GB2108596A - Self-venting seal assemblies - Google Patents
Self-venting seal assemblies Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- GB2108596A GB2108596A GB08228991A GB8228991A GB2108596A GB 2108596 A GB2108596 A GB 2108596A GB 08228991 A GB08228991 A GB 08228991A GB 8228991 A GB8228991 A GB 8228991A GB 2108596 A GB2108596 A GB 2108596A
- Authority
- GB
- United Kingdom
- Prior art keywords
- shaft
- venting
- sealing lip
- projections
- ambient
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Withdrawn
Links
Classifications
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
- F16C—SHAFTS; FLEXIBLE SHAFTS; ELEMENTS OR CRANKSHAFT MECHANISMS; ROTARY BODIES OTHER THAN GEARING ELEMENTS; BEARINGS
- F16C33/00—Parts of bearings; Special methods for making bearings or parts thereof
- F16C33/72—Sealings
- F16C33/76—Sealings of ball or roller bearings
- F16C33/78—Sealings of ball or roller bearings with a diaphragm, disc, or ring, with or without resilient members
- F16C33/7869—Sealings of ball or roller bearings with a diaphragm, disc, or ring, with or without resilient members mounted with a cylindrical portion to the inner surface of the outer race and having a radial portion extending inward
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
- F16C—SHAFTS; FLEXIBLE SHAFTS; ELEMENTS OR CRANKSHAFT MECHANISMS; ROTARY BODIES OTHER THAN GEARING ELEMENTS; BEARINGS
- F16C33/00—Parts of bearings; Special methods for making bearings or parts thereof
- F16C33/72—Sealings
- F16C33/76—Sealings of ball or roller bearings
- F16C33/78—Sealings of ball or roller bearings with a diaphragm, disc, or ring, with or without resilient members
- F16C33/784—Sealings of ball or roller bearings with a diaphragm, disc, or ring, with or without resilient members mounted to a groove in the inner surface of the outer race and extending toward the inner race
- F16C33/7843—Sealings of ball or roller bearings with a diaphragm, disc, or ring, with or without resilient members mounted to a groove in the inner surface of the outer race and extending toward the inner race with a single annular sealing disc
- F16C33/7853—Sealings of ball or roller bearings with a diaphragm, disc, or ring, with or without resilient members mounted to a groove in the inner surface of the outer race and extending toward the inner race with a single annular sealing disc with one or more sealing lips to contact the inner race
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
- F16J—PISTONS; CYLINDERS; SEALINGS
- F16J15/00—Sealings
- F16J15/16—Sealings between relatively-moving surfaces
- F16J15/164—Sealings between relatively-moving surfaces the sealing action depending on movements; pressure difference, temperature or presence of leaking fluid
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
- F16J—PISTONS; CYLINDERS; SEALINGS
- F16J15/00—Sealings
- F16J15/16—Sealings between relatively-moving surfaces
- F16J15/32—Sealings between relatively-moving surfaces with elastic sealings, e.g. O-rings
- F16J15/3204—Sealings between relatively-moving surfaces with elastic sealings, e.g. O-rings with at least one lip
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
- F16J—PISTONS; CYLINDERS; SEALINGS
- F16J15/00—Sealings
- F16J15/16—Sealings between relatively-moving surfaces
- F16J15/32—Sealings between relatively-moving surfaces with elastic sealings, e.g. O-rings
- F16J15/3204—Sealings between relatively-moving surfaces with elastic sealings, e.g. O-rings with at least one lip
- F16J15/322—Sealings between relatively-moving surfaces with elastic sealings, e.g. O-rings with at least one lip supported in a direction perpendicular to the surfaces
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
- F16C—SHAFTS; FLEXIBLE SHAFTS; ELEMENTS OR CRANKSHAFT MECHANISMS; ROTARY BODIES OTHER THAN GEARING ELEMENTS; BEARINGS
- F16C33/00—Parts of bearings; Special methods for making bearings or parts thereof
- F16C33/72—Sealings
- F16C33/726—Sealings with means to vent the interior of the bearing
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Sealing With Elastic Sealing Lips (AREA)
Abstract
A garter spring type seal 10 for venting the lubricant housing of a vehicle wheel bearing includes a circumferentially spaced series of radially extending projections 30 on the ambient side of the sealing lip 18 which projections 30 include pads 36 located at a shallow angle, e.g. 2 DEG to 40, to the shaft 26. In response to differential pressure, a flexible wall 22 connecting the sealing lip to the body portion 16 of the seal moves towards the shaft and rotates the sealing lip radially and axially outwardly against the force of the garter spring 28 to seat the pads 36 of the projections 30 on the shaft. This wedges the sealing lip away from the shaft and allows gases to escape from the lubricant housing to ambient along the shaft and between the projections. After escape of the gases, the sealing lip re- engages the shaft under the force of the garter spring and disengages the pads of the projections from the shaft. The projection 30 may be plano- arcuate in section (as shown) or rectangular in section. <IMAGE>
Description
SPECIFICATION
Self-venting seal assemblies
This invention relates to self-venting seal assemblies.
