High pressure lip seals with anti-extrusion and anti-galling properties and related methods

• US 9,234,591 B2
• Filed: 03/17/2014
• Issued: 01/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bal Seal Engineering Incorporated (Kaman Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Bal Seal Engineering Incorporated (Kaman Corporation)
• Inventors: Dilmaghanian, Farshid, Balsells, Peter J.
• Primary Examiner(s): LEE, GILBERT Y
• Application Number:
  US14/216,895
• Publication Number:
  US 20140265139A1
• Time in Patent Office: 666 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F16J 15/166 with means to prevent the extrusion of the packing
• CPC Class Codes: F16J 15/3204 with at least one lip
• CPC Class Codes: F16J 15/3208 provided with tension elements, e.g. elastic rings
• CPC Class Codes: F16J 15/3212 with metal springs
• CPC Class Codes: F16J 15/3236 with at least one lip for each surface, e.g. U-cup packings
• CPC Class Codes: F16J 15/324 Arrangements for lubrication or cooling of the sealing itself
• CPC Class Codes: F16J 15/328 Manufacturing methods specially adapted for elastic sealings moulding B29C

Abstract

Sealing assemblies to provide sealing between a shaft and a housing comprising a sealing component comprising a body section as well as an outer flange and an inner flange both extending from said body section; a supporting component receiving said sealing component and comprising a relatively thick inner arm projecting into said sealing component and providing a supporting area spanning an inner portion of said body section and a portion of said inner flange; an anti-extrusion component engaged with said relatively thick inner arm; the minimum clearance between said anti-extrusion component and said shaft being less than the minimum clearance between said relatively thick inner arm and said shaft; said inner flange comprising a sealing area; wherein said sealing assembly is to be received in a cavity in said housing or on said shaft.

Claims

1. A sealing assembly to provide sealing between a shaft and a housing comprising:

a sealing component comprising a body section, an outer flange, and an inner flange both extending from said body section, said inner flange comprising a sealing area and a sealing lip;

a supporting component receiving said sealing component and comprising an inner arm comprising an inner arm stub projecting under said sealing component, said inner arm stub providing a supporting area spanning an inner portion of said body section and a first portion of said inner flange of said sealing component and comprises an inner arm edge;

an anti-extrusion ring engaged to said inner arm stub, said anti-extrusion ring comprising an inner surface;

wherein said inner arm edge of said inner arm stub defining a first inside diameter and said inner surface of said anti-extrusion ring defining a second inside diameter, and wherein the second inside diameter is smaller than the first inside diameter so that when the sealing assembly is mounted on a shaft, said second inside diameter has a smaller clearance than said first inside diameter with the shaft.

2. The sealing assembly of claim 1, wherein said anti-extrusion ring spans a second portion of said inner flange of said sealing component.

4. The sealing assembly of claim 2, wherein said first portion of said inner flange has a length and said second portion of said inner flange has a length and wherein the length of said second portion is less than the length of said first portion of said inner flange by at least 25%.

5. The sealing assembly claim 1, further comprising a locking ring mechanically engaged with said outer flange of said sealing component.

6. The sealing assembly of claim 5, wherein said retaining component comprises a spring lip.

7. The sealing assembly of claim 1, wherein said anti-extrusion component and said inner arm stub are engaged by a snap fit arrangement.

8. The sealing assembly of claim 1, wherein said anti-extrusion component and said inner arm stub are engaged by a pressed fit arrangement.

9. The sealing assembly claim 1, further comprising a spring energizer energizing the sealing area.

10. The sealing assembly of claim 9, wherein said spring energizer is a canted coil spring.

11. The sealing assembly of claim 10, wherein said canted coil spring is radial canted coil spring having a major axis turned at an angle with respect to a longitudinal axis of said sealing assembly.

12. The sealing assembly of claim 10, wherein said canted coil spring contacts said inner flange at an area where the inner flange is supported by both the inner arm stub and the anti-extrusion ring.

13. The sealing assembly of claim 9, wherein said spring energizer is a cantilever spring, a ribbon spring, or a garter spring.

14. The sealing assembly of claim 1, wherein said anti-extrusion ring is made of plastic.

15. The sealing assembly of claim 14, wherein said plastic is a high temperature engineered plastic.

16. The sealing assembly of claim 1, wherein said anti-extrusion ring is made of a relatively low elastic modulus metal, which has a lower elastic modulus value than that of the supporting component.

17. The sealing assembly of one of claim 16, wherein said relatively low elastic metal is one of bronze and bronze alloy.

18. The sealing assembly of claim 1, further comprising a cartridge housing comprising a cavity and wherein the sealing assembly is positioned inside the cavity of the cartridge housing.

3. The sealing assembly of 2, wherein said first portion of said inner flange has a length and said second portion of said inner flange has a length and wherein the two lengths are equal.

