Integrated Seal Unit With Clamping Ring for Contaminant Exclusion
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional sealing arrangements in applications such as bicycles, power tools, and refrigeration machines often have inadequate sealing effectiveness, allowing contaminants like water and dirt to penetrate, leading to functional impairments and increased wear on bearing parts.
Innovation Solution
A sealing arrangement featuring a sealing unit with a sealing ring and a clamping ring embedded in elastically deformable material, which forms a compact assembly unit, providing a secure static and dynamic seal through a holding section and sealing lip, and a clamping ring that ensures axial positioning and pre-stressed contact, allowing for reliable protection against contaminants and easy assembly/disassembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a simple sealing ring or sealing washer is used, then the device complexity is reduced, but the sealing effectiveness deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing ring and clamping ring are merged into a single integrated sealing unit. The clamping ring is embedded in the elastically deformable material of the sealing ring, creating a jointly handleable construction that combines sealing and clamping functions in one component, thereby improving sealing effectiveness without proportionally increasing complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing unit combines two different materials with complementary properties: an elastically deformable material for the sealing ring (providing sealing compliance) and a rigid or semi-rigid material for the clamping ring (providing structural support and clamping force). This composite structure achieves reliable sealing while maintaining reasonable complexity
2Reliability
If the sealing ring is securely fixed on the shaft, then the sealing reliability is improved, but the ease of assembly and disassembly deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing unit is designed as a separable assembly that can be removed as one piece from the shaft. The integrated sealing ring and clamping ring form a modular unit that maintains secure positioning during operation but can be easily removed together for maintenance, resolving the contradiction between secure fixation and ease of removal
Solution Approach 2:
The clamping ring's elastic deformation capability allows the sealing unit to be installed and removed by simple axial movement without requiring additional tools or complex procedures. The elastic material naturally accommodates the shaft diameter during installation and releases the seal during removal, making the process self-service friendly
3Volume of moving object
If a compact sealing design is implemented, then the installation space is reduced, but the sealing capacity may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing unit utilizes the radial dimension effectively by embedding the clamping ring within the cross-section of the sealing ring. This three-dimensional arrangement allows the clamping mechanism to operate radially while the sealing lip contacts the housing axially, achieving compact installation depth without sacrificing sealing capacity
Solution Approach 2:
The clamping ring is nested within the elastically deformable material of the sealing ring, with the clamping ring positioned in a radial inner region and the sealing lip extending outward from the same structure. This nested configuration maximizes space utilization and achieves compact dimensions while maintaining both clamping and sealing functions
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 achieves enhanced sealing capacity, protecting bearing parts from contamination and wear, while allowing for easy maintenance and high-pressure cleaning resistance, ensuring long-term effective sealing with a compact design.
Implementation Method 1
a clamping ring (28) arranged at least partially embedded in the elastically deformable material of the sealing ring (26)
Implementation Method 2
a sealing lip (32) that extends from the holding section (30) in a radial direction and that forms a dynamic sealing contact against a sealing surface (36) of the housing (12)
Implementation Method 3
The clamping ring (28), which is designed to clamp internally in a radial direction, ensures axial positional security of the retaining section (30) of the sealing ring (26)
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
The invention relates to a seal assembly with a housing, a shaft (14) and a seal unit. The seal unit comprises a seal ring (26) with a holding section (30) and a seal lip (32), which extends outwards away from the holding section (30) in a direction that is radial to the central axis (34) of the seal unit (24) and which sealingly lies against a seal surface (36) of a housing (12) of the seal assembly in a dynamic manner. The seal unit comprises an inner-clamping (28) clamping ring which is integrated into the material of the seal ring (26) and by means of which the axial position of the holding section (30) is secured in the holding groove (40) and a statically sealing contact of the holding section (30) against the shaft (14) is produced in a circumferentially pretensioned manner.