US4484752A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Rotating-lip bidirectional hydrodynamic oil seal
Assignee: Abu AB
•
Filing: 1984-03-08
•
Granted: 1984-11-27
•
Expires: 2004-03-08
Abstract
Abstract A rotating-disc bidirectional hydrodynamic oil seal, for use between a shaft and a bore, one of which is stationary while the other rotates. A rigid member has a peripheral portion engaging the stationary member and has a frustoconical portion with a disc-engaging surface on one side, facing the shaft. A sealing assembly has a portion mounted on the rotating member and a flexible sealing disc that extends radially outwardly and tends to assume a substantially radial position. The disc has an outer edge and first and second opposite faces; the first face engages the disc-engaging surface of the wear sleeve which also flexes the disc. The oil reservoir is functionally in communication with the outer edge and the second face. Centrifugal force, in either direction of rotation urges the first face snugly against the disc-engaging surface and prevents passage of oil between the disc and the disc-engaging surface. If some oil does get beyond the disc, it is returned to the oil reservoir.
Inventors
- 👤 Gustavus A. Bentley
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 15:16
CPC Classifications
F; F16; F16J; F16J15/00; F16J15/16; F16J15/164; F16J15/32; F16J15/3248; F16J15/3252; F16J15/3256; F16J15/3264; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S277/00; Y10S277/929
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 42
Claim 1
Independent Claim
201 words
A rotating-disc bidirectional hydrodynamic oil seal, for use between a shaft and a housing bore, one of which is a stationary member, the other of which is a rotating member, to retain oil in an oil reservoir, including in combination: a rigid member having a peripheral frustoconical portion extending toward said rotating member and having a disc-engaging surface on the side facing said rotating member, and a sealing assembly having a supporting portion for mounting with a leak-tight fit on said rotating member and supporting a flexible sealing disc that extends radially outwardly and tends to assume a substantially radial position, said disc having an outer edge and first and second opposite faces, said first face engaging and flexed by said disc-engaging surface, the oil in said reservoir being functionally in communication with at least a portion of said outer edge and said second face, the centrifugal force of rotation of said rotating member in either direction tending to urge said first face more snugly against said disc-engaging portion, so that oil is effectively prevented from passing out between said disc and said disc-engaging portion and any oil that may have so passed tends to be returned to said oil reservoir.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
201 words
A rotating-disc bidirectional hydrodynamic oil seal, for use between a shaft and a housing bore, one of which is a stationary member, the other of which is a rotating member, to retain oil in an oil reservoir, including in combination: a rigid member having a peripheral frustoconical portion extending toward said rotating member and having a disc-engaging surface on the side facing said rotating member, and a sealing assembly having a supporting portion for mounting with a leak-tight fit on said rotating member and supporting a flexible sealing disc that extends radially outwardly and tends to assume a substantially radial position, said disc having an outer edge and first and second opposite faces, said first face engaging and flexed by said disc-engaging surface, the oil in said reservoir being functionally in communication with at least a portion of said outer edge and said second face, the centrifugal force of rotation of said rotating member in either direction tending to urge said first face more snugly against said disc-engaging portion, so that oil is effectively prevented from passing out between said disc and said disc-engaging portion and any oil that may have so passed tends to be returned to said oil reservoir.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
18 words
The seal of claim 1 wherein said disc comprises a flat washer-like annulus held by said supporting portion.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
10 words
The seal of claim 2 wherein said annulus is polytetrafluoroethylene.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
21 words
The seal of claim 2 wherein said supporting portion includes clamping means for clamping said annulus so as to hold it.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
23 words
The seal of claim 4 having gasket means between said annulus and said supporting portion on the oil-reservoir side of said sealing assembly.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
16 words
The seal of claim 2 having bonding means for bonding said annulus to said supporting portion.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
24 words
The seal of claim 2 wherein said rigid member includes a portion having an elastomeric member extending into sealing contact with said rotating member.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
21 words
The seal of claim 7 wherein said rigid member also includes elastomeric spacing means for providing lubricant passage to said disc.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
24 words
The seal of claim 7 wherein said rigid member includes a portion having an elastomeric member extending into sealing contact with said supporting portion.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
