US5062648A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Seal for rotating torque tube with seal valve
Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed Inc
•
Filing: 1990-03-21
•
Granted: 1991-11-05
•
Expires: 2010-03-21
Abstract
Abstract A device for establishing a fluid-tight seal around a rotatable drive shaft has a housing which is formed with a straight bore through which the drive shaft is positioned. The bore has a narrow portion, a wide portion and a tapered portion between the narrow and wide portions. A beveled annular seal is positioned in the wide portion of the bore around the drive shaft with the bevel abutting the side of the tapered portion of the bore. An actuator is engaged to the housing and is movable to urge the seal against the tapered portion of the bore to constrict the seal around the drive shaft and establish a fluid-tight seal between the drive shaft and the annular seal. The housing further includes an expanded conforming portion. A flexible seal valve is positioned in the expanded portion to receive the drive shaft. A seal valve has a deformable wedge-shaped portion terminating in a normally closed slit when the shaft is removed. The seal valve prevents leakage when the shaft is inserted into or withdrawn from the housing.
Inventors
- 👤 Gary G. Gomringer
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-22 23:01
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61B; A61B17/00; A61B17/32; A61B17/3205; A61B17/3207; A61B17/320758; A61M; A61M39/00; A61M39/02; A61M39/06; A61M39/0613; F; F16; F16J; F16J15/00; F16J15/16; F16J15/32; F16J15/3204; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T137/00; Y10T137/7722; Y10T137/7837; Y10T137/7879; Y10T137/788; Y10T137/7882
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 30
Claim 1
Independent Claim
104 words
A device for preventing leakage when establishing a fluid-tight seal around a rotatable drive shaft which comprises: resilient means for radially surrounding said drive shaft; means for holding said resilient means on said drive shaft; means for urging said resilient means against said holding means to constrict said resilient means around said drive shaft to establish a fluid-tight seal; and resilient valve means having a reclosable slit and mounted within said holding means for receiving said drive shaft through said slit, said slit being closed when said drive shaft is removed from said valve means to establish said valve means as a fluid barrier.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
104 words
A device for preventing leakage when establishing a fluid-tight seal around a rotatable drive shaft which comprises: resilient means for radially surrounding said drive shaft; means for holding said resilient means on said drive shaft; means for urging said resilient means against said holding means to constrict said resilient means around said drive shaft to establish a fluid-tight seal; and resilient valve means having a reclosable slit and mounted within said holding means for receiving said drive shaft through said slit, said slit being closed when said drive shaft is removed from said valve means to establish said valve means as a fluid barrier.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
47 words
A device for preventing leakage when establishing a fluid-tight seal around a rotatable drive shaft as recited in claim 1, wherein said valve means has a cylindrical base with an outer ring, and said slit is formed by a hollow wedge-shaped portion terminating in a reclosable aperture.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
51 words
A device for preventing leakage when establishing a fluid-tight seal around a rotatable drive shaft as recited in claim 2 wherein said holding means is formed with a longitudinal bore having a relatively narrow portion, a relatively wide portion and a tapered portion intermediate said narrow portion and said wide portion.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
58 words
A device for preventing leakage when establishing a fluid-tight seal around a rotatable drive shaft as recited in claim 3 wherein said resilient means is tube-shaped and has a beveled end defining an aperture and has a raised peripheral ring for abutting said wide portion to establish a fluid-tight seal between said resilient means and said holding means.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
52 words
A device for preventing leakage when establishing a fluid-tight seal around a rotatable drive shaft as recited in claim 4 wherein said urging means is engageable with said holding means and movable with respect thereto to urge said beveled end of said resilient means against said tapered portion of said holding means.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
31 words
A device for preventing leakage when establishing a fluid-tight seal around a rotatable drive shaft as recited in claim 5 wherein said urging means is threadably engaged to said holding means.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
80 words
A device for preventing leakage when establishing a fluid-tight seal around a rotatable drive shaft as recited in claim 5 wherein said resilient means is attached to said urging means and said urging means is movable on said holding means between a first position wherein said aperture is enlarged to release said resilient means from said drive shaft and a second position wherein said aperture of said resilient means is constricted to establish a fluid-tight seal around said drive shaft.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
30 words
A device for preventing leakage when establishing a fluid-tight seal around a rotatable drive shaft as recited in claim 5 wherein said resilient means is made of an elastomeric material.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
30 words
A device for preventing leakage when establishing a fluid-tight seal around a rotatable drive shaft as recited in claim 5 wherein said holding means is made of a rigid material.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
30 words
A device for preventing leakage when establishing a fluid-tight seal around a rotatable drive shaft as recited in claim 5 wherein said urging means is made of a rigid material.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
97 words
A device for preventing leakage when establishing a fluid-tight seal around a rotatable drive shaft which comprises: an annular seal having an aperture for receiving said drive shaft therethrough; a resilient seal valve having a pair of deformable flexible flaps resiliently biased against one another to form a reclosable aperture for receiving said drive shaft therethrough; a housing for holding said annular seal and said seal valve on said drive shaft; and an actuator engageable with said housing to squeeze said annular seal therebetween to constrict said aperture and establish a fluid-tight seal around said drive shaft.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
97 words
A device for preventing leakage when establishing a fluid-tight seal around a rotatable drive shaft which comprises: an annular seal having an aperture for receiving said drive shaft therethrough; a resilient seal valve having a pair of deformable flexible flaps resiliently biased against one another to form a reclosable aperture for receiving said drive shaft therethrough; a housing for holding said annular seal and said seal valve on said drive shaft; and an actuator engageable with said housing to squeeze said annular seal therebetween to constrict said aperture and establish a fluid-tight seal around said drive shaft.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
92 words
A device for preventing leakage when establishing a fluid-tight seal around a rotatable drive shaft as recited in claim 11 wherein said housing is formed with a longitudinal bore having a relatively narrow portion, a relatively wide portion and a tapered portion intermediate said narrow portion and said wide portion; and wherein said seal is tube-shaped and has a beveled end around said aperture for abutting said tapered portion of said housing and has a peripheral ring for abutting said wide portion to establish fluid-tight seal between said seal and said housing.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
42 words
A device for preventing leakage when establishing a fluid-tight seal around a rotatable drive shaft as recited in claim 12 wherein said actuator is engageable with said housing and movable with respect thereto to urge said beveled end against said tapered portion.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
29 words
A device for preventing leakage when establishing a fluid-tight seal around a rotatable drive shaft as recited in claim 13 wherein said actuator is threadably engaged to said housing.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
74 words
A device for preventing leakage when establishing a fluid-tight seal around a rotatable drive shaft as recited in claim 13 wherein said seal is attached to said actuator and said actuator is movable on said housing between a first position wherein said aperture is enlarged to release said seal from said drive shaft and a second position wherein said aperture of said seal is constricted to establish a fluid-tight seal around said drive shaft.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
29 words
A device for preventing leakage when establishing a fluid-tight seal around a rotatable drive shaft as recited in claim 13 wherein said seal is made of an elastomeric material.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
29 words
A device for preventing leakage when establishing a fluid-tight seal around a rotatable drive shaft as recited in claim 13 wherein said housing is made of a rigid material.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
29 words
A device for preventing leakage when establishing a fluid-tight seal around a rotatable drive shaft as recited in claim 13 wherein said actuator is made of a rigid material.
Claim 21
Independent Claim
223 words
A device for preventing leakage when establishing a fluid-tight seal around a rotatable drive shaft which comprises: a housing formed with a longitudinal bore, said bore having a relatively narrow portion, a relatively wide portion and a tapered portion intermediate said narrow portion and said wide portion, said relatively narrow portion including a conforming portion; a resilient seal valve having a flexible aperture for receiving said drive shaft and resiliently closing after said drive shaft is withdrawn from said aperture, said seal valve being seated in said conforming portion of said bore; a tube-shaped seal member having a beveled end defining an aperture and having a peripheral ring, said seal member being positioned in said wide portion of said bore with said ring abutting said wide portion to establish a fluid-tight seal between said seal member and said housing and with said beveled end abutting said tapered portion and said aperture in alignment with said bore; and an actuator having a passageway, said actuator being engageable with said housing to align said passageway with said aperture and with said bore to receive said drive shaft therethrough and, said actuator being movable on said housing to urge said beveled end of said seal member against said tapered portion of said bore to constrict said aperture and establish a fluid-tight seal around said drive shaft.
