Sealing device

Abstract

To provide a sealing device capable of increasing an energization amount in a sealing device arranged between a first member and a second member.SOLUTION: A sealing device 10A comprises: an elastic material 40 connected directly or indirectly to a first member 2; a lip part 50 that is in contact with a contact target surface (first surface 3b or second surface 3c) on a second member 3 side; and a conductive base material 30 that is integrally molded to contact the elastic material 40, and can assist in electrical connection between the first member 2 and the second member 3, where the lip part 50 is formed by combining a part of the elastic material 40 with at least a part of the conductive base material 30.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a sealing device that is installed in a space to be sealed between a first member and a second member that rotate relative to one another. [Background technology]

[0002] In the past, there was a problem that when an electric current flows through a bearing device that has multiple rolling elements arranged between a first member and a second member, electrolytic corrosion occurs on the surface of the rolling elements, leading to early failure of the bearing. Electric vehicles in particular are equipped with many electrical components, so there is a risk that a large amount of electric current will flow through the bearing device.

[0003] To solve this problem, a technology has been proposed in which a conductive material such as a conductive carbon filler is added to the inside of a sealing device that is attached to a bearing device to seal the space between the first and second members, and the current that would otherwise flow to the rolling elements is guided toward the sealing device. For example, Patent Document 1 proposes a technology in which a sheet-shaped conductive material is arranged inside the sealing device along the radial direction, the ends of the conductive material are exposed and extended from both ends of the sealing device, and the respective extended pieces are brought into contact with the first and second members, thereby enabling electrical continuity between the first and second members. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] DE102019110734 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, in the technology of Patent Document 1, the second member and the end of the conductive material in contact with it are in a relative rotating relationship, so there is a risk that the contact of the end of the flexible conductive material with the second member will become unstable as the rotation is repeated. Also, since the conductive material is in a sheet form, it is easily worn and deteriorates.

[0006] Additionally, a method has been proposed and implemented in which conductive grease is applied to the surface of the rolling elements to prevent electricity from remaining in the rolling elements; however, this method is not advisable due to problems such as the high cost of the material and the inability to maintain conductivity over the long term.

[0007] Furthermore, conventionally, conductive rubber has been used as the elastic material for the sealing device, but there is a concern that elasticity may be lost if the proportion of carbon filler contained in the rubber material to make the elastic material conductive is too large. Therefore, there is a limit to how much the carbon filler can be increased, and there is a limit to how much the conductivity of the sealing device can be improved by using conductive rubber.

[0008] The present invention has been proposed in consideration of the above circumstances, and its object is to provide a sealing device that can increase the amount of current passing through the sealing device disposed between a first member and a second member. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the sealing device of the present invention is a sealing device that is installed in a sealed space between a first member and a second member that rotate relative to one another, and comprises an elastic material directly or indirectly connected to the first member, a lip portion that contacts or is close to a contact target surface on the second member side, and a conductive base material that is integrally molded to contact the elastic material and can assist in electrical connection between the first member and the second member, and is characterized in that the lip portion is combined with a portion of the elastic material and at least a portion of the conductive base material. Effect of the Invention

[0010] Since the sealing device of the present invention has the above-described configuration, it is possible to increase the amount of current flowing through the sealing device disposed between the first member and the second member, and as a result, it is possible to reduce the amount of current flowing through the rolling elements disposed within the bearing device. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view of a bearing assembly equipped with a sealing device according to an embodiment of the present invention (a view common to all embodiments). [Diagram 2] 1A is an explanatory diagram of a sealing device according to a first embodiment, FIG. 1A is a cut-away end view of the sealing device, FIG. 1B is a partial vertical cross-sectional view of a bearing device equipped with the sealing device, and FIG. 1C is a partial end view showing another example of the sealing device. [Diagram 3] 1A is a cut-away end view of a sealing device according to a second embodiment, and FIG. 1B and FIG. 1C are cut-away end views of two examples of a sealing device according to a third embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 13(a) is a cut-away end view of a sealing device according to a fourth embodiment, (b) is a cut-away end view of a sealing device according to a fifth embodiment, and (c) is a partial vertical cross-sectional view of a bearing device equipped with a sealing device according to a sixth embodiment. [Diagram 5] 13(a) and (b) are cross-sectional end views of sealing devices according to seventh and eighth embodiments, and (c) is a schematic plan view of the same sealing device. [Figure 6] 13A and 13B are explanatory diagrams of a sealing device according to another embodiment of the present invention, where (a) is a partial vertical cross-sectional view of a bearing device equipped with a sealing device according to a ninth embodiment, (b) is a cut-away end view of the same sealing device, and (c) is a partial vertical cross-sectional view of a bearing device equipped with a sealing device according to a tenth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. First, a schematic configuration of a bearing assembly 1 to which sealing devices 10A to 10J are attached will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Note that the drawings (see Figs. 2 to 5) relating to various embodiments described below illustrate the sealing devices 10A to 10J at part X in Fig. 1.

[0013] In the following description, in terms of the radial distance from the axis L, the larger diameter side will be referred to as the outer side, outer surface, etc. when viewed from the smaller diameter side, and the smaller diameter side will be referred to as the inner side, inner surface, etc. when viewed from the larger diameter side. In addition, with regard to the axial direction, based on the sealing devices 10A-10J at part X in Fig. 1, the inner side of the bearing device 1 will be referred to as the sealed space 6 side (left side in Fig. 1) and the inner side in the axial direction, and the outer side (right side in Fig. 1) will be referred to as the side and the outer side in the axial direction.

[0014] The bearing device 1 comprises a first member 2 (outer member) and a second member 3 (inner member) which rotate relatively coaxially around the axis L of a shaft 5. For example, the first member 2 is fitted into a housing (not shown) or the like, the shaft 5 is inserted into the second member 3, and the second member 3 rotates together with the shaft 5, thereby establishing a relative rotation relationship between the first member 2 and the second member 3. The first member 2 may be the rotating side, and the second member 3 may be the fixed side.

[0015] Sealing devices 10A-10J are attached to seal both axial ends of a sealed space 6 between a first member 2 and a second member 3 in this bearing device 1, forming a sealed space. In the sealed space 6, a single row of rolling elements 7 (balls in the illustrated example) are held between the first member 2 and the second member 3 in a state where they are held by a retainer (not shown).

[0016] The sealing devices 10A to 10J of the present invention include various embodiments as described below. First, the common basic configuration of these sealing devices 10A to 10J will be described (see Figs. 2 to 6). Note that, as for the sealing devices 10C, 10C according to the third embodiment, two examples are shown in Figs. 3(b) and (c).

