Ball Screw Wiper Seal Assembly for Ice and Grease Separation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ball screw actuator seals fail to effectively seal grease while preventing external debris ingress and ice formation under high temperature variability, leading to drag issues.
Innovation Solution
A wiper seal assembly with an elastomeric seal element and internal support, featuring a dual lip design with one lip sealing against the environment and the other sealing in grease, and an ice scraper that contacts the shaft helical crest for 360 degrees, using high durometer rubber to reduce friction and drag.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a seal is designed to effectively seal grease and prevent debris ingress, then sealing performance is improved, but friction and drag increase
Solution Approach 1:
The seal is divided into multiple functional segments: an ice scraper portion that contacts the helical crest, arcuate sealing lips that contact the raceways, and a support structure. Each segment performs a specific function (ice removal, grease sealing, environmental sealing) allowing effective sealing without requiring excessive contact pressure across the entire seal, thereby reducing overall friction and drag
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the seal have different material properties and contact characteristics. The ice scraper portion has specific durometer properties for ice breaking, while the arcuate lips have properties optimized for grease sealing. The tapered backsides provide gradual contact transition. This localized optimization allows effective sealing at critical points without increasing drag across the entire seal interface
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a seal is designed to break ice and prevent debris ingress, then protection against environmental factors is improved, but complexity of the seal structure increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple functions are merged into a single integrated seal structure: the ice scraper portion, arcuate sealing lips, tapered backsides, and support structure are combined into one unified component that performs ice breaking, grease sealing, environmental sealing, and debris prevention simultaneously, avoiding the need for multiple separate components
Solution Approach 2:
The seal structure serves multiple purposes: the ice scraper portion breaks ice, the arcuate lips seal grease and environment, the tapered backsides provide gradual contact, and the support structure maintains positioning. This multi-functionality within a single component achieves comprehensive protection without proportionally increasing complexity
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 design effectively seals grease and prevents ice formation while allowing flexibility to accommodate hardware tolerances, reducing friction and drag compared to prior art solutions.
Implementation Method 1
an annularly shaped elastomeric seal element configured to separate a grease side from an environmental side
Implementation Method 2
an ice scraper seal facing the environmental side and configured to make contact in at least 360 degrees around the longitudinal axis to or near the inner helical crest of the shaft
Data Source
AI summary
A wiper seal assembly for sealing a ball screw actuator has an annularly shaped elastomeric seal element disposed about a longitudinal axis and separates a grease side from an environmental side. An annularly shaped internal support is disposed at least partially within the seal element. The seal element has a first arcuate surface configured to be disposed in an inner helical raceway of a shaft and faces the environmental side. A second arcuate surface is configured to be disposed in the inner helical raceway of the shaft and faces the grease side. An ice scraper seal faces the environmental side and is configured to make contact in at least 360 degrees around the longitudinal axis to or near the inner helical crest of the shaft. The first and second arcuate surfaces and the ice scraper seal the environmental side apart from the grease side.