US 7,540,725 B2
Seal mechanism for fluid machine
Shoji Ito, Tokyo (Japan); and Junya Kawabata, Tokyo (Japan)
Assigned to Ebara Corporation, Tokyo (Japan)
Appl. No. 10/561,367
PCT Filed Nov. 12, 2004, PCT No. PCT/JP2004/017228
§ 371(c)(1), (2), (4) Date Dec. 20, 2005,
PCT Pub. No. WO2005/061932, PCT Pub. Date Jul. 07, 2005.
Claims priority of application No. 2003-425455 (JP), filed on Dec. 22, 2003; and application No. 2004-074828 (JP), filed on Mar. 16, 2004.
Prior Publication US 2006/0147328 A1, Jul. 06, 2006
Int. Cl. F04B 35/04 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 417—423.1  [415/172.1] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A seal mechanism for a fluid machine for preventing a fluid from leaking out of a high-pressure space into a low-pressure space in the fluid machine, said seal mechanism comprising:
an annular seal member movable in a radial direction, said annular seal member having a first surface on a side of the low-pressure space in the fluid machine;
a housing disposed between a body of the fluid machine and a rotatable member located inside the body of the fluid machine so as to receive said annular seal member, said housing having a second surface facing said first surface of said annular seal member; and
at least one passage formed in at least one of said first surface and said second surface such that a negative pressure of the low-pressure space is introduced into said at least one passage to bring said annular seal member into close contact with said second surface of said housing.