[0017] The sealing devices 10A to 10J include an elastic material 40 connected directly or indirectly to the first member 2, a lip portion 50 that contacts a target surface on the second member 3 side, and a conductive base material 30 that is integrally molded so as to contact the elastic material 40 and can assist in electrical connection between the first member 2 and the second member 3. The lip portion 50 is formed by combining a part of the elastic material 40 with at least a part of the conductive base material 30.

[0018] Each of the sealing devices 10A to 10J shown in Figs. 2 to 6 is fitted (internal fit) to the first member 2, and with respect to the second member 3, the lip portion 50 is in sliding contact with a target surface on the second member 3 side (the first surface 3b or the second surface 3c (see Fig. 1) of the second member 3, or the outer surface 61c (see Fig. 4(c)) of the slinger 60 of the sealing device 10F interposed between the first member 2 and the second member 3). In other words, the lip portion 50 is a portion for minimizing the gap between the first member 2 and the second member 3 due to relative rotation, thereby suppressing the intrusion of water and other foreign matter into the sealed space 6. The lip portion 50 is formed by both the elastic material 40 and the conductive base material 30.

[0019] In addition, in each of the sealing devices 10A to 10J described below, the elastic material 40, which is one of the components of the sealing devices 10A to 10J, is made of conductive rubber in which conductive carbon filler, etc., is mixed into the rubber material. Examples of the conductive carbon filler include carbon black, carbon fiber, carbon nanofiber, and graphite.

[0020] The conductive substrate 30 may be made of conductive materials such as copper, tungsten, and stainless steel, or conductive fibers such as carbon fiber. It is preferable to use a material with a higher conductivity than conductive rubber. The conductive substrate 30 is preferably made of a flexible material such as a thin film or a thin plate. For example, a flexible metal mesh material made of a mesh of thin metal wires, or a plate-shaped metal material with through holes such as a flexible punched metal, which is a metal plate material itself, is preferable. In this way, it is preferable to use a material with at least voids or through holes for the conductive substrate 30. The conductive substrate 30 is set so that the axial dimension is smaller than the core metal 20 and the seal base 41 of the elastic material 40.

[0021] 5, a metal wire 30A may be used as the conductive substrate 30. Examples of the metal wire 30A include a wire-like material, a twisted metal thin wire, a metal thin wire itself, and a metal mesh material rolled into a cylindrical shape.

[0022] It is desirable that the elastic material 40 and the conductive base material 30 (metal wire 30A) are integral with each other by the elastic material 40 penetrating into the gaps in the metal mesh material or the through holes in the punched metal, or becoming entangled with the metal wire 30A, during molding of the sealing devices 10A to 10J.

[0023] Moreover, the first member 2 and the second member 3 to which the sealing devices 10A to 10J are attached are made of a metal material having electrical conductivity.

[0024] Next, the sealing devices 10A to 10J according to the respective embodiments will be described in order with reference to the drawings.

[0025] The sealing device 10A in Fig. 2 according to the first embodiment is integrally provided with a core metal 20, an elastic material 40, and a conductive base material 30 as constituent materials. Fig. 2(a) is a cut end view of the sealing device 10A corresponding to part X in Fig. 1 when it is not installed in the sealed space 6, and Fig. 2(b) is a partial vertical cross-sectional view of the bearing device 1 showing the installed state of the sealing device 10A. First, each part of the sealing device 10A will be described with reference to Fig. 2(a).

[0026] The core metal 20 is the core material of the sealing device 10A, is made of a metal material having higher rigidity and conductivity than the conductive base material 30, and includes a core metal cylindrical portion 21 and a core metal disk portion 22 extending inward from a lateral end portion 21a thereof. The outer surface of the core metal cylindrical portion 21 is a core metal contact surface 21b that comes into contact with the first member 2 in a fitted relationship.

[0027] The elastic material 40 has a seal base 41 that covers the outer end 22b of the core metal disc portion 22 (the lateral end 21a of the core metal cylindrical portion 21) through the side surface 22a of the core metal disc portion 22 and the inner end portion 22c of the core metal disc portion 22 to a part of the surface on the sealed space 6 side. A protruding piece 43 made of the elastic material 40 is formed on the outer surface of the seal base 41 over the entire circumference so as to protrude outward beyond the core metal contact surface 21b and the elastic material contact surface 42. Furthermore, a lip portion 50 is formed on the inner end portion 41a side of the seal base 41, the lip portion 50 being made of a first lip 51 located on the outer side in the axial direction and a second lip 52 located on the inner side in the axial direction relative to the first lip 51.

[0028] The conductive substrate 30 is sandwiched between the core metal disc portion 22 of the core metal 20 and the elastic material 40 (seal base portion 41), is disposed along the side surface 22a of the core metal disc portion 22, and is fixed integrally with the core metal 20 and the elastic material 40. The elastic material 40 enters the gaps and through holes of the conductive substrate 30, and a part of the elastic material 40 reaches the side surface 22a of the core metal disc portion 22, thereby establishing a fixed relationship between the three members. When the conductive substrate 30 is made of a metal mesh material, the conductive substrate 30 is impregnated with the elastic material 40.

[0029] In the illustrated example, the outer end 31 of the conductive substrate 30 is located radially inward from the elastic material contact surface 42, but may be located so as to protrude radially outward from the elastic material contact surface 42. The cut end surface of the conductive substrate 30 extends substantially linearly up to the tip of the lip portion 50 (first lip 51), and is disposed substantially at the center in the thickness direction of the first lip 51 and sandwiched between the elastic material 40, with the end surface of the inner end 32 of the conductive substrate 30 exposed to the tip surface of the first lip 51. That is, the conductive substrate 30 exists inside the first lip 51, and the rigidity is reinforced by the conductive substrate 30. Note that the core metal 20 and the elastic material 40 are formed continuously in the circumferential direction, but the conductive substrate 30 sandwiched therebetween may be a plurality of conductive substrates 30 arranged continuously or discontinuously along the circumferential direction.

[0030] When this sealing device 10A is mounted between the first member 2 and the second member 3, it is in a state as shown in Fig. 2(b). A groove portion 2a is formed in the fitting surface 2b of the first member 2. Also, a step portion 3a is formed in the side end portion on the outer surface 3d side of the second member 3. In other words, the second member 3 is formed with a first surface 3b having a small diameter from the axis L and a second surface 3c facing laterally.

