WO2018214848A1

WO2018214848A1 - Sealing assembly

Info

Publication number: WO2018214848A1
Application number: PCT/CN2018/087677
Authority: WO
Inventors: 张岳林; 刘鑫
Original assignee: 舍弗勒技术股份两合公司
Priority date: 2017-05-24
Filing date: 2018-05-21
Publication date: 2018-11-29
Also published as: CN108930794A

Abstract

Disclosed is a sealing assembly used for sealing an annular space between an inner surface of a first component and an outer surface of a second component, wherein the first component and the second component can rotate relative to each other. The sealing assembly comprises a first sealing member (1) and a second sealing member (2), wherein the first sealing member (1) can be fixedly assembled relative to the inner surface of the first component, and the second sealing member (2) can be fixedly assembled relative to the outer surface of the second component. The sealing assembly is characterised in that the first sealing member (1) comprises a skeleton (11) and multiple lips connected to the skeleton (11), wherein the skeleton (11) and the multiple lips all have an annular shape, the multiple lips comprise a first lip (13), and the first lip (13) comprises a contact part made of metal or ceramic; and the second sealing member (2) comprises a radially extending part (21), wherein when the sealing assembly is in an assembled state, the first lip (13) of the first sealing member (1) extends from the skeleton (11) towards the radially extending part (21) of the second sealing member (2), and the contact part of the first lip (13) mutually seals and contacts with the radially extending part (21) of the second sealing member (2).

Description

Sealing assembly

Technical field

This invention relates to sealing techniques. In particular, the present invention relates to a seal assembly capable of sealing a bearing, a bearing housing, a gear box, and the like of an apparatus that operates in a harsh environment having a large amount of dust and mud.

Background technique

As is known, the sealing of bearings and the like is a very large challenge in equipment operating in a very harsh environment with a large amount of dust and mud. For example, in the case of a seal of a heading bearing of a roadheader, due to the high requirements of the seal, it is usually sealed by a combination of a plurality of different seals.

Figure 1 shows a schematic view of the sealing of a bearing of a conventional roadhead cutting head. As shown in Fig. 1, the roadheader head uses a plurality of seals such as a floating seal, a V-shaped seal, and an edge seal at different positions for sealing. Based on such a sealing method, since a large number of seals are required, a large installation space is required. In addition, since the respective seals have different mounting positions and mounting methods, it is difficult to install, and it is difficult to ensure that each of the seals can be installed at the correct position, making it difficult to ensure the sealing effect. In addition, due to the large number of seals used, the cost is also high.

Summary of the invention

Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a seal assembly that overcomes at least one of the above disadvantages.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a seal assembly that is compact in construction, saves installation space, reduces cost, and reduces installation steps.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a seal assembly which has good wear resistance.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a seal assembly that has better sealing properties.

At least one of the above objects can be achieved by the following technical solutions.

According to an aspect of the invention, there is provided a seal assembly for sealing an annular space between an inner surface of a first member and an outer surface of a second member, wherein the first member and the second member Capable of relative rotation, the seal assembly includes a first seal and a second seal, the first seal being fixably mountable relative to an inner surface of the first member, and the second seal being rotatable relative to the first The outer surface of the two members is fixedly mounted, the seal assembly being characterized in that the first seal comprises a skeleton and a plurality of lips connected to the skeleton, wherein the skeleton and the plurality of lips each have a ring shape The plurality of lips including a first lip, and the first lip includes a contact made of metal or ceramic; and the second seal includes a radial extension, wherein assembly of the sealing assembly a state in which a first lip of the first seal extends from the skeleton toward a radial extension of the second seal, and a contact portion of the first lip and a radial direction of the second seal Extensions Seal contacts.

Preferably, the first lip further includes a support portion for supporting the contact portion, and the first lip is connected to the skeleton via the support portion.

Preferably, the skeleton is made of metal, the support portion of the first lip is made of an elastic material, and the first lip is connected to the skeleton by curing of the elastic material.

Preferably, the plurality of lips of the first seal further comprise a second lip and a main lip, and the second seal further comprises an axial extension, in the assembled state of the sealing assembly, the The second lip and the main lip of the first seal extend from the skeleton toward the axial extension of the second seal and are sealed to each other from the axial extension of the second seal.

