Outer pin seal

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9423030-B2
Application number	US-59781108-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 25, 2008
Priority date	Apr 27, 2007
Publication date	Aug 23, 2016
Grant date	Aug 23, 2016

Abstract

A seal ( 200 ) of substantially wedge shaped cross section self adjusts and seals pivot joints ( 100 ) over a range of gap widths to be sealed.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A seal for a pivot joint, the pivot joint including a pivot pin and a bushing, the pivot joint rotationally connecting a first member and a second member,
the first member having a longitudinal axis, a substantially conical external surface, and a substantially cylindrical external surface adjacent the substantially conical external surface, the substantially conical external surface having a cross section that is substantially circular on a first plane orthogonal to the longitudinal axis,
the second member having a circular external surface that is substantially flat and substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal axis,
a gap being defined axially between the substantially conical external surface of the first member and the circular external surface of the second member, and the gap being defined radially inward of the substantially cylindrical external surface,
the seal comprising:
a body defining a circle in a second plane orthogonal to the longitudinal axis, the body having a cross sectional shape generally conforming to that of a triangle,
a first outer diameter of the body formed by a first corner of the triangle,
a second outer diameter of the body formed by a second corner of the triangle, the second outer diameter being greater than the first outer diameter, a lip at the second corner,
an inner diameter of the body formed by a third corner of the triangle, a first seal surface extending between the third corner and the first corner, the lip including a second seal surface,

an outer surface extending between the first corner and the second corner,
a majority of the body of the seal being positioned in the gap, with the lip extending from the outer surface radially outwardly away from the substantially cylindrical external surface of the first member.

2. The seal of claim 1 , wherein the seal is connected over the axial gap between the substantially conical external surface and the circular external surface such that the gap is sealed, the seal fitting around a circumference of the substantially conical external surface of the first member.

3. The seal of claim 2 , wherein the first seal surface contacts the substantially conical external surface.

4. The seal of claim 3 , wherein the lip contacts the circular external surface.

5. The seal of claim 1 , wherein the outer surface of the seal is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis.

6. The seal of claim 1 , wherein the outer surface of the seal is substantially parallel to the substantially cylindrical external surface of the first member.

7. The seal of claim 1 , further comprising:
a portion along an arc of the circle and positioned along the outer diameter, the portion having the effect of thickening the seal along the arc, the portion and the body being integral, the portion and the body being split in a plane parallel to the longitudinal axis such that the body has a first end and a second end and the portion has a first end and a second end, a length of the portion along the arc being greater than a width of the body; and
a fastener for connecting the first end of the body and the second end of the body and for connecting the first end of the portion and the second end of the portion.

8. The seal of claim 1 , wherein the lip is adapted to flex to maintain a sealing of the pivot joint during dimensional variations of the gap of the pivot joint.

9. The seal of claim 1 , wherein the lip defines a blunt tip at the second corner.

10. A method of using a seal to seal a pivot joint, the pivot joint including a pivot pin and a bushing, the pivot joint rotationally connecting a first member and a second member,
the first member having a longitudinal axis, a substantially conical external surface, and a substantially cylindrical external surface adjacent the substantially conical external surface, the substantially conical external surface having a cross section that is substantially circular about a first plane orthogonal to the longitudinal axis,
the second member having a circular external surface that is substantially flat and substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal axis,
a gap being defined axially between the substantially conical external surface of the first member and the circular external surface of the second member, and the gap being defined radially inward of the substantially cylindrical external surface,
the seal including:
a seal body forming a circular construct, the seal body having a cross sectional shape generally conforming to that of a triangle, respective outer diameters of the circular construct defining circles orthogonal to the longitudinal axis and formed by a first corner and a second corner of the triangle, a lip at the second corner, an inner diameter of the circle formed by a third corner of the triangle, a first seal surface extending between the third corner and the first corner, a second seal surface extending between the third corner and the second corner, and
a second portion along an arc of the circle and positioned along the outer diameters, the second portion having the effect of thickening the seal along the arc, a length of the second portion along the arc being greater than a width of the first portion,
the method comprising:
placing the seal of cross-sectional triangular shape across the gap between the first external surface and the circular external surface such that the first external surface contacts the first seal surface and the circular external surface contacts the second corner and such that a majority of the seal body is positioned in the gap.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein an outer surface of the seal extends between the first and second corners of the triangle and is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein an outer surface of the seal is substantially parallel to the substantially cylindrical external surface.

13. A seal for a pivot joint, the pivot joint rotationally connecting a first member and a second member,
the first member having a longitudinal axis and a substantially conical external surface, the substantially conical external surface having a cross section that is substantially circular on a first plane orthogonal to the longitudinal axis,
the second member having a second external surface that is substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal axis,
the seal comprising:
a body forming a circle in a second plane orthogonal to the longitudinal axis, the body having a cross sectional shape including three corners,
a first outer diameter of the body formed by a first corner,
a second outer diameter of the body formed by a second corner, the second outer diameter being greater than the first outer diameter, a lip at the second corner,
an inner diameter of the body formed by a third corner, a first seal surface extending between the third corner and the first corner,
the lip including a second seal surface, an outer surface of the body extending between the first corner and the lip, the outer surface and the lip cooperating to form an obtuse angle.

14. The seal of claim 13 , wherein the lip includes a first lip surface and a second lip surface, an angle between the first lip surface and the second lip surface being greater than 180 degrees.

15. The seal of claim 14 , wherein the second seal surface extends from the second lip surface of the lip.

16. The seal of claim 14 , wherein the outer surface of the body extends from the first corner to the first lip surface of the lip, and the outer surface and the first lip surface form the obtuse angle.

Assignees

• Klousia Timothy Allen
• Stender Mark Wayne
• Banowetz Matthew Edward
• Young Orena Dee
• Olsen Jeffery Frank
• Deere & Co

Inventors

• Klousia Timothy Allen
• Stender Mark Wayne
• Banowetz Matthew Edward
• Young Orena Dee
• Olsen Jeffery Frank

Classifications

• E02F9/006

  Pivot joint assemblies (in general F16C11/04) · CPC title

• F16J15/0887 Primary

  the sealing effect being obtained by elastic deformation of the packing · CPC title

• E02F3/3604

  Devices to connect tools to arms, booms or the like · CPC title

• Y10T29/49826

  Assembling or joining · CPC title