Cartridge seal

A method for operating a cartridge seal assembly that is disposable between a rotatable shaft and a non-rotating machine component, the method comprising:

• providing a shaft sleeve on the rotatable shaft, the shaft sleeve rotatably extends through a housing mounted onto the non-rotating machine component, the shaft sleeve being adapted to be securable in co-rotating fashion onto the rotatable shaft;
• providing a rotatable seal ring disposed in co-rotating fashion onto an end of the shaft sleeve, the rotatable seal ring being rotatable with the rotatable shaft and the shaft sleeve in unison during operation, wherein the rotatable seal ring includes an annular rotatable seal face;
• providing a non-rotatable seal ring being slidably and sealably disposed in the housing, the non-rotatable seal ring including an annular non-rotatable seal face that is biased in sealing and sliding contact with the annular rotatable seal face during operation;
• providing a plurality of resilient elements disposed in the housing between a stop surface and the non-rotatable seal ring, wherein the plurality of resilient elements are disposed to provide a biasing force to urge the non-rotatable seal ring towards the rotatable seal ring to form a mechanical face seal between the annular rotatable and non-rotatable seal faces;
• wherein the non-rotatable seal ring includes an inner axial side opposite the annular non-rotatable seal face, the inner axial side forming a plurality of slots that are arranged peripherally around the inner axial side between adjacent pairs of nubs disposed on and protruding from the inner axial side in a direction away from the annular non-rotatable seal face;
• and
• wherein each of the plurality of slots abuttingly receives therein a closed end of a respective one of the plurality of resilient elements to provide an anti-rotation function between the housing and the non-rotatable seal ring.