Patent ID: 7651100

Claim:
In a seal assembly for sealing with a rotatable component so that the seal assembly defines a first side of the seal assembly and a second side of the seal assembly and so that the first side is sealed from the second side by the seal assembly, the component defining a longitudinal axis of rotation and the component extending through the seal assembly between the first side and the second side of the seal assembly, the seal assembly comprising a seal element retained within a seal housing, wherein one of the seal element and the seal housing is comprised of a compressible material, wherein the seal element is comprised of a planar seal engagement surface, and wherein the seal housing is comprised of a planar housing engagement surface for engaging the planar seal engagement surface, the improvement comprising: (a) one of the planar seal engagement surface and the planar housing engagement surface being comprised of the compressible material; (b) the other of the planar seal engagement surface and the planar housing engagement surface being oriented in a plane normal to the longitudinal axis of rotation of the component and defining a depression therein for providing an isolated gap between the planar seal engagement surface and the planar housing engagement surface when the planar seal engagement surface and the planar housing engagement surface are engaged, for receiving the compressible material, and wherein the depression is comprised of a plurality of substantially parallel circumferential grooves; and (c) the seal element being exposed to a fluid pressure on the second side of the seal assembly such that an engagement force is exerted between the planar seal engagement surface and the planar housing engagement surface in order to press the compressible material into the depression and thereby restrain movement of the seal element relative to the seal housing.