Shaft seal mechanism

1. A shaft seal mechanism forming a leaf seal in an annular space between a rotor and a stator, comprising:

a plurality of thin plates lapped on one another in layers in a circumferential direction of the rotor and arranged in the annular space between the rotor and the stator so as to form a thin plate assembly of an annular shape; and

a pair of thin plate retaining rings between which an outer circumferential proximal end side of each of said thin plates is pinched so as to be retained by said retaining rings,

wherein said outer circumferential proximal end side of each of said thin plates is supported on a stator side and an inner circumferential distal end side of each of said thin plates is non-fixed to an outer circumferential surface of said rotor so that said thin plate assembly of annular shape divides the annular space into a higher pressure side area and a lower pressure side area;

a deviation preventing member arranged between said outer circumferential proximal end side of said thin plates and said thin plate retaining rings so as to regulate motion of each of said thin plates relative to said thin plate retaining rings,

wherein said pair of thin plate retaining rings each have an approximate C-shape as seen in a cross-section taken along an axis of rotation and together form concave portions in which said outer circumferential proximal end side of each of said thin plates and said deviation preventing member are fitted so that said thin plate assembly is pressed on its outer circumferential side;

wherein said thin plate assembly has side edges on the higher pressure side and the lower pressure side respectively, said side edges being formed with respective annular recesses;

side plates provided on the higher pressure side and lower pressure side, respectively, of said thin plate assembly, each of said side plates having a side surface formed with a stepped portion that is engaged with a respective one of said annular recesses on the higher pressure side and the lower pressure side;

wherein said side plates on the higher pressure side and the lower pressure side abut said thin plate assembly in the axial direction of said rotor; and

said thin plate assembly is pinched together with said side plates between said pair of thin plate retaining rings.

2. A shaft seal mechanism according to claim 1 ,

wherein mutually adjacent ones of said outer circumferential proximal end sides of said thin plates of said thin plate assembly are welded to each other so as to be fixed to each other and said thin plate assembly of said thin plates so welded is bent along a circumferential plane of said annular space.

3. A shaft seal according to claim 1 , wherein:

each of said thin plates has a length with said outer circumferential proximal end side at one end and said inner circumferential distal end side at an opposite end, a width extending in an axial direction of said rotor, and a thickness, wherein each of said thin plates is wider than it is thick at said inner circumferential distal end side;

wherein said plurality of thin plates are lapped in the circumferential direction of the rotor to form said thin plate assembly so that said thin plates overlap each other in their thickness direction.

4. The shaft seal mechanism of claim 1 , wherein each of said thin plates has a length, width and thickness, wherein each said width extends in an axial direction of the rotor, and each said thickness extends in a direction in which said thin plates are lapped, said width being greater than said thickness.

5. The shaft seal mechanism of claim 1 , wherein said deviation preventing member is elastically deformable to generate an activating force.

6. The shaft seal mechanism of claim 1 , wherein said deviation preventing member comprises a spring urging said thin plates relative to said thin plate retaining rings such that rattling movement of said thin plates relative to said thin plate retaining rings is prevented.

7. A shaft seal mechanism forming a leaf seal in an annular space between a rotor and a stator, comprising:

a plurality of thin plates lapped on one another in layers in a circumferential direction of the rotor and arranged in the annular space between the rotor and the stator so as to form a thin plate assembly of an annular shape; and

a pair of thin plate retaining rings mounted with said stator between which an outer circumferential end of each of said thin plates is held so as to be retained by said retaining rings so that said outer circumferential end of each of said thin plates is supported on a stator side and an inner circumferential distal end side of each of said thin plates is non-fixed to an outer circumferential surface of said rotor and so that said thin plate assembly of annular shape divides the annular space into a higher pressure side area and a lower pressure side area;

a deviation preventing member arranged between said outer circumferential end of said thin plates and said thin plate retaining rings;

wherein said pair of thin plate retaining rings each have an approximate C-shape as seen in a cross-section taken along an axis of rotation and together form concave portions in which said outer circumferential end of each of said thin plates and said deviation preventing member are fitted so that said thin plate assembly is pressed on its outer circumferential side;

wherein said thin plate assembly has thin plate assembly sides on the higher pressure side and the lower pressure side thereof, respectively, said thin plate assembly sides being formed with respective annular recesses;

side plates provided on the higher pressure side and lower pressure side of said thin plate assembly, respectively, each of said side plates having a side surface formed with a stepped portion that is engaged with a respective one of said annular recesses on the higher pressure side and the lower pressure side;

wherein said side plates on the higher pressure side and the lower pressure side abut said thin plate assembly in the axial direction of said rotor; and

said side plates and said thin plate assembly is held by said pair of thin plate retaining rings.