Seal Ring Sliding Surface Grooves for Wear Debris Removal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sliding components in seal devices and bearings suffer from wear debris accumulation, which leads to damage and reduced durability due to the collection and redeposition of wear debris between sliding surfaces.
Innovation Solution
The sliding component features a pair of seal rings with circumferentially arranged inward and outward recessed portions that collect and discharge wear debris, reducing damage by facilitating its removal from the sliding surfaces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If dimples are formed in the sliding surface to hold sealed fluid and reduce friction, then frictional force is reduced and wear is minimized, but wear debris accumulates in the dimples and causes damage to the sliding surface
Solution Approach 1:
The sliding surface is segmented into multiple functional zones: dimples for fluid retention, grooves for debris collection, and lands for load bearing. This segmentation allows wear debris to be directed into specific collection zones (grooves) rather than accumulating in the dimples, resolving the contradiction between friction reduction and debris accumulation.
Solution Approach 2:
The harmful wear debris is extracted from the contact zone by designing grooves that collect and remove debris from between the sliding surfaces. The grooves act as separate collection zones that extract debris from the friction-reducing dimple regions, preventing debris-induced damage while maintaining the friction-reduction benefit.
2Loss of energy
If the sliding surface is formed smooth to reduce energy loss, then energy efficiency is improved, but wear debris cannot be effectively collected and removed
Solution Approach 1:
The sliding surface has different local qualities: smooth dimple regions for low friction and energy loss, and grooved regions for debris collection. This local differentiation allows the surface to maintain low energy loss in the contact zones while providing dedicated pathways for debris removal in the groove zones, resolving the contradiction between energy efficiency and durability.
3Reliability
If recessed portions are made deeper to collect more wear debris, then debris collection capacity is improved, but the structural strength of the sliding component is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of making the entire sliding surface deeply recessed (which would weaken the component), the patent applies partial action by creating localized grooves with controlled depth and dimensions. The grooves are sufficiently deep to collect wear debris but limited in extent to maintain overall structural strength, resolving the contradiction between debris collection capacity and component strength.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2(a)~2(b)
Figure 3(a)~3(c)
AI summary
Provided is a sliding component in which damage to a sliding surface can be reduced. A sliding component 1 includes a pair of seal rings which are arranged to rotate relative to each other. The seal rings 3 and 5 have sliding surfaces S1 and S2, respectively, which are facing each other. The sliding surfaces S1 and S2 are provided with: a land 9 continuously extending in a circumferential direction; inward recessed portions 11 recessed in an axial direction, extending to a radially inner side, and open to the radially inner side; and outward recessed portions 12 recessed in the axial direction, extending to a radially outer side, and open to the radially outer side.