Brenco, Incorporated

Mark W Garnett

Danny R Sink

An improved unitized bearing seal assembly employs a resilient primary seal lip, a secondary seal lip and an excluder lip carried by a first seal case. The seal lips contact surfaces of a second seal case. One of the seal cases rotates relative to the other. The bearing seal assembly also includes a labyrinth seal positioned radially inboard of the resilient seal lips. The labyrinth seal has two axially-extending gaps. One of the axially extending gaps is defined by a resilient axial lip. The two axial gaps are joined by a radial gap. One of the surfaces defining the radial gap comprises chaplets with recessed surfaces between the chaplets. The chaplets include radially directed surfaces and inclined surfaces joining the radially directed surfaces with the recessed surfaces. These surfaces are shaped to provide hydrodynamic pumping action. A lubricant cavity is located between the labyrinth seal and the primary seal lip. The labyrinth seal restricts exchange of lubricant between the seal lubricant cavity and a lubricant-bearing cavity of a bearing element with which the seal is used. The three resilient seal lips limit ingress of contaminants into the seal cavity. The outermost excluder lip has an increased surface area in contact with the sealing surface of the second seal case.

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Chester, VA, United States of America

Mark W Garnett