Preferably, the second lip and the main lip are spaced apart in the axial direction, wherein any of the second lip and the main lip are disposed on one side of the external environment.

Preferably, the contact portion of the first lip is formed with a plurality of grooves, and the plurality of grooves extend from at least a portion of the radially outer surface of the contact portion to a portion of the axially outer surface of the contact portion.

Preferably, the plurality of grooves are spiral grooves.

Preferably, the plurality of grooves are a unidirectional spiral shape or a bidirectional spiral shape.

Preferably, the second seal is a separate component or the second seal is formed as part of the second component.

Preferably, the second seal is formed as a slinger.

According to the seal assembly of the above-described embodiment of the present invention, the first seal member is in sealing contact with the radially extending portion of the second seal member by the contact portion made of metal or ceramic, and thus has a good performance as compared with the prior art. Anti-wear properties.

DRAWINGS

The features, advantages, and technical effects of the exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which

Figure 1 shows a schematic view of the sealing of a conventional head of a roadhead cutting head. .

2 shows a schematic view of a portion of a cross section of a seal assembly in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

3 shows a perspective view of a portion of a seal assembly in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.

4 shows a schematic view of a portion of a cross section of a seal assembly in accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention.

detailed description

Hereinafter, embodiments of the invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The following detailed description and the annexed drawings are intended to illustrate the embodiments of the invention

In the drawings, some structures, components or elements may have been omitted for clarity, and the dimensions of some components or components may be reduced or enlarged. Accordingly, the dimensions or ratios in the figures are exemplary and are not intended to limit the invention. In addition, the size and/or proportion of different components of the same component or the same component or component may be inconsistent in different figures for clarity, and this is not intended to limit the invention.

The present invention relates to a seal assembly that is capable of sealing an annular space between an inner surface of a first member and an outer surface of a second member, wherein the first member and the second member are rotatable relative to each other. The seal assembly includes a first seal and a second seal, and the first seal is fixedly mountable relative to an inner surface of the first member, and the second seal is fixedly mountable relative to an outer surface of the second member. In an exemplary embodiment, the first member may be a box member having an interior space and at least one annular opening, and the second member may be a shaft member that is at least partially inserted into the annular opening of the box member. For example, the first member and the second member may each be a gearbox housing and a shaft that is at least partially inserted into the annular opening of the gearbox housing. In another exemplary embodiment, the first member and the second member may be outer and inner rings of the bearing, respectively.

2 shows a cross-sectional view of a portion of a seal assembly in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 2, a seal assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a first seal 1 and a second seal 2. Wherein, the first sealing member 1 includes a skeleton 11 and a plurality of lips connected to the skeleton 11. In a preferred embodiment, the first seal 1 further comprises a spring 12. The second seal 2 includes a radially extending portion 21 that extends outward in a radial direction thereof and an axially extending portion 22 that extends in an axial direction thereof. Preferably, the second seal 2 is formed in the form of a slinger as shown in FIG. However, the invention is not limited thereto, and the second seal may also be a component of other suitable forms. The slinger 2 can be made of various metals or alloys.

It should be noted that FIG. 2 only shows a part (half) of the section of the sealing assembly along the axis of the sealing assembly, actually sealing the various parts of the assembly (the skeleton 11 of the first sealing member 1, the plurality of lips) And the spring 12, as well as the radial extension 21 and the axial extension 22) of the slinger 2, each have an annular shape around the axis of the seal assembly.

Hereinafter, the shape of the cross section of the respective portions of the seal assembly shown in Fig. 2 will be specifically described. One skilled in the art can think of the overall shape and structure of the various portions based on the shape of the cross section.

The skeleton 11 of the first seal 1 includes an axial extension 111 extending substantially in the axial direction of the seal assembly and a radially extending portion 112 extending inwardly generally in the radial direction of the seal assembly. The skeleton 11 can be made of various metals or alloys. Further, the skeleton 11 can also be made of a hard plastic. Of course, the material of the skeleton 11 is not limited thereto, as long as a material capable of providing sufficient supporting strength can be used for the manufacture of the skeleton 11.