The invention is specifically concerned with a seal for venting pressurized gas from a lubricant housing to ambient, and has particular application to bearing assemblies.
Bearing assemblies, especiaily wheel bearing assemblies for a vehicle, typically include a garter spring type seal to retain lubricant within the lubricant housing. A problem with such bearing assemblies is that pressurized fluids and gases are formed in the lubricant housing, and greatly increase the pressure and temperature within the lubricant housing.
The present invention is directed to solving this pressure problem.
By the present invention there is provided a self-venting seal assembly in which a rotatable shaft extends from a lubricant housing in which pressurized gases are formed, a seal is arranged for venting the pressurized gases from the lubricant housing to ambient while retaining the lubricant in the housing, and the seal comprises a flexible wall connecting a generally annular body portion to a sealing lip having a lubricant side, an ambient side and an apex in sealing contact with the rotatable shaft, resilient means biasing the sealing lip towards the shaft, and a circumferential series of venting projections extending radially inwardly towards the shaft on the ambient side of the sealing lip proximate the apex of the sealing lip, with each projection having a pad located at a shallow angle to the rotatable shaft, the differential pressure across the flexible wall between ambient and the pressure of the gases in the lubricant housing in operation forcing the flexible wall towards the shaft and rotating the sealing lip axially and radially of the shaft against the bias of the resilient means to move the pads of the venting projections radially inwardly into engagement with the rotatable shaft and wedge the apex of the sealing lip away from the shaft to allow the escape of the pressurized gas to ambient along the shaft between the venting projections, and the resilient means returning the apex of the sealing lip into sealing contact with the rotatable shaft and disengaging the pads from the shaft
after the venting of the pressurized gas to
ambient.
In a specific arrangement in accordance with the invention, a garter spring type seal for a bearing assembly is arranged to vent pressurized fluids and gases from the lubricant housing to
ambient across the seal to relieve excessive
pressure. The seal includes a sealing lip held in
contact with the rotating shaft by a garter spring
to seal the lubricant reservoir from ambient. The
seal further includes a flexible wall connecting the
sealing lip to the fixed body portion of the seal. A
series of circumferentially spaced venting
projections is provided on the ambient side of the
sealing lip: the projections extend towards the shaft and terminate in pads located at very shallow angle to the shaft.When the pressure of the gases developed in the lubricant reservoir reaches a predetermined limit, the differential pressure across the flexible wall rotates the sealing lip radially and axially outwardly of the shaft. This movement of the sealing lip brings the pads of the venting projections into engagement with the shaft, to wedge the sealing lip away from the shaft against the force of the garter spring. The pressurized gases then escape to ambient along the shaft between the projections. When the pressure inside the lubricant reservoir falls below a predetermined limit, the garter spring returns the sealing lip into sealing engagement with the shaft.
In the drawing:
Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of one embodiment of a self-venting seal assembly in accordance with the present invention:
Figure 2 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional view showing the seal of the assembly in a nonpressurized position;
Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 but showing the seal in a venting position;
Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of another embodiment of a self-venting seal assembly in accordance with the present invention;
Figure 5 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional view of the embodiment of Figure 4 showing the seal of the assembly in a non-pressurized position; and
Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 5 but showing the seal in a venting position.
In the embodiment of a self-venting seal assembly in accordance with the present invention shown in Figures 1 to 3 of the drawings, a garter spring type seal generally designated 10 includes a metal mounting case 12 which is normally press-fitted within a bore in a lubricant reservoir 14 which is here indicated schematically and is such as is conventionally found in a wheel bearing assembly. The case 12 is molded to an annular seal body portion 1 6 of plastics material. The seal further includes a sealing lip 18 having an inner wall 20 located in the lubricant reservoir, a flexible wall 22 connecting the sealing lip 1 8 to the body portion 16, and a rib-like annular sealing apex 24 in contact with a schematicaily indicated rotatable shaft 26 to maintain lubricant within the lubricant reservoir 14.A garter spring 28 surrounds the sealing lip 18 and maintains the sealing apex 24 of the sealing lip 18 in sealing contact with the shaft 26.