[0031] When the sealing device 10A is installed in the sealed space 6, the core metal cylindrical portion 21 is fitted into the fitting surface 2b of the first member 2 on the first member 2 side, and the protruding piece 43 is compressed and inserted into the groove portion 2a on the first member 2 side. On the other hand, on the second member 3 side, the first lip 51 is in contact with the first surface 3b, and the second lip 52 is in contact with or close to the second surface 3c. During the rotational operation of the bearing device 1, the first lip 51 and the second lip 52 are elastically deformed and are in sliding contact with the second member 3. The fact that the lip portion 50 is elastically deformed when it comes into contact with the contact surface on the second member 3 side is the same in the other embodiments described below.

[0032] The first lip 51 has an exposed tip of the conductive base material 30 sandwiched between the elastic material 40 that comes into contact with the first surface 3b of the second member 3 regardless of whether the bearing device 1 is rotating or stopped.

[0033] As can be seen from the above explanation and Figure 2(b), the elastic material contact surface 42, including the outer surface of the protruding piece 43 of the elastic material 40, is in contact with the first member 2, and the elastic material 40 and the conductive base material 30 at the tip of the first lip 51 are in contact with the second member 3, so that the sealing device 10A is in a state in which electrical conductivity is possible between the first member 2 and the second member 3 regardless of whether the bearing device 1 is rotating or stopped.

[0034] In particular, the tip of the first lip 51 is exposed with the conductive base material 30 sandwiched between the elastic material 40 and comes into contact with a wide area of ​​the second member 3, and the conductive base material 30 is arranged over almost the entire length of the sealed space 6 in the radial direction, thereby increasing the conductivity of the entire sealing device 10A.

[0035] In addition, the lip portion 50 is a sliding contact portion with the second member 3, and there is a possibility that it may momentarily become partially out of contact due to mutual rotation, which may affect the reduction in the amount of current passing through it. However, by providing a conductive base material 30 with high conductivity at the tip portion of the lip portion 50, the reduction in the amount of current passing through due to the lack of contact can be suppressed.

[0036] Furthermore, the thin, mesh-like conductive base material 30 does not slide against the second member 3 by itself, but rather slides against the second member 3 over a wide area accompanied by the elastic material 40. This reduces the possibility of twisting or bending, and prevents the conductive base material 30 from coming out of contact with the second member 3, thereby maintaining a stable state in which electricity can flow.

[0037] The electrical conductivity of the sealing device 10A is further improved if the conductive substrate 30 is extended further outward, particularly if it is extended so as to be exposed from the elastic material contact surface 42. In addition, if the conductive substrate 30 is exposed from the elastic material contact surface 42, the sealing device 10A can be in a conductive state only with the conductive substrate 30 without using conductive rubber as the elastic material 40.

[0038] Of course, the conductive base material 30 may have a smaller radial dimension than that shown in the example, and even in that case, it goes without saying that higher conductivity can be obtained compared to a sealing device (not shown) that does not have the conductive base material 30, i.e., a sealing device (not shown) that is composed only of a core metal 20 and an elastic material 40.

[0039] If the outer end 31 of the conductive base material 30 is disposed inside the elastic material contact surface 42 as in the illustrated example, the core metal 20 and the elastic material 40 are directly fixed to each other on the first member 2 side of the sealing device 10A, i.e., on the peripheral end side, without sandwiching the conductive base material 30 between them, so that the conductive base material 30 is mostly contained within, forming a stronger fixed relationship between the core metal 20 and the elastic material 40. Also, even if a plurality of conductive base materials 30 are disposed discontinuously along the circumferential direction, the fixed relationship between the core metal 20 and the elastic material 40 is stronger.

[0040] 2(c), the inner end 32 of the conductive base material 30 may not be exposed at the tip of the lip portion 50 (first lip 51). Even in this case, if conductive rubber is used as the elastic material 40, the sealing device 10A can be electrically connected to the second member 3, and the conductivity is enhanced by the conductive base material 30 disposed inside.

[0041] Even if the conductive substrate 30 is not exposed at the tip of the lip portion 50 but is covered by the elastic material 40, the conductive substrate 30 becomes exposed due to wear of the elastic material 40 at the tip of the first lip 51 as the relative rotation is repeated, and conductivity is generated or increased as the bearing device 1 is driven. Therefore, the conductive substrate 30 may not be exposed in the early stages of use. Note that in the early stages of use of a new bearing device 1, there is a low possibility of electrolytic corrosion occurring on the surface of the rolling elements 7 (see FIG. 1) due to electric current, so there is no particular problem with the conductive substrate 30 not being exposed in the early stages of use.

[0042] In other words, the conductive base material 30 may be formed so that the inner end portion 32 is located radially outward from the tip surface of the first lip 51. In this configuration, the conductive base material 30 is entirely contained within the sealing device 10A, without either of its radial ends being exposed to the outside. As long as the elastic material 40 is conductive, the conductivity of the sealing device 1A as a whole is guaranteed. Moreover, the adhesion of the core metal 20, the elastic material 40, and the conductive base material 30 is improved.

[0043] In addition, in the sealing devices 10B to 10H of other embodiments described later, the conductive base material 30 may not be exposed at the tip of the lip portion 50, or the entire conductive base material 30 may be contained within the sealing devices 10B to 10H.

[0044] Furthermore, even if the conductive base material 30 can only come into contact with the second member 3 as in the illustrated example and the elastic material 40 is not made of a conductive material, the conductivity of the sealing device 10A as a whole is ensured as long as at least a part of the core metal contact surface 21b of the core metal cylindrical portion 21 is not covered with adhesive and is in direct contact with the first member 2. In this case, it is preferable for the conductive base material 30 and the core metal 20 to be in contact with each other in order to ensure conductivity.

[0045] As described above, there are various conditions, but by disposing the conductive base material 30 capable of assisting electrical connection between the first member 2 and the second member 3 in the sealing device 10A as described above, conductivity between the first member 2 and the second member 3 is ensured. It is expected that a sealing device 10 in which the conductive base material 30 is disposed will have higher conductivity than one in which the conductive base material 30 is not disposed.

[0046] Furthermore, in the case of a sealing device 10A in Figure 2, which uses a metal mesh material as the conductive base material 30, when the core bar 20 and the conductive base material 30 are aligned during the manufacturing stage and the molten material of the elastic material 40 is poured in to form three layers, the molten material penetrates into the voids and through holes in the metal mesh material and reaches the surface of the core bar 20, so that the three components are securely fixed to each other between the three layers.