30 words
The seal of claim 9 wherein said rigid member also includes elastomeric spacing means for providing lubricant passage to said disc between said elastomeric member's sealing contact and first face.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
23 words
The seal of claim 2 having a circular elastomer bead between the radially outer extremity of said first face and said disc-engaging surface.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
23 words
The seal of claim 2 having a circular elastomeric bead between the radially inner extremity of said first face and said disc-engaging surface.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
34 words
The seal of claim 2 having a metal shim-stock annulus engaged with said second face and carried by said supporting portion for helping to prevent stretch of said annulus during high rotational speed operations.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
34 words
The seal of claim 2 wherein said annulus is made of metal shim-stock and said disc-engaging face includes an elastomeric pad bonded to said wear sleeve portion and in engagement with said first face.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
96 words
The seal of claim 1 wherein said wear-sleeve portion is followed by a second, oppositely inclined wear-sleeve portion with a second disc-engaging surface on its side facing said shaft and said sealing assembly comprises two lips, namely first and second annuli both held by said supporting portion and flexed in opposite directions by the two wear sleeve portions, each said disc-engaging portion being wiped by one said face of one said lip, to provide an oil-retaining seal effected by the first lip engaging the first disc-engaging portion and a dirt-excluding lip engaging the second disc-engaging portion.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
13 words
The seal of claim 15 wherein both said annuli are of constant-thickness polytetrafluoroethylene.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
22 words
The seal of claim 15 wherein said annuli are both clamped to said supporting portion by clamping portions of said supporting portion.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
17 words
The seal of claim 17 including gasket means between said first said lip and the supporting portion.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
28 words
The seal of claim 17 having an orifice through said oil-retaining lip of said sealing member radially beyond said supporting portion to provide lubricant for both said lips.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
21 words
The seal of claim 1 wherein said second face has a circumferential series of channels thereon, staggered radially to provide overlap.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
20 words
The seal of claim 1 having on said first face a series of ribs and recesses for additional hydrodynamic action.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
157 words
A rotating-lip bidirectional hydrodynamic oil seal for use between a stationary housing bore and a rotating shaft to retain oil in an oil reservoir, including in combination: a rigid stationary case member having an outer peripheral bore-engaging portion and a radially-inwardly directed frustoconical portion having a lip-engaging surface on the side facing the shaft, and a sealing assembly having an inner shaft-engaging portion supporting an outwardly extending flexible sealing lip that tends to assume a substantially radial position, said lip having an outer edge and first and second opposite faces, said first face engaging and being flexed by said lip-engaging portion, the oil reservoir being functionally in direct communication with the outer edge and with said second face, the centrifugal force of rotation of said sealing assembly in either direction tending to increase the forces urging said first face against said lip-engaging portion, so that oil is prevented from passing between said lip and said lip-engaging portion.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
157 words
A rotating-lip bidirectional hydrodynamic oil seal for use between a stationary housing bore and a rotating shaft to retain oil in an oil reservoir, including in combination: a rigid stationary case member having an outer peripheral bore-engaging portion and a radially-inwardly directed frustoconical portion having a lip-engaging surface on the side facing the shaft, and a sealing assembly having an inner shaft-engaging portion supporting an outwardly extending flexible sealing lip that tends to assume a substantially radial position, said lip having an outer edge and first and second opposite faces, said first face engaging and being flexed by said lip-engaging portion, the oil reservoir being functionally in direct communication with the outer edge and with said second face, the centrifugal force of rotation of said sealing assembly in either direction tending to increase the forces urging said first face against said lip-engaging portion, so that oil is prevented from passing between said lip and said lip-engaging portion.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
18 words
The seal of claim 22 wherein said lip comprises a flat washer-like annulus held by said supporting portion.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
10 words
The seal of claim 23 wherein said annulus is polytetrafluoroethylene.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
22 words
The seal of claim 22 wherein said rigid case member has an elastomeric member extending into sealing contact with said rotating member.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
