Tube Seal With Elastomeric Hinge Lip For Offset Accommodation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional tube seals with O-rings fail to accommodate offset between two members and require significant axial force for assembly, leading to assembly issues and inefficiencies in sealing applications.
Innovation Solution
A tube seal design featuring a rigid cylindrical tube with elastomeric seal lips that include axially and radially extending seal lips connected by an elastomeric hinge, allowing for deformation to accommodate misalignment and reduce installation load, with the radially outward seal lip deforming inward and the axially extending lip pivoting outward upon assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If conventional tube seals with O-rings are used, then sealing between two members is achieved, but significant axial force is required for assembly and offset between bores cannot be accommodated
Solution Approach 1:
The seal lip is designed with an elastomeric hinge region that allows dynamic deformation and pivoting motion during assembly and operation. This enables the seal lip to adapt to offset between bores and reduces assembly force requirements through controlled deformation rather than rigid resistance.
Solution Approach 2:
The seal lip geometry is specifically designed with different outer diameters at different locations (smaller at the axial end, larger at the radial end) to enable controlled deformation. The elastomeric material properties allow the seal lip to change shape under load, pivoting radially outward to accommodate offset while maintaining sealing contact.
2Reliability
If conventional tube seals with O-rings are used, then sealing is provided, but assembly issues such as missing, cut, or rolled O-rings occur
Solution Approach 1:
The seal lip integrates multiple functions into a single continuous elastomeric structure. The seal lip extends axially and radially as one piece with the tube, eliminating separate O-rings and their associated assembly issues. The elastomeric hinge region provides both structural connection and deformation capability in a unified design.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastomeric seal lip automatically deforms and pivots during assembly to accommodate misalignment and offset conditions. The material's inherent elasticity provides self-adjusting behavior that compensates for assembly variations without requiring precise alignment or special assembly tools.
3Force
If the axially extending seal lip has smaller outer diameter than bore inner diameter, then low insertion load is achieved, but sealing contact must be established through deformation
Solution Approach 1:
The seal lip transitions from a non-contact state during insertion to a contact state during operation through controlled deformation. The elastomeric hinge region enables this dynamic transition, allowing the seal lip to pivot radially outward and engage the bore surface only when properly positioned, reducing insertion load while ensuring sealing contact.
Solution Approach 2:
The seal lip's outer diameter parameters are specifically designed to be smaller than the bore inner diameter at the axial end for easy insertion, while the radial end has a larger diameter that engages during operation. This parameter variation enables both low insertion load and reliable sealing contact through the deformation mechanism.
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 improved sealing reliability, reduced installation force, and adaptability to various operating conditions, including temperature and pressure changes, while accommodating misalignment between members.
Implementation Method 1
an elastomeric hinge region connecting the axially and radially extending seal lips. In an assembled condition the radially outwardly extending seal lip of the pair of seal lip regions are deformed radially inward and axially toward the rigid cylindrical tube and the axially extending seal lip is pivoted radially outward toward the bore
Data Source
AI summary
A tube seal includes a cylindrical tube and an elastomeric seal body molded to the cylindrical tube. The elastomeric seal body includes a pair of seal lip regions extending from opposite ends of the rigid cylindrical tube and inserted into a respective bore of a pair of opposing members for providing a sealing relationship there between. The seal lip regions each include, in an unassembled condition, an axially extending seal lip and a radially outwardly extending seal lip connected to the ends of the rigid cylindrical tube by an elastomeric hinge region.