Patent ID: 6845986

Claim:
A unitized seal assembly for sealing a bearing chamber defined between outer and inner bearing cylinders, the outer bearing cylinder is adapted and configured for engagement with a housing and the inner cylinder is adapted and configured for engagement with an axle, wherein relative movement exists between the axle and the housing, the unitized seal assembly comprising: a) a radially outer ring which includes a casing and a first shield element, the casing having axially inner and axially outer ends, the first shield element being engaged with the outer end of the casing and defining a first sealing face; and b) a radially inner deflector ring positioned adjacent to the outer end of the casing, the deflector ring including a support member and a second shield element, the support member forming a shield cavity wherein the second shield element is disposed, the second shield element including a second sealing face; wherein said first and second sealing faces are dimensioned and configured such that when the first shield element is positioned in non-contacting proximity to the second shield element, a circuitous sealing labyrinth is formed between the first sealing face and the second sealing face, and wherein at least a portion of said circuitous sealing labyrinth is formed by the space between at least one recess in one of the first and second sealing faces and at least one complementary protrusion on the other of the first and second sealing faces.