Stepped Seal Member Structure for Low-Friction Pressure Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional seal members face a trade-off between low sliding resistance and sealing performance, where reducing the strained force to minimize sliding resistance often compromises sealing effectiveness.
Innovation Solution
An arrangement structure featuring a seal member with a groove portion and annular design, including first and second protruding portions that increase in height stages, providing optimal contact pressure adjustment based on applied pressure to balance sliding and sealing performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the strained force of the seal member is reduced to minimize sliding resistance, then sliding performance is improved, but sealing performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The seal member employs a dynamic contact mechanism where the degree of contact between the seal member and the mating surface changes according to the applied pressure. At low pressures, the contact area is minimized through the stepped protruding portions, reducing sliding resistance. As pressure increases, the seal member deforms to increase contact area, enhancing sealing performance. This dynamic adaptation resolves the contradiction between maintaining low sliding resistance and ensuring adequate sealing.
Solution Approach 2:
The seal member features localized contact regions through the stepped protruding portions, where different sections of the seal member make contact at different stages. The first protruding portion contacts at lower pressures while the second protruding portion contacts at higher pressures. This local differentiation allows the seal member to optimize contact characteristics at different locations and pressure levels, achieving both low sliding resistance and effective sealing.
2Reliability
If contact pressure is increased to improve sealing performance, then sealing performance is improved, but sliding resistance increases causing stick slip
Solution Approach 1:
The seal member dynamically adjusts contact pressure distribution through its stepped structure. The first protruding portion with smaller contact area engages first at low pressures, providing sealing while minimizing friction. As pressure increases, the second protruding portion with larger contact area engages, increasing sealing force without requiring a sudden jump in overall contact pressure. This progressive engagement prevents stick-slip by maintaining relatively smooth friction characteristics across the pressure range.
Solution Approach 2:
The seal member is segmented into multiple protruding portions with different contact characteristics. The first protruding portion has a smaller contact area for low-pressure operation, while the second protruding portion has a larger contact area for high-pressure operation. This segmentation allows the seal member to provide adequate sealing at each pressure level without excessive contact pressure, thereby preventing stick-slip phenomenon while maintaining sealing effectiveness.
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 achieves excellent sliding performance by minimizing contact pressure at low pressures and enhancing sealing performance as pressure increases, preventing stick slip and maintaining durability while being cost-effective.
Implementation Method 1
The seal member includes a plurality of first protruding portions protruding toward the second mating surface and aligned from the first space toward the second space. The seal member has such a shape that, in a state of not being fitted into the groove portion, a protrusion height of the first protruding portion increases in stages from the first protruding portion arranged close to the second space toward the first protruding portion arranged close to the first space.
Data Source
AI summary
An arrangement structure for a seal member includes: a first member having a first mating surface and provided with a groove portion; a second member having a second mating surface, and configured to move relatively to the first member; and an annular seal member fitted into the groove portion, providing sealing between the first member and the second member, and serving as a partition between an atmosphere-side space and a pressurized-side space. The seal member includes a plurality of first protruding portions protruding toward the second mating surface and aligned from the atmosphere-side space toward the pressurized-side space. The seal member has such a shape that, in a state of not being fitted into the groove portion, a protrusion height of the first protruding portion increases in stages from the first protruding portion arranged close to the pressurized-side space toward the first protruding portion arranged close to the atmosphere-side space.