Patent EP0004696B1 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0004696B1
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: 1982-06-30
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Expires: 1999-01-15
Abstract
No abstract record available.
Inventors
- 👤 Robert Flaherty
- 👤 Chang-Kyo Kim
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 14:41
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: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
144 words
A sealing arrangement for sealing two coaxial longitudinally aligned metallic tubes in an ultra-high vacuum system comprising a tubular seal formed of a heat recoverable metallic material and extending axially over the end portions of the aligned tubes, said tubular seal having integral protruding circumferential lips so sized that they engage said coaxial tubes upon transformation of said tubular seal from a martensitic to austenitic state, characterized in that said tubular seal consists of a membrane portion (20) having reacting ring portions (22), formed at the ends of said membrane portion (20) in planar alignment with said lips (24) but on the radially opposite side, said reacting ring portions (22) having a thickness greater than the intermediate membrane (20) portion of said seal so as to be capable of providing a pressure sufficient to plastically deform the tube portions engaged by said lips (24).
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
144 words
A sealing arrangement for sealing two coaxial longitudinally aligned metallic tubes in an ultra-high vacuum system comprising a tubular seal formed of a heat recoverable metallic material and extending axially over the end portions of the aligned tubes, said tubular seal having integral protruding circumferential lips so sized that they engage said coaxial tubes upon transformation of said tubular seal from a martensitic to austenitic state, characterized in that said tubular seal consists of a membrane portion (20) having reacting ring portions (22), formed at the ends of said membrane portion (20) in planar alignment with said lips (24) but on the radially opposite side, said reacting ring portions (22) having a thickness greater than the intermediate membrane (20) portion of said seal so as to be capable of providing a pressure sufficient to plastically deform the tube portions engaged by said lips (24).
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
44 words
An arrangement as claimed in claim 1, 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 4
Dependent Claim
92 words
An arrangement as claimed in any of claims 1 or 2 characterized in that driver rings (64) of a heat recoverable metallic material are disposed around said racting ring portions (66) and acting in unison with said reacting rings (66), said driver rings and reacting ring portions (64, 66) both when being in an austenitic state providing sufficient compression forces such that the sum of the forces is capable of forcing said lips (68) on said reacting ring (66) into said tubes (62) by plastically deforming said tubes (62) within said ring.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
30 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that the ratio of the axial cross-sectional area of said driver rings (64) to said reacting rings (66) is approximately 2:1.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
63 words
A sealing arrangement as claimed in claim 1, 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 7
Dependent Claim
92 words
A sealing arrangement as claimed in claim 5, 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 8
Dependent Claim
53 words
An arrangement as claimed in claim 6, 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 9
Dependent Claim
25 words
A sealing arrangement as claimed in claim 5, 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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