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US 6,186,511 B1Granted
Seal assembly with an interlocking load ring
AssigneeCaterpillar Inc.
InventorsMichael D. Anderson, Aaron L. Smith
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A face seal assembly comprises a pair of confronting seal rings having mutually-engaging seal faces. The seal faces are maintained in sealing engagement by a pair of resilient load rings that are positioned between the seal rings and a pair of housings that are positioned on opposing sides of the seal rings. The load rings are received within a recess defined by the respective housings and are adapted to interfit with one another to thereby resist relative rotation therebetween.
Claims18
A seal assembly, comprising:
- a first housing having a recess defined therein;
- a second housing having a recess defined therein;
- first and second seal rings having mutually confronting annular sealing faces positioned between said first and second housings;
- first and second load rings each having first and second end portions, said load rings being positioned with their respective first end portions engaged with opposing ones of the first and second seal rings and their respective second end portions engaged with opposing ones of the first and second housings, said load rings being adapted to urge the respective annular sealing faces of the respective seal rings into engagement with one another;
- a groove defined in an outer periphery of the second end portions of at least one of said load rings;
- and
- a rib member defined by the recess of at least one housing, said rib member being adapted for engagement with the groove defined by the load rings to resist relative rotation therebetween.
4 more elements
A seal assembly, comprising:
- a first housing;
- a second housing positioned adjacent the first housing and mounted for relative rotation with respect thereto about an axis;
- a pair of recesses, each having a first, generally axially directed surface having a rib member defined thereon and a second, generally radially directed surface extending from the first surface, said recesses being defined in opposing ones of the first and second housings;
- a pair of seal rings having mutually confronting annular seal faces adapted for positioning between the first and second housings;
- first and second load rings each having a first end portion adapted to engage an opposing one of the first and second seal rings and a second end portion adapted to engage an opposing one of the first and second housings to apply force to the seal rings to thereby maintain said seal faces in sealing engagement, each load ring having an annular periphery having a groove defined thereon and being adapted for positioning within the respective recesses with the grooves thereof in interlocking engagement with the rib member defined by the recesses to resist relative rotation therebetween.
2 more elements
A seal assembly, comprising:
- a first housing;
- a second housing positioned adjacent the first housing and mounted for relative rotation with respect thereto about an axis;
- a pair of recesses having a pair of surfaces defined therein, said recesses being defined in opposing ones of the first and second housings;
- a pair of seal rings having mutually confronting annular seal faces adapted for positioning between the first and second housings;
- first and second load rings each having a first end portion adapted to engage an opposing one of the first and second seal rings and a second end portion adapted to engage an opposing one of the first and second housings to apply force to the seal rings to thereby maintain said seal faces in sealing engagement;
- a rib member defined in one of the recesses and load rings;
- and
- a groove defined in the other of the recesses or load rings and being adapted for interfitting engagement with the rib member to resist relative movement between the recess and the load ring.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.