End-Face Seal Lip Grooves to Prevent Static Leakage
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional end-face contact-type sealing apparatuses experience static leakage when the slinger is stationary, despite measures to prevent it, and this leakage occurs due to the design increasing sliding resistance, which is undesirable for reducing fuel consumption in vehicles.
Innovation Solution
A sealing apparatus with a slinger featuring shallow grooves on its flange portion, where the depth of each groove is equal to or less than 15 μm, intersecting with the contact area of the seal lip, which reduces static leakage without increasing sliding resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a seal lip on the inner periphery side is added to prevent static leakage, then static leakage is prevented, but sliding resistance increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the geometric parameters of the grooves (depth, width, shape) to optimize the balance between static leakage prevention and sliding resistance. By controlling groove depth to be equal to or less than 15 μm, the pumping action is sufficient to prevent leakage while minimizing interference with seal lip contact
Solution Approach 2:
The grooves are strategically positioned and designed with specific local characteristics (depth, width, distribution pattern) to create pumping action only where needed for leakage prevention, while maintaining smooth contact surfaces elsewhere to minimize sliding resistance
2Reliability
If two seal lips contact the slinger, then static leakage is prevented, but sliding resistance with respect to the shaft increases
Solution Approach 1:
By optimizing groove parameters (depth ≤ 15 μm, width, shape, and distribution), the invention enables effective leakage prevention with minimal interference to the seal lip-slinger contact, thereby reducing the energy required for rotation and lowering fuel consumption
Solution Approach 2:
The grooves are designed with specific local characteristics in terms of depth, width, and positioning to provide leakage prevention functionality only where necessary, while maintaining smooth contact surfaces in other areas to minimize friction and energy loss
Data Source
AI summary
A sealing apparatus 1 includes a sealing apparatus body 2 and a slinger 3. The sealing apparatus body 2 includes an annular reinforcing ring 10 and an annular elastic body portion 20. The slinger 3 includes a flange portion 31 which is an annular portion extending toward an outer periphery side. The elastic body portion 20 includes an annular end-face lip 21 extending toward an inner side and contacting an outer side surface 31d of the flange portion 31. At least one shallow groove 33 is formed on the outer side surface 31d of the flange portion 31 of the slinger 3.