Non-contact Labyrinth Seal Assembly for Roller Bearings
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional seal assemblies for roller bearings experience issues with lubricant starvation and overheating of secondary lips due to primary lip friction, leading to reduced effectiveness and increased energy consumption, while also allowing contaminants to ingress, which diminishes the bearing's useful life.
Innovation Solution
A non-contact labyrinth seal assembly with a cylindrical outer flange and radially extending leg, featuring a radially outward and inward lip configuration that creates a serpentine labyrinth passage with an annular projection, preventing the ingress of contaminants and egress of lubricant without physical contact, thereby reducing friction and maintaining lubrication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a primary lip is biased into engagement with the wear ring to prevent lubricant egress, then sealing effectiveness is improved, but the secondary lip starves for lubrication and overheats, causing it to harden and diminish seal effectiveness
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the harmful friction and heat generation by eliminating contact between the seal lips and the wear ring. The seal body is positioned to extend toward but remain out of contact with the wear ring, removing the secondary lip from the harmful engagement zone while maintaining sealing function through the non-contact labyrinth configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces a non-contact labyrinth passage as an intermediary mechanism between the seal body and wear ring. This passage provides the sealing function without direct contact, allowing lubricant to flow through theabyrinth path while preventing the secondary lip from starving and overheating.
2Reliability
If primary and secondary seal lips contact the wear ring to provide sealing, then lubricant egress is prevented, but friction increases causing undue wear and requiring additional energy to overcome
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces the mechanical contact-based sealing system with a non-contact labyrinth sealing system. Instead of relying on friction-based lip-to-ring contact, the seal uses a series of non-contacting surfaces and passages that create drag on the lubricant film without solid-to-solid friction, significantly reducing energy consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts the harmful friction element by removing the contact between seal lips and wear ring. The sealing function is maintained through the geometry of the non-contact labyrinth passage, eliminating the need for friction-based sealing while preserving lubricant containment.
3Use of energy by moving object
If a non-contact labyrinth configuration is used to reduce friction and wear, then energy consumption is reduced, but the challenge of preventing contaminant ingress and lubricant egress without physical contact increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention segments the sealing function into multiple non-contacting surfaces and passages within the labyrinth structure. Rather than relying on a single contact point, the seal uses a series of stepped surfaces, annular grooves, and passages that collectively prevent contaminant ingress and lubricant egress through cumulative effect.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from a one-dimensional contact-based seal to a multi-dimensional non-contact labyrinth structure. The seal body extends axially and radially with multiple surfaces at different heights and radii, creating a three-dimensional path that contaminants and lubricant must navigate without direct contact.
Data Source
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AI summary
A non-contact labyrinth seal assembly, bearing assembly therewith, and method of construction thereof, has an outer rigid carrier and an inner sleeve. The carrier has an outer cylindrical flange and a radially inwardly extending leg and the sleeve has a cylindrical wall and a radially outwardly extending flange. A body is attached to at least one of the leg and the flange, wherein the body provides, at least in part, a purely non-contact labyrinth passage extending between the carrier and the sleeve.