Rotary Sealing Gasket With Nested Shield For Contaminant Resistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cassette-type sealing gaskets for vehicles operating under severe conditions, such as tractors and earth-moving machines, have limited durability and operational hours due to harsh environments, including intermittent operation, mud exposure, and high circumferential speeds, leading to inefficiencies in preventing lubricant leakage and external contaminant ingress.
Innovation Solution
The sealing gasket design features an annular configuration with internal and external support rings made of rigid materials, combined with elastomeric elements and additional support rings, which create multiple sealing lips and a shock-absorbing pad to enhance the sealing effectiveness, including an annular shield portion and protruding elements to prevent contaminant and lubricant passage, while maintaining compact dimensions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple elastomeric elements and support rings are added to create multiple sealing lips, then sealing effectiveness and operational hours are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The gasket is divided into multiple functional segments: first and second elastomeric elements with multiple sealing lips each, supported by internal and external support rings. Each sealing lip addresses specific sealing needs at different locations, allowing the system to achieve comprehensive sealing effectiveness while distributing the functional complexity across modular segments rather than using a single complex sealing structure.
2Reliability
If additional support rings and shield portions are added to prevent contaminant passage, then reliability under severe conditions is improved, but axial dimensions increase
Solution Approach 1:
The shield portion is nested within the overall gasket structure, positioned between the sealing lips and the external environment. The additional support rings are integrated into the existing internal and external support ring framework. This nesting approach allows the protective elements to be accommodated within the existing axial footprint rather than adding significant axial length, maintaining compact dimensions while enhancing protection against contaminants.
3Duration of action of moving object
If multiple sealing lips are created to provide multiple barriers, then operational hours under severe conditions are increased, but the number of parts and manufacturing complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple sealing lips are integrated into single elastomeric elements rather than being separate components. The first elastomeric element incorporates multiple sealing lips that work together to provide multiple barriers, and the same applies to the second elastomeric element. This merging reduces the total number of discrete parts, simplifying assembly and manufacturing processes while maintaining the multiple-barrier protection needed for extended operational hours under severe conditions.
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 significantly increases the operational hours of the sealing gaskets under severe conditions by providing multiple barriers against contaminants and lubricant leakage, ensuring effective sealing and durability with minimal increase in axial dimensions, thus addressing the limitations of existing solutions.
Implementation Method 1
an annular elastomeric element carried by the support ring 10 and having one or more annular sealing lips 15 cooperating with the fixing portion 13 of the support ring 12
Data Source
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AI summary
It is described a gasket (1, 1', 1", 1"') for sealing a compartment (2) between two members (3, 4), the one rotating and the other fixed; the gasket (1, 1', 1", 1"') comprises: a first ring (10) adapted to be connected in use to a rotating member (4); a second ring (12) radially more external than the first ring (10) and adapted to be connected in use to a fixed member (3); a first annular elastomeric element (14) carried by the first ring (10) and defining at least a first annular sealing lip (15) cooperating with the second ring (12) to counter, in use, the passage of external contaminants inside the compartment (2); a second annular elastomeric element (16) carried by the second ring (12) and defining at least a second annular sealing lip (17) cooperating with the first ring (10) to counter, in use, the passage of lubricant to the outside; a third ring (18) coupled to the second ring (12) and extending from this latter towards the axis (A) of the gasket; and at least a third annular sealing lip (21), overhangingly projecting from the first elastomeric element (14) and cooperating with the third ring (18) to counter, in use, the passage of external contaminants from the outside towards the first sealing lip (15).