Fluid sealing arrangements

Claim 1

A SEALING ASSEMBLY FOR SEALING AN ANNULAR CLEARANCE SPACE BETWEEN SURFACES OF FIRST AND SECOND RIGID MEMBERS, SAID FIRST MEMBER HAVING AN ANNULAR GROOVE OF PREDETERMINED DEPTH AND WIDTH, AT LEAST ONE END OF SAID GROOVE BEING FORMED BY A CONICAL SURFACE, A CONTINUOUS ELASTIC ANNULAR DEFORMABLE FORCE TRANSLATIONAL SEAL SQUEEZED RADIALLY BETWEEN THE BOTTOM OF SAID GROOVE AND THE SURFACE OF SAID SECOND RIGID MEMBER, AND A CONTINUOUS NON-SPLIT SEMIRIGID ANNULAR SEAL CONTROL RING IN SAID GROOVE POSITIONED BETWEEN SAID ANNULAR DEFORMABLE FORCE TRANSLATIONAL SEAL AND SAID CONICAL SURFACE, SAID SEAL CONTROL RING BEING OF ESSENTIALLY TRIANGULAR CROSS SECTION AND HAVING ONE FACE IN CONTACT WITH SAID CONICAL SURFACE, A SECOND FACE IN CONTACT WITH THE ADJACENT SURFACE OF SAID SECOND MEMBER AND A THIRD FACE IN CONTACT WITH SAID FORCE TRANSLATIONAL SEAL, THE ANGLE BETWEEN THE FACES OF SAID SEAL CONTROL RING ENGAGING THE CONICAL GROOVE WALL AND THE SURFACE OF SAID SECOND RIGID MEMBER IS SLIGHTLY GREATER THAN THE ANGLE BETWEEN SAID CONICAL GROOVE WALL AND THE FACE OF SAID SECOND RIGID MEMBER WHEREBY THE UNIT CONTACT PRESSURE IS INCREASED IN THE CORNER OF THE SEAL CONTROL RING ADJACENT TO THE ELASTIC FORCE TRANSLATIONAL SEAL INSURING THAT THE EDGE OF THE SEMI-RIGID SEAL CONTROL RING ADJACENT OT THE ELASTIC FORCE TRANSLATIONAL SEAL WILL FROM THE OUTSET OF ASSEMBLY AND OPERATION REMAIN IN CONTACT WITH THE SURFACE OF THE SECOND RIGID MEMBER, SAID SEAL CONTROL RING EXTENDING IN A DIRECTION AWAY FROM RIGID SECOND MEMBER IN SAID GROOVE ESSENTIALLY TO THE BOTTOM THEREOF, THE CROSS-SECTIONAL AREAS OF SAID GROOVE, SAID FORCE TRANSLATIONAL SEAL AND SAID SEAL CONTROL RING BEING SO RELATED THAT, IN THE ABSENCE OF A FLUID PRESSURE DIFFERENTIAL ACROSS THE ASSEMBLY, THERE IS A CLEARANCE BETWEEN SAID FORCE TRANSLATIONAL SEAL AND AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE ADJACENT END WALL OF SAID GROOVE AND A PORTION OF THE FACING CONICAL FACE OF SAID SEAL CONTROL RING, AND, WITH A POSITIVE FLUID PRESSURE DIFFERENTIAL ACROSS THE ASSEMBLY FROM THE SIDE OPPOSITE THE SEAL CONTROL RING, SAID FORCE TRANSLATIONAL SEAL IS DISPLACED IN THE DIRECTION OF SAID CONICAL SURFACE OF SAID GROOVE TO URGE SAID SEAL CONTROL RING ALONG SAID CONICAL SURFACE OF SAID GROOVE IN THE DIRECTION OF SAID SECOND RIGID MEMBER AND INTO TIGHT INTIMATE ENGAGEMENT WITH THE SURFACE OF SAID SECOND RIGID MEMBER TO THEREBY PREVENT EXTRUSION OF SAID FORCE TRANSLATIONAL SEAL INTO THE ANNULAR CLEARANCE BETWEEN SAID FIRST AND SECOND RIGID MEMBERS, THE PORTION OF SAID SEAL CONTROL RING ADJACENT TO THE BOTTOM OF SAID GROOVE ALSO BEING IN TIGHT INTIMATE CONTACT WITH SAID CONICAL SURFACE OF SAID GROOVE TO THEREBY PREVENT EXTRUSION OF SAID FORCE TRANSLATIONAL SEAL INTO ANY GAPS EXISTING BETWEEN SAID SEAL CONTROL RING AND SAID GROOVE, AND WITH THE SPACE BOUNDED BY THE SURFACES OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND RIGID MEMBERS ADJACENT TO SAID FORCE TRANSLATIONAL SEAL AND SAID SEAL CONTROL RING, UNDER ANY CONDITION OF FLUID PRESSURE DIFFERENTIAL, OR LACK THEREOF, ACROSS THE ASSEMBLY FROM THE SIDE OPPOSITE SAID SEAL CONTROL RING, BEING INSUFFICIENT TO PERMIT MOVEMENT OF SAID FORCE TRANSLATIONAL SEAL COMPLETELY AWAY FROM THE SURFACE OF SAID SECOND RIGID MEMBER THEREBY MAINTAINING SAID FORCE TRANSLATIONAL SEAL IN INTIMATE SEALING CONTACT WITH SAID FIRST AND SECOND RIGID MEMBERS AT ALL TIMES.