JP7478516B2 - Sealing mechanism and device equipped with said sealing mechanism - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a sealing mechanism for preventing fluids in an apparatus from flowing out of the apparatus and preventing fluids from flowing into the apparatus from the outside, and to an apparatus equipped with the sealing mechanism.

A sealing mechanism is known that provides a seal between a rotating member and a case that houses the rotating member.

A conventional sealing mechanism is disclosed in JP 2009-150417 A (Patent Document 1). This publication discloses a sealing mechanism having a sealing member and a slinger surrounded by the sealing member. The slinger is provided so as to surround the outer joint member of the joint device. The slinger serves to prevent deformation of the sealing member when the sealing member is assembled into the joint device.

JP 2009-150417 A

In the sealing member disclosed in Patent Document 1, the slinger is positioned so that it is exposed to the external space. Therefore, an external force acting on the slinger, such as from cleaning water, may cause the slinger to shift from its designated installation position. There is also a problem in that the slinger may fall off from its installation position due to vibration, etc.

The present invention aims to provide a sealing mechanism capable of preventing external forces from acting on a slinger, and a device equipped with the sealing mechanism.

One embodiment of the present invention relates to a sealing mechanism that seals between a shaft member and a case that houses at least a portion of the shaft member. The sealing mechanism includes a slinger provided on the outer circumferential surface of the shaft member, a sealing member provided between the case and the slinger, and a cover member that prevents at least a portion of the slinger from being exposed.

One embodiment of the present invention is a device comprising a shaft member, a case that houses at least a portion of the shaft member, and a sealing mechanism that seals between the shaft member and the case. In this device, the sealing mechanism comprises a slinger provided on the outer circumferential surface of the shaft member, a sealing member provided between the case and the slinger, and a cover member that prevents at least a portion of the slinger from being exposed.

In one embodiment of the sealing mechanism, the cover member is configured to cover at least a portion of the end face of the slinger.

In one embodiment of the sealing mechanism, the cover member is formed integrally with the shaft member.

In the sealing mechanism according to one embodiment of the present invention, the distance between the outer peripheral surface of the cover member and the inner peripheral surface of the case in the radial direction of the shaft member is greater than the dimension of the sealing member in the extended position.

In the sealing mechanism according to one embodiment of the present invention, the height of the cover member in the radial direction of the shaft member is equal to or lower than the height of the slinger in the same direction.

The sealing mechanism according to one embodiment of the present invention includes an elastic member provided between the slinger and the outer circumferential surface of the shaft member, and the elastic member has a recess.

In a sealing mechanism according to one embodiment of the present invention, the elastic member has a cylindrical portion, and the recess is disposed in the cylindrical portion.

In a sealing mechanism according to one embodiment of the present invention, the elastic member includes a cylindrical portion and a flange portion extending from the cylindrical portion toward the inside of the shaft member in the radial direction. The recess is disposed at a corner between the cylindrical portion and the flange portion.

The sealing mechanism according to the above embodiment of the present invention can be suitably applied to a variety of devices.

By suppressing the action of external forces on the slinger, it is possible to prevent the slinger from shifting or falling off from its installed position.

FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a sealing mechanism in one embodiment of the present invention. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a sealing mechanism in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 1 shows a cross-sectional view of an apparatus 10 equipped with a sealing mechanism 1 in one embodiment of the present invention.

The device 10 includes a shaft member 4, a case 5, and a sealing mechanism 1. In one embodiment of the present invention, the sealing mechanism 1 seals between the shaft member 4 and the case 5. In this way, the sealing mechanism 1 seals the internal space of the device 10 from the external space.

The device 10 includes a sealing mechanism 1, a shaft member 4, and a case 5, but the components of the device 10 are not limited to these. In other words, the device 10 may include components other than the sealing mechanism 1, the shaft member 4, and the case 5.

The device 10 is, for example, a reducer. The device 10 may be a device other than a reducer. The shaft member 4 is, for example, a member that rotates when the reducer is activated. The shaft member may be a rotating member that can rotate in other ways. The sealing mechanism 1 is not intended to be provided only in a specific device, but is applicable to any device that has a rotating member.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the shaft member 4 is configured to rotate around a predetermined rotation axis. The shaft member 4 may be cylindrical, cylindrical, or of another shape. FIG. 1 shows two arrows extending parallel to the rotation axis of the shaft member 4. One of the arrows (the arrow pointing to the right side of the paper) is parallel to the rotation axis of the shaft member 4 and points toward the inside of the internal space of the case 5, the other of the arrows (the arrow pointing to the right side of the paper) is parallel to the rotation axis of the shaft member 4 and points toward the internal space of the case 5, and the other of the arrows (the arrow pointing to the left side of the paper) is parallel to the rotation axis of the shaft member 4 and points toward the external space of the case 5.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the case 5 is arranged coaxially or approximately coaxially with the shaft member 4. In one embodiment of the present invention, at least one of the shaft member 4 and the case 5 rotates around a rotation axis. The shaft member 4 may rotate relative to the fixed case 5, or the case 5 may rotate relative to the fixed shaft member 4.

