Patents Examined by Nicholas L Foster
  • Patent number: 11592109
    Abstract: A bearing seal includes at least one first metal-plate element having an attachment region for attaching the first metal-plate element to a bearing inner ring, at least one seal element attached to the first metal-plate element, and at least one spring element configured to press at least one region of the seal element in a radially outward direction. Also a wheel bearing assembly including the bearing seal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: AKTIEBOLAGET SKF
    Inventor: Rico Dittmar
  • Patent number: 11592106
    Abstract: A hollow annular seal for sealing two concentric components in a subsea environment is disclosed. The hollow annular seal is constructed from an elastomeric material with a hollow core. The hollow annular seal also includes a plurality of apertures to allow fluid to flow through the apertures and into the hollow core to prevent collapse of the fluid filled, hollow annular seal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Inventor: Sean P. Thomas
  • Patent number: 11592111
    Abstract: A torque-resistant dual face seal includes a seal ring having an L-shaped cross-section including an axially-extending flange and a radially-extending flange, the seal ring including an annular seal face and an opposing loading surface. The seal ring includes a plurality of deformations formed in a spaced apart arrangement circumferentially around the axially-extending flange. An axial cross-section through the axially-extending flange and intersecting one of the plurality of deformations includes a stepped geometry. The plurality of deformations allows a load ring to squeeze into the plurality of deformations to increase a surface area contact between the seal ring and the load ring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Loreena S. Plouse, Kenneth L. Crunkleton, Dennis M. Turczyn, Benjamin J. Copple
  • Patent number: 11585442
    Abstract: There is proposed an annular seal for a pipe coupling, comprising, a lower portion beatable within an upwardly open annular groove in the pipe coupling, an upper portion having an upwardly facing abutment surface, a depending skirt and a stiffening ring. The depending skirt is configured for engagement over a circular upstand of the pipe coupling, which is located inwardly of the annular groove. The stiffening ring is located within the upper portion of the annular seal, and includes an annular portion that is generally parallel with and spaced apart from the abutment surface and at least one circumferential leg depending from the annular portion that provides reinforcement for the depending leg.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Inventor: Jeanette Byrne
  • Patent number: 11578801
    Abstract: A cover for a bearing housing, in particular intended to be mounted on machinery for the food industry, provided with an end wall transverse to an axis of the bearing housing; with an annular side wall which extends transversely with respect to the end wall; and with an engaging portion towards the bearing housing, which is formed on one end of the side wall opposite to the end wall; a through-opening being formed through the end wall so as to allow the passage of a moving shaft, preferably a rotating shaft, and being surrounded by a reinforcing ring rigidly joined to and integral with the end wall so as to support a sealing element mounted on the through-opening and sealingly engaged by the moving shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Inventors: Fausto Baracca, Andrea A. Bertolini, Fabio Cavacece, Fabio Falaschi, Pasquale Frezza
  • Patent number: 11578757
    Abstract: A sealing apparatus includes: an annular reinforcement ring around an axis; and an annular elastic body part around the axis, which is attached to the reinforcement ring and is formed of an elastic body. The elastic body part has: a side lip, an intermediate lip, and a grease lip. A grease as a lubricant is applied to respective inner peripheral side surfaces of the side lip, the intermediate lip, and the grease lip. A thickener of the grease includes no urea-based thickener. In a usage state of the sealing apparatus, a cross sectional area of an inter-lip space enclosed by the side lip, the intermediate lip, and a hub ring is equal to or greater than 3.5 mm2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: MINEBEA MITSUMI Inc.
    Inventors: Yuichi Tarukawa, Yuichi Shuto, Kei Sasaki, Shohei Yamane, Takuya Kato
  • Patent number: 11572968
    Abstract: A high capacity universal connector for use in connecting tubular members and a method for sealing the tubular members is provided. First and second tubular members are provided which each have ends that are brought into face-to-face engagement by a connector. A metal sealing element seals against conical surfaces at the ends of the first and second tubular members and enables the entire surface of the end of one tubular member to be bought into engagement with the surface of the end of the other tubular member so as to improve the bending and compression capacity of the assembly comprising the tubular members and the metal sealing element. A metal sealing ring for use in this assembly is also provided, along with a gasket retention assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignee: Dril-Quip, Inc.