Pressurized gases formed in the lubricant reservoir 14 normally cannot escape past the sealing apex 24. In order to vent such gases, the seal 10 in conformity with the present invention includes a series of equally circumferentially spaced venting projections 30 which are molded integrally with the sealing lip 1 8 on the ambient side thereof. The projections 30 have a generally chordal or arcuate (thus, segmental) shape and each includes an arcuately curved wall 32 and also a circumferentially linear wall 34 facing the ambient side of the seal. The wall 32 is tangential to the sealing apex 24, as is best seen in Figure 1.
The walls 32 and 34 define a circumferentially arcuate pad 36 located at a shallow angle of approximately 20 to 40 to the shaft 26. Normally, only the sealing apex 24 and the portion of the wall 32 tangential to the apex 24 engage the rotatable shaft 26: the pads 36 normally do not engage the shaft 26.
The operation of the venting projections 30 will now be described with reference to Figure 3. The pressure of gases formed in the lubricant reservoir 14 creates a pressure differential across the flexible wall 22, thereby forcing the wall 22 radially towards the shaft 26 to rotate the sealing lip 1 8 axially and radially outwardly of the shaft 26 against the force of the garter spring 28. This seats the pads 36 on the shaft 26 to wedge or move the sealing apex 24 of the lip 1 8 radially outwardly of the shaft and allow the pressurized gases from the lubricant reservoir to escape to ambient (that is, to the atmosphere) along the shaft 26 between the projections 30.After sufficient of the pressurized gases has escaped to reduce the pressure differential across the flexible wall 22, the garter spring 28 in conjunction with the resiliency of the flexible wall 22 return the sealing apex 24 into its normal position of sealing engagement with theshaft 26 and return the venting projections 30 to their normal position as shown.
In the embodiment shown, there are six of the projections 30. The number of projections may be increased or decreased, provided that sufficient projections remain to provide for wedging or movement of the sealing apex 24 radially outwardly of the shaft against the force of the garter spring. The pressure at which the venting of the pressurized gases occurs is controlled by the flexibility of the wall 22 relative to the body portion 1 6, the dimensions of the sealing lip 18, the force of the spring 28, and the angle between the pads 36 of the venting projections 30 and the rotatable shaft 26. A greater spring force and a stiffer wall 22 will increase the venting pressure, as will a greater angle of the pads 36 relative to the shaft 26.
Figures 4 to 6 of the drawing show a second embodiment of a self-venting seal assembly in accordance with the present invention. In this embodiment the garter spring type seal 10 includes the same form of sealing lip 1 8 and seals lubricant in the reservoir 14 as in the previous embodiment. The only difference is in the configuration of the six venting projections, designated here as 38, which in this embodiment generally have the shape of elongated rectangles as opposed to the arcuately curved shape of the previous embodiment. The details of the shape of the projections 38 and the operation thereof may be seen by referring to Figures 5 and 6. Each projection 38 includes a linear inner wall 40 facing the lubricant reservoir 14, a linear outer wall 42 facing the ambient, and a pad 44 extending therebetween which forms a shallow angle of 20
to 40 with the shaft 26.
The operation of this seal 10 is similar to that of
the first embodiment. In response to differential
pressure between ambient and the gases formed
in the lubricant reservoir 14, the sealing lip 18 is
expanded or rotated radially and axially outwardly
of the shaft 26 as the flexible wail 22 moves
radially inwardly towards the shaft 26. This seats
the pads 44 of the venting projections 38 on the
shaft 26 to wedge or move the sealing apex 24 of
the lip 1 8 radially outwardly of the shaft against
the force of the spring 28 to allow the pressurized
gases to escape from the reservoir 14 to the
ambient along the shaft 26 between the venting
projections 38.When the gases escape, the force
of the spring 28 in conjunction with the resilience 'of the flexible wail 22 return the sealing apex 24
into its normal position of sealing engagement with the shaft 26 and return the venting
projections 38 to their normal position as shown.
The embodiment of a self-venting seal
assembly in accordance with the invention which
have been described thus provide a self-venting
seal for bearing assemblies which releases
pressurized gases and fluids formed in a lubricant
reservoir to ambient across the seal. The venting
seal includes venting projections on the ambient
side of the sealing lip which are forced into
contact with the shaft under the pressure
differential between ambient and the gases
formed in the lubricant reservoir, to selectively
wedge the sealing lip away from the shaft to allow
escape of the gases to ambient. In this self
venting seal, also, after release of the gases to
ambient the sealing lip returns to sealing contact
with the shaft without excessive loss of lubricant.
