Bearing seal

A seal apparatus for transversely sealing a volume interior to a pair of opposing elements having generally axially extending element surfaces one of said elements having a first coefficient of thermal expansion and being capable of dynamic contractive and expansive movement, said elements defining a radial space therebetween with a pair of parallel radial planes extensions across said space said seal apparatus comprising:

• a annular seal body having a second coefficient of thermal expansion formed from a uniform, stiff, single piece of material,
• said seal body having an inner peripheral end portion and an outer peripheral end portion and having a substantially rigid, and nonflexible, intermediate body portion interposed between said inner peripheral end portion and said outer peripheral end portion said end portions each having a part thereof located substantially on said pair of parallel radial planes extending across said radial space;
• said seal body having opposed first and second major surfaces with each major surfaces axially facing and each defining at least one radial plane, and two minor surfaces extending generally transversely to said first and second major surfaces, said two minor surfaces each being respectively included within each of said inner and outer peripheral end portions;
• said seal body minor surfaces each having an elongate dimension in the radial direction with respect to said radial space substantially less than the elongate dimension in said radial direction of each of said major surfaces;
• one of said minor surfaces being secured to one of the element surfaces and said intermediate body portion having a substantially greater radial dimension than that of either of said peripheral end portions to substantially preclude seal body seal body deformation of the entire seal body axially out of any radial plane defined by any portion of said major surfaces
• one of said outer and inner peripheral end portions having a first substantially annular hinge in said seal body formed by a groove extending substantially axially inwardly from said first major surface, said first hinge being positioned closer to said second major surface than to said first major surface a second substantially annular hinge in aid seal body formed by a groove extending substantially inwardly form said second major surface, said second annular hinge being positioned closer to said first major surface than to said second major surface said first and second hinge portions being on the same end portion
• said intermediate body portion being free of hinges;
• and
• said first and second hinges providing contractive and expansive movement of said one of said inner and outer peripheral end portions of said seal body relative to the intermediate body portion primarily in a direction substantially parallel to said elongate dimension of said major surfaces to compensate for dimensional differences between said seal body and the element induced by the difference between said first and second coefficients of thermal expansion, thereby maintaining seal integrity.