Sealing device with dynamic action for rolling bearings

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11898606-B2
Application number	US-202217821822-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 24, 2022
Priority date	Oct 4, 2019
Publication date	Feb 13, 2024
Grant date	Feb 13, 2024

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 said 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 the 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, the second flange portion comprising:
a plurality of depressions formed on a radial edge of the second flange portion and arranged in a crown adjacently spaced from one another in sequence along the radial edge of the second flange portion, each of the plurality of depressions being rounded at a radially bottom axially facing end,

wherein, the first annular element comprises at least one annular sealing lip that is elastically deformable and is configured to cooperate in a sliding manner with a frontal surface of the second element, which faces the first annular element,
the plurality of depressions at the radial edge face and are adjacent to a second end of the first sleeve portion of the first annular element and face away from the first flange portion of the first annular element, and
wherein the plurality of depressions are defined by a continuous wavy profile comprising a plurality of wave troughs and crests, the wavy profile carried by the radial edge of the second flange portion on the side opposite to the first flange portion of the first element, wherein the wave troughs form the plurality of depressions and the wave crests form a plurality of solid portions alternating with the plurality of depressions.

2. The sealing device of claim 1 , wherein the radial edge and the second end define a radial annular gap configured to provide a labyrinth seal between the first annular element and the second annular element.

3. The sealing device of claim 2 , wherein the depressions are configured to generate a dynamic effect (F) designed to re-direct any contaminants directed towards the radial annular gap.

4. The sealing device of claim 3 , wherein the solid portions are a radial distance from the second end of the first sleeve portion equal to a radial distance defining the radial gap.

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

6. The sealing device of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of depressions form, with the radial edge of the second flange portion, respective opposite lead angles (α, ß) on a face of the second flange portion arranged on the side opposite to the first annular element wherein the respective opposite lead angles are symmetric, and the dynamic effect (F) generated by each of the plurality of depressions is identical independent of a direction of rotation of the second annular element.

7. The sealing device of claim 3 , wherein the first annular element is housed inside an annular compartment defined between the first and the second mechanical parts and the second annular element is arranged radially inside of the first annular element and on a side facing an outside of the annular compartment.

8. The sealing device of claim 3 , wherein the second annular element further comprises:
a substantially rigid annular reinforcing element delimiting the second flange and second sleeve-portion; and
an annular insert fastened integrally to the annular reinforcing element on a side opposite to 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 the plurality of depressions are formed on a first radial end portion of the annular insert facing the first sleeve portion of the first annular element.

9. The sealing device of claim 8 , wherein the annular insert further comprises a second radial end portion spaced from the 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.

10. The sealing device of claim 9 , wherein the second radial end portion further comprises an encoder element having a circumferential sequence of radial portions having a plurality of discontinuities.

11. The sealing device of claim 10 , wherein the discontinuities are magnetic discontinuities.

12. The sealing device of claim 10 , wherein the discontinuities are physical discontinuities.

13. The sealing device of claim 8 , wherein the annular reinforcing element is made of metal.

14. The dealing device of claim 13 , wherein the annular insert is made of a synthetic plastic material.

15. The sealing device of claim 14 , wherein the annular insert is co-moulded on the annular reinforcing element.

16. The sealing device of claim 13 , wherein the annular insert is made of an elastomeric plastic material.

17. The sealing device of claim 8 , wherein the annular insert is snap-fitted to the annular reinforcing element.

Assignees

• Skf Ab

Inventors

• Barbera Stellario
• Foti Claudio
• Serafini Andrea

Classifications

• 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

• F16C33/7823 Primary

  of sealing lips · CPC title

• F16C33/783

  of the mounting region · CPC title

• F16C33/7886

  mounted outside the gap between the inner and outer races, e.g. sealing rings mounted to an end face or outer surface of a race · CPC title