Labyrinth seal with interlocking rotor and seal case insert
AssigneeAmsted Rail Company, Inc.
InventorJames Hargraves
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A labyrinth seal includes a seal case with an inner-diameter leg encircling a rotation axis, and an insert fixed in the seal case and encircling the rotation axis. The labyrinth seal also includes a slinger encircling the rotation axis and wrapping around the inner-diameter leg to cooperate with the seal case to form a first part of a labyrinth path. The slinger rotates relative to the seal case. The labyrinth seal also includes a rotor that encircles the rotation axis, cooperates with the insert to form a second part of the labyrinth path, and interlocks with the insert to limit axial movement of the rotor when the rotor rotates relative to the insert. The labyrinth seal may be combined with a bearing cone, a bearing cup, and a plurality of rollers to form a roller bearing assembly.
Claims14
A labyrinth seal, comprising:
- a seal case with an inner-diameter leg encircling a rotation axis;
- an insert encircling the rotation axis, the insert having a first side contacting the seal case and a second side facing away from the seal case, the insert forming a second locking leg that extends axially away from the second side;
- a slinger encircling the rotation axis and wrapping around the inner-diameter leg to cooperate with the seal case to form a first part of a labyrinth path, the slinger having a second innermost leg that forms a second locking feature protruding radially away from the rotation axis;
- and
- a rotor encircling the rotation axis and cooperating with the insert to form a second part of the labyrinth path, the rotor having a first innermost leg and a first locking leg, wherein the first locking leg (i) is radially farther from the rotation axis than the second locking feature, (ii) extends axially toward the second side of the insert to axially overlap with the second locking leg, and (iii) forms a first locking feature that protrudes radially toward the rotation axis, the first locking feature being axially closer to the first side of the insert than the second locking feature;
- wherein:
- the first innermost leg and the second innermost leg extend axially toward each other to limit axial movement of the rotor toward the slinger;
- and
- the first locking feature extends radially to overlap with the second locking feature such that the second locking feature, when engaged with the first locking feature, limits axial movement of the rotor away from the insert.
A method for sealing a roller bearing, comprising:
- press fitting a rotor onto a bearing cone of the roller bearing;
- coupling an outer-diameter leg of a seal case to a bearing cup of the roller bearing;
- snap fitting an insert, fixed in the seal case, onto the rotor to (i) interlock the insert and rotor to limit axial movement of the rotor in a direction toward rollers disposed between the bearing cone and the bearing cup, and (ii) form a first part of a labyrinth path between the rotor and the insert, wherein said snap fitting comprises moving the seal case, with the insert affixed therein, toward the rotor such that a first locking leg of the insert snaps onto a second locking leg of the rotor;
- and
- press fitting a slinger onto the bearing cone to (i) limit axial movement of the rotor in a direction away from the rollers, and (ii) form a second part of the labyrinth path between an inner-diameter leg of the seal case and the slinger.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.