Patent ID: 8403333

Claim:
A low friction seal for sealing between a shaft and a bore, comprising: an inner case adapted to be mounted on the shaft; an outer case adapted to be mounted within the bore; a seal element mounted to said inner case and including a base portion attached to said inner case, a membrane extending from said base portion, said membrane having a first axial face facing in a first axial direction relative to an axis of rotation of the shaft and a second axial face facing in a second axial direction opposite to said first axial direction and said first and second axial faces of said membrane do not directly contact said inner case, an axially extending leg relatively thicker than said membrane and extending from said membrane and a seal lip extending radially outwardly from said axially extending leg and engaging a radially extending portion of said outer case, wherein said membrane has a length to thickness ratio of at least 4 and said membrane extends angularly by an angle relative to a transverse direction from the axis of rotation of the shaft that is greater than 0 degrees and less than 45 degrees, wherein at low rotational speeds of the shaft, the seal lip engages said radially extending portion of said outer case and at a relatively higher rotational speed of the shaft, the seal lip lifts off of said radially extending portion of said outer case.