Seal assembly for spherical plain bearing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10344802-B1
Application number	US-201815923487-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Mar 16, 2018
Priority date	Mar 16, 2018
Publication date	Jul 9, 2019
Grant date	Jul 9, 2019

Abstract

A seal assembly is for a spherical plain bearing with an inner ring mounted on a shaft and an outer ring disposed about the inner ring and having a concave inner surface slidably displaceable against the inner ring convex outer surface. The seal assembly includes an annular inner member disposed about the shaft axially adjacent to the bearing inner ring and having opposing first and second axial ends and an outer engagement surface extending axially between the first and second ends. A generally annular outer member has a base portion coupled with the bearing outer ring and a lip portion extending radially inwardly from the base portion and having an outer end sealingly engageable with the outer engagement surface of the seal inner member. The lip portion slidably displaces generally axially along the inner member engagement surface when the outer ring displaces axially relative to the inner ring.

First claim

We claim:

1. A seal assembly for sealing a spherical plain bearing having an inner ring with a convex outer surface, the inner ring being mounted on a shaft with a central axis, and an outer ring disposed about the inner ring and having a concave inner surface slidably displaceable against the inner ring outer surface, the seal assembly comprising:
a generally annular seal inner member disposed about the shaft axially adjacent to the bearing inner ring and having opposing first and second axial ends and an outer engagement surface extending axially between the first and second ends; and
a generally annular seal outer member having a base portion coupled with the bearing outer ring and a lip portion extending radially inwardly from the base portion and having an outer end sealingly engageable with the outer engagement surface of the seal inner member, the lip portion slidably displacing generally axially along the seal inner member engagement surface when the outer ring displaces relative to the inner ring.

2. The seal assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein the first axial end of the seal inner member is located adjacent to the bearing inner ring and the second axial end of the seal inner member includes a sealing portion configured to sealingly engage with a radial surface spaced axially from the bearing inner ring.

3. The seal assembly as recited in claim 2 wherein the sealing portion of the seal inner member is integrally formed with the seal inner member or provided by a separate seal ring coupled with the remainder of the seal inner member.

4. The seal assembly as recited in claim 2 wherein the seal inner member is formed of a polymeric material or a combination of at least one polymeric material and a metallic material.

5. The seal assembly as recited in claim 2 wherein the seal inner member has a radially-larger section located generally proximal to the seal inner member first axial end and a radially-smaller section located axially between the radially-larger section and the seal inner member second axial end, the seal inner member outer engagement surface tapering radially-inwardly along the axis from the radially-larger section to the radially-smaller section.

6. The seal assembly as recited in claim 5 wherein the lip portion of the seal outer member slidably displaces axially and radially along the engagement surface of the seal inner member when the bearing outer ring displaces with respect to the bearing inner ring.

7. The seal assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein the bearing outer ring is disposed within a rod having an inner circumferential surface and the seal outer member base portion includes a rigid support member having an outer circumferential surface frictionally engageable with an inner circumferential surface of the rod, a remainder of the base portion and the lip portion being integrally connected and formed of an elastomeric material.

8. The seal assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein:
the seal inner member is a first seal inner member located proximal to a first axial end of the bearing inner ring, the seal outer member is a first seal outer member coupled with a first axial end of the bearing outer ring; and
the seal assembly further comprises:
a second annular seal inner member disposed on the shaft axially adjacent to a second axial end of the bearing inner ring, the second annular seal member having opposing first and second axial ends and an outer surface extending axially between the first and second ends; and
a second annular seal outer member having a base portion coupled with a second axial end of the bearing outer ring and a lip portion extending radially inwardly from the base portion and having an outer end sealingly engageable with the outer surface of the second seal inner member, the lip portion slidably displacing generally axially along the seal inner member outer surface when the outer ring displaces relative to the inner ring.

9. The seal assembly as recited in claim 8 wherein:
the second axial end of the first seal inner member is configured to sealingly engage with a first radial surface spaced in a first direction along the axis from the bearing inner ring; and
the second axial end of the second seal inner member is configured to sealingly engage with a second radial surface spaced in a second, opposing direction along the axis from the bearing inner ring.

10. A mechanical assembly comprising:
a shaft having a central axis;
a spherical plain bearing having an inner ring with a convex outer surface, the inner ring being mounted on the shaft, and an outer ring disposed about the inner ring and having a concave inner surface slidably displaceable against the inner ring outer surface;
a joint member coupled with the shaft so as to be spaced axially from the plain bearing and having a radial surface; and
a seal assembly including:
a generally annular seal inner member disposed about the shaft axially between the bearing inner ring and the joint member, the inner member having opposing first and second axial ends and an outer engagement surface extending axially between the first and second ends, the first axial end being located adjacent to the bearing inner ring and the second axial end including a sealing portion configured to sealingly engage with the joint member radial surface; and
a generally annular seal outer member having a base portion coupled with the bearing outer ring and a lip portion extending radially inwardly from the base portion and having an outer end sealingly engageable with the outer engagement surface of the seal inner member, the lip portion slidably displacing generally axially along the seal inner member engagement surface when the outer ring displaces relative to the inner ring.

11. The mechanical assembly as recited in claim 10 wherein the sealing portion of the seal inner member is integrally formed with the seal inner member or provided by a separate seal ring coupled with the seal inner member.

12. The mechanical assembly as recited in claim 10 wherein the seal inner member is formed of a polymeric material or a combination of at least one polymeric material and a metallic material.

13. The mechanical assembly as recited in claim 10 wherein the seal inner member has a radially-larger section located generally proximal to the seal inner member first axial end and a radially-smaller section located axially between the radially-larger section and the seal inner member second axial end, the seal inner member engagement surface tapering radially-inwardly along the axis from the radially-larger section to the radially-smaller section.

14. The mechanical assembly as recited in claim 13 wherein the lip portion of the seal outer member slidably displaces axially and radially along the engagement surface of the seal inner member when the bearing outer ring displaces with respect to the bearing inner ring.

15. The mechanical assembly as recited in claim 10 wherein the bearing outer ring is disposed within a rod having an inner circumferential surface and the seal outer member base portion includes a rigid support member having an outer circumferential surface frictionally engageable with an inner circumferential surface of the rod, a remainder of the base portion and the lip portion being integrally connected and formed of an elastomeric material.

16. The mechanical assembly as recited in claim 10 wherein:
the joint member is a first joint member;
the mechanical assembly further comprises a second joint member coupled with the shaft and spaced axially from the plain bearing such that the plain bearing is dispo

Assignees

• Skf Ab

Inventors

• Hurst Daniel
• Mcbride Tadd

Classifications

• F16J15/3204

  with at least one lip · CPC title

• F16C33/74 Primary

  of sliding-contact bearings · CPC title

• F16C17/00

  Sliding-contact bearings for exclusively rotary movement (F16C32/06 takes precedence; adjustable bearings F16C23/00, F16C25/00) · CPC title

• F16C33/7876

  with sealing lips · CPC title

• F16C33/7823

  of sealing lips · CPC title