The case 5 in one embodiment of the present invention has an internal space, and a portion of the shaft member 4 is housed in this internal space. The internal space of the case 5 may house components other than the shaft 4 of the device 10. As an example, the internal space of the case 5 may house a gear unit that can be connected to the shaft member 4.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the sealing mechanism 1 is provided in the annular space between the shaft member 4 and the case 5, thereby sealing the internal space of the case 5 from the external space.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the shaft member 4 has an outer peripheral surface 14. The inner peripheral surface of the seal mechanism 1 is in close contact with the outer peripheral surface 14 of the shaft member 4.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the case 5 has an inner circumferential surface 15. The outer circumferential surface 23 of the sealing mechanism 1 is in close contact with the inner circumferential surface 15 of the case 5. In this manner, the sealing mechanism 1 is disposed so as to be sandwiched between the inner circumferential surface 15 of the case 5 and the outer circumferential surface 14 of the shaft member 4.

The sealing mechanism 1 in one embodiment of the present invention has a slinger 2 and a seal member 3. The slinger 2 has a cylindrical tubular portion 11 and a flange portion 12 that protrudes from an end of the tubular portion 11 toward the radially inward direction of the shaft member 4. The slinger 2 may include components other than the tubular portion 11 and the flange portion 12. In one embodiment, the slinger 2 is provided so as to be in close contact with the outer peripheral surface 14 of the shaft member 4. As shown in the figure, the slinger 2 may be provided on the outer peripheral surface 14 of the shaft member 4 via an elastic member 17. The elastic member 17 is an elastically deformable member such as rubber. Any known elastically deformable material may be appropriately used as the material of the elastic member 17.

The cylindrical portion 11 of the slinger 2 is partially or entirely formed into a cylindrical shape. One or both ends of the cylindrical portion 11 may be chamfered.

The sealing mechanism 1 includes a cover member 16 configured and arranged to prevent exposure of the slinger 2 to the external space. The cover member 16 is configured and arranged to prevent exposure of at least a portion of the slinger 2.

In the device 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention, the cover member 16 suppresses the action of external forces on the slinger 2, making it possible to prevent the slinger 2 from shifting or falling off from its installed position.

In the illustrated embodiment, the cover member 16 is provided integrally with the shaft member 4. This makes it possible to more efficiently install the seal mechanism 1 into the device 10 compared to a case in which the cover member is attached after the seal mechanism 1 is assembled.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the cover member 16 is configured to cover at least a portion of the end surface 2a of the slinger 2. This makes it possible to suppress the action of an external force on the end surface 2a of the slinger 2. This end surface 2a refers to the end surface opposite the internal space of the case 5 in the direction along the rotation axis of the case 5. By covering at least a portion of the end surface 2a of the slinger 2 with the cover member 16, it is possible to effectively prevent the action of an external force on the slinger 2 in a direction pushing the slinger 2 into the inside of the case 5. This makes it possible to effectively prevent the slinger 2 from shifting from its installation position, and in particular, to prevent the slinger 2 from moving further inside the case 5 than its original installation position. If the slinger 2 moves toward the inside of the case 5, interference between the slinger 2 and other components of the device 10 will cause damage to the device 10. The cover member 16 prevents or suppresses the movement of the end surface 2a of the slinger 2 toward the inside of the case 5, thereby preventing damage to the device 10.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the height H1 of the cover member 16 in the radial direction of the shaft member 4 (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as the "radial direction") is equal to or lower than the height H2 of the slinger 2 in the same direction. The slinger 2 and the seal member 3 are pressed into between the outer peripheral surface 14 of the shaft member 4 and the inner peripheral surface 15 of the case 5. If the height of the cover member 16 is high and the step between the cover member 16 and the outer peripheral surface 14 of the shaft member 4 is large, the deformation amount of the slinger 2 and the seal member 3 increases during pressing, making the slinger 2 and the seal member 3 more likely to be damaged. By making the height H1 of the cover member 16 equal to or lower than the height H2 of the slinger 2 in the same direction, damage to the seal member 3 and the slinger 2 during pressing can be prevented. In one embodiment of the present invention, the height H1 of the cover member 16 in the radial direction of the shaft member 4 is equal to or higher than the height H3 of the elastic member 17 in the same direction. This makes it possible to suppress the action of external forces on the slinger 2. This prevents the slinger 2 from shifting or falling off from its installed position.

