Bearing seal assembly

Claim 2

A seal assembly for use with a bearing assembly having an outer race provided with an outwardly opening socket, an inner race, and a wear surface adjacent to the inner race and fixed in position relative thereto, said seal assembly comprising: a seal case having a first circumferential wall sized to be press-fitted into the socket of the outer bearing race and a second circumferential wall of smaller diameter connected to the first circumferential wall and extending axially away from the inner race; and an elastomeric seal carried by the seal case and including a supporting portion bonded to the seal case and a seal lip attached to the supporting portion and engaged with the wear surface to form a barrier along the wear surface, the supporting portion including a thin circumferential section bonded to the inwardly presented surface of the second wall and a backing section formed integral with the thin circumferential section and also bonded to the inwardly presented surface of the seal case farther from the inner race than the thin circumferential section, the backing section having a generally radially extending shoulder thereon which is unobstructed and faces toward the inner race so that a removal tool can be brought against the shoulder for applying to the supporting portion an axially directed force of sufficient magnitude to overcome the press fit between the first circumferential wall and the socket, the bond between the supporting portion and the seal case being capable of withstanding application of the axially directed force without breaking, the seal lip being attached to the backing section of the supporting portion and being located in the axial directIon farther from the inner race than the shoulder so as not to interfere with the removal tool when it is brought against the shoulder.

Claim 3

The structure according to claim 1 wherein the seal case further includes radial end wall connected to the end of the second circumferential wall located remote from the first circumferential wall; and wherein the supporting portion of the seal extends axially from the shoulder to the radial end wall and is bonded to the radial end wall.

Claim 4

The structure according to claim 2 wherein the shoulder on the supporting portion of the seal is located intermediate the ends of the second circumferential wall; and wherein the supporting portion of the seal is bonded to the second circumferential wall on both sides of the shoulder.

Claim 5

The structure according to claim 3 wherein the segment of the supporting portion which extends axially beyond the shoulder and toward the interior of the bearing is relatively thin in comparison to the segment which extends in the opposite direction toward the radial end wall.

Claim 6

The structure according to claim 4 wherein the seal further includes a connecting web which at its one end is connected to the supporting portion in the vicinity of the radial end wall and at its other end is connected to the seal lip.

Claim 7

The structure according to claim 5 wherein the web and the seal lip are separated from the supporting portion by an annular relief, whereby the web and lip can flex outwardly toward the supporting portion.

Claim 8

The structure according to claim 6 wherein another seal lip is connected to the web adjacent to the juncture of the web and supporting portion, the other sealing lip also engaging the wear surface.

Claim 9

The structure according to claim 2 wherein the supporting portion is bonded to the entire inwardly presented surfaces of the second circumferential wall and the radial end wall.

Claim 10

The structure according to claim 2 wherein a rigid reinforcing ring is disposed within the second circumferential wall; and wherein the supporting portion of the seal covers and is bonded to the reinforcing ring also so that the reinforcing ring is captured between the supporting portion and the second circumferential wall.

Claim 11

The structure according to claim 9 wherein the reinforcing ring is disposed behind the shoulder and has its innermost end located further from the inner race than the seal lip.

Claim 12

For use with a bearing assembly including an outer race, an inner race, and a wear surface adjacent to the inner race and fixed in position relative thereto, a seal assembly for preventing a lubricant from escaping from the interior of the bearing assembly, said seal assembly comprising: a seal case fixed in position with respect to the outer race by means of a press fit and having a circumferential wall extending axially away from the outer race; and an elastomeric seal carried by the seal case and being engaged with the wear surface, said seal including a supporting portion bonded to the seal case and a seal lip carried by the supporting portion, the supporting portion having an inwardly presented surface of large diameter, another inwardly presented surface of smaller diameter, and a generally radially extending shoulder between the surfaces of large and small diameter, the surface of large diameter being closer to the inner race than the surface of small diameter so that the shoulder faces toward the inner race, and the shoulder being unobstructed so that a removal tool can be brought against it for applying an axially directed force to the supporting portion, the supporting portion being bonded to the circumferential wall radially outwardly from the surface of the large diameter and also to the seal case axially beyond the shoulder such that a removal force of sufficient magnitude to overcome the press fit of the circumferential wall to the outer race can be applied to the supporting portion at the shoulder thereof to remove the seal assembly without breaking the bond between the supportIng portion and the seal case, the seal lip being connected to the supporting portion axially beyond the shoulder and large diameter surface and being located axially outwardly the shoulder and large diameter surface so as not to interfere with the placement of the removal tool against the shoulder, the seal lip contacting the wear surface to form a barrier along the wear surface.

Claim 13

For use with a bearing assembly including an outer race, an inner race, and a wear surface adjacent to the inner race and fixed in position relative thereto, a seal assembly for preventing a lubricant from escaping from the interior of the bearing assembly, said seal assembly comprising: a seal case fixed in position with respect to the outer race by means of a press fit and having a circumferential wall extending axially away from the outer race; and an elastomeric seal carried by the seal case and being engaged with the wear surface, said seal including a supporting portion bonded to the seal case and a seal lip carried by the supporting portion, the supporting portion having an inwardly presented surface of large diameter, another inwardly presented surface of smaller diameter, and a generally radially extending shoulder between the surfaces of large and small diameter, the surface of large diameter being closer to the inner race than the surface of small diameter so that the shoulder faces toward the inner race, and the shoulder being unobstructed so that a removal tool can be brought against it for applying an axially directed force to the supporting portion, the supporting portion being bonded to the circumferential wall radially outwardly from the surface of the large diameter and also to the seal case axially beyond the shoulder such that a removal force of sufficient magnitude to overcome the press fit of the circumferential wall to the outer race can be applied to the supporting portion at the shoulder thereof to remove the seal assembly without breaking the bond between the supportIng portion and the seal case, the seal lip being connected to the supporting portion axially beyond the shoulder and large diameter surface and being located axially outwardly the shoulder and large diameter surface so as not to interfere with the placement of the removal tool against the shoulder, the seal lip contacting the wear surface to form a barrier along the wear surface.

Claim 14

The structure according to claim 11 wherein the seal case further includes another circumferential wall of larger diameter than the circumferential wall to which the supporting portion of the seal is bonded, the large diameter circumferential wall being connected to the small diameter circumferential wall and being press fitted into the outer race of the bearing assembly.