Sliding Seal Surface with Bidirectional Dimple Layout
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sliding components with dimples fail to maintain favorable sealing performance and low sliding torque across a wide rotation speed range, especially when reversed, due to fixed dimple angles and configurations.
Innovation Solution
A sliding component design featuring clockwise and counterclockwise dimple groups with aligned long and short axes, varying depths, and elliptical openings, arranged along spirals or curves to adjust suction and dynamic pressure effects, ensuring effective sealing and low torque regardless of rotation direction and speed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If dimples are arranged with a fixed dimple angle and configuration, then sealing performance and sliding torque are optimized under specific operating conditions, but sealing performance and sliding torque deteriorate when used in reverse rotation or outside specific operating conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies asymmetry by arranging dimples at different angles in different circumferential regions. Specifically, a first circumferential region has dimples arranged at a first angle, while a second circumferential region has dimples arranged at a second angle different from the first. This asymmetric arrangement allows the sealing component to maintain optimal sealing performance and low sliding torque across a wide rotation speed range and in both clockwise and counterclockwise rotation directions, rather than being optimized for a single fixed operating condition.
2Ease of operation
If dimples are arranged in a fixed pattern, then favorable sealing performance is achieved under specific conditions, but the component cannot adapt to different rotation directions and speeds
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses asymmetric dimple arrangement where different circumferential regions have different dimple angles. This allows the component to maintain low sliding torque and favorable sealing performance regardless of rotation direction (clockwise or counterclockwise) and across various rotation speeds, eliminating the need for fixed-pattern limitations.
3Ease of manufacture
If a single dimple configuration is used, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but it cannot maintain optimal performance across a wide rotation speed range
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by varying the dimple arrangement characteristics in different circumferential regions. The first circumferential region has dimples arranged at a first angle, while the second circumferential region has dimples arranged at a second angle. This localized variation in dimple configuration maintains favorable sealing performance consistency across a wide rotation speed range while remaining manufacturable through standard machining processes.
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 design achieves consistent favorable sealing performance and low sliding torque across a wide rotation speed range by optimizing the arrangement and characteristics of dimples, effectively reducing leakage and maintaining fluid lubrication.
Implementation Method 1
strength of suction effect and dynamic pressure effect of the dimples may be easily adjusted
Implementation Method 2
strength of suction effect and dynamic pressure effect of the dimples may be easily adjusted
Implementation Method 3
maintain favorable sealing performance while reducing sliding torque by forming a fluid lubrication film by the sealed fluid between the sliding surfaces
Data Source
AI summary
A sliding component includes a pair of the sliding members being slidable relative to each other on sliding surfaces of the sliding members. One of the sliding surfaces includes a dimple group in which a plurality of dimples is arranged and each of the dimples has an opening portion whose shape has a long axis and a short axis orthogonal to the long axis. The dimple group includes a clockwise dimple group in which the dimples are arranged in a clockwise direction from an inner diameter side to an outer diameter side of the sliding surface and a counterclockwise dimple group in which the dimples are arranged in a counterclockwise direction from the inner diameter side to the outer diameter side of the one of the sliding surfaces.