19. A sealing assembly to provide sealing between a shaft and a housing comprising:

a sealing component comprising a body section, an outer flange, and an inner flange both extending from said body section, said inner flange comprising a sealing area and a sealing lip;

a supporting component made of a first material having a first modulus of elasticity value receiving said sealing component and comprising an inner arm projecting into said sealing component, said inner arm providing a supporting area spanning an inner portion of said body section and at least a portion of said inner flange;

a locking ring engaging the outer flange of the sealing component and together with the sealing component defining an energizer cavity;

a spring energizer disposed in the energizer cavity and biasing against the inner flange and the locking ring;

wherein the inner arm has an inner arm edge defining a first inside diameter and a reduced clearance area defining a second inside diameter, which is smaller than the first inside diameter, and wherein the reduced clearance area has a second material having a second modulus of elasticity value, which is lower than the first modulus of elasticity value.

20. The sealing assembly of claim 19, wherein the reduced clearance area is part of an anti-extrusion ring engaged to an inner arm stub of the inner arm.

21. The sealing assembly of claim 20, wherein said anti-extrusion ring is made of plastic.

22. The sealing assembly of claim 21, wherein said plastic is a high temperature engineered plastic.

23. The sealing assembly of claim 20, wherein said anti-extrusion ring is engaged to the inner arm stub by a snap fit or a press fit.

24. The sealing assembly of claim 19, wherein the second material having the second modulus of elasticity value comprises one or more inserts positioned inside one or more bores.

25. The sealing assembly of claim 24, wherein the one or more bores are open ended at each end of each bore.

26. The sealing assembly of claim 24, wherein the one or more bores have at least one end of each bore that is closed.

27. The sealing assembly of claim 24, wherein said spring energizer contacts said inner flange at a portion of the inner flange that is supported by the inner arm and the reduced clearance area of the inner arm.

28. The sealing assembly of claim 19, wherein said spring energizer is a canted coil spring, a ribbon spring, a helical spring, or a V-spring.

29. The sealing assembly of 19, further comprising a cartridge housing comprising an interior cavity and wherein the sealing assembly is positioned inside the interior cavity of the cartridge housing.

30. The sealing assembly of 29, further comprising a second sealing assembly positioned inside the interior cavity of the cartridge housing in series with the sealing assembly.

31. The sealing assembly of claim 30, wherein the second sealing assembly comprises a sealing component comprising an inner flange having a sealing lip supported by an inner arm of a supporting component.

32. A method for making a seal assembly comprising:

forming a sealing component comprising a body section, an outer flange, and an inner flange both extending from said body section, said inner flange comprising a sealing area and a sealing lip;

placing a supporting component made of a first material having a first modulus of elasticity value in receiving arrangement with said sealing component, said supporting component comprising an inner arm projecting into said sealing component and providing a supporting area spanning an inner portion of said body section and at least a portion of said inner flange;

placing a locking ring in engagement with the outer flange of the sealing component and forming an energizer cavity with said sealing component;

placing a spring energizer in the energizer cavity and biasing the spring energizer against the inner flange and the locking ring;

wherein the inner arm has an inner arm edge defining a first inside diameter and a reduced clearance area defining a second inside diameter, which is smaller than the first inside diameter, and wherein the reduced clearance area has a second material having a second modulus of elasticity value, which is lower than the first modulus of elasticity value.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the reduced clearance area is part of an anti-extrusion ring engaged to an inner arm stub of the inner arm.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein said anti-extrusion ring is made of plastic.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein said plastic is a high temperature engineered plastic.

36. The method of claim 33, wherein said anti-extrusion ring is engaged to the inner arm stub by a snap fit or a press fit.

37. The method of claim 32, wherein the second material having the second modulus of elasticity value comprises one or more inserts positioned inside one or more bores.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the one or more bores are open ended at each end of each bore.

39. The method of claim 37, wherein the one or more bores have at least one end of each bore that is closed.

40. The method of claim 37, wherein said spring energizer contacts said inner flange at a portion of the inner flange that is supported by the inner arm and the reduced clearance area of the inner arm.

41. The method of claim 32, wherein said spring energizer is a canted coil spring, a ribbon spring, a helical spring, or a V-spring.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein the canted coil spring has a major axis and wherein the major axis is generally parallel with a lengthwise axis of the sealing assembly.

43. The method of 32, further comprising placing the seal assembly inside an interior cavity of a cartridge housing.

44. The method of 43, further comprising placing a second sealing assembly inside the interior cavity of the cartridge housing in series with the sealing assembly.

45. The method of claim 44, wherein the second sealing assembly comprises a sealing component comprising an inner flange having a sealing lip supported by an inner arm of a supporting component.