Seal Spring Element Claw Retention Mechanism
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing seals with spring elements require a delicate turning tool for producing a retaining lug, which wears quickly due to fillers in the material, leading to imperfect turning and potential fluff formation, causing issues with seal tightness and assembly, particularly in aggressive environments.
Innovation Solution
The seal design incorporates claw elements on the spring element that interlock with the seal body, eliminating the need for a retaining lug and allowing for secure retention without the need for delicate turning tools, enabling the use of highly filled PTFE compounds and simplifying production.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a retaining lug is provided on the seal body to secure the spring element, then the spring element is retained in the receiving space, but an additional turning work step is necessary requiring a delicate turning tool that wears rapidly
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of providing a retaining lug on the seal body to retain the spring element, the invention inverts the approach by providing a retaining projection directly on the spring element. This allows the spring element to retain itself on the seal body, eliminating the need for separate retaining features on the seal body and the delicate turning tools required to produce them.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts the retention function from the seal body and relocates it to the spring element itself. The retaining projection is provided directly on the spring element, separating the retention mechanism from the seal body structure and eliminating the need for additional machining operations on the seal body.
2Reliability
If a retaining lug is produced by turning, then the spring element is secured, but the delicate turning tool wears very rapidly due to fillers in the material
Solution Approach 1:
The invention inverts the retention approach by moving the retention feature from the seal body to the spring element itself. The retaining projection is formed on the spring element during spring manufacturing, eliminating the need for subsequent turning operations on the seal body and the associated tool wear problems.
Solution Approach 2:
The retaining projection is formed on the spring element during the spring manufacturing process itself, before the spring element is assembled to the seal body. This preliminary formation of the retention feature eliminates the need for additional machining operations and tool wear during seal production.
3Reliability
If a retaining lug is turned on the seal body, then the spring element is retained, but imperfect turning occurs leading to fluff formation that detaches during use
Solution Approach 1:
The invention inverts the retention mechanism by providing the retaining projection on the spring element rather than on the seal body. This eliminates the turning operation on the seal body that generates fluff, preventing contamination and seal tightness problems.
Solution Approach 2:
The retention function is extracted from the seal body and transferred to the spring element. The retaining projection is formed on the spring element during its manufacturing process, removing the source of fluff generation from the seal body production process.
4Reliability
If a retaining lug is provided on the seal body, then the spring element is secured, but the seal body structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The retention function is extracted from the seal body structure and relocated to the spring element. The retaining projection is provided directly on the spring element, simplifying the seal body structure by eliminating the need for retaining lugs, undercuts, or additional machining features.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention inverts the retention approach by making the spring element the active retaining component rather than the seal body. The retaining projection on the spring element provides the retention function without adding complexity to the seal body structure.
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 ensures secure retention of the spring element, reduces tool wear and production costs, and prevents fluff formation, resulting in uniform contact pressures and improved fluid-tightness, while allowing for the use of difficult-to-machine materials.
Implementation Method 1
at least one spring element for biasing the sealing portion against one of the components to be sealed
Data Source
AI summary
In order to provide a seal for sealing a sealing gap between a first component and a second component, comprising a seal body with at least one sealing portion and at least one spring element for biasing the sealing portion against at least one of the components to be sealed, the spring element being at least partially arranged in a receiving space of the seal body, which seal is simply constructed and easily producible and nevertheless ensures a secure retention of the spring element in the receiving space, it is proposed that the spring element has at least one claw element, by means of which the spring element is interlocked with the seal body.