Claim 22
Independent Claim
223 words
A device for preventing leakage when establishing a fluid-tight seal around a rotatable drive shaft which comprises: a housing formed with a longitudinal bore, said bore having a relatively narrow portion, a relatively wide portion and a tapered portion intermediate said narrow portion and said wide portion, said relatively narrow portion including a conforming portion; a resilient seal valve having a flexible aperture for receiving said drive shaft and resiliently closing after said drive shaft is withdrawn from said aperture, said seal valve being seated in said conforming portion of said bore; a tube-shaped seal member having a beveled end defining an aperture and having a peripheral ring, said seal member being positioned in said wide portion of said bore with said ring abutting said wide portion to establish a fluid-tight seal between said seal member and said housing and with said beveled end abutting said tapered portion and said aperture in alignment with said bore; and an actuator having a passageway, said actuator being engageable with said housing to align said passageway with said aperture and with said bore to receive said drive shaft therethrough and, said actuator being movable on said housing to urge said beveled end of said seal member against said tapered portion of said bore to constrict said aperture and establish a fluid-tight seal around said drive shaft.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
57 words
A device for preventing leakage when establishing a fluid-tight seal around a rotatable drive shaft as recited in claim 19, wherein said seal valve comprises a hollow cylindrical base, and a wedge-shaped portion formed by a pair of deformable flaps which taper from said base to terminate in a reclosable slit, said flaps being resiliently biased together.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
73 words
A device for preventing leakage when establishing a fluid-tight seal around a rotatable drive shaft as recited in claim 20 wherein said actuator is attached to said seal member and said actuator is movable on said housing between a first position wherein said aperture is enlarged to release said seal member from said drive shaft and a second position wherein said aperture is constricted to establish a fluid-tight seal around said drive shaft.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
29 words
A device for preventing leakage when establishing a fluid-tight seal around a rotatable drive shaft as recited in claim 20 wherein said seal is made of an elastomeric material.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
29 words
A device for preventing leakage when establishing a fluid-tight seal around a rotatable drive shaft as recited in claim 20 wherein said housing is made of a rigid material.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
29 words
A device for preventing leakage when establishing a fluid-tight seal around a rotatable drive shaft as recited in claim 20 wherein said actuator is made of a rigid material.
Claim 28
Independent Claim
137 words
A device for preventing leakage when establishing a fluid-tight seal around a rotatable drive shaft which comprises: resilient means for radially surrounding said drive shaft; means for holding said resilient means on said drive shaft; means for selectively urging said resilient means against said holding means to constrict said resilient means around said drive shaft to establish a fluid-tight seal therewith, or distancing said resilient means from said holding means to release said resilient means from said holding means to release said resilient means from said drive shaft to break said fluid-tight seal; and valve means having a recloseable slit and mounted within said holding means for receiving said drive shaft through said slit, said slit being closed when said drive shaft is removed from said valve means to establish said valve means as a fluid barrier.
Claim 29
Independent Claim
137 words
A device for preventing leakage when establishing a fluid-tight seal around a rotatable drive shaft which comprises: resilient means for radially surrounding said drive shaft; means for holding said resilient means on said drive shaft; means for selectively urging said resilient means against said holding means to constrict said resilient means around said drive shaft to establish a fluid-tight seal therewith, or distancing said resilient means from said holding means to release said resilient means from said holding means to release said resilient means from said drive shaft to break said fluid-tight seal; and valve means having a recloseable slit and mounted within said holding means for receiving said drive shaft through said slit, said slit being closed when said drive shaft is removed from said valve means to establish said valve means as a fluid barrier.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
80 words
A device for preventing leakage when establishing a fluid-tight seal around a rotatable drive shaft as recited in claim 25 wherein said resilient means is attached to said urging means and said urging means is movable on said holding means between a first position wherein said aperture is enlarged to release said resilient means from said drive shaft and a second position wherein said aperture of said resilient means is constricted to establish a fluid-tight seal around said drive shaft.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1994-11-04 | 1995-05-06 | 1995-11-05 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1998-11-04 | 1999-05-06 | 1999-11-05 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2002-11-04 | 2003-05-06 | 2003-11-05 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |