Radial Shaft Seal Rigidity Layout for Heat-Safe Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing radial shaft sealing rings, especially those made of rubber and PTFE, face issues with heat damage due to high contact forces and require complex manufacturing processes, leading to potential leaks in static conditions and suboptimal sealing due to material hardness.
Innovation Solution
A sealing device with a sealing body featuring elements that change its rigidity on the back side, creating uneven surface pressure distribution between the sealing body and the object, deflecting fluid axially and ensuring effective sealing in dynamic states while maintaining contact in static states, using oblique elements that can be depressions or elevations to direct fluid flow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If high contact forces are applied to ensure sealing, then sealing effectiveness is improved, but heat damage occurs to the sealing material
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing body is designed with non-uniform rigidity distribution through strategically placed structural elements (such as ribs or varying wall thickness) that create locally softer regions for sealing contact and locally stiffer regions for structural support. This allows the sealing surface to deform adequately under contact force while the overall structure resists excessive deformation and heat generation.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing body incorporates elements that allow dynamic adaptation of rigidity based on operating conditions. The structural elements enable the sealing body to flex and conform during installation and operation, optimizing the contact force distribution to maintain sealing effectiveness while minimizing heat generation through excessive friction.
2Reliability
If complex manufacturing processes are used to create return structures, then sealing performance is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The return structure functionality is merged into the sealing body itself through integrated structural elements rather than being a separate component. The same structural elements that provide mechanical support also create the necessary fluid return pathways, eliminating the need for separate manufacturing steps and reducing overall complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The structural elements in the sealing body serve multiple functions simultaneously: they provide mechanical reinforcement, create uneven pressure distribution for improved sealing, and form fluid return channels. This multi-functionality reduces the number of separate components and manufacturing processes required.
3Temperature
If hard materials like PTFE are used for the sealing body, then heat resistance is improved, but sealing effectiveness decreases due to material hardness
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing body uses hard heat-resistant materials (such as PTFE) for the overall structure to maintain temperature resistance, while incorporating localized softer regions through structural design (varying thickness, ribs, or embedded elements) that enable adequate deformation for effective sealing contact.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing body is segmented into different functional zones with varying rigidity characteristics. The bulk material provides heat resistance while specific segmented regions (such as sealing lips or contact surfaces) are designed to be more compliant through geometric modifications to ensure effective sealing.
4Ease of manufacture
If uniform rigidity is maintained throughout the sealing body, then manufacturing is simplified, but uneven pressure distribution required for sealing is not achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing body is designed with non-uniform rigidity distribution through strategically placed structural elements (such as ribs or varying wall thickness) that create locally softer regions for sealing contact and locally stiffer regions for structural support. This allows the sealing surface to deform adequately under contact force while the overall structure resists excessive deformation and heat generation.
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
The solution achieves a reliable seal in various operating states with minimal design effort, ensuring effective sealing in dynamic applications and maintaining high sealing performance in static conditions, adaptable to different requirements and materials like PTFE.
Implementation Method 1
At least one element which changes the rigidity of the sealing body is provided on the rear side (4b) of the sealing body (4). This results in an uneven distribution of the surface pressure in the sealing gap between the sealing body (4) and the object (2) to be sealed, so that fluid which is to be held in a space (5a) is deflected in the axial direction
Data Source
Figure 1~4
Figure 5~8
Figure 9~13
AI summary
The invention relates to a device (1) for sealing an object (2) to be sealed, in particular for sealing a rotating shaft (2a), which device has a sealing body (4), which has a sealing side (4a) facing the object (2) to be sealed and a back side (4b) facing away from the object (2) to be sealed. On the back side (4b), the sealing body (4) has at least one element (6) that changes the stiffness of the sealing body (4), which element changes the contact pressure between the sealing body (4) and the object (2) to be sealed.