US 12,228,221 B2
Seal assembly
Robin Daniels, Huddersfield (GB); James Alexander McEwen, Huddersfield (GB); Levinia Mathews, Huddersfield (GB); Christopher Parry, Huddersfield (GB); Thomas Roberts, Huddersfield (GB); George E. Sandford, Huddersfield (GB); Stephen Caddy, Huddersfield (GB); Thomas Hulson, Leamington Spa (GB); Dave Lee, Shoreham-by-Sea (GB); Martin Selway, Shoreham-by-Sea (GB); Kevin Franks, Shoreham-by-Sea (GB); Lisa Jane Hill, Huddersfield (GB); Henry David Lambton Carr, Huddersfield (GB); Jonathan Wilson, Huddersfield (GB); Lee Curtis, Huddersfield (GB); Fahim Ismail Patel, Huddersfield (GB); Matthew Whittlesea, Huddersfield (GB); Matthew J. Purdey, Huddersfield (GB); and Donald E. Willey, Huddersfield (GB)
Assigned to Cummins Ltd, London (GB)
Appl. No. 17/432,169
Filed by Cummins Ltd, London (GB)
PCT Filed Feb. 21, 2020, PCT No. PCT/GB2020/050416
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Aug. 19, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/169986, PCT Pub. Date Aug. 27, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 1902347 (GB), filed on Feb. 21, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0186842 A1, Jun. 16, 2022
Int. Cl. F16K 5/04 (2006.01); F16J 15/44 (2006.01); F04D 29/16 (2006.01)
CPC F16K 5/0471 (2013.01) [F16J 15/44 (2013.01); F16K 5/0407 (2013.01); F04D 29/162 (2013.01)] 29 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A valve comprising:
a housing defining a valve chamber defining a longitudinal axis, an inlet adjoining the valve chamber, a primary outlet adjoining the valve chamber, and;
a valve member disposed within the valve chamber and supported for rotation about a longitudinal axis of the valve chamber, the valve member and the housing defining a clearance therebetween; and
a seal assembly comprising a first component and a second component spaced apart from the first component so as to define a passage for the transfer of fluid from an inlet of the seal assembly to an outlet of the seal assembly,
wherein:
the first component comprises a concavity at least partially defining the passage, and wherein no part of the second component extends into the portion of the passage bounded by the concavity,
the housing comprises one of the first component of the seal assembly and the second component of the seal assembly,
the valve member comprises the other of the first component of the seal assembly and the second component of the seal assembly,
the clearance comprises the passage of the seal assembly,
the valve further comprises a secondary outlet adjoining the valve chamber, the valve member comprises:
a first end wall positioned at a first longitudinal end of the valve member,
a second end wall positioned at a second longitudinal end of the valve member opposite the first end wall of the valve member, and
a web extending between the first and second end walls, and
the first end wall is received by a first end cap having a first longitudinally extending shaft, and wherein the second end wall is received by a second end cap having a second longitudinally extending shaft, the shafts being aligned with the longitudinal axis of the housing and being configured to support the valve member for rotation within the valve chamber.