Bearing seal
AssigneeC. L. Frost & Son, Inc.
InventorSiegfried K. Weis
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A bearing assembly includes an outer race, an inner race, a plurality of rolling elements and a bellows seal. The seal includes first and second annular members having a sealing portion defining a groove within which a bead is slidably disposed. The sealing portion swivels on the bead and one of the members has a flexible membrane to accommodate axial and radial movement.
Claims31
A seal adapted to accommodate rocking, radial movement and axial movement of an inner race with respect to an outer race in a bearing assembly, said seal comprising:
- a first member adapted to be held by one of said inner and outer races, said first member including a radially and axially flexible portion and an annular seal portion joined to said flexible portion and defining a radially opening, generally semicircular groove having an inner lip and an outer lip;
- and
- a second member adapted to be held adjacent one of said inner and outer races, said second member including an annular carrier and a circumferentially extending, generally circular bead, said bead being configured complementarily to said groove and being disposed within said groove, said groove and said bead dimensioned to permit swiveling of said groove about said bead, said inner lip sealing lubricant in said bearing assembly and said outer lip sealing dust, dirt and the like out of said bearing assembly while said flexible portion and said groove and bead accommodate radial and axial movement and rocking of the inner race with respect to said outer race.
A bellows seal for a bearing assembly of the type having an inner race, an outer race and a plurality of rolling elements rotatably disposed between said inner and outer races, said seal comprising:
- a first annular member having an outer circumferential portion adapted to be held by the outer race, a flexible central portion and an inner circumferential sealing portion, said sealing portion defining a radially opening, generally semicircular groove;
- and
- a second annular member having a circumferentially extending seal portion of a generally toroidal shape, said seal portion being disposed within said semicircular groove of said first annular member, said sealing portion and said seal portion dimensioned so that said sealing portion may swivel about said seal portion during operation of the bearing assembly whereby said seal will accommodate radial and axial movement of said races and seal lubricant in and dirt out of said bearing assembly.
A bellows seal as defined by claim 220 wherein said toroidal-shaped seal portion is a low coefficient of friction material.
A bearing assembly of the type including an outer race defining an outer raceway, a radially spaced inner race defining an inner raceway and a plurality of rolling elements engaging said outer and inner raceways, the improvement comprising a bellows seal means carried by said bearing assembly for sealing lubricant in the assembly and preventing ingress of foreign material and for accommodating axial and radial movement of said races with respect to each other, said bellows seal comprising:
- a first annular shaped member held by one of said inner and outer races and having a central, circumferentially extending flexible portion and a sealing portion defining a radially opening generally semicircular groove having an inner curved lip and an outer curved lip;
- and
- a second annular member on one of said inner and outer races and defining a toroidal-shaped bead slidably disposed within and at least partially encircled by said sealing portion, said sealing portion and said bead dimensioned to permit said sealing portion to swivel about said bead while maintaining contact with said bead.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.