Patent ID: 7469906

Claim:
A lip seal for sealing between the outside surface of a neck and the inside surface of a bore, the lip seal comprising: an elastomeric portion oriented to lie generally in a direction along a horizontal plane P comprising an interior surface and an outer surface, the interior surface having a uniform smooth surface, wherein the interior surface encircles the outside surface of the neck, the outer surface having a first peak and a first valley, and a second peak and a second valley, wherein the first and the second peaks compress to fit within the inside surface of the bore; and a spring element oriented to lie generally in the direction along the horizontal plane P and disposed within the elastomeric portion next to the second valley, with at least a portion of the element being angled with respect to the horizontal plane P, wherein the spring element is a ring shaped structure having an outer ring portion and a plurality of radially upwardly and inwardly directed finger portions, wherein the finger portions extend radially from the outer diameter toward the interior diameter wherein the outer spring portion lies at an interior included angle A less than 90° relative to the horizontal plane P and the finger portions lie at an interior included angle B less than 90° relative to the horizontal plane P, and wherein the interior included angle B less than 90° is greater than the interior included angle A less than 90°.