Bearing isolator seal with enhanced rotor drive coupling
First Claim
1. A bearing isolator seal comprising:
- a rotor surrounding a rotatable shaft, said rotatable shaft being configured to rotate about a rotation axis;
a drive retention groove formed in an inward facing surface of the rotor abutting the shaft;
a plurality of drive O-rings contained in the drive retention groove and compressed between the shaft and a top of the drive retention groove, the drive O-rings thereby rotationally coupling the rotor to the shaft; and
a stator surrounding the shaft and configured to remain stationary when the rotor is rotating, the rotor and stator being configured to inhibit a flow of fluid between them.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A bearing isolator seal provides enhanced coupling and stability of the rotor to the shaft, without undue seal enlargement, by including a plurality of drive O-rings in a common retention groove. In embodiments, the isolator seal accommodates axial rotor misalignment up to a maximum permitted axial misalignment, which can be at least 0.025″. Embodiments include a labyrinth passage between the rotor and the stator configured to expel fluid by centrifugal force. Embodiments include a shut off feature that takes advantage of axial misalignment. Some embodiments include a unitization feature that holds the rotor and stator together during assembly. The unitization feature can include chamfers on rotor and stator extensions that facilitate assembly and disassembly when sufficient force is applied.
22 Citations
9 Claims
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1. A bearing isolator seal comprising:
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a rotor surrounding a rotatable shaft, said rotatable shaft being configured to rotate about a rotation axis; a drive retention groove formed in an inward facing surface of the rotor abutting the shaft; a plurality of drive O-rings contained in the drive retention groove and compressed between the shaft and a top of the drive retention groove, the drive O-rings thereby rotationally coupling the rotor to the shaft; and a stator surrounding the shaft and configured to remain stationary when the rotor is rotating, the rotor and stator being configured to inhibit a flow of fluid between them. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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Specification