[0047] Even when the core metal 20, the conductive base material 30 (metal mesh material), and the molded elastic material 40 are bonded together using an adhesive to form a three-layer structure, the core metal 20 and the elastic material 40 can be reliably fixed together by the presence of the metal mesh material containing the adhesive between the core metal 20 and the elastic material 40. In the case of a structure molded using an adhesive, there is no risk of the conductivity of the conductive base material 30 itself being impaired as long as the thin metal wires are continuous, but there is a possibility that electrical conductivity between the three components of the core metal 20, the conductive base material 30, and the elastic material 40 may be impaired depending on the amount of adhesive.

[0048] Next, sealing devices 10B and 10C according to second and third embodiments will be described with reference to Figs. 3(a), (b) and (c). These figures are cutaway end views of the sealing devices 10B and 10C corresponding to part X in Fig. 1 when they are not installed in the sealed space 6. Illustration of the installed state is omitted. There are two examples of the sealing device 10C according to the third embodiment (see Figs. 3(b) and (c)).

[0049] In both of the sealing devices 10B and 10C (see FIGS. 3(a)(b)(c)) according to the second and third embodiments, the core metal cylindrical portion 21 of the core metal 20 does not directly contact the first member 2. The core metal disk portion 22 extends radially inward from the lateral end portion 21a of the core metal cylindrical portion 21, and the inner end portion 22c thereof is bent towards the sealed space 6 side.

[0050] The elastic material 40 has a seal base 41 that covers the end face 21c of the cylindrical core portion 21 facing the sealed space 6, the outer surface 21e of the cylindrical core portion 21, the side surface 22a of the disk core portion 22, and a portion of the surface of the inner end portion 22c of the disk core portion 22 facing the sealed space 6. A protruding piece 43 made of the elastic material 40 is formed around the entire periphery of the outer surface of the seal base 41 so as to protrude outward beyond the metal core contact surface 21b and the elastic material contact surface 42. Furthermore, a lip portion 50 consisting of a first lip 51 and a second lip 52 is formed on the inner end portion 41a side of the seal base 41.

[0051] The conductive base material 30 is sandwiched between the core metal disc portion 22 of the core metal 20 and the elastic material 40 (seal base portion 41) and is fixed integrally therewith. The elastic material 40 enters the gaps and through holes of the conductive base material 30, and a part of the elastic material 40 reaches the side surface 22a of the core metal disc portion 22, thereby forming a fixed relationship between the three members.

[0052] In any of the sealing devices 10B, 10C, and 10C of Figures 3(a) to (c), the conductive substrate 30 is arranged in a substantially linear manner from at least the outer end portion 22b of the core metal disk portion 22 to the tip of the lip portion 50 (first lip 51) so as to cover the side surface 22a of the core metal disk portion 22.

[0053] In the example shown in Fig. 3(b), the conductive base material 30 is disposed over the entire length of the end face of the cut portion in the radial direction of the sealing device 10C, and furthermore, an extension piece 35 protrudes outward from the surface of the protruding piece 43. In the example shown in Fig. 3(c), the conductive base material 30 extends axially inward along the core metal cylindrical portion 21 to form a conductive cylindrical portion 33, and the outer end portion 31 of the conductive base material 30 is exposed on the side surface of the protruding piece 43. In these two examples, a step is formed in the first member 2 as shown by the two-dot chain line, and the outer diameter portion of the sealing device 10 fits into the step portion.

[0054] When the sealing device 10C of Fig. 3(b) is mounted between the first member 2 and the second member 3, the protruding piece 43 is pressed into the groove portion 2a together with the extending piece 35 on the first member 2 side, and the extending piece 35 comes into contact with the inner surface of the groove portion 2a. In this manner, in the sealing device 10C of Fig. 3(b), the conductive base material 30 is directly connected to each of the first member 2 and the second member 3, so that the electrical conductivity of the sealing device 10C can be higher than that of the sealing device 10B of Fig. 3(a). The extending piece 35 may be formed by the same molding method as that of the sealing devices 10I and 10J shown in Fig. 6 described later.

[0055] Furthermore, when the sealing device 10C of Figure 3(c) is installed between the first member 2 and the second member 3, the protruding piece 43 is pressed into the groove portion 2a, and the outer end portion 31 of the conductive base material 30 exposed on the side surface of the protruding piece 43 abuts against the step surface 2c.

[0056] 3(a), the outer end 31 of the conductive base material 30 is disposed radially inward of the elastic material contact surface 42, so that on the first member 2 side of the sealing device 10A, the core metal 20 and the elastic material 40 are directly fixed to each other without sandwiching the conductive base material 30 therebetween, forming a stronger fixed relationship.

[0057] 1, the sealing devices 10B and 10C of these two embodiments can obtain an excellent conductive effect by using a conductive base material 30 having a higher conductivity than the elastic material 40 (conductive rubber). In addition, in the sealing devices 10B and 10C of Fig. 3(b) and (c), the conductive base material 30 alone can obtain the conductivity of the sealing devices 10B and 10C as a whole, even if the elastic material 40 having conductivity is not used to conduct electricity between the first member 2 and the second member 3.

[0058] A sealing device 10D according to the fourth embodiment shown in FIG. 4(a) does not use a core metal 20, and the conductive base material 30 serves not only as a conductive material but also as a core material.

[0059] In order for the conductive base material 30 to function as a core material, it is desirable to use a conductive base material 30 that is thicker than those shown in Figures 1, 2(a) and (b), as shown in Figure 4(a). Also, the conductive base material 30 shown in Figures 1, 2(a) and (b) may be stacked in multiple layers and used as a core material.

[0060] In this sealing device 10D, the conductive base material 30 includes a conductive cylindrical portion 33 and a conductive disk portion 34 extending inward from a lateral end portion 33a of the conductive cylindrical portion 33.

[0061] The elastic material 40 has a seal base 41 that continuously covers the outer end of the conductive disk portion 34 (the lateral end 33a of the conductive cylindrical portion 33) and the side surface 34a of the conductive disk portion 34. A protruding piece 43 made of the elastic material 40 is formed around the entire periphery of the outer surface of the seal base 41 so as to protrude outward beyond the elastic material contact surface 42. A lip portion 50 consisting of a first lip 51 and a second lip 52 is formed on the inner end 41a side of the seal base 41.

[0062] The first lip 51 is formed by overlapping a part of the conductive base material 30 and a part of the elastic material 40, and the second lip 52 is formed by a part of the elastic material 40 on the sealed space 6 side of the conductive base material 30 and is fixed to a part of the surface of the conductive base material 30 on the sealed space 6 side.

