Segmented Ring Seal Tab Design for Leakage Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ring seals for machine components often fail due to inadequate sealing area and inappropriate design, leading to leakage and excess stress in fastening members, particularly in gear cases where lubricant retention is critical.
Innovation Solution
A ring seal with a main body having an inner and outer periphery and a tab extending from it, configured to contact interfacing surfaces, providing varying heights and widths to optimize sealing force and reduce stress on fastening members by adjusting the sealing area based on the lubricant volume present.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a sealing member is provided between interfacing surfaces fastened by fastening members, then sealing is improved, but excess stress and strain develop in the fastening members
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing member is segmented into a main body and multiple tabs extending from it. The tabs are positioned to contact the interfacing surfaces directly, while the main body is compressed between the surfaces. This segmentation allows the sealing function to be distributed across multiple contact points, reducing the stress concentration on fastening members.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the sealing member have different functions: the tabs are designed to contact specific locations on the interfacing surfaces to provide localized sealing, while the main body provides overall compression. This local quality optimization ensures that sealing occurs at critical areas without requiring excessive compression force that would stress the fastening members.
2Reliability
If the sealing area of the sealing member is increased, then leakage is reduced, but the design complexity and stress distribution become inappropriate
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing member is divided into a main body and multiple tabs. The tabs extend from the main body and contact the interfacing surfaces at specific locations, providing sealing at multiple points simultaneously. This segmentation increases the effective sealing area without requiring a single large complex structure, as each tab can be independently positioned and sized.
Solution Approach 2:
The tabs extend perpendicular to the main body in a different dimensional orientation, allowing the sealing member to contact the interfacing surfaces at multiple locations simultaneously. This dimensional extension increases the sealing area effectively by utilizing the third dimension rather than simply expanding the main body area.
Data Source
AI summary
A ring seal for a machine component is provided. The ring seal includes a main body. The main body includes an inner surface defining an inner periphery. The main body also includes an outer surface defining an outer periphery. The ring seal also includes a tab having a height and a width. The tab extends from the main body. The tab is configured to contact at least one of a first interfacing surface and a second interfacing surface of the machine component to provide sealing therebetween.