Snap-Together U-Shaped Cup Seal for Deep Recess Installation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional U-shaped cup seals require stretching and distortion for installation, which is not feasible in deep recess applications, and are limited by material selection, especially in hot water applications where rubber seals can fuse with metal surfaces.
Innovation Solution
A U-shaped cup seal design featuring an inner and outer wall with a base, a tab extending from the base, and a tab receiving end with protrusions, allowing for snap-together assembly without initial distortion, using resilient materials like elastomers or flexible plastics that do not fuse with metal, enabling expansion for sealing under fluid pressure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional U-shaped cup seals are stretched and distorted for installation, then the seal can be fitted into the groove, but the seal material selection is limited and installation into deep recesses is not feasible
Solution Approach 1:
The seal is divided into two separate components: a C-shaped seal body and a separate end cap. This segmentation allows the seal body to be installed first without distortion, then the end cap is attached separately to complete the sealing structure, enabling installation in deep recesses while expanding material options.
Solution Approach 2:
The seal body is pre-formed into a C-shape with open ends that can be easily inserted into the groove without stretching or distortion. The end cap is prepared separately with matching features, allowing assembly after installation rather than requiring pre-distortion of the entire seal.
2Ease of operation
If rubber seals are used in hot water applications, then high elongation and flexibility are achieved, but the seal can fuse to metal seat areas
Solution Approach 1:
The seal employs composite construction combining a C-shaped seal body made from resilient material with a separate end cap made from non-resilient material. This composite approach allows the resilient portion to provide flexibility while the non-resilient end cap prevents fusion with hot metal surfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the seal have different material properties: the C-shaped seal body uses resilient material for flexibility and sealing, while the end cap uses non-resilient material specifically to prevent fusion with hot metal surfaces in high-temperature applications.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the seal is installed into a deep recess without stretching, then material fusion is avoided, but conventional U-shaped seals cannot be installed
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the seal into a C-shaped body and a separate end cap, the design enables installation into deep recesses without stretching the resilient material. The open C-shape can be inserted easily, and the end cap is attached afterward, making the seal suitable for deep recess applications while maintaining material compatibility.
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
Facilitates easier installation into deep recesses and expands to provide a fluid-tight seal, offering a wider material selection and preventing fluid leakage, while avoiding material fusion issues with metal surfaces.
Implementation Method 1
The piston seal 10 must be stretched and thereby distorted in placing it in the groove 16. When this occurs, the piston seal 10 assumes the configuration seen in FIG. 1 of the drawings.
Implementation Method 2
Pressurized gas within the cylinder will also enter the annular groove 14 to further flatten flanges 12 and 13 against their respective surfaces.
Data Source
AI summary
A U-shaped cup seal comprises an inner wall, an outer wall spaced apart from the inner wall, a base connecting the inner wall and the outer wall, a first and having a tab, and a tab receiving second end.