Support Ring Seal Assembly for High-Pressure Lip Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Seal assemblies in technical applications face challenges in achieving high tightness and longevity while maintaining low production costs, particularly in piston-cylinder units and drive shafts, where mechanical and thermal overload can compromise sealing effectiveness.
Innovation Solution
A seal assembly design featuring a support ring with a convexly curved or angled side edge that supports a primary sealing lip, which is protected from overload and deformation, combined with a secondary sealing lip and tribo structures for improved sealing and lubrication, and a tension disk for enhanced assembly and sealing functionality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the seal assembly uses a conventional support ring design, then the manufacturing cost is low, but the seal lacks protection from mechanical and thermal overload
Solution Approach 1:
The support ring features a convexly curved side edge that contacts the primary sealing lip. This curvature distributes mechanical loads more evenly across the sealing lip surface, preventing localized stress concentrations and extrusion into the seal gap. The curved geometry also facilitates thermal management by distributing heat more uniformly, thereby enhancing seal reliability under thermal overload conditions without adding complex active cooling systems.
2Reliability
If the primary sealing lip is directly exposed to high pressure, then the sealing action is effective, but the seal lip suffers from extrusion and mechanical overload
Solution Approach 1:
The convexly curved side edge of the support ring acts as an intermediary structural element between the high-pressure environment and the primary sealing lip. It provides a load-distributing contact surface that mediates the transmission of mechanical and thermal stresses, preventing direct extrusion of the sealing lip into the seal gap while maintaining effective sealing contact with the mating surface.
3Reliability
If the seal assembly is designed for high pressure sealing, then the tightness is improved, but the contact surface pressure becomes excessive and wear-prone
Solution Approach 1:
The convexly curved side edge geometry inherently distributes contact surface pressure over a larger area compared to a flat or sharp-edged support ring. This curvature effect reduces peak contact pressures between the sealing lip and the support ring, minimizing wear-prone localized stress concentrations while maintaining the necessary sealing tightness under high operating pressures.
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 provides reliable sealing, protection against mechanical and thermal overload, and improved sealing capacity with reduced manufacturing costs, while maintaining sealing effectiveness under varying pressures and movements.
Implementation Method 1
The primary sealing lip directly abuts the first side edge of the support ring on the low-pressure side over a majority of its longitudinal extent and is directly supported on this side edge of the support ring
Implementation Method 2
The seal serves to seal a pressurizable high-pressure side of the seal gap with respect to a low-pressure side of the seal gap
Implementation Method 3
The retaining portion of the seal is arranged held in radial press fit between the support ring and the first machine element
Data Source
AI summary
A seal assembly includes a first and second machine element, a seal and a support ring. The support ring has a first side edge facing a high-pressure side which is partially convexly curved, formed obliquely or is partially formed at an acute angle relative to a movement axis of the two machine elements. The seal has a retaining portion and a primary sealing lip extending from the retaining portion on the high-pressure side and abuts in a dynamically sealing manner against a sealing surface of the second machine element. The primary sealing lip directly abuts and is supported over the majority of its longitudinal extent on the first side edge of the support ring on the low-pressure side. The retaining section of the seal is held clamped between the support ring and the first machine element and abuts the first machine element in a statically or indirectly statically sealing manner.