The plurality of lips of the first seal 1 include at least a first lip 13. The first lip 13 can be arranged to extend outwardly from the skeleton 11 generally along the axial direction of the seal assembly. In a preferred embodiment, the axial end 131 of the first lip 13 is made of metal or ceramic. The metal material may specifically include a single metal material such as steel and various alloys. The axial end 131 of the first lip 13 serves as a contact which, in the assembled state of the sealing assembly, is in contact with the radial extension 21 of the slinger 2 to effect a seal.

The first lip 13 further includes a support portion 132 for supporting the axial end portion 131, and the first lip 13 is connected to the skeleton 11 through the support portion 132. The support portion 132 is preferably made of an elastic material such as rubber or elastic plastic. Thereby, the axial end portion 131 of the first lip 13 can be coupled to the support portion 132 by the solidification of the elastic material constituting the support portion 132, and the support portion 132 can be coupled to the skeleton 11, thereby connecting the first lip 13 to Skeleton 11. Of course, the axial end portion 131 can also be connected to the support portion 132 by a suitable means such as adhesive.

The plurality of lips of the first seal 1 further comprise

second lips

14, 15. The

second lip

14, 15 may be arranged to extend inwardly from the skeleton 11 generally in a radial direction of the seal assembly. In the assembled state of the seal assembly, the

second lip

14, 15 may be in contact with or close to the axial extension 22 of the slinger 2 to effect a seal. Furthermore, the

second lip

14, 15 may comprise a plurality of lips (two are shown). The plurality of lips may be in contact with or near the axial extension 22 of the slinger 2 at a plurality of locations in the assembled state of the seal assembly to form a labyrinth seal.

The plurality of lips of the first seal 1 also include a main lip 16. Similar to the

second lips

14, 15, the main lip 16 is also arranged to extend inwardly from the skeleton 11 generally in the radial direction of the seal assembly. In the assembled state of the seal assembly, the main lip 16 can be in contact with the axial extension 22 of the slinger 2 to form a seal. In a preferred embodiment, the spring 12 can be disposed radially outward of the main lip 16. For example, the spring 12 can be caught in a radially outward groove of the main lip 16 to prevent the spring 12 from slipping out of the first seal 1. In the assembled state of the seal assembly, the spring 12 can press the main lip 16 inwardly in the radial direction of the first seal 1, bringing the main lip 16 into close contact with the axial extension 22 of the slinger 2 to form a good seal. The spring 12 can be made of various metals or alloys.

The

second lips

14, 15 and the main lip 16 may be made of an elastic material such as rubber or elastic plastic. In a preferred embodiment, the

second lips

14, 15 and the main lip 16 may be integrally formed from the same material. For example, the

second lips

14, 15 and the main lip 16 may each be made of rubber, and both may be integrally joined to the bobbin 11 by curing of the rubber. In still another preferred embodiment, the support portion 132 of the first lip 13 may be integrally formed with the same material as the

second lip

14, 15 and the main lip 16. For example, the support portion 132 and the

second lip

14, 15 and the main lip 16 of the first lip 13 may each be made of rubber, and the three may be integrally coupled to the bobbin 11 by curing of the rubber.

Next, the principle of sealing the sealing assembly according to the present invention in an assembled state will be described in detail. In the following description, a bearing housing having an inner space and having at least one annular opening is used as the first member, and a shaft that can be at least partially inserted into the annular opening of the bearing housing is used as the second member. However, the invention is not limited thereto. The first member and the second member may also be other similar case members and shaft members, and may also be the outer and inner rings of the bearing.

In particular, a seal assembly in accordance with the present invention can be assembled between the bearing housing and the shaft to seal an annular space formed between the annular opening of the bearing housing and the shaft. In the assembled state, the first seal 1 is fixedly mounted to the inner surface of the end of the bearing housing, and the slinger 2 is fixedly mounted on the sleeve. For example, the first seal 1 may be fitted (interference fit) to the inner surface of the end of the bearing housing by the axial extension 111 of the frame 11, and the axial extension 22 of the slinger 2 may be axially fitted (interference fit). Further, in Fig. 2, the first seal 1 side faces the inner side of the bearing housing, that is, the bearing side, and the slinger 2 side faces the outer side of the bearing housing, that is, the outer environment side. The rotation of the oil slinger 2 with the shaft can pull out dust and mud from the external environment, which is beneficial to the sealing of the sealing assembly.