    Inventors: Morris B. Wade, Mark A. Manning, Blake T. DeBerry, Bruce J. Witwer
  • Patent number: 11566616
    Abstract: One or more techniques and/or systems are disclosed for mitigating fluid loss or leakage from a fluid pump with a rotating shaft driving a pumping mechanism. A one-piece, combined packing gland-bushing component can have an internal seal that allows for use of lubricants at higher pressures. Further, the combined packing gland-bushing component can be configured with a removal component that allows for easier removal of the packing gland-bushing component from a pump shaft, and shaft packing box.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: VIKING PUMP, INC.
    Inventors: Victor Christian Iehl, John Hall, Michael Robert Crawford, Chad Wunderlich
  • Patent number: 11566669
    Abstract: A component assembly for a motor vehicle includes a housing and an actuating element that is rotatable about an axis. The assembly also includes an actuator which is configured to cause a rotation of the actuating element. The assembly further includes a rotatable shaft which extends along a shaft axis and is disposed between the actuating element and the actuator and which is coupled to the actuating element and the actuator. The shaft is guided through a first through opening in the housing. A sealing system is provided in a radial direction perpendicular to the shaft axis so as to be between the shaft and a first internal wall of the first through opening. The sealing system has a sealing element support having a first side and a second side that faces away from the first side. The sealing element support is fastened in the first through opening. The sealing element support has a second through opening having a second internal wall. The shaft is guided through the second through opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Ralph Glemser, Rene Schepp
  • Patent number: 11566708
    Abstract: A gasket assembly is provided having a ring seal (100) and a ring joint gasket (12). The ring seal (100) has an annular sealing body (102) and an annular outer seal portion (106) disposed on and defining an outer edge of the annular sealing body (102). An annular inner seal portion (108) is disposed on and defines an inner edge of the annular sealing body (102). A central bore (104) is defined by an annular surface (110) of the annular inner seal portion (108). The ring joint gasket (12) has an inner surface (13) that engages the annular outer seal portion (106) of the ring seal (100), wherein the ring joint gasket is insertable into a flange of a ring-type joint.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: Micro Motion, Inc.
    Inventors: Miles Keeney-Ritchie, David Kuhny
  • Patent number: 11565786
    Abstract: An aircraft door sealing system comprises a resilient sealing element secured to an aircraft door arrangement first element and comprising a sealing lip extending from a sealing member. A rigid counter-bearing element is secured to an aircraft door arrangement second element and cooperates with the sealing element to seal a gap between the first and second elements. The counter-bearing element comprises a first portion cooperating with the sealing member and a second portion cooperating with the sealing lip. The sealing lip and the second portion are positioned relative to each other, and the sealing lip can be resiliently deformed, so that the sealing lip is applied to the second portion and a contact face between the sealing lip and the second portion is formed or increases, when an external pressure acting on an outer face of the sealing lip via the gap, exceeds a threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH
    Inventor: Jens Heeren
  • Patent number: 11560948
    Abstract: A seal device for sealing slide-out room opening in recreational vehicles. The seal including a base; a bulb; an alignment aid member; and a positional member. The base having a proximal end, a distal end, an inside portion, an outside portion, and a perpendicular member. The bulb having an arcuate portion, a sidewall portion and a curled end portion. The positional member extending perpendicularly to the base distal end in opposite direction of the alignment aid member. The seal device may further include a flap extending co-linearly from the base distal end and a fastening system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Assignee: Uni-Grip, Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew Mathias, Kip Alspach, Doug Parsell, John Newman, Creston Kinley, Gary Steinmetz, Josh Weatherholtz, Charles Billeg, Christopher Vent
  • Patent number: 11549623
    Abstract: The pipe ball joint includes a casing having a socket portion with a substantially spherical interior surface and a first pipe segment extending from the socket portion. The socket portion has an annular groove disposed adjacent the partially spherical interior surface. A ball pipe section includes a ball segment received in the socket portion of the casing and a second pipe segment extending from the ball segment. A seal assembly is received in the annular groove of the casing and is disposed against the ball segment of the ball pipe section. The seal assembly includes a plurality of nested seal rings that each include a concave face and a convex face.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: Freudenberg Oil & Gas, LLC
    Inventors: Brian A. Wallace, Reza Payvar
  • Patent number: 11549622
