Seal construction for fluid extractor

Claim 2

In a centrifugal apparatuS, the combination comprising: a fluid container having a wall portion defining an opening therein; a rotatable means having a shaft extending axially through said opening; means for supporting said rotatable means for rotation and for generally lateral movement of said shaft relative to said opening; a seal assembly encircling said shaft and sealed to said fluid container for substantially closing said opening, said seal assembly including a resilient portion for permitting the lateral movement of said shaft; a seal member encircling said shaft at an axial position between said rotatable means and said seal assembly and having a noninterlocking relationship with said rotatable means and said seal assembly, said seal member including a first surface engageable with one of said seal assembly and said rotatable means to provide a static fluid seal therewith, said seal member further including a second surface engageable with the other of said seal assembly and said rotatable means to provide a static and a dynamic fluid seal therewith; and means for maintaining engagement of said seal member with said rotatable means and said seal assembly to maintain said static and dynamic seals.

Claim 3

In a centrifugal apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said first surface is frictionally engageable with said seal assembly to effect a static fluid seal between the seal assembly and the seal member and wherein said second surface is slidingly engageable with said rotatable means to provide a static and dynamic fluid seal between the seal member and the rotatable means.

Claim 4

In a centrifugal apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said seal member is axially movable relative to said shaft and laterally movable with said shaft and wherein said first surface is engageable with said seal assembly and said second surface is engageable with said rotatable means.

Claim 5

In a centrifugal apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said means for maintaining engagement is a spring substantially in the form of a truncated cone and operably disposed between said seal assembly and said fluid container wall portion.

Claim 6

In a centrifugal apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said seal assembly includes an outer annular portion sealingly fixed to said fluid container at a position juxtaposed to the periphery of said opening and further includes a central portion connected to said outer annular portion by a series of resilient convolutions whereby the central portion is yieldingly movable relative to said fluid container.

Claim 7

In a centrifugal apparatus as defined in claim 5 wherein the central portion of said seal assembly includes a sleeve bearing on said shaft and wherein said means for maintaining engagement of said seal member with said rotatable means and said seal assembly is in the form of a biasing spring operably disposed between the wall portion of said fluid container and the central portion of said seal assembly.

Claim 8

In a centrifugal apparatus as defined in claim 5 wherein said seal member includes a first relatively large surface frictionally engageable with the central portion of said seal assembly to effect a static fluid seal between the seal assembly and the seal member and wherein said seal member further includes a second relatively small area surface slidingly engageable with said rotatable means to provide a static and dynamic fluid seal between the seal member and the rotatable means.

Claim 9

In a centrifugal apparatus, the combination comprising: a fluid container having a bottom wall portion defining an opening therein; a spinner assembly operable on a substantially vertical axis and having a shaft extending axially downwardly through said opening and supported below said bottom wall portion for nutational and rotational movement; a seal assembly encircling said shaft and sealingly attached to said fluid container for substantially closing said opening and including a resilient portion for permitting generally lateral movement of said shaft relative to said opening during said nutationAl movement, said seal assembly further including a central portion adjacent said shaft and movable laterally with said shaft relative to said opening; a seal member encircling said shaft at an axial position between said spinner assembly and said seal assembly and having a noninterlocking relationship with said spinner assembly and said seal assembly, said seal member including a first surface frictionally engageable with the central portion of said seal assembly to provide a static fluid seal between said seal member and said seal assembly, said seal member further including a second surface engageable with said spinner assembly to provide a static and a dynamic fluid seal therewith; and means for maintaining engagement of said seal member with said spinner assembly and said seal assembly during said nutational and rotational movement to maintain said static and dynamic seals.

Claim 10

In a centrifugal apparatus, the combination comprising: a fluid container having a bottom wall portion defining an opening therein; a spinner assembly operable on a substantially vertical axis and having a shaft extending axially downwardly through said opening and supported below said bottom wall portion for nutational and rotational movement; a seal assembly encircling said shaft and sealingly attached to said fluid container for substantially closing said opening and including a resilient portion for permitting generally lateral movement of said shaft relative to said opening during said nutationAl movement, said seal assembly further including a central portion adjacent said shaft and movable laterally with said shaft relative to said opening; a seal member encircling said shaft at an axial position between said spinner assembly and said seal assembly and having a noninterlocking relationship with said spinner assembly and said seal assembly, said seal member including a first surface frictionally engageable with the central portion of said seal assembly to provide a static fluid seal between said seal member and said seal assembly, said seal member further including a second surface engageable with said spinner assembly to provide a static and a dynamic fluid seal therewith; and means for maintaining engagement of said seal member with said spinner assembly and said seal assembly during said nutational and rotational movement to maintain said static and dynamic seals.

Claim 11

In a centrifugal apparatus as defined in claim 8 wherein said spinner assembly includes a hub portion having a stainless steel insert and wherein said seal member is in the form of a molded plastic seal nose having a second surface relatively smaller than said first surface and slidingly engageable with said stainless steel insert.

Claim 12

In a centrifugal apparatus as defined in claim 8 wherein said means for maintaining engagement is a biasing spring substantially in the form of a truncated cone and operable for maintaining said static and dynamic seals during rotational and nutational operation of said spinner assembly.