[0063] As for the sealing device 10D in Fig. 4(a), a conductive effect is obtained by the conductive base material 30 and the elastic material 40 (conductive rubber) in the same manner as that shown in Fig. 1. Moreover, in this sealing device 10D, since the conductive base material 30 is formed thick, a higher conductive effect can be expected.

[0064] 4(a) is preferably used in a bearing device 1 having a small radial dimension between the first member 2 and the second member 3, in order to prevent folding or bending of the overlapping portion between the conductive disk portion 34 and the seal base 41 in the mounted state, since the conductive substrate 30 serves as the core material. Also, it is preferable to increase the dimension of the conductive cylindrical portion 33 in order to stabilize the fit with the first member 2.

[0065] This sealing device 10D does not use a core metal 20, and is composed of an elastic material 40 and a conductive base material 20, so that it is easy to mold and can further strengthen the mutual fixing relationship between the conductive base material 30 and the elastic material 40. In addition, the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

[0066] 2, 3, and 4(a), the first lip 51 includes the conductive base material 30, and the second lip 52, which is the other lip disposed closer to the sealed space 6 than the first lip 51, does not include the conductive base material 30 and is made of the elastic material 40. The second lip 52 extends toward the sealed space 6 and is in sliding contact with the second surface 3c of the second member 3 while extending radially inward.

[0067] In the sealing devices 10A to 10D of these examples, the first lip 51 is a portion that extends generally planarly along the radial direction from the seal base 22 that covers the core metal disk portion 22. Therefore, in the molding process of the sealing devices 10A to 10D, the sealing devices 10A to 10D can be easily formed by simply disposing the flat conductive base material 30 in a mold without destroying its shape together with the material of the elastic member 40.

[0068] In addition, since the second lip 52 made of the elastic material 40 is disposed closer to the sealed space 6 than the first lip 51, when the first lip 51 slides against the second member 3 and a portion of the conductive base material 30 included in the first lip 51 is scraped off, the second lip 52 can prevent the scrapes from entering the sealed space 6. Therefore, even when the conductive base material 30 is used to obtain a conductive function, problems caused by the use of the conductive base material 30 can be prevented in advance.

[0069] 4(b), the conductive base material 30 may be bent and disposed, for example, within the second lip 52. In the example of Fig. 2 and Fig. 3, the first lip 51 is a portion that extends in a plane from the seal base 22, but if the second lip 52 located at the back of the sealed space 6 has a shape that extends in a plane from the seal base 22, it goes without saying that it is easier to form the conductive base material 30 by disposing the conductive base material 30 within the second lip 52.

[0070] 4(b), a sealing device 10E according to a fifth embodiment shown in FIG. 4(b) has a configuration in which the core metal cylindrical portion 21 contacts the first member 2, as in FIG. 1, but compared to that in FIG. 1, the shape of the inner end portion 32 of the conductive substrate 30 is different and is bent toward the sealed space 6. On the inner end portion 41a side of the seal base 41, the inner end portion 32 of the conductive substrate 30 is sandwiched by the elastic material 40 to form a second lip 52, and the end face of the inner end portion 32 of the conductive substrate 30 is exposed at the tip of the second lip 52. The first lip 51 is formed only from the elastic material 40.

[0071] 4(b) is different from that of FIG. 1 in which the conductive base material 30 included in the first lip 51 contacts the first surface 3b of the second member 3 in that the conductive base material 30 included in the second lip 52 contacts the second surface 3c (see FIG. 2(b)) of the second member 3, but is common in that the sealing device 10E and the second member 3 are electrically conductive via the exposed conductive base material 30. Therefore, the sealing device 10E of FIG. 4(b) can obtain substantially the same effect as the sealing device 10A of FIG. 1.

[0072] In addition, since the first lip 51 is located axially outside the second lip 52 and is positioned so as to be protected by the first lip 51, there is also the advantage that the conductive base material 30 exposed at the tip of the second lip 52 is also protected.

[0073] In order to arrange the conductive substrate 30 in a folded state as shown in FIG. 4(b), a folded conductive substrate 30 that matches the final shape may be used, but the ends of the conductive substrate 30 may be fixed between upper and lower dies as described later in FIG. 6 so that the flat plate-shaped conductive substrate 30 does not return to its original shape during the molding process.

[0074] The sealing device 10F of the sixth embodiment shown in Figure 4(c) is composed of two separate components: a core bar portion 20A made mainly of a core bar 20, and a slinger 60, which are integrally installed in the sealed space 6 of the bearing device 1.

[0075] The core 20 is made of a metal material having electrical conductivity, and includes a core cylindrical portion 21 and a core disk portion 22 extending radially inward from an end portion 21d of the core cylindrical portion 21 on the side of the sealed space 6. An outer surface 21e of the core cylindrical portion 21 serves as a core contact surface 21b that comes into contact with the first member 2 in a fitted relationship.

[0076] The core metal portion 20A is configured by fixing an elastic material 40 to the core metal 20. The elastic material 40 has a seal base 41 that covers a part of the outer surface 21e of the cylindrical core metal portion 21, the side end face 21g of the cylindrical core metal portion 21, the inner surface 21f of the cylindrical core metal portion 21, and the side surface 22a of the disk core metal portion 22. A protruding piece 43 (indicated by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 4(c)) is formed on the elastic material 40 that covers a part of the outer surface 21e of the cylindrical core metal portion 21, and is compressed by fitting into the first member 2.

[0077] In this way, the core metal portion 20A comprises a core metal 20 and a seal base 41 made of elastic material 40, and further comprises a lip portion 50 on the inner end portion 22c side of the core metal disc portion 22, which is made mainly of the elastic material 40 and comprises a first lip 51 and a second lip 52.

[0078] The conductive base material 30 is sandwiched between the core metal disc portion 22 of the core metal 20 and the elastic material 40 (seal base portion 41) and fixed integrally therewith. The conductive base material 30 extends further inward than the inner end portion 22c of the core metal disc portion 22, and the extending portion is sandwiched by the elastic material 40 to form a first lip 51. The end face of the inner end portion 32 of the conductive base material 30 is exposed at the tip face of the first lip 51. The second lip 52 is formed by a part of the elastic material 40 on the sealed space 6 side of the first lip 51.

[0079] On the other hand, the slinger 60 is made of a metal material and comprises a slinger inner cylindrical portion 61 that comes into contact with the second member 3 for fitting, a slinger disc portion 62 extending outward from the lateral end portion 61a of the slinger inner cylindrical portion 61, and a slinger outer cylindrical portion 63 extending toward the sealed space 6 from the outer end portion 62a of the slinger disc portion 62.

