Mechanical Seal Apparatus with Flange and Case Design

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing mechanical seal devices face challenges in preventing grit and dust from entering the gap between the sealing faces of the mating and seal rings during installation, requiring careful handling to maintain contact and prevent leaks.

Innovation Solution

The mechanical seal device employs a flange and case design with a resilient member to keep the sealing faces in contact both before and after installation, using bayonet engagement for assembly and disassembly, and incorporates a coiled wave spring to bias the seal ring, ensuring the sealing faces remain pressed together to prevent dust and grit intrusion.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the mating ring and seal ring are handled separately during installation, then the sealing faces can be kept in contact, but it becomes difficult to prevent grit and dust from entering the sealing area

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesealing performanceVSAvoidinstallation handling
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines the mating ring and seal ring into a single integrated sealing assembly that is pre-assembled and sealed together. This merging allows the sealing faces to remain in contact while preventing grit and dust intrusion, resolving the contradiction between sealing reliability and installation ease.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The sealing faces are brought into contact and protected from contamination before the actual installation process. By performing the sealing face contact preparation in advance (pre-assembly), the patent eliminates the risk of grit and dust entry during installation, improving both sealing reliability and operational ease.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If the sealing faces are kept in contact during handling, then sealing performance is maintained, but the complexity of handling increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesealing performanceVSAvoidhandling complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

By integrating the mating ring and seal ring into a single assembly with pre-contacted sealing faces, the patent reduces handling complexity while maintaining sealing performance. The merged structure eliminates the need for careful separate handling of multiple components.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Object-affected harmful factors

If a resilient member is used to press the sealing faces together, then dust and grit intrusion is prevented, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedust and grit intrusionVSAvoidstructure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The resilient member automatically maintains pressure on the sealing faces throughout operation and handling without requiring external intervention. This self-service mechanism prevents dust and grit intrusion while adding minimal structural complexity, as the resilient member is a simple elastic element.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

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 design effectively suppresses the intrusion of grit and dust into the sealing area, enhances the cooling effect by increasing the contact surface area, and simplifies handling and installation by allowing the use of a resilient member for both pre-use and operational states.

Implementation Method 1

a coiled wave spring 170... In a use state, the seal ring 140 is thereby biased in the direction of the mating ring 130 via the spring holder 171

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Implementation Method 2

the sealing face 130a of the mating ring 130 and the sealing face 141a on a leading end of the sealing projection 141 of the seal ring 140 slide on each other in a closely attached state

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectFriction: Friction

Data Source

PatentEP3228907B1Mechanical seal apparatus
Publication Date: 2020.11.18 EAGLE INDS
  • EP3228907B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3228907B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3228907B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The present invention is to provide a mechanical seal device capable of suppressing intrusion of grit and dust into a part between a sealing face of a mating ring and a sealing face of a seal ring as far as possible. A mechanical seal device 3 includes a mating ring 30 having an axially perpendicular sealing face 30a and having a flange 31 projecting in a radial direction, an axially movable seal ring 40 having an axially perpendicular sealing face 41a to be brought into contact with the sealing face 30a of the mating ring 30, a resilient member 70 that presses the seal ring 40 to a side of the mating ring 30, and a case 60 inside which the seal ring 40 and the resilient member 70 are accommodated. In the mechanical seal device 3 in which a fluid is sealed by bringing the axially perpendicular sealing faces 30a, 41a of both the rings 30, 40 into contact with each other and relatively rotating the sealing faces, by engaging the case 60 and the flange of the mating ring 30 with each other, the seal ring 40 and the mating ring 30 are resiliently held.