DUST SEAL

• US 20170219100A1
• Filed: 04/20/2017
• Published: 08/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NOK Corporation
• Original Assignee: NOK Corporation
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Naoto, Kato, Takuya
• Granted Patent: US 10,234,037 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/16 Steering columns
• CPC Class Codes: F16J 15/3204 with at least one lip
• CPC Class Codes: F16J 15/3224 capable of accommodating changes in distances or misalignment between the surfaces, e.g. able to compensate for defaults of eccentricity or angular deviations
• CPC Class Codes: F16J 15/52 by means of sealing bellows or diaphragms connection of valves to inflatable elastic bodies B60C29/00
• CPC Class Codes: F16J 15/54 Other sealings for rotating shafts
• CPC Class Codes: F16J 3/04 Bellows

Abstract

A dust seal includes an annular dust seal body, an annular bushing through which a shaft is slidably inserted, and an annular seal lip provided on the bushing and slidably contacting the shaft. The dust seal body includes an annular elastic attaching portion that is fitted into an opening of a receiving portion, an annular first accordion unit having an elastic accordion, and an annular second accordion unit having an elastic accordion. The first accordion unit and the second accordion unit are arranged side by side in the direction of an axis. The first accordion unit is integral with the attaching portion, is joined to the attaching portion at an outer periphery, and is bonded to the bushing at an inner periphery by vulcanization. The second accordion unit is fixed to the attaching portion at an outer periphery, and engaged with the bushing at an inner periphery.

Claims

1. A dust seal for sealing a gap between an opening in a receiving member and a shaft inserted through the opening, comprising:

a dust seal body in an annular shape centered about an axis;

a bushing in an annular shape centered about the axis, through which the shaft is slidably inserted; and

a seal lip in an annular shape centered about the axis, provided at one end of the bushing in a direction of the axis, and slidably contacting an outer peripheral surface of the shaft, wherein

the dust seal body including;

an attaching portion that is fitted into the opening of the receiving portion, is in an annular shape centered about the axis, and is made of an elastic material,

a first accordion unit that has an accordion made of an elastic material and is an annular shape centered about the axis, and

a second accordion unit that has an accordion made of an elastic material and is an annular shape centered about the axis,

the first accordion unit and the second accordion unit are arranged side by side in the direction of the axis,

the first accordion unit is integral with the attaching portion, is joined to an inner peripheral surface of the attaching portion at an outer periphery, and is bonded to an outer peripheral surface of the bushing at an inner periphery by vulcanization, and

the second accordion unit is fixed to the inner peripheral surface of the attaching portion at an outer periphery, and engaged with the outer peripheral surface of the bushing at an inner periphery.

2. The dust seal according to claim 1, wherein the second accordion unit is integral with the attaching portion and joined to the inner peripheral surface of the attaching portion at the outer periphery.

3. The dust seal according to claim 1, wherein the second accordion unit is fitted into the inner peripheral surface of the attaching portion at the outer periphery and to thereby be fixed to the attaching portion.

4. The dust seal according to claim 1, wherein the bushing includes a first engaging part extending in an annular shape along the outer peripheral surface, the second accordion unit includes an annular second engaging part at an end portion on the inner periphery, and the second accordion unit is locked to the outer peripheral surface of the bushing with the first engaging part and the second engaging part engaged with each other.

5. The dust seal according to claim 4, wherein the first engaging part includes a depression that extends in an annular shape along the outer peripheral surface of the bushing and that is depressed in the direction of the axis or toward the axis, the second engaging part includes a projection that extends in an annular shape at the end portion on the inner periphery of the second accordion unit and that projects in the direction of the axis, the projection of the second engaging part is accommodated in and engaged with the depression of the first engaging part, and the second accordion unit is locked to the outer peripheral surface of the bushing.

6. The dust seal according to claim 5, wherein the bushing includes, at an end portion on a second accordion unit side in the direction of the axis, a tapered portion with a taper surface spreading from the end portion side toward an end portion side opposite to the end portion side.