Annular Seal Lip Structure for Variable Crush Margin
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sealing devices face challenges in maintaining desired surface pressure and sealing performance due to positional variations among counterpart components, which can lead to either insufficient sealing or sticking issues depending on the crushing margin of the lip portion.
Innovation Solution
A sealing device featuring an elastic body with a seal lip portion, side lip portion, flange portion, and projecting portion, which allows for adjustable contact points to ensure sealing performance across varying gap sizes and positional variations, reducing the number of components while maintaining effective sealing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the crush margin of the lip portion is increased to ensure sealing contact, then the sealing reliability improves, but the contact area increases causing sticking and preventing desired surface pressure
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing member is divided into multiple functional portions: a seal lip portion for primary sealing contact, a side lip portion for secondary sealing, and a projecting portion that prevents sticking by limiting excessive compression. This segmentation allows each portion to perform its specific function without interfering negatively with others.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the sealing member have different structural characteristics optimized for their specific functions. The seal lip portion has a specific curvature for sealing contact, the side lip portion extends laterally for additional sealing, and the projecting portion has a specific shape to prevent sticking. This local optimization ensures that each area performs its intended function effectively.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If the crush margin of the lip portion is decreased to prevent sticking, then the contact area is reduced, but the desired surface pressure cannot be obtained
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing member is divided into multiple functional portions: a seal lip portion for primary sealing contact, a side lip portion for secondary sealing, and a projecting portion that prevents sticking by limiting excessive compression. This segmentation allows each portion to perform its specific function without interfering negatively with others.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the sealing member have different structural characteristics optimized for their specific functions. The seal lip portion has a specific curvature for sealing contact, the side lip portion extends laterally for additional sealing, and the projecting portion has a specific shape to prevent sticking. This local optimization ensures that each area performs its intended function effectively.
3Reliability
If multiple separate sealing components are used to ensure sealing performance, then the sealing reliability improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple sealing functions that would traditionally require separate components (seal lip for primary sealing, side lip for secondary sealing, and protrusions for preventing sticking) are merged into a single integrated sealing member. This reduces the number of components while maintaining comprehensive sealing performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The single sealing member performs multiple functions simultaneously: it provides primary sealing through the seal lip portion, secondary sealing through the side lip portion, and prevents sticking through the projecting portion. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for multiple separate components.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The sealing device achieves reliable sealing performance by ensuring desired surface pressure in both small and large crushing margin scenarios, preventing leaks and ensuring waterproof functionality with reduced component count.
Implementation Method 1
an elastic body configured to seal an annular gap between an inner member and an outer member
Implementation Method 2
a distal end portion of the side lip portion to be tilted radially outwardly in response to a front surface of the side lip portion being pressed by a member
Data Source
AI summary
A sealing device includes an elastic body configured to seal an annular gap between an inner member and an outer member in order to prevent a leak of an object through the annular gap. The elastic body includes an annular main body portion including a first end portion and a second end portion opposite to each other and being to be disposed in the annular gap with the first end portion being closer to the object than the second end portion, a seal lip portion extending from the first end portion and being to be in contact with the inner member, a flange portion extending outwardly from the second end portion and including a first side and a second side opposite to each other, a side lip portion extending from the second end portion in a direction away from the first end portion, and a projecting portion extending from the second side and circumferentially about the annular main body. The first side is to be closer to the object than the second side and to be in contact with the outer member. The projecting portion is located such that the projecting portion is not to be in contact with the side lip portion with a distal end portion of the side lip portion being tilted radially outwardly in response to a front surface of the side lip portion being pressed by a member.