22 words
The seal of claim 25 wherein said rigid case member also includes elastomeric spacing means for providing lubricant passage to said lip.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
22 words
The seal of claim 22 wherein said rigid case member has an elastomeric member extending into sealing contact with said shaft-engaging portion.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
31 words
The seal of claim 1 wherein said rigid case member also includes elastomeric spacing means for providing lubricant passage to said lip between said elastomeric member's sealing contact and first face.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
95 words
The seal of claim 22 wherein said frustoconical portion is followed by a second, oppositely inclined frustoconical portion with a second lip-engaging surface on its side facing said shaft and said sealing assembly comprises two lips, namely first and second annuli both held by said shaft-engaging portion and flexed in opposite directions by the two frustoconical portions, each said lip-engaging portion being wiped by one side face of a said lip, to provide an oil-retaining seal effected by the first lip engaging the first lip-engaging portion and a dirt-excluding lip engaging the second lip-engaging portion.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
13 words
The seal of claim 29 wherein both said annuli are of constant-thickness polytetrafluoroethylene.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
22 words
The seal of claim 30 wherein said annuli are both clamped to said supporting portion by clamping portions of said shaft-engaging portion.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
17 words
The seal of claim 31 including gasket means between said first said lip and the supporting portion.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
28 words
The seal of claim 30 having an orifice through said oil-retaining lip of said sealing assembly radially beyond said shaft-engaging portion to provide lubricant for both said lips.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
21 words
The seal of claim 22 wherein said second face has a circumferential series of channels thereon, staggered radially to provide overlap.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
20 words
The seal of claim 22 having on said first face a series of ribs and recesses for additional hydrodynamic action.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
171 words
A rotating-lip bidirectional hydrodynamic oil seal for use between a stationary shaft and a rotating housing bore, to retain oil in an oil reservoir, including in combination: a rigid stationary case member having an inner peripheral shaft-engaging portion and a radially-outwardly directed frustoconical portion having a lip-engaging surface on the side facing the shaft, and a sealing assembly having an outer bore-engaging portion and a radially inwardly extending portion with an inner cylindrical portion supporting a flexible sealing lip that extends radially outwardly and tends to assume a substantially radial position, said lip having an outer edge and first and second opposite faces, said first face engaging and being flexed by said lip-engaging portion, the oil reservoir being functionally in communication with said outer edge and with said second face, the centrifugal force of rotation of said sealing assembly in either direction tending to increase the forces urging said first face against said lip-engaging portion, so that oil is prevented from passing out from between said lip and said lip-engaging portion.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
171 words
A rotating-lip bidirectional hydrodynamic oil seal for use between a stationary shaft and a rotating housing bore, to retain oil in an oil reservoir, including in combination: a rigid stationary case member having an inner peripheral shaft-engaging portion and a radially-outwardly directed frustoconical portion having a lip-engaging surface on the side facing the shaft, and a sealing assembly having an outer bore-engaging portion and a radially inwardly extending portion with an inner cylindrical portion supporting a flexible sealing lip that extends radially outwardly and tends to assume a substantially radial position, said lip having an outer edge and first and second opposite faces, said first face engaging and being flexed by said lip-engaging portion, the oil reservoir being functionally in communication with said outer edge and with said second face, the centrifugal force of rotation of said sealing assembly in either direction tending to increase the forces urging said first face against said lip-engaging portion, so that oil is prevented from passing out from between said lip and said lip-engaging portion.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
18 words
The seal of claim 36 wherein said lip comprises a flat washer-like annulus held by said bore-engaging portion.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
10 words
The seal of claim 37 wherein said annulus is polytetrafluoroethylene.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
21 words
The seal of claim 37 wherein said supporting portion includes clamping means for clamping said annulus so as to hold it.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1987-11-27 | 1988-05-28 | 1988-11-27 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1991-11-27 | 1992-05-28 | 1992-11-27 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1995-11-27 | 1996-05-28 | 1996-11-27 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |