Liquid-filled radial seal
AssigneeCaterpillar Tractor Co.
InventorReginald K. Ringel
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A liquid-filled radial seal (12) includes an annular seal portion (36) and an annular body portion (34) connected thereto and defining an internal chamber (44) with an incompressible liquid (56) therein. The seal portion (36) has a sealing surface (64) and a cross sectional configuration tapering divergingly away from the sealing surface (64) to a cylindrical reference boundary (38) located between the portions (34,36). The chamber is spaced radially away from the reference boundary (38) and the free radial distance between the chamber (44) and the sealing surface (64) is preferably a preselected proportion of the overall radial height of the seal.
Claims13
A liquid-filled radial seal (12) comprising:
- an annular body portion (34) having a substantially cylindrical seating surface (40) and defining an internal chamber (44);
- an incompressible liquid (56) substantially filling the chamber (44);
- and
- an annular seal portion (36) having a substantially cylindrical sealing surface (64), the seal portion (36) being radially connected to the body portion (34) along a cylindrical reference boundary (38) and having a cross sectional configuration tapering divergingly and radially away from the sealing surface (64) toward the reference boundary (38), the free radial distance "h" between the chamber (44) and the sealing surface (64) being proportioned within a range of about 25 to 50% of the free radial overall height "H" of the seal (12) between the cylindrical surfaces (40,64).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.