Rolling Bearing Seal Lip Structure for High-Speed Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Rolling bearings used in superchargers, decouplers, and clutch pulleys face challenges in maintaining sealing performance due to centrifugal forces and pressure fluctuations at high speeds, leading to potential seal lip deformation and inadequate sealing.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates an outer ring with an inclined surface and a seal member featuring an annular core metal and elastic member with a neck portion and sliding contact portion, which reduces the impact of centrifugal forces and enhances sealing performance through increased rigidity and a labyrinth gap configuration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If a seal lip is used in high-speed rotation (10000 rpm or more), then the seal member is subjected to centrifugal force, but the seal lip deforms to the outer diameter side and sealing performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the geometric parameters of the seal lip by forming a neck portion with reduced thickness (T2) compared to the core metal width (T1), where T2/T1 is 0.5 or less. This parameter change allows the seal lip to maintain contact with the inclined surface under centrifugal force while preventing deformation to the outer diameter side, thereby ensuring sealing performance at high rotation speeds of 10000 rpm or more
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces asymmetry in the seal lip structure by creating a neck portion that is thinner than the core metal, forming an asymmetric cross-sectional shape. This asymmetric design enables the seal lip to effectively utilize the inclined surface of the inner ring to counteract centrifugal force, preventing outward deformation and maintaining sealing effectiveness under high-speed rotation conditions
2Reliability
If the seal lip is made thinner to reduce centrifugal force influence, then sealing performance improves, but the seal lip rigidity decreases and may deform excessively
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary anti-action by forming an inclined surface on the inner ring that exerts a counteracting force on the seal lip before centrifugal force can cause excessive deformation. The neck portion geometry (T2/T1 ≤ 0.5) is designed to optimize this counteracting effect, allowing the seal lip to maintain contact with the inclined surface and resist centrifugal force-induced deformation while preserving sufficient rigidity
3Ease of manufacture
If the seal member structure is simplified, then manufacturing cost decreases, but sealing performance under pressure fluctuation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the seal member into distinct functional portions: a core metal portion providing structural support and an elastic member portion (with the neck portion having T2/T1 ≤ 0.5) providing sealing functionality. This segmentation allows each portion to be optimized for its specific function while maintaining overall manufacturing simplicity and cost-effectiveness
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite material principles by combining a core metal (providing structural integrity) with an elastic member material (providing sealing compliance and pressure resistance). This composite structure enables the seal member to withstand pressure fluctuations while maintaining sealing performance, all within a cost-effective manufacturing framework
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
This configuration effectively suppresses the influence of centrifugal forces on the seal lip, ensuring reliable sealing performance even under high-speed rotation and external pressure fluctuations.
Implementation Method 1
the elastic member includes a seal lip including a neck portion extending from an inner peripheral edge portion of the core metal toward a radially inner side
Implementation Method 2
a sliding contact portion formed at a tip end portion of the neck portion and sliding into an inclined surface of the inner ring with a tightening margin
Data Source
AI summary
In an outer ring rotating rolling bearing, an inclined surface is formed on an outer peripheral surface of an inner ring and decreasing in diameter toward an axially outer side, a seal member includes an annular core metal and an annular elastic member fixed to the core metal, and an elastic member includes a neck portion extending from an inner peripheral edge portion of the core metal toward a radially inner side and a seal lip formed at a tip end portion of a neck portion and brought into contact with the inclined surface of the inner ring with a tightening margin. Here, T2≥T1, where a width of the core metal is T1 and a thickness of the neck portion is T2.