[0080] The core metal portion 20A is fitted (inner fit) into the first member 2, and the slinger 60 is fitted (outer fit) into the second member 3, whereby the core metal portion 20A and the slinger 60 are attached to the sealed space 6 as the sealing device 10F. It is preferable that the slinger 60 is fixed to the second member 3 with an adhesive, but it is preferable that no adhesive is partially interposed between the inner surface 61b of the slinger inner cylindrical portion 61 and the outer surface 3d of the second member 3, so that the slinger 60 and the second member 3 are in conductive contact with each other.

[0081] When the sealing device 10F is installed, both the first lip 51 and the second lip of the core portion 20A contact the outer surface 61c of the slinger inner cylindrical portion 61, and in the first lip 51, the tip of the conductive substrate 30 included in the first lip 51 also contacts the outer surface 61c of the slinger inner cylindrical portion 61. When the first member 2 and the second member 3 are in a state of relative rotation, the tip of the lip portion 50 comes into sliding contact with the surface side of the second member 3 facing the first member 2, i.e., the outer surface 61c of the slinger inner cylindrical portion 61.

[0082] As described above, in the sealing device 10F, in the core metal portion 20A, the elastic material contact surface 42 including the outer surface of the protruding piece 43 contacts the first member 2, the tip surface of the lip portion 50 formed by the conductive substrate 30 and the elastic material 40 is electrically connected to the second member 3 via the slinger inner cylindrical portion 61, and a conductive material (the elastic material 40 and the conductive substrate 30) is disposed between the elastic material contact surface 42 and the first lip 51, so that the first member 2 and the second member 3 are electrically conductive. Note that if the elastic material 40 is conductive, electrical conductivity to the second member 3 is possible via the slinger inner cylindrical portion 61 even through the second lip 52.

[0083] In the sealing device 10F having such a slinger 60, similarly to the one shown in Fig. 1, excellent conductive effect can be obtained by using a conductive base material 30 having a higher conductivity than the elastic material 40 (conductive rubber). Note that the form of the slinger 60 is not limited to that shown in the figure.

[0084] The sealing devices 10G and 10H of the seventh and eighth embodiments shown in Figures 5(a) and (b) are similar to those of Figure 2(a), in that the core bar 20 has a cylindrical core bar portion 21 and a disk core bar portion 22, and has a seal base 41 made of elastic material 40, a protruding piece 43 made of elastic material 40, and a lip portion 50 including the elastic material 40.

[0085] These sealing devices 10G, 10H have an external shape similar to that of Figure 2(a) as shown in the example, but an elastic material 40 (seal base 41) is fixed directly to the side surface 22a of the core metal disk portion 22, and no conductive substrate 30 is interposed.

[0086] In these sealing devices 10G and 10H, the conductive base material 30 is disposed only on the tip of the lip portion 50 (the first lip 51 or the second lip 52). That is, the conductive base material 30 is disposed at a position where it contacts the outer surface of the second member 3 (the first surface 3b or the second surface 3c in FIG. 2). Note that the conductive base material 30 may be disposed on both the first lip 51 and the second lip 52.

[0087] This conductive base material 30 is composed of a metal wire 30A arranged along the circumferential direction at the tip of the lip portion 50. For example, a single ring-shaped metal wire 30A may be arranged in the circumferential direction, or multiple separate metal wires 30A may be arranged as shown in the schematic diagram of Fig. 5(c). In the illustrated example, the multiple metal wires A are discontinuous, but they may also be continuous.

[0088] The metal wire 30A constituting the conductive substrate 30 may be a bundle of multiple thin metal wires twisted together, thin metal wire itself, a metal mesh material rolled into a cylindrical shape, a wire-like metal wire 30A, or the like.

[0089] 5, the volume ratio of the conductive base material 30 contained therein is smaller than those shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, but the conductive base material 30 is exposed at the tip of the lip portion 50, and the exposed portion contacts the second member 3, so that the sealing devices 10G, 10H as a whole can obtain a conductive effect as long as conductive rubber is used as the elastic material 40. The inventors expect that these sealing devices 10G, 10H will have a higher conductive effect than sealing devices that do not use the conductive base material 30.

[0090] 5(a) and 5(b), the sealing devices 10G and 10H are configured as two layers of the core metal 20 and the elastic material 40, without disposing the conductive base material 30 between the core metal 20 and the elastic material 40, and therefore, the sealing devices 10G and 10H are easily molded and can further strengthen the mutual fixing relationship between the conductive base material 30 and the elastic material 40. In addition, the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

[0091] Next, sealing devices 10I and 10J according to ninth and tenth embodiments will be described with reference to FIGS. 6(a) to 6(c).

[0092] The sealing device 10I according to Fig. 6(a)(b) has a core 20, and the core cylindrical portion 21 of the core 20 is not in direct contact with the first member 2, like the sealing device 10B in Fig. 3(a). A protruding piece 43 of an elastic material 40 covering the outer surface side in the axial direction of the core disk portion 22 serves as a fitting portion with the first member 2. A seal base portion 41 of the elastic material 40 covers the side surface 22a up to the inner end portion 22c of the core disk portion 22 and a part of the surface on the sealed space 6 side. Fig. 6(b) is a cut end view of the sealing device 10I before fitting corresponding to Fig. 6(a).

[0093] Moreover, the elastic material 40 extends further inward from the inner end portion 22c, and a lip portion 50 including first, second and third lips 51, 52 and 53 is formed by the elastic material 40. In Figures 6(a) and 6(b), the same components as those in Figure 3(a) are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0094] In the sealing device 10I, the conductive base material 30 is disposed on the side surface 22a on the outer side in the axial direction of the core metal disc portion 22 so as to be sandwiched between the core metal 20 and the elastic material 40, and the conductive base material 30 extends radially outward and radially inward beyond each radial end of the core metal 20. Furthermore, on the outer diameter side (first member 2 side), a first extension piece 36 made of a part of the conductive base material 30 protrudes from an end face of the protruding piece 43 of the elastic material 40, and on the inner diameter side (second member 3 side), a second extension piece 37 made of a part of the conductive base material 30 protrudes from a tip of the lip portion 50 (second lip 52 in the illustrated example) so as to contact a target surface on the second member 3 side (first surface 3b in the illustrated example).