Claims (6)
1. A self-venting seal assembly in which a
rotatable shaft extends from a lubricant housing in
which pressurized gases are formed, a seal is
arranged for venting the pressurized gases from the
lubricant housing to ambient while retaining the
lubricant in the housing, and the seal comprises a
flexible wall connecting a generally annular body
portion to a sealing lip having a lubricant side, an
ambient side and an apex in sealing contact with
the rotatable shaft, resilient means biasing the
sealing lip towards the shaft, and a circumferential
series of venting projections extending radially
inwardly towards the shaft on the ambient side of
the sealing lip proximate the apex of the sealing lip,
with each projection having a pad located at a
shallow angle to the rotatable shaft, the
differential pressure across the flexible wall
between ambient and the pressure of the gases in
the lubricant housing in operation forcing the
flexible wall towards the shaft and rotating the
sealing lip axially and radially of the shaft against
the bias of the resilient means to move the pads of
the venting projections radially inwardly into
engagement with the rotatable shaft and wedge
the apex of the sealing lip away from the shaft to
allow the escape of the pressurized gas to ambient
along the shaft between the venting projections, and the resilient means returning the apex of the sealing lip into sealing contact with the rotatable shaft and disengaging the pads from the shaft after the venting of the pressurized gas to ambient.
2. A self-venting seal assembly according to claim 1, in which the differential pressure, on forcing the flexible wall towards the shaft, rotates the sealing lip axially and in a direction radially outwardly of the shaft.
3. A self-venting seal assembly according to claim 1 or 2, in which the venting projections are each of segmental shape, with a curved wall of each projection tangential to the apex of the sealing lip.
4. A self-venting seal assembly according to claim 1 or 2, in which the venting projections are each of rectangular shape, with a first circumferentially linear wall adjacent the apex of the sealing lip, and a second circumferentially linear wall, and with the respective pad extending between the first and second walls.
5. A self-venting seal assembly substantially as hereinbefore particularly described and as shown in Figures 1 to 3 of the accompanying drawing.
6. A self-venting seal assembly substantially as hereinbefore particularly described and as shown in Figures 4 to 6 of the accompanying drawing.
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| US31663581A | 1981-10-30 | 1981-10-30 |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| GB2108596A true GB2108596A (en) | 1983-05-18 |
Family
ID=23229939
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB08228991A Withdrawn GB2108596A (en) | 1981-10-30 | 1982-10-11 | Self-venting seal assemblies |
Country Status (2)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| JP (1) | JPS5884268A (en) |
| GB (1) | GB2108596A (en) |
Cited By (4)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US4667968A (en) * | 1984-02-10 | 1987-05-26 | Federal-Mogul Corporation | Dual-lip grease-retaining and dirt-excluding shaft seal |
| DE3927458A1 (en) * | 1989-08-19 | 1991-02-21 | Goetze Ag | Shaft seal with polymeric seal - has seal ring radially cut, to form sealing and protecting lips, such that sealing lip thickness decreases away from the shaft |
| US5676383A (en) * | 1996-09-10 | 1997-10-14 | Federal-Mogul Corporation | Hydrodynamic low-torque lubricant seal with pumping projections |
| CN110873122A (en) * | 2019-11-26 | 2020-03-10 | 柳州上汽汽车变速器有限公司 | Speed changer bearing |
-
1982
- 1982-10-11 GB GB08228991A patent/GB2108596A/en not_active Withdrawn
- 1982-10-30 JP JP57190044A patent/JPS5884268A/en active Pending
Cited By (4)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US4667968A (en) * | 1984-02-10 | 1987-05-26 | Federal-Mogul Corporation | Dual-lip grease-retaining and dirt-excluding shaft seal |
| DE3927458A1 (en) * | 1989-08-19 | 1991-02-21 | Goetze Ag | Shaft seal with polymeric seal - has seal ring radially cut, to form sealing and protecting lips, such that sealing lip thickness decreases away from the shaft |
| US5676383A (en) * | 1996-09-10 | 1997-10-14 | Federal-Mogul Corporation | Hydrodynamic low-torque lubricant seal with pumping projections |
| CN110873122A (en) * | 2019-11-26 | 2020-03-10 | 柳州上汽汽车变速器有限公司 | Speed changer bearing |
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| JPS5884268A (en) | 1983-05-20 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| WAP | Application withdrawn, taken to be withdrawn or refused ** after publication under section 16(1) |