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a sealing apparatus for use in a hypertube, which includes a first tube, a second tube having one end connected to an end of the first tube, and a gasket including a seal made of a fiber structure formed with a space that is filled with a sealing fluid, wherein the gasket is configured to seal a space between the first tube and the second tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: KOREA RAILROAD RESEARCH INSTITUTE
    Inventors: JaeHeon Choi, KwanSup Lee, SuYong Choi, JinHo Lee, YongJun Jang, ChangYoung Lee, LeeHyeon Kim, MinHwan Ok, JungYoul Lim, JeongMin Jo
  • Patent number: 11543030
    Abstract: An electrically isolating gasket is disclosed wherein a coating layer is disposed on at least one conductive surface, and in some embodiments, on all surfaces or at least all of the conductive surfaces. The electrically isolating gasket includes a core gasket component, a ring seal component, and a non-conductive inner seal component. The coating layer can be, for example, polyimide, polyamide, ceramic, and aluminum oxide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: Garlock Pipeline Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Ian Brown, Ryan Buttimer, T. Scott Tanner, Christopher Remley
  • Patent number: 11530749
    Abstract: Provided is a seal ring configured so that stable lubrication performance can be provided across a wide range of rotation speed. A seal ring for sealing a clearance between a rotary shaft and a housing includes multiple static pressure grooves provided at a sliding surface of the seal ring and arranged in a circumferential direction, the static pressure grooves being opened on a sealed fluid side and closed on an outer diameter side, a circumferential length of each of the static pressure grooves being shorter than a radial length of each of the static pressure grooves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2022
    Inventors: Wataru Kimura, Yuichiro Tokunaga, Yoshiaki Takigahira, Toru Kono, Hidetoshi Kasahara, Jun Hiromatsu, Takafumi Ota
  • Patent number: 11530748
    Abstract: The shape of a back-up ring is a V-shaped sectional shape. In the back-up ring, an annular concave surface part having a V-shaped sectional shape serving as a valley toward a high-pressure side is formed on a surface part on a side that faces a seal ring, and an annular convex surface part having a V-shaped sectional shape serving as a peak toward a low-pressure side is formed on a surface part opposite to the side that faces the seal ring. When a high pressure is applied from a high-pressure side, the back-up ring is deformed such that V-shaped angles of an annular concave surface part and an annular convex surface part are increased as the annular concave surface part is pressed against the seal ring, and is brought into close contact with a housing and a shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2022
    Assignees: ARAI SEISAKUSHO CO, LTD., HITACHI ASTEMO, LTD.
    Inventors: Haruki Nobori, Yuya Suzuki
  • Patent number: 11530721
    Abstract: A sealing device includes a metal core configured to be attached to a stationary member of a bearing mechanism, an annular slinger configured to be attached to a rotary member of the bearing mechanism, a seal member attached to the metal core, and a discharge body. The discharge body includes a base having discharge holes, an attachment that is continuous with the base and attached to the slinger, and fins protruding from the base. The discharge body is configured to be rotated together with the slinger. A communication space surrounded by the slinger and the seal member is configured to communicate with an external space of the bearing mechanism via an opening. At least the fins of the discharge body are positioned in the communication space. When the rotary member rotates, an inflow flowed into the communication space is moved by the fins toward the external space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2022
    Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Katsuyuki Ichinohe, Kengo Ito, Yasufumi Suzuki
  • Patent number: 11519505
    Abstract: A multi-layer metal gasket includes a first functional layer and a second functional layer. A bore and a fastener hole extend through the first and second functional layers. The first functional layer has a first embossment protruding toward the second functional layer and the second functional layer has a second embossment protruding toward the first functional layer. The first embossment and the second embossment each encircle the bore. An intermediate layer is between the first and second functional layers. The intermediate layer extends between the first embossment and the second embossment and extends from the first and second embossments to the fastener hole. A spacer layer is between the intermediate layer and the first functional layer. The spacer layer has an inner edge defining a hole through the spacer layer. The inner edge encircles the first embossment. The spacer layer extends from the inner edge to the fastener hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: Federal-Mogul Motorparts LLC
    Inventors: Richard Michael Larson, Bartosz Gagor
  • Patent number: 11519506
    Abstract: A seal for a vacuum lifter and method of manufacture wherein the seal has a continuous unbroken outer fluid resistant skin of elastomer which forms a boundary around a homogeneous cellular structure with no interior seams or joints.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: Vacuworx Global, LLC
    Inventors: Robert Denton, James Ray Podesta, William J. Solomon