[0095] The first extension piece 36 protrudes radially outward from a corner 43a between one axial surface and a radially outer surface at the end face of the protruding piece 43 of the elastic material 40. The second extension piece 37 protrudes radially inward from a corner 52a between one axial surface and a radially inner surface at the tip face of the second lip 52. The protruding positions of the first extension piece 36 and the second extension piece 37 may be either the axially outer or inner corner 43a, 52a, and the protruding direction thereof before fitting is approximately parallel to the radial direction. In the illustrated example, the protruding positions of the first extension piece 36 and the second extension piece 37 are both the axially outer corners 43a, 52a.

[0096] When the sealing device 10I is installed between the first member 2 and the second member 3, the protruding piece 43 of the elastic member 40 on the first member 2 side fits into the concavely curved groove portion 2a of the first member 2, while the first and second lips 51, 52 are adjacent to the first surface 3b and the third lip 53 is adjacent to the second surface 3c on the second member 3 side. The core metal cylindrical portion 21 is supported radially inward of the protruding piece 43.

[0097] When the sealing device 10I is attached, the protruding piece 43 is fitted into the groove portion 2a in a curved shape so as to bend, and the first extension piece 36 protruding from the corner portion 43a of the protruding piece 43 contacts the outer surface of the first member 2 on the outlet side of the groove portion 2a (see Fig. 6(a)(b) for comparison). Also, the second extension piece 37 protruding from the second lip 52 contacts the first surface 3c of the second member 3. In other words, the lip portion 50 itself (main body) is not in contact with the second member 3, but the second extension piece 37 made of the conductive base material 30 protruding from the lip portion 50 contacts the second member 3 (see Fig. 6(a)(b) for comparison). Therefore, the sealing device 10I is in a state where electrical conduction is possible between the first member 2 and the second member 3 regardless of whether the bearing device 1 is rotating or stopped.

[0098] The sealing device 10J of Fig. 6(c) has a core bar 20, similar to the sealing device 10A of Fig. 2(a). The core bar cylindrical portion 21 of the core bar 20 is in a fitting relationship with the first member 2. A protruding piece 43 made of an elastic material 40 for pressing against the first member 2 is formed adjacent to the axial outside of the core bar cylindrical portion 21. The seal base portion 41 of the elastic material 40 covers the side surface 22a up to the inner end portion 22c of the core bar disc portion 22 and a part of the surface on the sealed space 6 side.

[0099] Moreover, the elastic material 40 extends further inward from the inner end portion 22c, and a lip portion 50 including first, second and third lips 51, 52 and 53 is formed by the elastic material 40. In Fig. 6(c), the same components as those in Fig. 2(a) are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0100] In the sealing device 10J, the conductive base material 30 is disposed on the axially outer side surface 22a of the core metal disc portion 22 so as to be sandwiched between the core metal 20 and the elastic material 40, and the conductive base material 30 also extends outward and inward beyond each radial end of the core metal 20. Furthermore, on the outer diameter side (first member 2 side), a first extension piece 36 made of a part of the conductive base material 30 protrudes from an end face of the elastic material 40, and on the inner diameter side (second member 3 side), a second extension piece 37 made of a part of the conductive base material 30 protrudes from a tip of a lip portion 50 (second lip 52 in the illustrated example) so as to contact a target surface on the second member 3 side (first surface 3b in the illustrated example).

[0101] The first extension piece 36 protrudes radially outward from a corner 43a between one axial surface and a radially outer surface at the end face of the elastic material 40 on the first member 2 side. The second extension piece 37 protrudes radially inward from a corner 52a between one axial surface and a radially inner surface at the tip face of the second lip 52. The protruding positions of the first extension piece 36 and the second extension piece 37 may be either the axially outer or inner corner 43a, 52a, and the protruding direction thereof before fitting is approximately parallel to the radial direction. In the illustrated example, the protruding positions of the first extension piece 36 and the second extension piece 37 are both the axially outer corners 43a, 52a.

[0102] When the sealing device 10J is mounted between the first member 2 and the second member 3, on the first member 2 side, the core metal cylindrical portion 21 fits into the first member 2 and the protruding piece 43 of the elastic material 40 is in a pressed contact with the first member 2, while on the second member 3 side, the first and second lips 51, 52 are adjacent to the first surface 3b and the third lip 53 is adjacent to the second surface 3c.

[0103] When the sealing device 10J is attached, the first extension piece 36 contacts the outer surface of the first member 2, and the second extension piece 37 protruding from the second lip 52 contacts the first surface 3c of the second member 3 (compare the solid line in FIG. 6(c) with the two-dot chain line before attachment). In other words, the lip portion 50 itself (main body) is not in contact with the second member 3, but the second extension piece 37 made of the conductive base material 30 protruding from the lip portion 50 contacts the second member 3. Therefore, the sealing device 10I is in a state where electrical continuity is possible between the first member 2 and the second member 3, regardless of whether the bearing device 1 is rotating or stopped.

[0104] In this way, the sealing devices 10I, 10J can ensure conductivity between the first member 2 and the second member 3 by contacting the second member 3 with the second extension piece 37 even if the tip of the lip portion 50 is not in contact with the second member 3.

[0105] Furthermore, when manufacturing these sealing devices 10I, 10J, the conductive base material 30 is placed between the core metal 20 and the elastic material 40 in a mold (not shown), and the radial ends of the conductive base material 30 are arranged so that they are sandwiched between the upper and lower molds at both ends of the mold and protrude radially outward and inward, thereby efficiently forming the first extension piece 36 and the second extension piece 37.

[0106] The first extension piece 36 and the second extension piece 37 are desirably formed at the dividing position of the upper and lower dies. In any of the examples in Fig. 6(a), (b) and (c), the first extension piece 36 and the second extension piece 37 are formed at both ends in the radial direction on the cut end surface of the sealing device 10I, 10J.

[0107] Furthermore, according to this molding method, when molding using a mold, both ends of the conductive base material 30 corresponding to the first extension piece 36 and the second extension piece 37 are fixed by clamping between the upper and lower molds, making it easy to position the conductive base material 30 within the mold and preventing the conductive base material 30 from shifting out of position within the mold before molding.

[0108] In other words, by fixing both radial ends of the conductive substrate 30 with a mold, the approximately flat conductive substrate 30 can be maintained in a curved, folded, and deformed state (curved in cross-sectional view) within the mold, and as a result, the conductive substrate 30 can be positioned in an appropriate position and state that matches the shape of the sealing devices 10I and 10J.

