Sliding Seal Ring Structure for Dust-Blocking Fluid Pumping

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional sliding components face challenges in preventing dust entry and leakage while maintaining lubrication and sealing efficiency, as dust is drawn into sliding faces due to direct openings of spiral grooves, leading to surface damage and increased friction.

Innovation Solution

The design incorporates dynamic pressure generation grooves spaced from the sealed fluid by lands, with fluid introduction holes and passages bent at various angles to prevent dust entry and ensure effective fluid pumping from the leakage side to the sealed side, enhancing sealing and lubrication during operation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If spiral grooves are directly opened to the leakage side for fluid pumping, then fluid pumping efficiency is improved, but dust entry into sliding faces increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefluid pumping efficiencyVSAvoiddust entry
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

A dust prevention structure consisting of a dust prevention plate and dust prevention grooves is introduced as an intermediary element between the spiral grooves and the sliding face. This intermediary structure allows fluid to be pumped through the spiral grooves while blocking dust particles from entering the sliding face through the groove openings, thus resolving the contradiction between fluid pumping efficiency and dust prevention

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The sliding component is segmented into functional zones: the spiral grooves are separated from the sliding face by the dust prevention plate, and dust prevention grooves are created to control fluid flow paths. This segmentation allows independent optimization of fluid pumping (through spiral grooves) and dust prevention (through the plate and groove structure)

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Reliability

If sliding face roughness is optimized for low leakage, then sealing performance is improved, but friction and wear increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesealing performanceVSAvoidfriction and wear
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

Different surface qualities are applied to different regions: the sliding face maintains optimized roughness for sealing performance, while the dust prevention plate provides a smooth blocking surface, and the spiral grooves provide fluid transport paths. This local differentiation allows sealing performance to be improved without proportionally increasing friction and wear

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Object-generated harmful factors

If dynamic pressure generation grooves are added for lubrication, then friction is reduced, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovefrictionVSAvoidstructure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-generated harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The dust prevention plate structure is made multi-functional by adding dust prevention grooves that serve dual purposes: blocking dust particles and generating dynamic pressure for lubrication. This allows friction reduction through lubrication without adding separate dedicated components, thus reducing the increase in device complexity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

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 configuration effectively prevents dust entry and leakage, maintains low friction, and ensures efficient lubrication by pumping fluid from the leakage side to the sealed side, even during high-speed rotation, thereby improving the performance of sliding components.

Implementation Method 1

a leakage-side opening and a sealed-fluid-side opening are provided in the sliding face of the rotating-side seal ring, and a dynamic pressure generation groove extending from the leakage-side opening toward the sealed-fluid-side opening is formed in the sliding face of the rotating-side seal ring... drawing in liquid on the low-pressure side toward the high-pressure side by rotation of the rotating ring

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectCentrifugal force: Centrifugal Force

Implementation Method 2

fluid introduction holes between leakage-side ends of the dynamic pressure generation grooves and a leakage side are provided... configured such that openings of the fluid introduction holes open to the dynamic pressure generation grooves are axially displaced from openings of the fluid introduction holes open to the leakage side

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectFluid pressure differential: Pressure Gradient

Data Source

PatentEP3299686B1Sliding component
Publication Date: 2022.03.23 EAGLE INDS
  • EP3299686B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3299686B1 patent drawingFigure 2(a)~2(c)
  • EP3299686B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

To prevent leakage of sealed fluid and entry of dust into sliding faces as well as to fluid-lubricate the sliding faces for low friction during steady operation. A sliding component includes a pair of sliding parts that relatively slide on each other is provided. One of the sliding parts is a stationary-side seal ring 7, and the other of the sliding parts is a rotating-side seal ring 4. The seal rings each have a sliding face S formed radially for sealing sealed fluid from leaking. The sliding face S of at least one sliding part of the pair of sliding parts 4 and 7 is provided with dynamic pressure generation grooves 10 spaced in a non-communicating manner from the sealed-fluid side and the leakage side by lands R of both sliding faces, and is provided with fluid introduction holes 11 between leakage-side ends 10a of the dynamic pressure generation grooves 10 and the leakage side, for communicating the dynamic pressure generation grooves 10 and the leakage side. Each of the fluid introduction holes 11 is configured such that a dynamic-pressure-generation-groove-side opening 11a open to a corresponding one of the dynamic pressure generation grooves 10 is axially displaced from a leakage-side opening 11b open to the leakage side.