Furthermore, in the assembled state, the first lip 13 of the first seal 1 extends from the skeleton 11 towards the radial extension 21 of the slinger 2, and the axial end 131 of the first lip 13 and the slinger 2 The radially extending portions 21 are in contact with each other to form a seal. Since the axial end portion 131 of the first lip 13 is made of metal or ceramic, the slinger 2 is usually made of metal or alloy. Thereby, the sealing assembly of the present invention has good wear resistance even in a hostile environment with a lot of dust, mud, and the like.

Further, when the first seal 1 is fixedly mounted to the inner surface of the end portion of the bearing housing, the support portion 132 of the first lip 13 is compressed. Since the support portion 132 is made of an elastic material, it is possible to provide a sufficient elastic force to ensure that the axial end portion 131 of the first lip 13 is in close contact with the radial extension portion 21 of the slinger 2, thereby providing good sealing performance.

Furthermore, in the assembled state, the

second lip

14, 15 of the first seal 1 extends from the skeleton 11 towards the axial extension 22 of the slinger and is in contact with or close to the axial extension 22 of the slinger 2, To form a seal. Furthermore, since the

second lip

14, 15 comprises a plurality of lips (two are shown), it can be brought into contact with or close to the axial extension 22 of the slinger 2 at a plurality of locations, thereby forming a labyrinth seal, Further ensure sealing performance.

Furthermore, in the assembled state, the main lip 16 of the first seal 1 extends from the skeleton 11 towards the axial extension 22 of the slinger 2 and is in contact with the axial extension 22 of the slinger 2 to form a seal. Since the spring 12 presses the main lip 16 toward the axially outward portion 22 of the slinger 2 on the radially outer side of the main lip 16, the main lip 16 can be in close contact with the axial extension 22 of the slinger 2. Therefore, when the bearing is lubricated with liquid oil, it can provide a good seal, prevent leakage of lubricating oil, and further ensure sealing performance.

Further, in the above embodiment, in the assembled state, the

second lips

14, 15 and the main lip 16 of the first seal member 1 are in contact with or close to the axially extending portion 22 of the slinger 2. However, the invention is not limited thereto. The

second lip

14, 15 and the main lip 16 of the first seal 1 may be in direct contact with or adjacent to the shaft to form a seal, or the

second lip

14, 15 may be in contact with or adjacent to the axial extension 22 of the slinger 2, and The main lip 16 is in direct contact with the shaft to form a seal. Here, a part of the shaft functions as an axial extension 22 of the slinger 2.

Thus, the seal assembly according to the present invention can form a first seal by contact of the first lip of the first seal with the radially extending portion of the second seal, through the second lip of the first seal and the second seal Contacting or approaching the axial extension forms a second seal and forms a third seal by contact of the main lip of the first seal with the axial extension of the second seal. Thus, the seal assembly of the present invention can be used to effect an effective seal.

The sealing assembly of the present invention according to the above embodiment integrates a plurality of portions for realizing a floating ring seal, an edge seal, a labyrinth seal, and an oil seal, and is compact in structure compared with the prior art, which can save installation space and reduce cost. Reduce the installation steps.

Further, according to the seal assembly of the present invention of the above embodiment, the first seal member is in sealing contact with each other by a contact portion made of metal or ceramic and a radial extension portion of a second seal member made of metal or alloy or the like and opposed Rotation, therefore, has good wear resistance even in harsh environments such as dust and mud.

3 shows a perspective view of a portion of a seal assembly in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 3, the first sealing member 1 can also form a plurality of grooves 133 on the axial end portion 131 of the first lip 13. The plurality of slots 133 extend from at least a portion of the radially outer surface of the axial end 131 to a portion of the axially outer surface of the axial end 131. Here, the axially outer surface of the axial end portion 131 is a surface that is in sealing contact with the second seal 2 in the assembled state of the seal assembly. The plurality of grooves 133 can pump dust and mud or the like away from the sealing assembly by centrifugal force when the first sealing member 1 rotates, thereby reducing wear of the sealing assembly and prolonging the life of the sealing assembly.

The plurality of grooves 133 may be spiral grooves. Further, the plurality of grooves 133 may be a one-way spiral groove or a two-way spiral groove in consideration of one-way rotation or two-way rotation of the first seal 1. Further, the cross section of the plurality of grooves 133 may be V-shaped, semi-circular, or the like.

