Sliding component

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9512923-B2
Application number	US-201314385941-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 15, 2013
Priority date	May 21, 2012
Publication date	Dec 6, 2016
Grant date	Dec 6, 2016

Abstract

A sliding component is characterized in that, on one sealing face of a pair of sliding parts that slide relative to each other, multiple positive pressure-generating mechanisms that include extremely shallow parallel grooves running roughly in parallel with the sealing face and having submicron-level height differences are provided independently in the circumferential direction, and that extremely shallow thin grooves are formed on the sealing face on the low-pressure fluid side of the extremely shallow parallel grooves, wherein the extremely shallow parallel grooves communicate with the high-pressure fluid side, and the extremely shallow thin grooves communicate with the extremely shallow parallel grooves, but are isolated from the low-pressure fluid side by a seal area, thereby reducing a leakage rate of sealed fluid and significantly improving lubrication characteristics at startup or stop at the same time.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A sliding component characterized in that:
on one sealing face of a pair of sliding parts that slide relative to each other, multiple positive pressure-generating mechanisms that comprise extremely shallow parallel grooves running roughly in parallel with the sealing face and having a submicron-level depth are provided independently in a circumferential direction, and
each extremely shallow parallel groove is a recess defined by two sides in the circumferential direction and a bottom wherein a side of the recess at a high-pressure fluid side is open thereto in a radial direction and communicates therewith, and a side of the recess at a low-pressure fluid side is open to and communicates with multiple extremely shallow thin grooves which are formed on the sealing face on the low-pressure fluid side of the extremely shallow parallel grooves, wherein each extremely shallow parallel groove communicates with a different set of multiple extremely shallow thin grooves, and the extremely shallow thin grooves are isolated from the low-pressure fluid side by a seal area.

2. A sliding component according to claim 1 , characterized in that: the extremely shallow parallel grooves have a depth h of 10 nm to 1 μm and roughness α of 1 to 100 nm at a bottom of the groove, where a relationship of h>α is satisfied; and the extremely shallow thin grooves have a depth h equivalent to that of the extremely shallow parallel grooves and pitch p of 1 to 500 μm.

3. A sliding component according to claim 2 , characterized in that preferably the extremely shallow parallel grooves have a depth h of 50 to 500 nm and roughness α of 1 to 30 nm at a bottom of the groove, where a relationship of h>α is satisfied.

4. A sliding component according to claim 1 , characterized in that the extremely shallow thin grooves are formed in a manner inclined by a specified angle relative to a sliding direction of the sealing face.

5. A sliding component according to claim 4 , characterized in that the extremely shallow thin grooves are formed in a manner inclined in a same direction as a rotating direction of a mating sealing face.

6. A sliding component according to claim 4 , characterized in that the extremely shallow thin grooves are formed in a manner inclined in a direction opposite to a rotating direction of a mating sealing face.

7. A sliding component according to claim 4 , characterized in that the extremely shallow thin grooves are formed in such a way that adjacent extremely shallow thin grooves are oriented in directions symmetrical relative to a sliding direction of the sealing face.

8. A sliding component according to claim 1 , characterized in that the extremely shallow thin grooves are formed along a diameter direction.

9. A sliding component according to claim 1 , characterized in that preferably the extremely shallow parallel grooves are provided to account for 5 to 70% of an area of the sealing face.

10. A sliding component according to claim 1 , characterized in that the pair of sliding parts is comprised of ring-shaped bodies each used as either a stationary-side sliding member or rotating-side sliding member of a mechanical seal that rotates relative to the other member.

11. A sliding component according to claim 2 , characterized in that the extremely shallow thin grooves are formed in a manner inclined by a specified angle relative to a sliding direction of the sealing face.

12. A sliding component according to claim 2 , characterized in that the extremely shallow thin grooves are formed along a diameter direction.

13. A sliding component according to claim 2 , characterized in that preferably the extremely shallow parallel grooves are provided to account for 5 to 70% of an area of the sealing face.

14. A sliding component according to claim 2 , characterized in that the pair of sliding parts is comprised of ring-shaped bodies each used as either a stationary-side sliding member or rotating-side sliding member of a mechanical seal that rotates relative to the other member.

15. A sliding component according to claim 3 , characterized in that the extremely shallow thin grooves are formed in a manner inclined by a specified angle relative to a sliding direction of the sealing face.

16. A sliding component according to claim 3 , characterized in that the extremely shallow thin grooves are formed along a diameter direction.

17. A sliding component according to claim 3 , characterized in that preferably the extremely shallow parallel grooves are provided to account for 5 to 70% of an area of the sealing face.

18. A sliding component according to claim 3 , characterized in that the pair of sliding parts is comprised of ring-shaped bodies each used as either a stationary-side sliding member or rotating-side sliding member of a mechanical seal that rotates relative to the other member.

19. A sliding component according to claim 4 , characterized in that preferably the extremely shallow parallel grooves are provided to account for 5 to 70% of an area of the sealing face.

20. A sliding component according to claim 4 , characterized in that the pair of sliding parts is comprised of ring-shaped bodies each used as either a stationary-side sliding member or rotating-side sliding member of a mechanical seal that rotates relative to the other member.

Assignees

• Eagle Ind Co Ltd

Inventors

• Inoue Hideyuki
• Hosoe Takeshi
• NEGISHI Yuta

Classifications

• F16C2240/54

  Surface roughness · CPC title

• F16C2240/42

  Groove sizes · CPC title

• F16C33/107

  Grooves for generating pressure · CPC title

• F16C33/7823

  of sealing lips · CPC title

• F16C33/743

  retained in the sealing gap · CPC title