Fluid pressure balanced seal

Abstract

A seal which increases in effectiveness with increasing pressure is presented. The seal's functional capability throughout both static and dynamic operation makes it particularly useful for sealing ball valve ports. Other features of the seal include the ability to seal two opposed surfaces simultaneously, tolerance of small misalignments, tolerance of wide temperature ranges, ability to maintain positive sealing contact under conditions of internal or external pressurization, and ability to conform to slight irregularities in seal or surface contours.