Annular seal assembly, in particular for the drive shaft of a vehicle

A seal assembly for fitting between two relatively rotatable members, comprising a first annular screen, securely fixed to a first of the said members and having a seal member made of an elastomeric material, and a sliding surface carried by a second of the said members, said first screen comprising in turn a sleeve portion for fitting to said first member and a flange portion, said flange portion disposed radially, substantially perpendicular to the sleeve portion and substantially facing said sliding surface;

• said seal member being carried by said first screen at a perimetrical edge of the flange portion thereof, and including a first annular lip which extends axially from the flange portion, from a root portion thereof, towards said sliding surface;
• said first annular lip being coaxial with a substantially cylindrical surface carried by said second member and perpendicular to said sliding surface;
• wherein said first lip includes an enlarged end portion, opposite and radially offset from the root portion, delimited by a circumferential rim and an annular sealing projection, said annular sealing projection having a V-shaped projection and a sealing edge oriented axially;
• said circumferential rim being provided with a radial annular seat for a resilient circumferential retaining member, said resilient circumferential retaining member able to exert a predetermined radial stress on the first lip, and the V-shaped projection being disposed alongside the seat, with the sealing edge facing towards the sliding surface carried by said second member, said sealing edge and said sliding surface cooperate slidably in an axial direction;
• and
• wherein said enlarged portion of the first lip is connected to the root portion by an annular portion shaped so as to form a resilient hinge, the center of rotation of the resilient hinge being separate from said surface carried by the second member and arranged on a radial plane, parallel to said sliding surface, at a predetermined radial distance from said surface carried by the second member.

A seal assembly for fitting between a first and second rotatable member, comprising:

• a first annular screen having a flange portion and a sleeve portion, said sleeve portion allows said first annular screen to fit onto said first rotatable member;
• a seal member carried on a perimetrical edge of the first annular screen and made of elastomeric material;
• a first annular lip which extends axially from a root portion and towards a sliding surface of said second rotatable member, and said first annular lip includes an enlarged portion which is delimited by a circumferential rim and an annular sealing projection with a V-shaped projection and a sealing edge;
• a resilient circumferential retaining member, able to exert a predetermined radial stress on the first annular lip, being disposed in the V-shaped projection along an annular sear portion of the circumferential rim;
• and
• wherein said enlarged portion of the first lip is connected to the root portion by an annular portion shaped so as to form a resilient hinge, a center of rotation of said resilient hinge being arranged on a line passing through said sealing edge and forming an angle γ between 20° and 60° with a radial plane, parallel to said sliding surface and to said flange portion of the first screen.