Abstract A cylindrical submersible housing is connected to a hemispherical glass shell in a manner to minimize failureproducing tensile forces usually attendant such a juncture. An annular channel provided in the housing receives a cylindrical extension of the hemispherical shell. The small space formed between the inner walls of the annular channel and the cylindrical extension is filled with oil, at least one pair of gland-''''O''''-ring combinations hydrostatically isolate the fluid from the interior and exterior of the submersible. The oil and gland-'''' O''''-ring combinations cooperate to hold the cylindrical extension from contacting the inner walls of the annular channel to eliminate lateral, tensile forces otherwise produced when a brittle material, such as glass, is subjected to high bearing forces. Higher pressure compensation is provided by a plurality of pairs of gland-''''O''''-ring combinations forming adjacent liquid-filled annular spaces each in fluid communication with one of a plurality of pressure regulators setting the pressure differential between adjacent annular spaces below that at which failure occurs across a gland-''''O''''-ring combination.
An assembly for sealing a juncture isolating a fluid at low pressure from a fluid at high pressure comprising: a housing member having a peripheral channel; a wall member reaching across said peripheral channel shaped with a portion having a thickness slightly less than the width of said channel and being disposed therein, said portion constructed to bear the area-pressure-product differential between the low pressure fluid and the high pressure fluid exerted on said wall member; a fluid filling the space between said thickness and said width; and means for hydrostatically retaining said fluid in said space to hold said portion away from the inner surfaces of said channel minimizing the creation of failure-producing tensile forces in said portion attendant direct bearing contact between said housing member and said wall member.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
131 words
An assembly for sealing a juncture isolating a fluid at low pressure from a fluid at high pressure comprising: a housing member having a peripheral channel; a wall member reaching across said peripheral channel shaped with a portion having a thickness slightly less than the width of said channel and being disposed therein, said portion constructed to bear the area-pressure-product differential between the low pressure fluid and the high pressure fluid exerted on said wall member; a fluid filling the space between said thickness and said width; and means for hydrostatically retaining said fluid in said space to hold said portion away from the inner surfaces of said channel minimizing the creation of failure-producing tensile forces in said portion attendant direct bearing contact between said housing member and said wall member.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
50 words
An assembly according to claim 1 in which said housing member is cylindrical-shaped with said channel being an annular channel having a rectangular cross-sectional configuration and said wall member is a hemispherical shell with said portion being a cylindrical projection having a rectangular cross-sectional configuration integral with said hemispherical shell.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
33 words
An assembly according to claim 2 in which the hydrostatic retaining means is at least one pair of opposed gland-''''O''''-ring combinations carried on the walls of said annular channel and said cylindrical projection.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
21 words
An assembly according to claim 3 further including: a plurality of said gland-''''O''''-ring combinations forming a plurality of adjacent annular spaces.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
45 words
An assembly according to claim 4 further including: a plurality of pressure regulators each provided with a duct communicating with a discrete one of said annular spaces to maintain the pressure differential between adjacent said annular spaces below the failure-pressure differential of said gland-''''O''''-ring combinations.