Asymmetric seal and method

Abstract

A seal including a contact area; and two arms extending in opposite directions from the contact area, the seal when set exhibiting an asymmetric cross section.

1 . A seal comprising:
 a contact area; and   two arms extending in opposite directions from the contact area, the seal when set exhibiting an asymmetric cross section.   
     
     
         2 . A seal as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the two arms are deflected radially by a differing number of degrees from one another. 
     
     
         3 . A seal as claimed in  claim 2  wherein the number of degrees of deflection of one arm ranges from about 45 to about 50 degrees from an axis of the seal. 
     
     
         4 . A seal as claimed in  claim 2  wherein the number of degrees of deflection of one arm ranges from about 40 to about 45 degrees from an axis of the seal. 
     
     
         5 . A seal as claimed in  claim 3  wherein the number of degrees of deflection of the other arm ranges from about 40 to about 45 degrees from an axis of the seal. 
     
     
         6 . A seal as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the two arms are of different length. 
     
     
         7 . A seal as claimed in  claim 6  wherein a shorter of the two arms ranges from about 90 percent of the length of the longer of the two arms to about 97 percent of the length of the longer of the two arms. 
     
     
         8 . A seal as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the seal further comprises a groove associated with each arm. 
     
     
         9 . A seal as claimed in  claim 8  wherein one of the grooves is of smaller axial dimension to limit radial deflection of one of the two arms. 
     
     
         10 . A seal as claimed in  claim 9  wherein the smaller groove is about 70 percent to about 80 percent of the axial dimension of a larger groove of the grooves. 
     
     
         11 . A method for sealing an annulus comprising:
 running a seal as claimed in  claim 1  to a target location; and   setting the seal at the target location in a cross sectionally asymmetric configuration.