Patent ID: 7722050

Claim:
A mechanical seal for sealing between a rotatable shaft and a stationary housing, the seal comprising an axially fixed, rotary seal face member for attachment to the shaft for rotation therewith and providing two axially separated and oppositely facing seal faces, first and second, axially floating, stationary seal face members arranged on axially opposite sides of said rotary seal face member and each having a seal face providing sliding contact with a respective seal face of the rotary seal face member, and means for magnetically biasing said floating seal face members towards said rotary seal face member, said axially floating seal face members and said biasing means being rotationally fixed relative to each other and said axially fixed seal face member being free to rotate relative to said axially floating seal face members, wherein said magnetically biasing means comprises at least one magnet, one end of the at least one magnet attracts said first axially floating seal face member and the other end of the at least one magnet attracts said second axially floating seal face member respectively towards said two axially separated and oppositely facing seal faces.