Split Seal Ring Axial Movement Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional seal rings for vehicles fail to maintain effective sealing between a rotating shaft and a housing when the engine is stopped, leading to oil leakage due to axial movement of the shaft, which affects driving and starting performance.
Innovation Solution
A seal ring design featuring a radially split two-piece structure with a radially inner ring and a radially outer ring, where one ring has a protruded portion and the other has a recessed portion, ensuring constant sealing contact even when the engine is stopped and the shaft moves axially.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single incision seal ring is used, then the sealing structure is simple, but sealing performance deteriorates when the shaft moves axially due to gap formation
Solution Approach 1:
The seal ring is divided into two separate rings: a first ring with a first incision and a second ring with a second incision. These rings are positioned at different axial locations and work together to provide continuous sealing. The segmentation allows each ring to independently maintain sealing contact even when the shaft experiences axial movement, preventing the gap formation problem that occurs with a single incision design.
2Reliability
If oil pressure acts on the sealed space, then sealing performance is improved, but when no oil pressure acts (engine stops), axial movement creates gaps and oil leakage occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The seal rings are designed with pre-formed incisions and predetermined sealing surfaces that maintain sealing contact independently of oil pressure. The geometric configuration of the rings and their interaction with the shaft and housing create inherent sealing action that remains effective whether the engine is running or stopped, eliminating the dependency on oil pressure to maintain sealing during engine stoppage.
3Speed
If the shaft moves axially relative to the housing, then normal operation is affected, but this movement causes gap formation between the seal ring and housing side surface
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing solution addresses axial movement (one dimension) by introducing a second ring positioned at a different axial location. This multi-dimensional arrangement ensures that when axial movement creates a gap at one axial position, the other ring continues to provide sealing contact, effectively compensating for axial displacement without affecting rotational performance.
Data Source
AI summary
A seal ring for vehicles includes a first ring accommodated in an annular groove formed in a peripheral surface of one of a rotating shaft and housing and including a first peripheral surface sealingly contacting with a bottom surface of a annular groove and a second ring including a second peripheral surface sealingly contacting with a peripheral surface of the other of the rotating shaft and the housing. The first and second rings respectively include a first and second facing surfaces at opposite sides of the first and second peripheral surfaces in a radial direction, one of the first and second facing surfaces includes a convex portion, and the other of the first and second facing surfaces includes a concave portion engaging the convex portion.