Wheel seal

A wheel seal comprising:

• an annular wheel seal body comprising a body inner ring wall, a body outer ring wall, a body top, a body bottom, a body height extending from the body top to the body bottom, and a body interior located between the body inner ring wall and the body outer ring wall, the annular wheel seal body further comprising:
• i) a top plate comprising a top wall forming the body top, a top plate inner ring wall forming at least a portion of the body inner ring wall and a top plate outer ring wall forming an upper portion of the body outer ring wall, the top plate outer ring wall comprising a top, a bottom and a height extending from the top to the bottom, the top plate inner ring wall comprising a top, a bottom, a height extending from the top to the bottom, and a plurality of top plate ribs extending circumferentially around the top plate inner ring wall and spaced about the top plate inner ring wall height, the top plate comprised of a top plate metal core lined on a plurality of sides by a top plate outer elastomer, wherein the top plate outer elastomer forms at least a portion of the top plate top wall, the top plate inner ring wall and the top plate outer ring wall;
• ii) a bottom plate located below the top plate top wall, the bottom plate comprising a bottom plate outer ring wall located below the top plate outer ring wall and forming a lower portion of the body outer ring wall, the bottom plate outer ring wall comprising a top, a bottom, a height extending from the top to the bottom and generally parallel to the top plate outer wall height, and a plurality of bottom plate ribs extending circumferentially around the bottom plate outer ring wall and spaced about the bottom plate outer wall height, the bottom plate comprised of a bottom plate metal core;
• an annular spring located in the body interior;
• and
• a connecting elastomer located in the body interior and extending at least partially around the spring, the connecting elastomer comprising at least one projection engaging the top plate metal core, the connecting elastomer extending at least partially around the bottom plate metal core and forming at least a portion of the bottom plate outer ring wall,
• wherein the top of the bottom plate outer ring wall is separated from the bottom of the top plate outer ring wall by a gap having an adjustable height extending generally parallel to the top plate outer ring wall and the bottom plate outer ring wall,
• wherein the gap extends circumferentially around the body outer ring wall,
• wherein the top plate is configured to move vertically relative to the bottom plate between a lowered position and a raised position so as to change the height of the gap and the body height,
• wherein the top plate is configured to tilt relative to the bottom plate between an untilted configuration in which the gap is the same height about the body outer ring wall circumference and a tilted configuration in which the gap is not the same height along the body outer ring wall circumference,
• wherein the top plate metal core further comprises a top, and a bottom annular lip extending from the top plate inner ring wall radially outward toward the bottom plate outer ring wall generally perpendicular to the top plate inner ring wall height, the bottom annular lip located directly below the connecting elastomer and configured to engage the connecting elastomer and act as a stop when the wheel seal is in the raised position or tilted configuration,
• wherein the top plate metal core further comprises an inner vertical annular segment extending upward from the bottom annular lip generally parallel to the top plate inner ring wall height, a horizontal annular segment extending from a top of the inner vertical annular segment generally perpendicular to the top plate inner ring wall height, and an outer vertical annular segment located radially outward as compared to the inner vertical annular segment and extending from a top of the horizontal annular segment downward generally parallel to the top plate outer ring wall height and perpendicular to the horizontal annular segment,
• wherein the bottom plate outer ring wall is parallel to the top plate outer ring wall and the outer vertical annular segment of the top plate metal core and perpendicular to the horizontal annular segment,
• wherein the connecting elastomer extends continuously from a first segment partially surrounding the spring, a second segment located between the horizontal annular segment of the top plate metal core and the bottom plate metal core in which the connecting elastomer extends perpendicular to the body height and lines the top of the bottom plate metal core, a third segment in which the connecting elastomer extends downwardly and forms an inner wall extending parallel to the body height, a fourth segment which the connecting elastomer extends perpendicular to the body height and is located below the gap and the top plate metal core, and a fifth segment in which the connecting elastomer extends downwardly and parallel to the body height, forms the bottom plate outer ring wall, and lines the outer vertical annular segment of the bottom plate metal core,
• wherein the inner wall is located between the outer vertical annular segment of the top plate metal core and the indented vertical annular segment of the bottom plate metal core,
• wherein the inner wall lines the indented vertical annular segment of the bottom plate metal core,
• wherein the inner wall faces the gap and the outer vertical annular segment of the top plate metal core,
• wherein the inner wall comprises a plurality of ribs extending towards the outer vertical annular segment of the top plate metal core, and
• wherein the top plate outer elastomer comprises an outer segment that forms all of the top plate outer wall and lines the top plate metal core outer vertical annular segment, wherein the bottom plate comprises an outer elastomer forming the bottom plate outer ring wall, wherein the top plate outer wall is substantially aligned with the bottom plate outer ring wall, wherein the top plate comprises atop plate outer diameter, and further wherein the bottom plate comprises a bottom plate outer diameter that is substantially equal in size to the top plate outer diameter.