[0109] For example, as shown in Figures 6(a) to 6(c), the conductive substrate 30 can be easily arranged along the core metal disk portion 22 in a bent state so as to reach the tip of the second lip 52 via the inner end portion 22c. Also, as shown in Figures 6(a) and 6(b), the conductive substrate 30 can be arranged along the core metal disk portion 22 and further along the curved surface of the outer end portion 22b in a bent state so as to reach the tip of the protruding piece 43. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 6(c), the conductive substrate 30 can be arranged between the elastic material 40 and the core metal disk portion 22, and bent toward the outer side in the axial direction of the elastic material 40 on the first member 2 side.

[0110] In the example of FIGS. 6(a) to (c), the protruding positions of the first extension piece 36 and the second extension piece 37 are the outer and inner corner portions 43a, 52a in the axial direction, but may be other positions.

[0111] The second extension piece 37 may protrude from the first lip 51 or the third lip 53. In order to protect the exposed second extension piece 37, it is preferable to provide the second extension piece 37 on the second lip 52 or the third lip 53 on the sealed space 6 side. In particular, in the two examples of Fig. 6, the first lip 51 is farther from the first surface 3b of the second member 3 than the other lips, so it is preferable to provide the second extension piece 37 on the other lip that is closer to the target surface.

[0112] In the above, examples of sealing devices 10A to 10J using the conductive base material 30 and conductive rubber as the elastic material 40 have been described, but in the case of a device having a core bar 20 made of a metal material, a conductive material such as conductive rubber is not used as the elastic material 40, and conductivity may be ensured by the core bar 20 and the conductive base material 30. In that case, it goes without saying that the core bar 20 needs to be in direct contact with the first member 2.

[0113] Furthermore, when using the core metal 20 and the elastic material 40 made of conductive rubber, as long as the core metal 20 is in direct contact with the first member 2, the elastic material 40 does not have to be in direct contact with the first member 2. In other words, the elastic material 40 is in an indirectly connected relationship with the first member 2. Of course, when using a non-conductive elastic material 40, the elastic material 40 may also be in an indirectly connected relationship with the first member 2.

[0114] In addition, in the embodiment described above, the first member 2 is the outer member and the second member 3 is the inner member, but the first member 2 may be the inner member and the second member 3 may be the outer member. That is, in this case, the lip portion 50 comes into sliding contact with the inner contact surface of the outer member due to relative rotation.

[0115] The sealing devices 10A to 10J relating to the various embodiments described above are merely examples. It goes without saying that the overall shape of the sealing devices 10A to 10J can be appropriately changed to a shape other than that shown in the figures as a design matter, for example, depending on the shape of the bearing device 1 to be mounted. For example, in the sealing devices 10A to 10D, the second lip 52 does not need to be in sliding contact with the second member 3 as long as it is close enough to the second member 3 to obtain a sealing function.

[0116] In addition, with regard to the position of the conductive base material 30 used in the sealing devices 10A to 10J, the various embodiments described above are merely examples, and it is acceptable to arrange the conductive base material 30 in any suitable position as long as it is capable of assisting the electrical connection between the first member 2 and the second member 3. [Explanation of symbols]

[0117] 1 Bearing device 2 First member 2a Groove 2b Mating surface 2c Step surface 3 Second member 3a Step part 3b Side 1 3c 2nd side 3d exterior 5 Shaft 6 Sealed space 7 Rolling elements 10A~10J Sealing device 20 Core wire 21 Core cylinder 21a Side end 21b Core metal contact surface 21c End face on the sealed space side 21d End portion on the sealed space side 21e Exterior 21f Inside 21g side end surface 22 Core metal disc part 22a side 22b Outer end 22c Inner end 20A Core metal part 30 Conductive substrate 31 Outer end 32 Inner end 33 Conductive cylindrical part 33a Side end 34 Conductive disc part 34a side 35 Extension piece 36 1st extension piece 37 Second extension piece 30A metal wire 40 Elastic material 41 Seal base 41a Inner end 42 Elastic material contact surface 43 Projecting piece 43a Corner 50 Lip 51 First Lip 52 2nd Lip 52a Corner 53 3rd Lip 60 Slinger 61 Slinger inner cylindrical part 61a Side end 61b Inside 61c External surface 62 Slinger disc 62a Outer end 63 Slinger outer cylinder

Claims

1. A sealing device that is installed in a sealed space between a first member and a second member that rotate relative to each other, an elastic member connected directly or indirectly to the first member; A lip portion that contacts or is close to a target surface on the second member side; a conductive base material that is integrally molded with the elastic material so as to be in contact with the elastic material and that can assist in electrical connection between the first member and the second member; A sealing device, characterized in that the lip portion is formed by combining a portion of the elastic material and at least a portion of the conductive base material.

2. In claim 1, The sealing device according to claim 1, wherein the elastic material is a conductive rubber.

3. In claim 1, A groove is formed on the fitting surface of the first member, a sealing device comprising: a protruding piece formed on said elastic material for fitting into said groove; and an extending piece made of a part of said conductive base material protruding from an end face of said protruding piece.

4. In claim 1, The conductive base material is a metal mesh material made by braiding thin metal wires, A sealing device, characterized in that the elastic material is impregnated into the metal mesh material and fixed to the metal mesh material.

5. In claim 1, The conductive substrate is a plate-shaped metal material, and a plurality of through holes are formed in the plate-shaped metal material, The sealing device according to claim 1, wherein the elastic material is fixed to the conductive base material so as to be entangled with the through hole.

6. In claim 1, A sealing device, characterized in that the conductive base material also serves as a core material for maintaining the shape of the elastic material.

7. In claim 1, A sealing device further comprising a core metal having a rigidity higher than that of the conductive base material.

8. In claim 1, A sealing device, characterized in that the conductive base material is exposed at a tip of the lip portion.

9. In claim 1, A sealing device, characterized in that an elastic material is disposed on a tip of the lip portion so as to cover the conductive base material.

10. In claim 1, The conductive base material is made of a metal wire and is arranged along the circumferential direction at the tip of the lip portion, A sealing device, characterized in that at least a portion of the conductive base material is exposed at a tip of the lip portion.

11. In claim 1, A sealing device, characterized in that an end portion of the conductive base material on the side of the first member is located inside an elastic material.

12. In claim 1, A sealing device characterized in that a plurality of the conductive substrates are disposed continuously or discontinuously along a circumferential direction.

13. In claim 1, a sealing device characterized in that the lip portion has a plurality of lips, one of which includes the conductive base material, and another lip made of an elastic material and in contact with or in close proximity to the second member is arranged on the sealed space side of the lip including the conductive base material.

Images