Sealing device with dynamic action, particularly for rolling bearings

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11473627-B2
Application number	US-202017032878-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 25, 2020
Priority date	Oct 4, 2019
Publication date	Oct 18, 2022
Grant date	Oct 18, 2022

Abstract

Sealing device including a first annular element coupled to a first fixed mechanical member, and a second annular element coupled to a second rotating mechanical member, for protecting an annular compartment delimited between the members; the first element being provided with at least one annular sealing lip configured to interact with the second element, which has a radial edge of a flange portion arranged at an edge of a sleeve portion of the first element, thus forming with the latter a radial gap configured as a labyrinth seal; wherein the radial gap of the flange portion of the second annular element carries a plurality of depressions arranged in a crown, spaced adjacently to one another at the radial gap and configured to generate, as a result of the rotation of the second element, a dynamic effect (F) for the purpose of repelling any contaminants impelled towards the radial gap.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A sealing device insertable between two relatively rotatable mechanical parts, comprising:
a first annular element having a first sleeve portion angularly fixed to a first of the two relatively rotatable mechanical parts when in an inserted condition;
a first flange portion that extends in a cantilever fashion from a first end of the first sleeve portion in a first radial direction;
a second annular element, arranged coaxial to the first annular element and comprising a second sleeve portion angularly fixed to and rotating with a second of the two relatively rotatable mechanical parts when in an inserted condition; and
a second flange portion that extends in a cantilever fashion from a first end of the second sleeve portion and in a second radial direction opposite to the first radial direction, the second flange portion facing the first flange portion,
wherein the first annular element is provided with at least one annular seal lip that is elastically deformable and cooperates in a sliding manner with a frontal surface of the second annular element which faces the first annular element;
wherein a radial annular gap is formed by a radial edge of the second flange portion and a second end of the first sleeve portion that provides a labyrinth seal between the first annular element and the second annular element,
wherein the radial edge of the second flange portion comprises a plurality of depressions arranged in a crown adjacently spaced from one another in sequence along the radial edge of the second flange portion,
wherein at the radial gap, the plurality of depressions face and are adjacent to the second end of the first sleeve portion of the first element and face away from the first flange portion of the first element,
wherein said depressions each have a profile such as to form with the radial edge of the second flange portion respective opposite lead angles (α, ß) asymmetrical with one another.

2. The sealing device of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of depressions alternate circumferentially with a plurality of solid circumferential portions, the solid circumferential portions being a radial distance from the second end of the first sleeve portion equal to a radial distance defining the radial gap.

3. The sealing device of claim 1 , wherein the depressions are formed astride with the radial edge of the second flange portion and extend over a side axially opposite the frontal surface.

4. The sealing device of claim 1 , wherein the second annular element further comprises:
a substantially rigid annular reinforcing element delimiting the second flange and the second sleeve portion, and
an annular insert fastened integrally to the annular reinforcing element on a side axially opposite the frontal surface,
wherein the annular insert and the annular reinforcing element define the radial edge of the second flange portion of the second annular element, and wherein the depressions are formed on a first radial end portion of the annular insert facing the first sleeve portion of the first annular element.

5. The sealing device of claim 4 , wherein the annular insert further comprises a second radial end spaced from the first radial end portion and formed integrally with the first radial end portion, wherein the annular insert extends over a whole frontal face of the second flange portion of the second annular element.

6. The sealing device of claim 5 , wherein the second radial end portion further comprises an encoder element having a circumferential sequence of radial portions with a plurality of discontinuities.

7. The sealing device of claim 6 , wherein the discontinuities are magnetic discontinuities.

8. The sealing device of claim 6 , wherein the discontinuities are physical discontinuities.

9. The sealing device of claim 4 , wherein the annular reinforcing element is made of metal.

10. The sealing device of claim 9 , wherein the annular insert is made of a synthetic plastic material.

11. The sealing device of claim 10 , wherein the annular insert is co-moulded on the annular reinforcing element.

12. The sealing device of claim 9 , wherein the annular insert is made of an elastomeric plastic material.

13. The sealing device of claim 4 , wherein the annular insert is snap-fitted to the annular reinforcing element.

14. The sealing device of claim 1 , wherein the second annular element further comprises:
a substantially rigid annular element, delimiting the second flange and the second sleeve portion; and

the second flange portion further comprises:
an annular radial portion, protruding in a cantilever fashion in an axial direction on the side opposite to the first annular element and delimiting the radial edge of the second flange portion,
wherein the depressions are formed on the annular radial portion facing away from the first flange portion.

15. The sealing device of claim 1 , wherein the first annular element is housed inside an annular compartment defined between the first and the second mechanical parts, and wherein the second annular element is arranged radially inside of the first annular element and on a side facing an outside of the annular compartment.

Assignees

• Skf Ab

Inventors

• Barbera Stellario
• Foti Claudio
• Serafini Andrea

Classifications

• F16J15/3264

  the elements being separable from each other · CPC title

• F16C33/783

  of the mounting region · CPC title

• F16J15/164

  the sealing action depending on movements; pressure difference, temperature or presence of leaking fluid · CPC title

• F16C33/7883 Primary

  mounted to the inner race and of generally L-shape, the two sealing rings defining a sealing with box-shaped cross-section · CPC title

• F16C41/007

  Encoders, e.g. parts with a plurality of alternating magnetic poles · CPC title