An o-ring boss seal is a technique for joining two fluid-carrying

pipes Pipe(s), PIPE(S) or piping may refer to: Objects * Pipe (fluid conveyance), a hollow cylinder following certain dimension rules ** Piping, the use of pipes in industry * Smoking pipe ** Tobacco pipe * Half-pipe and quarter pipe, semi-circu ...

hose A hose is a flexible hollow tube or pipe designed to carry fluids from one location to another, often from a faucet or hydrant. Early hoses were made of leather, although modern hoses are typically made of rubber, canvas, and helically wound w ...

s, or tubing. In an o-ring boss (abbreviated ORB) system, a

male Male (Planet symbols, symbol: ♂) is the sex of an organism that produces the gamete (sex cell) known as sperm, which fuses with the larger female gamete, or Egg cell, ovum, in the process of fertilisation. A male organism cannot sexual repro ...

- threaded part is inserted into a female-threaded part, providing a mechanical seal. This system differs from others in that a nut is tightened over an o-ring in a chamfered area, creating a fluid-tight seal.

Application

This system is used frequently in

hydraulics Hydraulics () is a technology and applied science using engineering, chemistry, and other sciences involving the mechanical properties and use of liquids. At a very basic level, hydraulics is the liquid counterpart of pneumatics, which concer ...

, although it has been applied to other systems including compressed air systems and

vacuum pump A vacuum pump is a type of pump device that draws gas particles from a sealed volume in order to leave behind a partial vacuum. The first vacuum pump was invented in 1650 by Otto von Guericke, and was preceded by the suction pump, which dates to ...

s, such as many Robinair pumps, in which the intake tee has an o-ring boss seal on the bottom. The ORB system can be confused with other connection systems, such as NPT. While threads of different connectors sometimes fit (although often very inexactly), o-ring boss seal system connectors should never be used with any other type of connectors and vice versa, as leaks are likely. Under the high fluid pressures commonly seen in hydraulic systems, a leak or failure of the connection is quite dangerous and could lead to loss of life. This system has the advantage of being able to be tightened mechanically before being sealed. Most threaded systems, such as NPT, have a seal provided by a taper in the thread, so it is difficult to orient both ends of the hose, pipe or tube so that it is not twisted. In the o-ring boss system, this problem is eliminated because the threads do not seal the connection and therefore can be rotated at least a full revolution before they are sealed while maintaining a proper mechanical connection. The orientation problem could also be solved with a suitable union.

References

External links

Oil Seal Orings
{{DEFAULTSORT:O-Ring Boss Seal Hydraulics Seal rings