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A seal member for effecting a seal preventing fluid flow in an axial direction through an annular space formed between a rotatable shaft and a stator structure. The seal member includes a plurality of flexible seal strips extending radially through the annular space and having a radially outer end s

A seal member for effecting a seal preventing fluid flow in an axial direction through an annular space formed between a rotatable shaft and a stator structure. The seal member includes a plurality of flexible seal strips extending radially through the annular space and having a radially outer end supported to the stator structure and a radially inner end defining a tip portion extending widthwise in the axial direction for engaging in sliding contact with a peripheral surface of the rotatable shaft. The seal strips are mounted to the stator structure with the tip portions of the seal strips at an angle to the axial direction. Each of the tip portions are formed with a curvature in a radially extending plane between a leading edge and a trailing edge of each seal strip.

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1. A seal assembly in a turbine engine having a housing and a rotatable shaft extending through the housing, the seal assembly being provided for effecting a seal preventing fluid flow in an axial direction through an annular space formed between the housing and the rotatable shaft, the axial direct

1. A seal assembly in a turbine engine having a housing and a rotatable shaft extending through the housing, the seal assembly being provided for effecting a seal preventing fluid flow in an axial direction through an annular space formed between the housing and the rotatable shaft, the axial direction extending parallel to a rotation axis about which said rotatable shaft rotates, the seal assembly comprising: a stator structure supported on the housing of the turbine engine;a plurality of flexible seal strips, each said seal strip comprising a planar plate having forward and rearward planar faces extending radially through the annular space and having a radially outer end supported to said stator structure and a radially inner end comprising a tip portion extending widthwise in the axial direction for engaging in sliding contact with a peripheral surface of said rotatable shaft, wherein a thickness of each said seal strip extends in the circumferential direction between said forward and rearward faces, and each said seal strip further including a leading edge and a trailing edge that is spaced from the leading edge in the axial direction;said seal strips being mounted to said stator structure with the tip portions of the seal strips at an angle with respect to the axial direction; andeach of said tip portions being formed with a continuous curvature in a radially extending plane between a leading edge and a trailing edge of each said seal strip and said curvature extending through the entire thickness of said seal strip between said forward and rearward faces of said seal strip, wherein said curvature of said tip portion of each said seal strip is defined by a reduced length of a mid-portion relative to a length of said seal strip at a location axially displaced from said mid-portion, said location being defined by at least one of said leading edge and said trailing edge of said seal strip. 2. The seal assembly of claim 1, wherein said curvature of said tip portion of each said seal strip is generally elliptical. 3. The seal assembly of claim 1, wherein said seal strips include flow inhibiting features for effecting a reduction in axial flow from an upstream high pressure region to a downstream low pressure region. 4. The seal assembly of claim 3, wherein said seal strips are angled in the axial direction with said leading edge aft of said trailing edge with reference to a rotation direction of said rotatable shaft, and said seal strips comprise a forward face and a rearward face, said flow inhibiting features comprising: said rearward face at said trailing edges of said seal strips being tapered in the axial direction for effecting an increased backpressure toward said leading edges. 5. The seal assembly of claim 3, wherein said seal strips are angled in the axial direction with said leading edge aft of said trailing edge with reference to a rotation direction of said rotatable shaft, and said seal strips comprise a forward face and a rearward face, said flow inhibiting features comprising: a radially extending edge defining one of said leading and trailing edges of said seal strips and turned to form an angle transverse to said forward and rearward faces for effecting an increased flow pressure loss though gaps between said seal strips. 6. The seal assembly of claim 5, wherein said angle transverse to said forward and rearward faces comprises a substantially perpendicular angle extending away from said rearward face. 7. The seal assembly of claim 3, wherein said seal strips comprise forward and rearward faces, and said flow inhibiting feature comprises a rough coating applied to said forward and rearward faces for effecting an increased flow pressure loss though gaps between said seal strips. 8. The seal assembly of claim 1, wherein said seal strips are arranged in a plurality of axially adjacent rows, the seal strips of at least one of said rows being angled in the axial direction with said leading edge being located aft of said trailing edge with reference to a rotation direction of said rotatable shaft, and the seal strips of another of said rows being angled in an opposite direction with said trailing edge being located aft of said leading edge. 9. A seal assembly in a turbine engine having a housing and a rotatable shaft extending through the housing, the seal assembly being provided for effecting a seal preventing fluid flow in an axial direction through an annular space formed between the housing and the rotatable shaft, the axial direction extending parallel to a rotation axis about which said rotatable shaft rotates, the seal assembly comprising: a stator structure supported on the housing of the turbine engine;a plurality of flexible seal strips, each said seal strip comprising a planar plate extending radially through the annular space and having a radially outer end supported to said stator structure and a radially inner end comprising a tip portion extending widthwise in the axial direction for engaging in sliding contact with a peripheral surface of said rotatable shaft;each of said seal strips comprising a leading edge and a trailing edge, said trailing edge located axially downstream from said leading edge;said seal strips being mounted to said stator structure with the tip portions of the seal strips at an angle to the axial direction, defined by said leading edge of each said seal strip at said radially inner end being circumferentially displaced from said trailing edge at said radially inner end; andwherein said seal strips are arranged in a plurality of axially adjacent rows, the radially inner ends of the seal strips of at least one of said rows being angled in the axial direction such that said leading edge is located circumferentially aft of said trailing edge at the radially inner end with reference to a rotation direction of said rotatable shaft and effecting a directing of the fluid flow through the seal strips in a first circumferential direction, and the radially inner ends of the seal strips of another of said rows adjacent to said at least one of said rows being angled in an opposite axial direction such that said trailing edge is located circumferentially aft of said leading edge at the radially inner ends and effecting a directing of fluid flow through the seal strips in a second circumferential direction opposite from the first circumferential direction. 10. The seal assembly of claim 9, including a further axially adjacent row of said seal strips, said seal strips of said further row being angled in an opposite direction to said seal strips in the row directly adjacent to said further row. 11. The seal assembly of claim 9, wherein each of said tip portions are formed with a curvature in a radially extending plane between said leading edge and said trailing edge of each said seal strip. 12. The seal assembly of claim 9, wherein at least some of said seal strips include flow inhibiting features for effecting a reduction in axial flow from an upstream high pressure region to a downstream low pressure region. 13. The seal assembly of claim 12, wherein said seal strips comprise a forward face and a rearward face, and at least said row of said seal strips angled with said leading edge aft of said trailing edge including flow inhibiting features comprising: said rearward face at said trailing edges of said seal strips being tapered in the axial direction for effecting an increased backpressure toward said leading edges. 14. The seal assembly of claim 12, wherein said seal strips comprise a forward face and a rearward face, and at least said row of said seal strips angled with said leading edge aft of said trailing edge including flow inhibiting features comprising: a radially extending edge defining one of said leading and trailing edges of said seal strips and turned to form an angle transverse to said forward and rearward faces for effecting an increased flow pressure loss though gaps between said seal strips. 15. The seal assembly of claim 14, wherein said angle transverse to said forward and rearward faces comprises a substantially perpendicular angle extending away from said rearward face. 16. The seal assembly of claim 12, wherein said seal strips comprise forward and rearward faces, and said flow inhibiting feature comprises a rough coating applied to said forward and rearward faces for effecting an increased flow pressure loss though gaps between said seal strips.