In FIG. 1, the seal member 3 is pressed between the outer peripheral surface 14 of the shaft member 4 and the inner peripheral surface 15 of the case 5, and therefore contracts in the radial direction of the shaft member 4. When no compressive force is applied from the outside, the seal member 3 takes an extended position due to its own elasticity. Therefore, the dimension of the seal member in the radial direction of the shaft member 4 when it is in the extended position is larger than the dimension when it is in the bent position shown in FIG. 1. In one embodiment of the present invention, the height H1 of the cover member 16 in the radial direction is determined so that the distance between the outer peripheral surface 16a of the cover member 16 and the inner peripheral surface 15 of the case 5 in the radial direction is larger than the dimension of the seal member 3 in the extended position in the radial direction of the shaft member 4. As a result, the outer peripheral surface 16a of the cover member 16 is located radially inward of the shaft member 4 than the radially inner end face or end of the seal member 3 in the extended position. As a result, interference between the seal member 3 and the cover member 16 can be prevented when the seal member 3 is assembled into the device 10. This makes it possible to efficiently install the seal member 3 into the device 10 and also prevents damage to the seal member 3.

Next, referring to FIG. 2, a sealing mechanism 1 according to another embodiment of the present invention will be described. The sealing mechanism 1 shown in FIG. 2 differs from the sealing mechanism 1 shown in FIG. 1 in that the elastic member 17 has a recess 13. Since the slinger 2 has a tightening margin, frictional resistance from the outer surface 14 of the shaft member 4 acts on the slinger 2 when the slinger 2 is pressed into the shaft member 4. If this resistance becomes too large, there is a problem in that the slinger 2 cannot be inserted to the specified installation position. Furthermore, forcing the slinger 2 into the shaft member 4 can cause deformation and damage to the slinger 2.

To address this problem, in the seal mechanism 1 of FIG. 2, the elastic member 17 has a recess 13. The elastic member 17 may have only one recess 13, or may have two recesses 13 as shown in FIG. 2. The recess 13 may be provided on the surface of the elastic member 17 that faces the outer circumferential surface 14 of the shaft member 4.

Even if the resistance force acting from the shaft member 4 to the elastic member 17 increases when the slinger 2 is pressed in, this recess 13 allows the elastic member 17 to move into the space defined by the recess 13, thereby reducing the resistance from the shaft member 4 to the slinger 2. This makes it easier to insert the slinger 2 to the specified installation position.

In the illustrated embodiment, the elastic member 17 has a cylindrical portion 18 that surrounds the rotation axis of the shaft member 4. The recess 13 may be provided in this cylindrical portion 18.

In the illustrated embodiment, the elastic member 17 includes a flange portion 19 that extends from the end of the cylindrical portion 18 radially inward of the shaft member 4, and a corner portion 28 between the cylindrical portion 18 and the flange portion 19. The recess 13 may be provided in this corner portion 28. This allows the elastic member 17 to move into the space defined by the recess 13 provided in the corner portion 28 when the slinger 2 is pressed in, making it possible to easily insert the slinger 2 to the specified installation position.

The number and dimensions of the recesses 13 provided in the elastic member 17 can be set appropriately taking into account the resistance acting on the slinger 2 and other conditions.

The cylindrical portion 11 of the slinger 2 has an inner peripheral surface 21 and an outer peripheral surface 20 opposite the inner peripheral surface 21. In the illustrated embodiment, an elastic member 17 is provided on the inner peripheral surface 21 of the cylindrical portion 11 and the outer peripheral surface 14 of the shaft member 4. An adhesive layer may be provided instead of this elastic member 17. The slinger 2 is adhered to the outer peripheral surface 14 of the shaft member 4 by this adhesive layer. A member other than an adhesive layer may be provided on the inner peripheral surface 21 of the cylindrical portion 11 and the outer peripheral surface 14 of the shaft member 4.

When pressing the slinger 2 into the shaft member 4, a jig (not shown) may be used to determine the installation position relative to the shaft member 4.

Referring again to FIG. 1, the seal member 3 will be further described. The seal member 3 in one embodiment of the present invention has a ring-shaped main ring portion 24 that surrounds the rotation axis of the shaft member 4. The main ring portion 24 has a cylindrical portion 241, an inner end portion 243 that is provided inside the cylindrical portion 241 in the radial direction of the shaft member 4, and a connecting portion 242 that connects the cylindrical portion 241 and the inner end portion 243. The connecting portion 242 has a roughly ring shape. The seal member 23 is disposed so that the outer peripheral surface 23 (of the cylindrical portion 241) of the main ring portion 24 contacts the inner peripheral surface 15 of the case 5. The inner end portion 243 has an annular main lip 25 and an annular dust lip 26. A spring ring 27 is provided on the outer side of the main lip 25 in the radial direction of the shaft member 4.