Further, in the first sealing member 1 shown in Fig. 2, the

second lips

14, 15 and the main lip 16 are spaced apart in the axial direction of the seal assembly, and the

second lips

14, 15 are located on the external environment side in the axial direction, and The main lip 16 is located on the bearing side. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the positions of the

second lips

14, 15 of the first seal member 1 and the main lip 16 in the axial direction of the seal assembly may be reversed according to actual needs. 4 shows a schematic view of a portion of a cross section of a seal assembly in accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention. In the embodiment shown in Figure 4, the

second lip

14, 15 of the first seal 1 is on the bearing side and the main lip 16 is on the external environment side. This is especially advantageous when the bearing is greased. When the bearing is lubricated with grease, the

second lip

14, 15 is sufficient to seal the grease. The main lip 16 having a better sealing effect can block dust and mud in the external environment from entering the bearing side on the external environment side. This is especially advantageous for sealing in harsh environments with high dust and mud.

Various embodiments of the seal assembly in accordance with the present invention have been described above. In the above embodiment, the second seal is a separate component that can be fixedly mounted relative to the outer surface of the second member, for example, the second seal can be a slinger as described above. However, the invention is not limited thereto, and the second seal may also be formed as a part of the second member. For example, the second member may be integrally formed with portions that are similar in shape and function to the axial extensions and the radial extensions of the second seal, which portions may contact or abut the corresponding lip of the first seal to form a seal. Further, a portion of the second seal may be formed from a portion of the second member. For example, a portion of the shaft on which the second seal is mounted may be used as part of the axial extension of the second seal.

Although the invention has been described with reference to the exemplary embodiments, it is understood that the invention is not limited to the construction and method of the embodiments described above. On the contrary, the invention is intended to cover various modifications and equivalents. In addition, while the various elements and method steps of the disclosed invention are shown in various exemplary combinations and configurations, other combinations including more and fewer elements or methods are also within the scope of the invention. .

Claims

A seal assembly for sealing an annular space between an inner surface of a first member and an outer surface of a second member, wherein the first member and the second member are rotatable relative to each other, the seal assembly comprising a first seal and a second seal, the first seal being fixedly mountable relative to an inner surface of the first member, and the second seal being fixedly mountable relative to an outer surface of the second member, The sealing assembly is characterized in that

The first seal includes a skeleton and a plurality of lips connected to the skeleton, wherein the skeleton and the plurality of lips each have an annular shape, the plurality of lips include a first lip, and the first The lip includes a contact made of metal or ceramic;

The second seal includes a radial extension,

Wherein, in the assembled state of the sealing assembly, the first lip of the first sealing member extends from the skeleton toward a radial extension of the second sealing member, and the contact portion of the first lip is The radially extending portions of the second seal are in sealing contact with each other.
The seal assembly of claim 1 wherein

The first lip further includes a support portion for supporting the contact portion, and the first lip is coupled to the skeleton via the support portion.
The seal assembly of claim 2 wherein

The skeleton is made of metal, the support portion of the first lip is made of an elastic material, and the first lip is connected to the skeleton by curing of the elastic material.
A seal assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein

The plurality of lips of the first seal further includes a second lip and a main lip, and the second seal further includes an axial extension, the first seal in an assembled state of the seal assembly The second lip and the main lip of the piece extend from the skeleton toward the axial extension of the second seal and are sealed to each other from the axial extension of the second seal.
The seal assembly of claim 4 wherein

The second lip and the main lip are spaced apart in the axial direction, wherein any of the second lip and the main lip are disposed on one side of the external environment.
A seal assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein

The contact portion of the first lip is formed with a plurality of grooves, and the plurality of grooves extend from at least a portion of the radially outer surface of the contact portion to a portion of the axially outer surface of the contact portion.
The seal assembly of claim 6 wherein

The plurality of grooves are spiral grooves.
The seal assembly of claim 6 wherein

The plurality of grooves are a unidirectional spiral shape or a bidirectional spiral shape.
A seal assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein

The second seal is a separate component or the second seal is formed as part of the second component.
The seal assembly of claim 9 wherein

The second seal is formed as a slinger.