Static and dynamic shaft seal assembly
AssigneeInpro Companies, Inc.
InventorDavid C. Orlowski
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An isolator mechanism is provided for use with a machinery housing and a rotatable shaft protruding through the housing. The isolator mechanism comprises a stator ring affixed to the housing and a rotor ring which is attached to the shaft and which nests within the stator. The stator and rotor are so shaped that the stator has a male cylindrical surface, and the rotor has a female cylindrical surface located radially outwardly of the stator male surface. A solid, circumferentially stretchable annular seal member is mounted on the rotor female surface and engages the stator male surface when the rotor and seal member are at rest. However, the deformable seal member is stretched circumferentially by centrifugal force out of engagement with the stator when the rotor and seal member are moving at operating speeds.
Claims19
A bearing isolator functionally interposed between a machinery housing and a rotatable shaft extending through the housing for isolating a shaft bearing and housing interior from an environment outside the housing;
- the isolator comprising, in combination:
- a stator adapted for connection to the housing;
- a rotor adapted to be mounted on the shaft, the stator and rotor being formed with a flange and mating recess having opposed annular, axially-extending surfaces, the rotor having a radially extending recess located to confront the annular axially-extending stator surface;
- and
- a solid, annular, resilient seal member disposed in the recess and adapted to sealingly engage the rotor and the adjacent stator annular surface when the rotor is not in motion to prevent egress of lubricants from the housing interior and ingress of contaminants from the environment, the seal member being adapted to be stretched circumferentially away from and out of contact with the adjacent stator surface when the rotor is in sufficient operating motion.
An isolator mechanism for use with a housing and a rotatable shaft protruding through the housing, the isolator comprising, in combination:
- a stator adapted for connection to the housing;
- a rotor adapted for connection to the shaft;
- the stator having an axially-extending male cylindrical surface, and the rotor having an axially-extending female cylindrical surface located radially outwardly of the stator male cylindrical surface;
- and
- the isolator further including a solid, circumferentially stretchable annular seal member sealingly mounted on the rotor female cylindrical surface and sealingly engaging the stator male cylindrical surface when the rotor and seal member are at rest, but stretching circumferentially out of engagement with the stator when the rotor is moving at an operating speed.
An isolator mechanism for use with a housing and a rotatable shaft protruding through the housing, the isolator comprising, in combination:
- a stator adapted to be affixed into the housing;
- a rotor adapted to be affixed to the shaft for rotation therewith;
- and
- a solid toroidal, resilient, stretchable annular seal member sealingly engaging both the stator and the rotor when the rotor and seal member are at rest, but stretching circumferentially out of engagement with the stator when the rotor is moving at an operation speed so as to prevent the ingress or egress of material into or out of the housing.
A method of sealing a shaft bearing, the shaft rotatably extending from a housing, the method comprising:
- fixing a stator on the housing concentrically about the shaft;
- sealingly mounting a rotor on the shaft exteriorly of the housing for rotation with the shaft;
- the stator and rotor having overlapping, radially spaced cylindrical surfaces;
- and
- mounting a solid annular seal member in the space between the cylindrical surfaces of the stator and rotor such that the seal member sealingly engages both surfaces when the rotor is not rotating and such that the seal member stretches circumferentially out of sealing engagement with the stator cylindrical surface when the rotor is rotating.
A method of preventing lubricant egress from and contaminant ingress to bearings of a rotary shaft of a machine, comprising:
- mounting a bearing isolator about the shaft, the isolator having a stator fixed to the machine and a rotor rotatably mounted on the shaft, the stator and rotor being matingly fit together with spaced apart radially opposed surfaces;
- and
- sealing the opposed surfaces with a solid seal member which engages both opposed surfaces when the rotor is at rest, and which stretches circumferentially away from the cylindrical surface of the stator when the rotor rotates to prevent friction between the seal member and the stator.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.