Patent ID: 6109618
Filing Date: 2000-08-29
Classification: F16J

Abstract:
A circular interference type hydrodynamic seal for location within a circular seal groove for dynamic sealing engagement within a relatively rotatable surface and serving as a partition between a lubricant supply and an environment and for controlling interfacial contact pressure between said hydrodynamic seal and the relatively rotatable surface and thus enhancing lubricant film thickness between said hydrodynamic seal and the relatively rotatable surface, comprising:(a) a circular ring-like seal body being composed of resilient material defining a lubricant surface for exposure to the lubricant supply and an environment surface for exposure to the environment;(b) a circular dynamic sealing lip being defined by said seal body and projecting therefrom, said circular dynamic sealing lip having a circular dynamic sealing surface for establishing a dynamic sealing interface with the relatively rotatable surface and defining a non-circular hydrodynamic geometry for exposure to the lubricant supply and for hydrodynamically wedging a film of lubricant into said dynamic sealing interface and defining an abrupt circular exclusionary geometry for exposure to the environment and having a circular edge;(c) A substantially circular non-lubricated static sealing surface being defined by said seal body for static sealing engagement within the circular seal groove; and(d) at least one restrictive diverter of discontinuous geometry being defined by said circular dynamic sealing lip and acting on hydrodynamically wedged film of lubricant within said dynamic sealing interface to controllably move the hydrodynamically wedged film of lubricant within the dynamic sealing interface and inhibit movement of the hydrodynamically wedged film of lubricant of the dynamic sealing interface toward said lubricant supply.