Sealing ring with retaining means

Claim 2

A sealed joint comprising a pair of coupling members and means securing them together in abutting contact to define therebetween an annular chamber of predetermined size including radially and axially spaced apart walls; and a sealing ring of resiliently deformable material axially squeezed in said chamber between said axially spaced apart walls into sealed engagement with the respective coupling members, said sealing ring having a volume which is less than that of said chamber and having a plurality of radially extending circumferentially spaced apart nubs, the extremities of which in the relaxed condition of said sealing ring lie on a circle concentric with said ring and have an interference fit with one of said radially spaced apart walls whereby during assembly and disassembly of said coupling members said ring is frictionally retained in the portion of said chamber which contains said one of said radially spaced apart walls, the axial thickness of said nubs being less than the axial thickness of said ring prior to axial squeezing thereof in said chamber whereby, during assembly of said coupling members, said ring is axially squeezed primarily circumferentially around such axially thicker portion rather than at said nubs, said ring, upon axial squeezing thereof between said axially spaced apart walls, having its side opposite to said nubs in contact with the other one of said radially spaced apart walls whereby dominant fluid pressure on the nub side of said ring is ineffective to radially move said ring in said annular chamber.

Claim 3

The sealed joint of claim 1 wherein said annular chamber is essentially of rectangular cross-section; and wherein said sealing ring is of circular radial cross-section except at the locations of said nubs, said ring being squeezed to generally oval shaped radial cross-section between the axially spaced apart walls of said chamber.

Claim 4

The sealed joint of claim 1 wherein said nubs extend radially inwardly from said sealing ring to contact the radially inner one of said radially spaced apart walls.

Claim 5

The sealed joint of claim 3 wherein said ring, when disposed in said chamber, has its outside diameter in contact with the radially outer one of said radially spaced apart walls.

Claim 6

A sealing ring of rubber-like resiliently deformable material comprising a portion of circular radial cross-section adapted to be axially squeezed to generally oval cross-section in a packing chamber having axially and radially spaced apart walls with one side of said oval cross-section in contact with one of said radially spaced apart walls; and circumferentially spaced apart, radially extending nub portions on the other side of said portion integral with said portion adapted at their radial exTremities to have an interference fit with the other one of said radially spaced apart walls prior to axial squeezing of said portion; said nub portions having radially extending axes which lie in a plane perpendicular to the axis of said sealing ring and which pass diametrically through the axial middle of said portion, and said nub portions being of axial thickness less than the radial cross-section diameter of said portion so as not to impede axial squeezing of said portion to oval cross-section.

Claim 7

A sealing ring of rubber-like resiliently deformable material comprising a portion of circular radial cross-section adapted to be axially squeezed to generally oval cross-section in a packing chamber having axially and radially spaced apart walls with one side of said oval cross-section in contact with one of said radially spaced apart walls; and circumferentially spaced apart, radially extending nub portions on the other side of said portion integral with said portion adapted at their radial exTremities to have an interference fit with the other one of said radially spaced apart walls prior to axial squeezing of said portion; said nub portions having radially extending axes which lie in a plane perpendicular to the axis of said sealing ring and which pass diametrically through the axial middle of said portion, and said nub portions being of axial thickness less than the radial cross-section diameter of said portion so as not to impede axial squeezing of said portion to oval cross-section.

Claim 8

The sealing ring of claim 5 wherein said nub portions extend radially inwardly of said portion.

Claim 9

The sealing ring of claim 5 wherein said nub portions are cylindrical with rounded extremities to facilitate installation of said ring into such chamber with the extremities of said nub portions frictionally engaging said other one of the radially spaced apart walls.

Claim 10

A sealed joint comprising a pair of coupling members and means securing them together in abutting contact to dedefine therebetween an annular chamber of predetermined size including radially and axially spaced apart walls; and a sealing ring of resiliently deformable material axially squeezed in said chamber between said axially spaced apart walls into sealed engagement with the respective coupling members, said sealing ring having a volume which is less than that of said chamber and having a plurality of radially extending circumferentially spaced apart nubs which are of generally cylindrical form with radially extending axes and with rounded radial extremities, said extremities lying on a circle concentric with said ring and having an interference fit with one of said radially spaced apart walls whereby during assembly and disassembly of said coupling members said ring is frictionally retained in the portion of said chamber which contains said one of said radially spaced apart walls, the axial thickness of said nubs being less than the axial thickness of said ring prior to axial squeezing thereof in said chamber whereby, during assembly of said coupling members, said ring is axially squeezed primarily circumferentially around such axially thicker portion rather than at said nubs, said ring, upon axial squeezing thereof between said axially spaced apart walls, having its side opposite to said nubs in contact with the other one of said radially spaced apart walls whereby dominant fluid pressure on the nub side of said ring is ineffective to radially move said ring in said annular chamber.

Claim 11

A sealed joint comprising a pair of coupling members and means securing them together in abutting contact to dedefine therebetween an annular chamber of predetermined size including radially and axially spaced apart walls; and a sealing ring of resiliently deformable material axially squeezed in said chamber between said axially spaced apart walls into sealed engagement with the respective coupling members, said sealing ring having a volume which is less than that of said chamber and having a plurality of radially extending circumferentially spaced apart nubs which are of generally cylindrical form with radially extending axes and with rounded radial extremities, said extremities lying on a circle concentric with said ring and having an interference fit with one of said radially spaced apart walls whereby during assembly and disassembly of said coupling members said ring is frictionally retained in the portion of said chamber which contains said one of said radially spaced apart walls, the axial thickness of said nubs being less than the axial thickness of said ring prior to axial squeezing thereof in said chamber whereby, during assembly of said coupling members, said ring is axially squeezed primarily circumferentially around such axially thicker portion rather than at said nubs, said ring, upon axial squeezing thereof between said axially spaced apart walls, having its side opposite to said nubs in contact with the other one of said radially spaced apart walls whereby dominant fluid pressure on the nub side of said ring is ineffective to radially move said ring in said annular chamber.