Shaft seal with retention features and overmolded seal component

Abstract

A seal component for a shaft seal assembly includes an elastomeric element and a substrate, wherein the seal component has an over-molded configuration in which the elastomeric element is over-molded onto the substrate. In one embodiment, the elastomeric element includes a pair of flexible arms that are compressible about an apex to energize the seal component. In another embodiment, the shaft seal assembly includes twist lock retention features for retaining the seal component within the housing structure. The seal component includes a plurality of locking features, and a plurality of cooperating locking slots is provided in the housing structure that respectively receive the locking features of the seal component. Specifically, when the seal component is rotated relative to the housing structure from an initial position to a second locked position, the locking features are compressed within the locking slots of the housing structure in the second locked position.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.