaherty
- 👤 Chang-Kyo Kim
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 18:10
CPC Classifications
B; B23; B23P; B23P11/00; B23P11/02; B23P11/025; F; F16; F16L; F16L13/00; F16L13/004; F16B; F16B2200/00; F16B2200/77
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim
122 words
A sealing arrangement for removably sealing two coaxial longitudinally aligned metallic tubes in an ultra high vacuum system comprising: a tubular seal formed of a heat recoverable metallic material, characterized by reacting ring portions (22), formed with one of said tube ends and said tubular seal (20), said rings each having an integral protruding circumferential lip (24) so sized that one of said lips (24) circumferentially provides contact between one of said coaxial tubes (14) and said tubular seal upon transformation from a martensitic to austenitic state and another of said lips (24) provides circumferentially contact between the other of said tubes (16) and said tubular seal (20) with a pressure sufficient to plastically deform the portions engaged by said lips (24).
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
122 words
A sealing arrangement for removably sealing two coaxial longitudinally aligned metallic tubes in an ultra high vacuum system comprising: a tubular seal formed of a heat recoverable metallic material, characterized by reacting ring portions (22), formed with one of said tube ends and said tubular seal (20), said rings each having an integral protruding circumferential lip (24) so sized that one of said lips (24) circumferentially provides contact between one of said coaxial tubes (14) and said tubular seal upon transformation from a martensitic to austenitic state and another of said lips (24) provides circumferentially contact between the other of said tubes (16) and said tubular seal (20) with a pressure sufficient to plastically deform the portions engaged by said lips (24).
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
20 words
An arrangement as claimed in-claim 1, characterized in that said heat recoverable material is an alloy comprising nickel and titanium.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
48 words
An arrangement as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein said coaxial tubes (14, 16) have similar outside diameters characterized in that said tubular seal is disposed around the end portions of said tubes with said lips (24) circumferentially contacting the outer surfaces of said tubes (14, 16).
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
46 words
An arrangement as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein said coaxial tubes have similar inside diameters, characterized in that said tubular seal is disposed within the end portions of said tubes (82, 84) with said lips circumferentially contacting inside surfaces of said tubes (82, 84).
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
74 words
An arrangement as claimed in any of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that driver rings (64) of a heat recoverable metallic material are associated with said reacting rings (66) on the side of said reacting rings (66) opposite said lip (68), said driver and seal rings (64, 70) both when being in an austenitic state providing sufficient pressure such that the sum of the forces is capable of plastically deforming said tubes (62).
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
32 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 5 J characterized in that the ratio of cross sectional area of said driver rings (64) to said reacting rings (66) is approxi- matel y 2:1.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
65 words
A sealing arrangement as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein one of said tubes extends into the other tube, characterized in that said one tube (114) has an outwardly protruding sealing lip (118, 120) and said other tube 116 has an inwardly protruding sealing lip (122), and a seal ring of a heat-recoverable metal is concentrically disposed between said one and the other tube.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
93 words
A sealing arrangement as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that said one tube (114) has two radially outwardly protruding sealing lips (118, 120) positioned laterally on opposite sides of the radially ' inwardly extending sealing lip (122) of the other tube (116) and an opening (124) extends through the wall of said one tube (114) between said outwardly protruding sealing lips (118, 120); said seal ring (112) being concentrically disposed between said one and the other tube (114, 116) and extending axially beyond each of said outwardly protruding sealing lips (118, 120).
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
53 words
An arrangement as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that said other tube (114) has an internal shoulder (132) and said one tube has an external shoulder (130), said tubes (116, 114) being positionable such that said shoulders contact opposite ends of said seal ring (142) to properly position said seal ring (114).
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
25 words
A sealing arrangement as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that said inwardly and outwardly projecting seal lips (148, 150) are arranged in one plane.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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