Caterpillar Inc.

Keith Joseph Harmeyer

Daniel Joshua Smith

Elmer S Zanoria

John M Mashak

Hong Lian

Jon B Borgeson

Michael E Kenning

Navya X Koka

Matthew E Lueddecke

A dynamically vented crankshaft seal and systems and methods thereof can include a seal assembly comprised of a wear sleeve; a main seal; a dust seal; and a plurality of vents circumferentially spaced from each other. Each of the vents can be formed by at least a channel. The channel may be formed in or by the wear sleeve, which can be a primary wear sleeve or a secondary wear sleeve. Further, each of the vents can extend from a first side of the seal assembly to between the main seal and the dust seal. An angle between a channel length axis of the channel and a trajectory of circumferential motion can be ninety degrees, acute, or obtuse for each of the channels.

Dynamically vented crankshaft seal and systems and methods thereof

A rotational seal assembly is associated with a rotating component. The rotational seal includes an outer casing, an inner casing, a rotational seal connected to the outer casing and the inner casing, and a followability enhancer. A section of the rotational seal includes a heel portion and a toe portion. The rotational seal is configured to contact, via a first surface of the section of the rotational seal and during operation of the rotating component, the rotating component. The followability enhancer is configured to contact, during the operation of the rotating component, a first region of a second surface of the section of the rotational seal that is associated with the toe portion. The followability enhancer is configured to not contact, during the operation of the rotating component, a second region of the second surface of the section of the rotational seal that is associated with the heel portion.

Followability enhancer for a rotational seal

A seal assembly for a rotatable shaft assembly includes a seal housing and each of a main seal and a dust seal extending circumferentially around a seal housing center axis. The dust seal includes a radially inward dust seal lip, and is formed by a sealing layer having a plurality of ventilation openings formed therein, and a debris-blocking filter layer attached to the sealing layer and positioned across the ventilation openings. The main seal and dust seal assist in maintaining lubricating oil within a seal cavity. The dust seal prevents entry of debris whilst ventilating the seal cavity to limit carbonization of oil on seal assembly components. In an implementation the seal assembly is part of a rotatable crankshaft assembly.

Seal assembly for rotatable shaft having ventilated dust seal with debris-blocking filter

In one aspect, a method for controlling an engine system includes starting the engine system, activating an engine idling reduction mode allowing automatic shutdown and automatic restarting of an engine, disallowing automatic shutdown of the engine within the engine idling reduction mode if a state of charge of a voltage source is below a charge limit for permitting automatic shutdown of the engine, and modifying the charge limit as a function of a number of starts of the engine. Other aspects include a method for disallowing automatic shutdown of an engine if a voltage source has not achieved a fully charged condition, a method of triggering an automatic restarting of an engine, if the engine is automatically shutdown, based on at least two separate indicators of engine temperature, and a method of disallowing automatic shutdown of an engine if ambient temperature is less than a predetermined value.

Engine idling reduction system

A sealing device may comprise: a flange that extends perpendicularly relative to a central axis of first portion; an inner cylindrical portion having an engaging surface, and a protruding portion extending between the flange and the inner cylindrical portion; a rigid body component; and an elastic component having a main oil lip and an excluder lip, wherein the main oil lip is proximate to or in contact with the flange at a first location, and wherein a the excluder lip contacts the inner cylindrical portion; wherein a gap is defined by surfaces of the first portion and the elastic component between the first location and the second location, and wherein, when the sealing device is installed in a bore so that the engaging surface is fixedly connected to the shaft and a machine is operated so that the shaft rotates, the volume of the gap changes by less than 10%.

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Lafayette, IN, United States of America

Keith Joseph Harmeyer