Patent ID: 8056902

Claim:
An isolator seal, comprising: a stator member placed on a stator of rotating equipment; a rotor member placed on a rotary shaft of rotating equipment, said stator member and said rotor member providing respective, adjacent surfaces; and, a static shut-off device having a resilient annular sealing member and an auxiliary member, movable between a first position, when said rotor member is static, wherein said auxiliary member axially biases said resilient annular sealing member into engagement with both said adjacent surfaces and a second position, radially outwards of said first position, wherein the axial bias of said auxiliary member on said resilient annular sealing member is reduced for moving said resilient annular sealing member away from engagement with said adjacent surfaces via a centrifugal force having to overcome solely the axial bias of said auxiliary member and said resilient annular sealing member moves only axially along the longitudinal axis of said rotary shaft, whereby said resilient annular sealing member disengages one or more of said rotor member and stator member surfaces when said rotor member is dynamic.