US 12,467,565 B2
Brittle material joints with dynamic sealing
Mike Hvasta, Lawrence Township, NJ (US); Colin Kelsall, Cambridge, MA (US); Asegun Henry, Hyde Park, MA (US); Sandeep Pidaparti, Burlington, MA (US); and Joe Patrinostro, Centerville, MA (US)
Assigned to Fourth Power, Inc., Cambridge, MA (US)
Filed by Fourth Power, Inc., Cambridge, MA (US)
Filed on Jan. 22, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/419,239.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/440,358, filed on Jan. 20, 2023.
Prior Publication US 2024/0247741 A1, Jul. 25, 2024
Int. Cl. F16L 21/02 (2006.01); F16L 21/08 (2006.01)
CPC F16L 21/022 (2013.01) [F16L 21/08 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A joint structure comprising:
a first component and a second component aligned in a first direction, a first end of the first component being opposed to a first end of the second component;
a packing shell positioned around the first end of the first component and the first end of the second component such that the first component is inserted into the packing shell from the first end and the second component is inserted into the packing shell from the first end, wherein the first component, the second component, and the packing shell are made of a first graphite material;
a first sealing element positioned between the packing shell and the first end of the first component and further extending into the packing shell;
a second sealing element positioned between the packing shell and the first end of the second component and further extending into the packing shell;
a first compression ring positioned around the first end of the first component, a first end of the first compression ring being (i) adjacent to the first sealing element and (ii) positioned between the first end of the first component and the packing shell;
a second compression ring positioned around the first end of the second component, a first end of the second compression ring being (i) adjacent to the second sealing element and (ii) positioned between the first end of the second component and the packing shell;
a first compression flange positioned adjacent to a second end of the first compression ring and around the first end of the first component;
a second compression flange positioned adjacent to a second end of the second compression ring and around the first end of the second component;
a first split flange positioned adjacent to the first compression flange and around the first end of the first component, the first split flange comprising a first portion and a second portion and further being arranged in a first recessed region of the first component; and
a second split flange positioned adjacent to the second compression flange and around the first end of the second component, the second split flange comprising a third portion and a fourth portion and further being arranged in a second recessed region of the second component.