Patent ID: 7229077

Claim:
A rotary cone drill bit comprising: a body having at least one leg extending therefrom; cutting cones rotatably disposed on an end of the leg; and an elastomeric annular seal interposed between the cutting cone and leg in a seal gland, the seal having a seal body with a sealing surface contacting an adjacent drill bit surface, wherein at least a portion of the seal body includes an elastomeric composite construction comprising a cellular structure of a plurality of oriented first phases formed from a first elastomeric material, that are each in contact with and surrounded by a continuous matrix second phase formed from a second elastomeric material, wherein the second elastomeric material is relatively harder than the first elastomeric material, wherein the first phases are in the form of cores having an axial length and arranged radially adjacent to one another, wherein the first phases are oriented axially in parallel with one another, and wherein the second phase is formed from a combination of plurality of shells that each surround a respective core.