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US 12,486,902 B2Granted
Seal assemblies and related methods
AssigneeBal Seal Engineering, Inc.
InventorsBrandon Grant, David Wang
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A seal assembly can include a sealing component and a spring energizer located within a seal cavity or spring cavity of the sealing component. The sealing component provides an exterior surface for providing protection of the seal cavity and spring energizer from an external or contaminated environment, such as the atmosphere. The sealing component can have two distinct first and second sealing points. Each distinct first sealing point can have two discrete first sealing points and each second sealing point can have two discrete second sealing points. Part of the spring energizer can extend externally of the sealing component.
Claims22
A seal assembly comprising:
- a sealing component and a spring energizer;
- a lengthwise axis passing through a center of the sealing component;
- said sealing component comprising two sealing flanges, including a first sealing flange and a second sealing flange, and a cover flange defining a seal cavity with the first and second sealing flanges, said cover flange having an exterior surface and an interior surface and each of said two sealing flanges comprising a sealing lip such that the sealing component has two sealing flanges with two sealing lips;
- said spring energizer positioned within said seal cavity and biasing the two sealing flanges away from one another to provide a load on said sealing lips for sealing against two different surfaces;
- wherein radial-end-most surfaces of the two sealing flanges define an inside diameter of the sealing component and wherein the exterior surface of the cover flange defines an outer diameter of the sealing component, the inside diameter and the outer diameter surrounding the lengthwise axis;
- wherein a first flange overhang and a second flange overhang extend axially, relative to the lengthwise axis, of a central part of the cover flange and axially of the two sealing flanges;
- wherein the first flange overhang has an end edge located axially, relative to the lengthwise axis, further than the first sealing flange and the second flange overhang has an end edge located axially, relative to the lengthwise axis, further than the second sealing flange;
- and
- wherein a flange stub extends radially from the interior surface of the cover flange, contacts the spring energizer, and spaces the spring energizer away from the interior surface of the cover flange.
6 more elements
A method of using a seal assembly, comprising:
- placing the seal assembly between a first structural component and a second structural component, and wherein each of the first and second structural components comprising a first surface angled to a second surface;
- sealing a gap between the two structural components with the seal assembly;
- wherein the seal assembly comprises:
- a sealing component comprising two sealing flanges, including a first sealing flange and a second sealing flange, and a cover flange defining a seal cavity with the first and second sealing flanges, said cover flange having an exterior surface and an interior surface and each of said two sealing flanges comprising a sealing lip such that the sealing component has two sealing flanges with two sealing lips;
- a lengthwise axis passing through a center of the sealing component;
- a spring energizer positioned within said seal cavity and biasing the two sealing flanges away from one another to provide a load on said sealing lips to seal against first surfaces of the first and second structural components;
- a flange stub unitarily formed with the cover flange and extending radially relative to the lengthwise axis from the interior surface of the cover flange, contacts the spring energizer, and spaces the spring energizer away from the interior surface of the cover flange;
- wherein radial-end-most surfaces of the two sealing flanges define an inside diameter of the sealing component and wherein the exterior surface of the cover flange defines an outer diameter of the sealing component, the inside diameter and the outer diameter surrounding the lengthwise axis;
- wherein a first flange overhang and a second flange overhang extend axially, relative to the lengthwise axis, of a central part of the cover flange and axially of the two sealing flanges;
- and
- forming an interference fit between an interior surface of the first flange overhang and the second surface of the first structural component and forming an interference fit between an interior surface of the second flange overhang and the second surface of the second structural component.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.