Rotary engine with seal having shield and elastomeric member

A housing assembly for a rotary internal combustion engine, comprising:

• a rotor housing defining a rotor cavity extending around a rotation axis, the rotor housing extending from a first side to a second side, the rotor housing having an inner face facing the rotor cavity;
• a housing secured to the first side of the rotor housing and thereby enclosing the rotor cavity, the housing including a side wall secured to the rotor housing and a side plate, a peripheral section of the side plate disposed between the side wall and the rotor housing;
• and
• a seal received within a groove defined by one or both of the rotor housing and the housing at an interface between the rotor housing and the housing, the groove extending around a perimeter of the first side of the rotor housing, the groove being located radially outwardly of the inner face of the rotor housing, a gap being defined between the rotor housing and the peripheral section of the side plate, the groove communicating with the rotor cavity through the gap, the seal including:
• an elastomeric member;
• and
• a shield disposed radially inwardly of the elastomeric member relative to the rotation axis and in contact with both the housing and the rotor housing, the shield including a thermoset plastic member extending along at least a portion of a perimeter of the groove and axially overlapping the elastomeric member relative to the rotation axis, the thermoset plastic member circumferentially, relative to the rotation axis, overlapping a combustion region of the rotor cavity where combustion occurs during operation of the rotary internal combustion engine.