Drip element sealing device, in particular for rolling bearings

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9358833-B2
Application number	US-201414506583-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 3, 2014
Priority date	Oct 3, 2013
Publication date	Jun 7, 2016
Grant date	Jun 7, 2016

Abstract

A sealing device including a first annular rotating shield, a second annular shield, fixed and arranged in front of the first shield for delimiting therebetween a first annular chamber and a sealing ring provided with at least a first and a second annular lips that extend axially and radially project from a flange portion of the second shield and towards a flange portion of the first shield, inside the annular chamber. At least one of the first and second lips cooperates with the flange portion of the first shield without touching it for defining a first dynamic labyrinth seal therewith. The first shield integrally supports a third annular lip that extends projecting from the first shield towards one of the first and second lips without touching it for defining a second dynamic labyrinth seal between the first and second shield and inside the annular chamber.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A drip element sealing device for rolling bearings of wheel hub assemblies, adapted to be inserted between a first member and a second member in relative rotation for fluid-sealingly insulating from an external environment an annular cavity defined between the first member and the second member, the sealing device having a symmetry axis (A) and comprising:
a first annular shield angularly integrally constrainable to the first member by a respective sleeve portion for rotating with the first member about the symmetry axis (A) and defining an axially outer shield of the sealing assembly with respect to the annular cavity;
a second annular shield angularly integrally constrainable to the second member, coaxial to the first shield, by means of a respective sleeve portion, and defining an axially inner shield of the sealing assembly with respect to the annular cavity; the second annular shield and the first annular shield defining between them an annular chamber delimited on opposite sides, in a radial direction, by the sleeve portions, and, in the axial direction, by respective flange portions of the first annular shield and second annular shield arranged reciprocally facing, the flange portion of the first annular shield delimiting the annular chamber towards the external environment (E); and
a sealing ring integrally supported by the second annular shield and provided with at least a first annular lip and a second annular lip that extend axially and radially projecting from the flange portion of the second annular shield and towards the flange portion of the first annular shield, inside the annular chamber; wherein:
i) the first annular lip and the second annular lip cooperate with the flange portion of the first annular shield without touching the flange portion of the first annular shield, and define a first dynamic labyrinth seal with the flange portion of the first shield and inside the annular chamber;
ii) the first shield integrally supports a third annular lip that extends projecting from the first shield towards the first annular lip and the second annular lip without touching the first annular lip and the second annular lip, in a radially intermediate position between the first annular lip and the second annular lip, for defining a second dynamic labyrinth seal between the first shield and second shield and inside the annular chamber;
iii) the first annular lip, the second annular lip and the third annular lip define, in a radial direction, respective first annular drip element, the second annular drip element and the third annular drip element arranged in succession in series in a radial direction and delimiting, inside the annular chamber, a plurality of respective cavities; and wherein:
iv) the first annular lip is shaped in radial section as an upper case U, while the third annular lip shaped in radial section as a lower case U and the second annular lip is shaped in radial section as an asymmetric V;
v) a radially outer edge of the flange portion of the first shield, which is opposite to the sleeve portion, is shaped to define, towards the annular chamber and on an opposing side with respect to the external environment (E), a first axial annular projection axially delimited towards the second annular shield by a first annular surface transversal to the axis (A), which is arranged axially projecting towards the second annular shield with respect to the first annular lip to be arranged axially within the axial width of a recess constituting the first drip element;
vi) the first annular lip is axially delimited towards the first shield by a second annular surface transversal to the axis (A) and arranged axially projecting towards the first annular shield with respect to a free end edge of the third annular lip to be arranged axially within the axial width of a recess constituting the second drip element;
vii) the conformation and position of the third annular lip is such to arrange the free end edge thereof, which is I-shaped in radial section, axially within a recess constituting the third drip element.

2. The sealing device according to claim 1 , wherein the annular drip elements are in a sequence in a radial direction inside the annular chamber; the first annular lip and the second annular lip cooperate very closely, but without the first annular lip and the second annular lip touching one another, with the flange portion of the first annular shield, and also with the third annular lip, for defining a sequence of labyrinths interposed in series in a radial direction between the sleeve portion of the first annular shield and the sleeve portion of the second annular shield.

3. The sealing device according to claim 2 , wherein the third annular lip is carried in an axially and radially projecting manner by a first face of the flange portion of the first annular shield facing towards the second annular shield and extends inside the annular chamber to be interposed in series, according to a radial direction, between the first annular lip and the second annular lip.

4. The sealing device according to claim 3 , wherein the first annular lip, the second annular lip and third annular lip define the annular drip elements in the radial direction, arranged in series in the radial direction, and separated from one other by at least the second dynamic labyrinth seal and a third dynamic labyrinth seal.

5. The sealing device according to claim 1 , wherein the sealing ring further comprises a fourth annular lip that extends projecting from the flange portion of the second shield on an opposing side with respect to the second annular lip, to the external environment (E) to the annular cavity defined between the first member and the second member; the fourth annular lip cooperating with slight interference with a radially outer lateral surface of the sleeve portion of the first annular shield, to define a sliding radial seal therewith.

6. The sealing device according to claim 1 , wherein the flange portion of the first shield supports, on a second face thereof facing towards an opposing side of the second shield, an annular insert made of an at least partly magnetized elastomer, to define a signal generating element,
wherein the insert at least partly covers the second face up to the sleeve portion of the first annular shield and has a first radial annular projection that extends radially projecting from the sleeve portion of the first annular shield towards the rotation axis (A) of the first annular shield and on the inside of the sleeve portion of the first annular shield, which first radial annular projection is shaped to define in use an axial stop shoulder for determining a fixed axial mounting position of the first annular shield to the first member.

7. The sealing device according to claim 1 , wherein the radially outer edge of the flange portion of the first annular shield, opposite to the sleeve portion of the first annular shield, is shaped to define, on an opposing side with respect to the annular chamber delimited between the first annular shield and the second annular shield, and towards the environment (E) external to the annular cavity delimited between the first member and the second member, a second axial annular projection that extends axially projecting with respect to a second face of the flange portion of the first annular shield facing on an opposing side of the second annular shield and in the immediate vicinity of the sleeve portion of the second annular shield for forming a first labyrinth pre-seal with the second annular shield towards the exterior of the annular chamber.

Assignees

• Gulli Carmelo
• Skf Ab

Inventors

• Gulli Carmelo

Classifications

• F16C33/80

  Labyrinth sealings {(F16C33/761 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• F16C41/007

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

• F16C33/7883

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

• B60B27/0073 Primary

  characterised by sealing means · CPC title

• F16C33/782 Primary

  of the sealing region · CPC title