The dust lip 26 protrudes obliquely from the inner end 243 of the main ring portion 24 toward the outer space and toward the radially inner side of the shaft member 4. The dust lip 26 prevents foreign matter such as dust floating in the outer space from entering the inner space.

The tip of the dust lip 26 contacts the outer circumferential surface 20 of the tubular portion 11. While at least one of the shaft member 4 and the case 5 is rotating, the tip of the dust lip 26 rubs against the tubular portion 11. In one embodiment, the slinger 2 is formed from a material that is more abrasion resistant than the shaft member 4. Therefore, wear of the slinger 2 due to contact with the dust lip 26 can be suppressed.

The main lip 25 contacts the outer peripheral surface 20 of the cylindrical portion 11. A spring ring 27 is provided on the outer side of the main lip 25 in the radial direction of the shaft member 4 so as to surround the main lip 25. The spring ring 27 applies a force to the main lip 25 toward the inside of the shaft member 4 in the radial direction. This causes the main lip 25 to be in close contact with the outer peripheral surface 20 of the cylindrical portion 11. This prevents liquid (e.g., lubricating oil) contained in the internal space from leaking out from between the main lip 25 and the outer peripheral surface 20 of the cylindrical portion 11 to the external space.

While at least one of the shaft member 4 and the case 5 is rotating, the pressure ring 251 rubs against the cylindrical portion 11 of the slinger 2. As described above, in one embodiment, the slinger 2 is made of a material that is more wear-resistant than the shaft member 4. This makes it possible to suppress wear of the slinger 2 due to contact with the main lip 25.

The sealing mechanism 1 may have another sealing member in addition to the sealing member 3. This other sealing member is provided adjacent to the sealing member 3. This other sealing member is provided to surround the rotation axis of the shaft member 4. This other sealing member may be disposed on the outside (external space side) in the direction of the rotation axis of the shaft member 4.

The principles of the above-described embodiments can be used in a variety of mechanical equipment.

Reference Signs List 1: Sealing mechanism 2: Slinger 3: Sealing member 4: Shaft member 5: Case 10: Device 11: Cylindrical portion 12: Flange portion 13: Recess 16: Cover member 17: Elastic member 18: Cylindrical portion 19: Flange portion 24: Main ring portion 25: Main lip 26: Dust lip 27: Spring ring 28: Corner portion

Claims (5)

A seal mechanism for sealing between a shaft member extending along a rotation axis direction and a case accommodating at least a portion of the shaft member,
A slinger provided on an outer circumferential surface of the shaft member;
A seal member provided between the case and the slinger;
A cover member that prevents at least a portion of the slinger from being exposed in order to suppress the application of an external force toward the inside of the case to the slinger ;
Equipped with
The slinger includes a tubular portion formed in a cylindrical shape from one end to the other end in the rotation axis direction, and a flange portion extending from the one end of the tubular portion toward a radially inner side of the shaft member,
The slinger is disposed at a position spaced apart from the cover member in the rotation axis direction,
In the radial direction of the shaft member, the height of the cover member is equal to or lower than the height of the slinger.
Sealing mechanism. The sealing mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the cover member is configured to cover at least a portion of the end surface of the slinger. The seal mechanism according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the cover member is integrally formed with the shaft member. The seal mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the distance between the outer peripheral surface of the cover member and the inner peripheral surface of the case in the radial direction of the shaft member is greater than the dimension of the seal member in the extended position. A shaft member extending along a rotation axis direction;
a case that accommodates at least a portion of the shaft member;
a seal mechanism for sealing between the shaft member and the case;
Equipped with
The sealing mechanism includes:
A slinger provided on an outer circumferential surface of the shaft member;
A seal member provided between the case and the slinger;
A cover member that prevents at least a portion of the slinger from being exposed in order to suppress the application of an external force toward the inside of the case to the slinger ;
Including,
The slinger includes a tubular portion formed in a cylindrical shape from one end to the other end in the rotation axis direction, and a flange portion extending from the one end of the tubular portion toward a radially inner side of the shaft member,
The slinger is disposed at a position spaced apart from the cover member in the rotation axis direction,
In the radial direction of the shaft member, the height of the cover member is equal to or lower than the height of the slinger.
Device.