Sealing Ring Dirt Lip Structure for Contaminant Protection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing sealing rings lack effective protection against contaminants, which can reduce their service life and performance, especially in highly contaminated environments.

Innovation Solution

The sealing ring features a dirt lip with a sealing edge and radially internal and external boundary surfaces, hinged to the sealing leg via a joint with different radii, providing protection and maintaining sealing effectiveness during radial movements.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a sealing ring is used in a contaminated environment, then sealing contact is maintained, but contaminants penetrate to the sealing lip reducing service life

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesealing performanceVSAvoidcontaminant penetration

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

A dirt lip is introduced as an intermediary element between the contaminated environment and the sealing lip. The dirt lip has a sealing edge that contacts the machine element to be sealed, creating a protective barrier that prevents contaminants from reaching the main sealing lip while still maintaining sealing functionality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The sealing function is segmented into two separate lips: a dirt lip for protecting against contaminants and a sealing lip for maintaining the seal. This segmentation allows each lip to perform its specific function optimally without interfering with the other.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Reliability

If the sealing leg is stabilized with a tensioning element, then radial prestress is maintained, but the joint structure becomes more complex

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveradial prestress stabilityVSAvoidjoint structure

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The tensioning element is merged with the sealing ring body, forming an integrated structure where the tensioning element is embedded within the sealing ring. This combining approach maintains the stabilizing function while reducing overall structural complexity compared to separate components.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Object-affected harmful factors

If the dirt lip is designed with a sealing edge, then contaminant protection is improved, but frictional losses increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontaminant protectionVSAvoidfrictional losses

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The dirt lip is designed with specific local qualities: a sealing edge for contaminant protection and optimized boundary surfaces. The radially internal first boundary surface and radially external second boundary surface are configured to minimize contact area and friction while maintaining the protective sealing function.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentUS11629784B2Sealing ring and use thereof

Publication Date: 2023.04.18 CARL FREUDENBERG KG

AI summary

A sealing ring includes: a first axial leg; and a sealing leg with a sealing lip. When viewed in cross section, the sealing ring is in a shape of a seven. The sealing leg is connected to a first end face of the first axial leg by a first joint. The sealing leg has, on a side facing axially toward the first end face, a dirt lip with at least one sealing edge and a radially internal first boundary surface and a radially external second boundary surface.