Patent ID: 9746080
Date: 2017-08-29
CPC Classifications: F16F,F16J

Claim:
1. A high pressure seal assembly for application to a moveable shaft, the seal assembly having a high pressure side and a low pressure side opposite the high pressure side along an axial direction, the seal assembly comprising: a seal element including a heel and an elongated sealing leg that extends from the heel along the axial direction toward the high pressure side, the sealing leg having a lip configured to contact the moveable shaft so as to form a seal between the lip and the moveable shaft, the lip defining a terminal end; a cartridge insert including a base and a support element that extends from the base along the axial direction toward the high pressure side, the base and the support element defining an annular cavity, the cartridge insert configured to be stationary relative to the moveable shaft, and at least a portion of the seal element is located in the annular cavity such that the support element is in contact with the sealing leg; and a biasing assembly located in the annular cavity between the seal element and the base of the cartridge insert such that the heel of the seal element and the base of the cartridge insert are both in contact with the biasing assembly, the biasing assembly configured (i) to compress in response to an increase in a pressure differential between the low pressure side and the high pressure side and (ii) to expand in response to a decrease in the pressure differential, wherein the sealing leg of the seal element has a supported portion that is in contact with the support element, and a free portion that extends from the supported portion along the axial direction, the free portion defining a length that extends from a location aligned with the support element to the terminal end of the lip of the sealing leg, the length of the free portion of the sealing leg being variable according to changes in the pressure differential, whereby compression of the biasing assembly in response to an increase in the pressure differential moves the sealing element along the axial direction so as to decrease the length of the free portion of the sealing leg.