Rotating Seal Ring With O-Ring Grooves For Low Friction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing rotating sealing devices for large diameters, such as those used in heavy machinery and construction vehicles, face challenges with high wear and friction, leading to frequent replacements and inefficiencies in maintaining air tightness during tire inflation and deflation processes.
Innovation Solution
A rotating sealing device featuring a ring that slides in a groove with internal and external cylindrical surfaces accommodating O-rings, incorporating a bore for fluid passage and utilizing positioning means like spring washers or fluid pressure to reduce friction and wear, made from materials like polytetrafluoroethylene or metallic bodies with low-friction bushings.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a rotating seal with flexible lips is used to ensure air tightness, then sealing effectiveness is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the sealing function from a complex flexible lip seal structure and implements it through a simpler ring with O-rings positioned in grooves. The sealing functionality is separated into discrete O-ring elements that can be independently replaced and maintained, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining air tightness.
Solution Approach 2:
The O-rings are designed as inexpensive, easily replaceable sealing elements. When wear occurs, only the O-rings need to be replaced rather than the entire seal assembly, reducing maintenance costs and device complexity while ensuring continuous air tightness operation.
2Reliability
If the sealing lip is permanently pressed onto its seat to maintain sealing, then sealing effectiveness is improved, but wear increases requiring frequent replacement
Solution Approach 1:
The positioning means are designed to apply dynamic, adjustable pressure to the ring rather than permanent fixed pressure. This allows the sealing force to be optimized for effectiveness while reducing excessive pressure that would cause rapid wear, thereby extending seal service life.
Solution Approach 2:
The positioning means can adjust the pressure parameter applied to the ring, allowing optimization between sealing effectiveness and wear reduction. By controlling the pressure level, the system maintains adequate sealing while minimizing friction and wear on the sealing surfaces.
3Ease of manufacture
If a simple ring structure is used for sealing, then ease of manufacture is improved, but sealing effectiveness for large diameters deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent nests O-rings within grooves in the ring structure, creating a layered sealing system. This nested configuration allows multiple sealing contact points around the large diameter ring, maintaining sealing effectiveness across the entire circumference while keeping the overall structure simple and easy to manufacture.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing approach transitions from relying on a single contact point or line to distributing sealing contact across multiple O-rings positioned in grooves around the ring circumference. This dimensional distribution of sealing contact points maintains effectiveness for large diameters while preserving manufacturing simplicity.
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 reduces wear and friction, enabling long-term use without frequent replacements and ensuring air tightness across various diameters, from less than 100 mm to larger sizes, while maintaining calibrated pressure levels for efficient tire inflation and deflation systems.
Implementation Method 1
the positioning means are constituted by spring means placed between the rear face of the ring and the support
Implementation Method 2
enables the reduction of wear by friction of the sealing ring
Implementation Method 3
the positioning means are constituted by fluid pressure applied to the rear face of the ring through an opening in the support
Implementation Method 4
enables the reduction of wear by friction of the sealing ring
Implementation Method 5
at least one ring-shaped groove able to accommodate an O-ring
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to rotating sealing device for the passage of a fluid, including at least one seal positioned between a fixed support and a crown mounted able to rotate with respect to the support. This device is characterized in that the seal is constituted by a ring mounted able to slide in a groove in the fixed support and which incorporates a front face intended to come into contact with a bearing surface of the rotating crown, the incorporating on each of its internal and external cylindrical surfaces at least one ring-shaped groove intended to accommodate an O-ring seal. The ring can, additionally, by pressed against the bearing surface by positioning means exerting a thrust force on the rear face of the ring. The invention applies in particular for a system to inflate the tires of vehicles.