Gearbox Output Seal Floating Retainer Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing gearbox seal designs face challenges in providing a simple, mechanically robust, and reliable sealing system that effectively prevents lubricant leakage while ensuring predictable life expectancy.
Innovation Solution
A seal assembly featuring a rotating ring secured to a shaft with a contact face, a stationary seal with a retainer and floating seal portion, and a spring for biasing the floating seal outwardly, along with radially located pins and recesses to prevent rotation, and a sealing nose for optimal pressure balance, all contributing to enhanced sealing performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a simple seal design is used, then device complexity is reduced, but sealing reliability and leakage prevention deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The seal is divided into a stationary seal portion and a floating seal portion that can move independently. The floating seal portion is further segmented with multiple sealing lips that can articulate to conform to the rotating ring surface, providing reliable sealing without requiring a complex overall design
Solution Approach 2:
The floating seal portion is made dynamic by allowing it to move axially and articulate within the stationary seal portion. This dynamic capability enables the seal to adapt to variations in the rotating ring surface while maintaining simple construction, resolving the contradiction between simplicity and reliability
2Strength
If a robust seal design is used, then mechanical strength is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The floating seal portion combines multiple functions into a single component: it provides sealing contact, accommodates misalignment through articulation, and distributes mechanical loads. This merging achieves mechanical robustness without proportionally increasing structural complexity
3Duration of action of moving object
If a seal design with predictable life expectancy is used, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The seal design changes the parameter of contact pressure distribution by allowing the floating seal portion to articulate and conform to the rotating ring. This creates more uniform pressure distribution that reduces localized wear and extends life expectancy without complex control systems
4Ease of operation
If a seal design allowing shaft rotation is used, then operational flexibility is improved, but sealing effectiveness deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The floating seal portion is designed to dynamically articulate and conform to the rotating ring surface while maintaining continuous sealing contact. This dynamic adaptation ensures effective leakage prevention despite shaft rotation, resolving the contradiction between operational flexibility and sealing effectiveness
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 solution effectively prevents lubricant leakage while allowing shaft rotation, offering improved mechanical robustness and predictable life expectancy through uniform mechanical load distribution and reduced friction.
Implementation Method 1
a spring positioned within the channel between an inner end of the floating seal portion, and biasing the floating seal portion outwardly
Implementation Method 2
The pins prevent the floating seal portion from rotating within the retainer
Data Source
AI summary
A seal assembly for use in a gearbox has a rotating ring to be secured to a shaft, and having a contact face. The contact face abuts a stationary seal. The stationary seal has a retainer with a channel extending to a bottom. A floating seal portion is positioned within the retainer, with a spring positioned between an inner end of the floating seal portion, and biasing the floating seal portion outwardly. There is an inner bore of the retainer which is spaced from an outer periphery of the floating seal portion. One of the inner bore and the outer periphery presides with the plurality of radially located pins. The other of the inner bore and the outer periphery is formed with the plurality of recesses. The pins are received in the recesses, to prevent rotation of the floating seal portion within the retainer.