Fluid seal

Claim 1

A ROTARY FLUID SEAL FOR PREVENTING THE PASSAGE OF FLUID BETWEEN FIRST AND SECOND RELATIVELY ROTATABLE MEMBERS AND TO CONDUCT FLUID UNDER PRESSURE FROM A PASSAGE FORMED IN SAID FIRST MEMBER TO A PASSAGE FORMED IN SAID SECOND MEMBER WITHOUT SUBSTANTIAL LOSS OF FLUID PRESSURE THEREBETWEEN, SAID FIRST MEMBER HAVING AN EXTERNAL SURFACE WITH SAID FIRST MEMBER PASSAGE COMMUNICATING THEREWITH, SAID FIRST MEMBER BEING POSITIONED COAXIALLY WITHIN A CYLINDRICAL INTERNAL SURFACE FORMED IN SAID SECOND MEMBER, SAID SECOND MEMBER PASSAGE COMMUNICATING WITH SAID SECOND MEMBER CYLINDRICAL SURFACE AND SAID FIRST MEMBER PASSAGE, SAID SEAL COMPRISING A PAIR OF ANNULAR RADIALLY EXTENDING PLANAR SEALING SURFACES ON SAID FIRST MEMBER, SAID PLANAR SEALING SURFACES EACH POSITIONED AXIALLY OUTWARDLY FROM SAID FIRST MEMBER PASSAGE, FIRST AND SECOND DEFORMABLE RING MEMBERS EACH HAVING A CYLINDRICAL EXTERNAL SURFACE, A RADIALLY EXTENDING PLANAR SEALING SURFACE, A RADIALLY EXTENDING PLANAR FLUID ENGAGING SURFACE DISPOSED IN PARALLEL SPACED RELATION TO SAID SEALING SURFACE, AND AN INTERNAL SURFACE FORMED WITH AN ANNULAR RECESS THEREIN SO THAT SAID RING MEMBER HAS A SUBSTANTIALLY U SHAPED RADIAL CROSS SECTION, FIRST AND SECOND RADIALLY EXPANDABLE RINGS POSITIONED RESPECTIVELY WITHIN SAID FIRST AND SECOND DEFORMABLE RING MEMBER ANNULAR RECESS, SAID FIRST AND SECOND DEFORMABLE RING MEMBERS AND SAID FIRST AND SECOND RADIALLY EXPANDABLE RINGS BEING POSITIONED WITHIN SAID FIRST MEMBER FIRST AND SECOND ANNULAR RECESSES RESPECTIVELY WITH SAID DEFORMABLE RINGS MEMBER CYLINDRICAL EXTERNAL SURFACES IN FRICTIONAL, NONROTATING AND SEALING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID SECOND MEMBER CYLINDRICAL INTERNAL SURFACE, SAID FIRST AND SECOND RADIALLY EXPANDABLE RINGS TENDING TO EXPAND RADIALLY OUTWARDLY TO MAINTAIN SAID RESPECTIVE FIRST AND SECOND DEFORMABLE RING MEMBERS IN ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID SECOND MEMBER CYLINDRICAL INTERNAL SURFACE, SAID FIRST AND SECOND DEFORMABLE RING MEMBERS BEING URGED AXIALLY AWAY FROM EACH OTHER BY FLUID PRESSURE BETWEEN SAID FIRST AND SECOND MEMBERS SO THAT SAID FIRST AND SECOND DEFORMABLE RING MEMBER PLANAR SEALING SURFACES ARE IN SLIDING SEALING RELATION WITH SAID FIRST MEMBER FIRST AND SECOND RECESS SEALING SURFACES RESPECTIVELY.