The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 13, 1990
Filed:
Jun. 26, 1985
Robert H Brookins, Somers, CT (US);
Combustion Engineering, Inc., Windsor, CT (US);
Abstract
An arrangement for temporarily sealing the space between two substantially parallel, adjacent plates in which a flexible, partially inflatable seal is located between the plates to effect primary and secondary sealing interfaces along the upper and lower edges of the plates, respectively. The seal has a wedge-shaped upper portion, a tubular lower portion and a substantially solid intermediate shank. The tubular end of the seal is inflated so that it expands into contact with the lower edges of the plates, drawing the wedge-shaped upper portion of the seal toward the tubular portion, thereby forming primary sealing interfaces between the wedged-shaped portion and the upper edges of the plates. The contact of the inflated tubular portion with the lower edges of the plates forms secondary seal interfaces. The effectiveness of the seal can be tested by measuring the pressure in the chambers formed between each set of primary and secondary sealing interfaces. To ensure that the seal can withstand the normal static water head and seismic forces without gross seal failure, metallic stiffening means are embedded within the upper portion of the seal and oriented to extend at right angles to the faces being sealed. This metallic stiffening also ensures that the seal can withstand the effect of a dropped fuel assembly on the seal without gross seal failure.