Oil seal for a high speed rotating shaft

An oil seal for sealing passage of a rotatable shaft through a shaft passage formed in an end wall of a bearing housing, said oil seal comprising:

• a generally cylindrical wall segment formed on the end wall in a position lining the shaft passage and projecting from the end wall in an axial inboard direction into the bearing housing, said cylindrical wall segment having an inner wall segment on the end wall that cooperates with an outer generally cylindrical wall segment on the end wall to define an annular channel;
• and
• a slinger rotor mounted on said shaft for rotation therewith, said slinger rotor including a slinger ring with a plurality of radially open slinger ports formed therein;
• said slinger rotor further including a centrifuge sleeve extending axially from said slinger ring in an outboard direction and projecting axially into said annular channel, said centrifuge sleeve defining an integral centrifuge surface disposed in relatively close running clearance with said cylindrical wall segment and having a diametric size which tapers with increasing diameter in an inboard direction, said centrifuge surface having an inboard end in flow communication with radially inner ends of said slinger ports, whereby oil within the space between said centrifuge sleeve and said cylindrical wall segment is pumped by centrifuge action during shaft rotation along said centrifuge surface in a direction away from the end wall to said slinger ports;
• and
• said slinger ring having an inner surface with an annular cavity.