Seal design with bi-directional pumping

A shaft seal for use in preventing migration of a fluid along a rotating shaft rotatably mounted within a stationary housing, said shaft seal comprising:

• a seal case;
• a seal element connected to said seal case, said seal element including a body portion, a flex section and a seal lip, said seal lip having a seal face, said seal face having a gap, said gap forming a recess in said seal lip, said recess including a plurality of symmetrical radial undulations;
• said undulations tapering toward a fluid side of said seal assembly wherein said seal lip includes a continuous annular ring forming a static seal when the shaft is stationary, said ring having an inner circumferential surface which contacts an outer circumferential surface of said shaft, said seal flex section including a plurality of circumferential grooves for reducing the radial force with which the seal element grips the shaft.

A radial shaft seal having a central seal axis and a lip that surrounds a rotating shaft to be sealed, the shaft having a longitudinal axis, the shaft seal having a first side that defines a fluid side and an opposite side, the radial shaft seal comprising:

• a seal face having a plurality of radial undulations, said undulations tapered with respect to an outer circumferential surface of the shaft such that the taper is toward the fluid side, said undulations having an apex and a nadir, the height between said apex and said nadir defining a stroke;
• and
• a static seal in spaced relation to said seal face, said static seal formed of a continuous circular annular ring, said ring having an inner circumferential surface which contacts the outer circumferential surface of the shaft.

A radial shaft seal comprising:

• a seal face having portions defining a passage, said passage having a plurality of radial undulations formed in said passage;
• and
• a static seal which merges into said seal face, said static seal formed of a continuous circular annular ring, said ring having an inner circumferential surface, said undulations forming an angle of undulation with its origin at said inner circumferential surface, the height of said undulations vary with said angle of undulation.

A radial shaft seal which is contiguous with a rotating shaft the rotating shaft having a longitudinal axis, said shaft seal having a first side that defines a fluid side and an opposite side, said shaft seal further having a polymeric sealing lip for preventing the migration of fluid along the rotating shaft, said radial shaft seal comprising:

• a seal face having a plurality of radial sinusoidal undulations, said undulations having an apex and a nadir, the height between said apex and said nadir defining a stroke, said stroke tapered with respect to an outer circumferential surface of the shaft such that the taper is toward the fluid side, said undulations having an angle of undulation which faces away from the fluid side at an angle between 2 to 20 degrees with respect to the longitudinal axis of the shaft;
• and
• a static seal in spaced relation to said seal face, said static seal formed of a continuous circular annular ring, said ring having an inner circumferential surface which contacts the outer circumferential surface of the shaft.