Bellows Slide Ring Seal for Uneven Sealing Surfaces
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing mechanical seals struggle with flexibility to compensate for vibrations and production-related unevenness in sealing surfaces, leading to the need for complex repairs and increased manufacturing costs.
Innovation Solution
A mechanical seal design featuring a bellows-like spring means with elevations or unevenness on sealing surfaces, allowing the spring force to compensate for production-related irregularities, and a conical support body for press fit with the shaft to reduce positional errors and deformations, enabling flexible and robust sealing with minimal assembly errors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the sealing surfaces are made very flexible to compensate for vibrations, then the ability to absorb production-related unevenness is improved, but the manufacturing precision requirements become more relaxed which may worsen the seal quality
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical state and mechanical properties of the sealing rings by introducing a bellows-like spring means that provides elastic deformation capability. This allows the sealing surfaces to dynamically adjust their contact pressure and accommodate manufacturing tolerances (unevenness up to several micrometers) while maintaining effective sealing, thus resolving the contradiction between flexibility and manufacturing precision.
2Ease of repair
If the sealing surfaces are made flexible with larger unevenness tolerance, then complex repairs and rework are eliminated, but the device complexity increases due to the bellows-like spring means
Solution Approach 1:
The bellows-like spring means is designed to automatically compensate for sealing surface unevenness through its elastic deformation capability. The system is self-regulating, requiring no manual adjustment, repair, or rework of the sealing surfaces. The spring mechanism continuously adapts to variations in surface geometry, eliminating the need for complex repair procedures while the integrated design minimizes additional complexity.
3Reliability
If the bellows-like spring means applies sufficient force to flatten sealing surface unevenness, then the sealing performance is improved, but the force required increases which may affect other components
Solution Approach 1:
The bellows-like spring means concentrates its elastic deformation and force application locally at the sealing surface contact points. The wave-shaped structure provides high compliance and force exactly where needed (at the sealing interface) while the overall structure remains compact. This localized action ensures reliable sealing performance without requiring excessive force that would affect other components of the mechanical seal assembly.
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 allows for cost-effective production with flexible sealing surfaces that can tolerate larger unevenness, reducing the need for complex repairs and ensuring a secure seal under varying pressure conditions, even in small installation spaces, with the ability to function as a gas-lubricated seal.
Implementation Method 1
the bellows-like spring means can apply a force to a sealing surface which essentially flattens its waviness
Implementation Method 2
the unevenness can be compensated for solely by the spring force of the bellows-like spring means
Implementation Method 3
A region of the extension could have a truncated cone-shaped cross-section such that the interior of the extension is conical to accommodate a shaft
Implementation Method 4
The mechanical seal described here could be gas-lubricated
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a slide ring seal, comprising a slide ring (1), which is supported in such a way that the slide ring is axially movable, and a counter ring (3). The slide ring (1) and the counter ring (3) have respective sealing surfaces (1a, 3a) contacting one another. The sealing surface (1a) of the slide ring (1) faces the sealing surface (3a) of the counter ring (3). The slide ring (1) is pressed against the counter ring (3) by a bellows-like spring means (4). With regard to the aim of designing and further developing a slide ring seal of the aforementioned type in such a way that the slide ring seal has an especially flexible slide ring and/or counter ring after economical and trouble-free production, the slide ring seal is characterised in that at least one sealing surface (1a, 3a) has elevations or unevenness of a magnitude from 0.1 μm to W mm, W being calculated in accordance with the formula W = 0.03 Dm / s, the average diameter Dm being the average of the outside diameter (Da) and the inside diameter (Di) of the circular-ring-shaped sealing surface (1a, 3a), and s representing the thickness of the slide ring (1) or counter ring (3).