Patent ID: 7044470

Claim:
A rotary seal assembly comprising: a first member having a sealing face; a second member having a sealing face with a number of pumping grooves therein, at least a first set of pumping grooves starting proximate a center portion of the sealing face of the second member and extending outward towards the outer diameter of the second member and at least a second set of pumping grooves starting proximate the center portion of the sealing face of the second member and extending inward towards the inner diameter of the second member to direct fluid fed to the center portion of the sealing face simultaneously both inwardly and outwardly from the center portion of the sealing face of the second member to provide a uniform fluid film thickness between the sealing faces of the first and second members when one sealing face cones due to thermal and/or pressure effects; a holder mounted to one of said first or second members and movable therewith, and a spring which biases the first and second members apart, a gap between the holder and the said first or second member responsive to system pressure which overcomes the spring at a predetermined level; and a feeding groove for providing fluid to the center portion of the sealing face of the second member; said feeding groove being discontinuous forming a number of feeding groove sections.